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Ricky, Get Yer Gun

August 19th, 2008
By JAZZ SHAW, Assistant Editor

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handgun.jpgThe fight over second amendment rights in the District of Columbia is far from over, as local lawmakers continue scrambling to try to re-write laws to “honor” the Heller decision while still making it virtually impossible to obtain a permit. However, while that process drags on, one of the principals in the case has achieved at least a temporary and symbolic victory. Dick Heller has his gun permit.

The man whose lawsuit overturned Washington’s handgun ban has successfully registered his revolver, ending a more than 30-year wait to keep the weapon in his home.

Dick Heller walked out of D.C. police headquarters Monday, clutching a yellow firearms registration certificate stamped “approved.” He gave the thumbs-up sign, grinned and said, “Victory!”

He won approval to keep a .22-caliber revolver at home after coming to police headquarters in July to be fingerprinted and take a firearms proficiency test. Police approved the weapon after completing a background check.

Really? All of this was over a .22 caliber pistol? Look, I’m happy for Mr. Heller and the other law abiding citizens of the District who wish to safely exercise their 2nd Amendment rights, but come on, Dick. That’s a target pistol! I used to have one (since passed on to the next generation) and they are great for learning firearms safety and target shooting, but it’s hardly a home defense weapon.

A couple of years ago we had a guy walk into an emergency room in Syracuse, New York whose wife had unloaded five shots into his stomach. Did you catch the key part of that sentence? He walked into the emergency room. The key factors in the story were that the wife was firing a .22 and the guy had a beer gut that would have made Buddha jealous. None of the rounds penetrated his spare tire far enough to hit any vital organs. He needed surgery to remove them and some antibiotics, of course, but he was back home the same day.

I’m not trying to give anyone the impression that a .22 isn’t a dangerous weapon here. At close range you can definitely still be killed if you take one in the eye or the neck, or perhaps have a major artery nicked. But the plain truth is that these guns simply don’t have much stopping power. It’s a matter of momentum, which as you physics majors know, is mass-times-velocity. The .22 shell is sadly-lacking in both departments: muzzle velocity is typically very low compared to a bigger gun and the bullet is considerably smaller.

If you prefer a smaller, lighter gun for home defense, I would suggest looking into either a .38 or a .45. Personally, my favorite has always been the 9 mm but not everyone likes the kick, which can be considerable with the more substantial hand canons.

But enough rambling on firearms for one morning. Congratulations, Dick. You’ve done something good for America and put up with all manner of abuse and accusations in the process. Now, for goodness sakes, please make sure you comply with all laws and act safely. The last thing we need is for the DC poster child for 2nd amendment rights showing up on the nightly news having shot up the neighborhood.



This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 4:01 am and is filed under Gun Control. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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