DC Heller/Parker case: important attorneys' blog

[Robert Hairless]

The attorneys representing the Constitutional case against the D.C. gun law have a blog at: http://dcguncase.com/blog/. That blog has all the relevant documents and other pertinent information including the D.C. gun law. If you've read the D.C. petition for the Supreme Court to hear its appeal, you'll have seen that the District argues that its gun law satisfies the Second Amendment by allowing people to defend themselves with rifles and shotguns that are disassembled. Naughty, naughty. It's not nice to lie to the Supreme Court.

Be sure not to miss the "F.A.Q." ("Frequently Asked Questions") on that site. The direct link is: http://dcguncase.com/blog/?page_id=18. Within its scope this long section analyzes arguments in favor of restrictive gun laws such as the District's. It's well worth studying, I think.

 

[Hypnogator]

Thanks for posting, Robert. I've bookmarked the site, and will follow it with great interest.

 

[Robert Hairless]

You're welcome. It was my pleasure.

 

[LAR-15]

DC is also the place that considers many semi automatic handguns to also be machineguns because they can shoot more than 12 rounds.

Thanks for the link

Many handguns are still going to be banned in DC even after this lawsuit (banned as machineguns)

 

[camacho]

Thanks for posting it. Indeed, the FAQ is very informative for everyone who wants to know more about the case.

 

[Kharn]

LAR-15,
That's a fun part of DC law. If there exists a magazine over 12 rounds for the weapon, its an MG in their eyes. Even a 1911 would count, due to those 50 round drums everyone laughs at in SGN, I guess revolver sales would skyrocket.

Kharn

 

[LAR-15]

That is where the legislation pending in Congress would help.

It would scrap DC's silly 1932 definition of 'machinegun'

Otherwise you are right it's mostly going to be revolvers and bolt actions

 

[damien]

DC is also the place that considers many semi automatic handguns to also be machineguns because they can shoot more than 12 rounds.

Depending on the Supreme Court's decision, this could easily fall too. If the Supreme Court applies strict scrutiny to the 2nd Amendment, silly definitions like this are just going to be thrown out by the first court that hears them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_scrutiny

 

[justashooter]

gurapossessky is a little light on the law, if you carefully read the text on the following page:
http://dcguncase.com/blog/?page_id=18

under the heading:
If the Second Amendment protects military weapons, how about weapons like surface-to-air missiles?

"Many gun prohibitionists make wild claims that if the Second Amendment protects an individual right, courts would have to allow people to have their own flamethrowers or cruise missiles. This is nonsense. When interpreting constitutional rights, courts routinely draw lines between the permissible and the far-fetched."

there is no prohibition on the ownership of flamethrowers. i have one. no nonsense. i built it myself, and i don't have to go far to fetch it. it shoots kerosene to about 60' distance, at a rate of 3 gallons (a full charge) a minute. federal and state statute do control "frangible" devices like "molotov cocktails", but they do not address flamethrowers in any text regarding prohibited offensive or destructive devices. farmers in many states use flamethrowers to control fence weeds, and make controlled burns of pasture. special short range flamethrowers are also designed to melt frozen surfaces on stock tanks and icy walkways. i have one of those, too, but it's not as fun to use or as cool looking.

never forget the first time i fired my rig. a friend had sent me a weblink about such on a tuesday with a challenge to fabricate, and by thursday night i had a rig based on a backpack frame, some stainless "indian tanks", a couple of ball valves, and high pressure fuel injection hose.

just as i was lighting up in the front 40 the DNR guy rolled by. the look on his face was priceless, and quite easy to see at a distance of 50 yards by the light of a 50' flaming arc.