According the FBI database, there are
over two million first-time gun owners in the
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The pandemic-induced civil unrest
and ongoing riots that have ensued in recent weeks on the social justice pretext
– followed by calls to defund and disband police forces – have gotten people to
think twice about whom they can count on if the safety of their loved ones is
on the line. As the saying goes, “The police are minutes away when seconds
count.” Average police response in
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But, while more people than ever
before are eager to buy firearms, obtaining a firearm in
As of October
2013, in order to purchase a regulated firearm, one has to have what is known
as the HQL, or Handgun Qualified License. In order to get one, you have to
sit through a four-hour class covering such topics as Maryland legal codes;
safety rules; safe handling of a firearm; operations of a pistol; basics of
marksmanship, storage and care; and more. Then you have to fire a round,
showing proficiency in safely and properly handling the pistol. And that is
just the beginning.
Once you have completed
the class, you have to be fingerprinted to ensure you have no criminal history
or mental health issues that would prohibit you from owning a gun. You then
complete the online application and wait 30 days until the license comes in the
mail. Without the HQL card, you cannot purchase a regulated firearm in
Non-regulated
firearms are a bit less restrictive as you do not need an HQL or the lengthy
MSP wait time. You can enter a store, purchase the firearm, and walk away with
it that same day. This is not to mean that there are no checks and balances. You
will still have to complete the BATFB application and wait for the store to run
a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background check
system (NICS). Only then, assuming the response for the check was “proceed,” may
you buy the firearm.
It is important
to note that, in recent months, due to the overwhelming numbers of checks being
run (with millions of such purchases being made, the number of checks has been
overwhelming), many are denied or delayed, meaning the FBI wants or needs
additional information prior to approving.
There are no
“free” rides, no buying firearms without a background check. Even the old “gun-show
loophole,” where it was assumed that people could buy firearms without such
checks, has been debunked and shown to not be true by many investigative news
reporters who tried to prove they could buy a firearm without a background
check – and failed.
Note that we
didn’t even discuss the various licenses that the dealers must obtain,
restrictions on their operations for safety, or licenses for carrying a pistol
on one’s person. This article is not long enough to cover the full scope of the
vast number of checks and balances placed on the purchase and sale of firearms.
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Many individuals, and even
political movements and organizations, portray firearms as an evil and
dangerous tool. Furthermore, these entities blame firearms for the level of
violence society is swept up in. It is imperative to note that several
organizations around the country (including federal agencies such as the FBI)
collect data on the defensive use of firearms. And although the media often promulgate
information about the evil done with guns, such as active-shooter incidents,
the reality is that people using their firearms to protect lives is far more
common.
People must
recognize the fact that ill-intending individuals have always found the means
to cause harm. Those who purchase guns legally are most often not the ones who
perform those horrible acts of mass violence or the incidents of street crime. According
to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, almost 80 percent of people in
jail for gun possession offenses got their firearm from family members,
friends, or through black market and illegal channels. The criminal element,
including terror organizations and organized crime groups and gangs, do not usually
go through the legal process to purchase their firearms. No anti-gun law would
restrict them; they will manage to acquire firearms in spite of the laws and
regulations mentioned above. An evil mind is an evil mind, and if guns are prohibited,
they will use other means, such as cars, knives, explosives, and clubs, etc. Myriad
examples of this principle go back to the beginning of time.
Restricting legal
gun ownership only benefits those with malicious intent, while their victims
became even more powerless – which is exactly why we see this surge in gun
ownership. People are realizing that when the moment of truth comes, their only
resource they can count on is themselves and the tools they have. Gun
store customers, when asked why they chose to buy a firearm now, typically
answer, “We don’t feel as though we can count on police to save us.” That
sentiment is unfortunately not all that inaccurate. Just look at cities like
Chicago or Baltimore.
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All that said, few are the
instructors or firearms dealers who would argue against sensible and
responsible gun ownership. In fact, one of the largest firearms industry
organizations, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), spearheads such
initiatives as the “Project Child Safe” and “Operation Secure Store” with the
sole intent of enhancing safety. Although most gun dealers and instructors are
of the opinion that people should have the right to defend themselves and should
be able to own the tools to do that, including firearms, certain guidelines may
certainly be in order.
Should everyone
own a firearm? Most certainly not. People with criminal background issues or
metal health issues should not – and by law are not allowed to. The challenge
becomes in defining what is a prohibitive criminal background issue or mental
health concern. Is a misdemeanor when you were 18 a concern when you are an
otherwise responsible parent at 30? Is taking certain mood enhancers a negative
stigma? Where should the line be drawn? At the moment, the line is very gray
and prohibitive in general (which some people prefer), but many people feel
helpless because they did nothing wrong yet could not protect themselves if the
need should arise (think victims of domestic violence, for example).
Further safety
elements mandated by
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So let’s assume you sat though the
four-hour HQL class, completed your fingerprinting, went on MSP’s website, and
applied for the license. After waiting 30 days you received the license in the
mail, and you finally can go to a store. Chances are that nowadays you’ll be
hard pressed to find some of the most popular firearm makes and models. We have
seen the largest surge in firearms sales in recent history. In fact, one retail
store sold all its in-stock firearms within the first three weeks. Distributors
are low on inventory, and prices have skyrocketed. HQL classes are full, and
many instructors have been running multiple HQL classes a week to accommodate the
demand.
Such names as
Glock and Sig-Sauer, amongst others, would be hard to come by. The buying rush
we saw back in March has left its mark, and three months later, manufacturers and
distributors are still struggling to meet the demand. This leaves customers
with minimal options and oftentimes paying top dollar for brands they would
otherwise not have considered. The shortage and price hikes are not limited to
the firearms themselves but also to ammunition and accessories. Supply–and-demand
rules, and right now demand is high. This is, by all expert accounts, a
“consumer’s self-made problem.” Demand was so high and occurred so fast that it
created a ripple effect. As events normalize, however, and people are less
concerned, supply should once again become available and prices go back down – until
November, that is. When elections come around, the race to obtain firearms begins
again as the fear hits the public again, as it does every four years, that the winner
might force further restrictions.
Tzviel “BK” Blankchtein, a former member of the Israeli
Defense Forces, is president of
