Posted on 08/23/2007 1:42:17 PM PDT by neverdem
Residents of Missouri soon will no longer need a sheriff’s permit to buy a concealable gun, although a permit still will be required to carry one.
Missouri lawmakers changed the gun law earlier this year with little of the controversy that often goes with gun legislation. The change will be effective Tuesday.
“It’s something we’ve advocated for some time,” said Kevin Jamison, a Gladstone lawyer who is president of the Missouri Sport Shooting Association, the National Rifle Association affiliate in the state. “This makes it easier for people to buy firearms. They don’t have to get permission first.”
The gun-permit law for purchases dates to 1921, Jamison said. The sheriff has up to seven days to review a permit application and conduct a criminal background check.
So far this year, Jackson County has issued 4,150 permits to acquire a handgun, said Sgt. Judy Farnsworth of the sheriff’s office. The permits generated about $60,000 in fees for the general fund, she said.
Under federal law, gun dealers already do background checks on people who buy handguns from them, so the sheriff’s review is redundant, Jamison said. In addition, going to the sheriff’s office to apply for a permit and then to pick it up is a nuisance, he said.
The sale or transfer of firearms between individuals also will no longer require a criminal background check.
“There will not be any safeguards on that, individual to individual,” Farnsworth said. “It’s always a concern, but there’s not a lot we can do about it.”
Jamison said most sales of handguns are by licensed dealers, so background checks still will have to be done. Though illegal, the transfer of guns without a permit among individuals is already common, he said.
Jamison said gun-rights groups will advise individuals to have a dealer do a computer background check on gun buyers they do not know. The dealers will charge a small fee but have access to criminal records not available to individuals, Jamison said.
Jamison said there was no testimony against the bill this year when the change was made part of a larger, 20-page firearms and self-defense bill.
As word of the new law got out, however, some people mistakenly believed that permits would no longer be needed to carry a weapon, said Deputy Ronda Montgomery, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.
In a news release this week, Montgomery said that “it is important to note this does not affect the concealed permit law.”
A 2003 Missouri law allowed carrying of concealed weapons, with permission of the sheriff and after training, background checks and other restrictions. All of those rules still apply, Jamison said.
“Buying a handgun does not make you qualified to carry it,” he said.
ON THE WEB For the complete text of the gun purchase legislation, which combined Senate bills 41 and 62, go to www.
senate.mo.gov/07info/ pdf-bill/tat/SB62.pdf.
To reach Kevin Murphy, call (816) 234-4464 or send e-mail to kmurphy@kcstar.com
I would just let this slide by were it not for the fact that I made it clear I don't object to a shopkeeper having a "choice", that is your word, not mine. I also made it clear that I support the 2nd Amendment. I will go a step farther and say that as a Missouri resident I'm extremely happy with Missouri gun laws and especially their further improvement under Governor Blunt.
The point I made, unequivocally, was that getting in a gun fight over $78 in your employers cash register isn't a particularly wise move. Now should you have a Constitutional right to do so? Sure.
I would think, however, that most employers would rather eat the $78 or file an insurance claim if it were a great deal more, than have to clean up their employees blood and call his wife with the bad news.
That's why I like Florida.
Normally just a three day wait, no extra "Mother May I" from local PD (three days is bad enough)
BUT if you have a CCW (and FL is SHALL issue) then buy your gun, show your CCW and leave WITH gun!
$5.00 for a CCW is cheap! But I don't like the yearly renewal.
In FL it costs about $115.00 the first time plus cost of a gun school if you need one (DD 214 will do) and the permit is good for 5 years. After that it's around $60.00 for a 5 year renewal.
The Reason:
Sheriff Glen Hendrix said that citizens did not need handguns. He would not issue purchase permits.
At last honest citizens no longer have to ask "the person" for a permit to purchase.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Get out away from Kansas City or St. Louis proper and it's not too bad.
Even Kansas City isn't too bad but you can pick from some really good deals in the country.
At first I thought you were sadly misinformed and, since I have lived in Springfield Missouri for 46 years, I was going to tell you to go back and check your facts.
However before I crammed my foot in my mouth I went back and found Sheriff Hendrix served in the late 50’s up to 1964. The first sheriff I remember in town was Mickey Owen.
I can’t help but wonder if Hendrix didn’t make that lame brain statement after the JFK assassination. Political assassinations do tend to set the anti-gun crowd off. Although it sure would take a stretch to impugn handguns in 1963 when Oswald was working with a rifle, but I digress.
I curse the void of intent in words absent of context.
That is one of the great weaknesses of the internet my friend. You can’t hear voice inflection, you can’t read body language. On a place like FR where political debate is common it is easiest to just let my knee jerk in reaction than to assume the best.
My apologies.
Oh, yep. Two trips to the sheriffs office (duh..) but only one to the gun dealer, I waited till I had the paper to even look. Already knew what I wanted so it’s not like I had to go shopping.
Interesting. It’s just been a few years but the lady cop who was taking my app was very encouraging and helpful. Maybe we had a different sheriff by then. I just do not understand that mentality. A sheriff of all people should understand that cops are not always readily available and the people who are getting guns the legal way are not the people he needs to worry about.
My latest favorite sayings - picked both up here on FR of course. Wish I could site the people who said them.
When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
I carry a gun because cops are too heavy.
One place where this will really help is situations like estate sales,
Yes but I find it odd. Not complaining just saying if I wanted to buy an illegal gun, I’d go to an estate sale. As they noted, there’s not a lot that can be done to prevent that. So, as usual, the people who follow the law are the ones who’ve been dinged with the cost and inconveniece, those that don’t will find a way to get around the law.
There’s still a record of the sale if you buy a handgun at an estate sale. The problem comes when someone bids on and buys a gun, and then it turns out they didn’t have the permit, or don’t have it with them.
I see.
I’ve seen at least one instance where someone apparently suffered “buyer’s remorse” after getting a closer look at what they’d bought, and suddenly couldn’t come up with their paperwork.
That’s the case even in NYS. Property out in the country is a lot cheaper and you can live within about 20 mins of a city.
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