Unlikely. Under DC restrictions, if I wake in the middle of the night to the sounds of instrusion, I still have to 1) remove my trigger lock and 2) load my weapon before I can engage. I wonder if I could even practice that, a few dry runs to speed up the process, without running afoul of the DC law.

Thank God I live in Maryland(?) I don’t care what stupid laws they pass – I’m keeping my weapon loaded, safe and ready at a moments notice, just like the Marine Corps taught me.

Criminals and law abiding gun owners treat guns differently.

Criminals use guns as disposable tools. Their primary considerations are cheap, and concealable. Since they’re illegal, and they must not be spotted with an unregistered handgun, particularly if they already have a record. Thus the preference for small, cheap, disposable handguns. The Makarov is the gun of choice, cheap, reliable, accurate enough, and deadly enough at close range.

Law abiding citizens owning handguns want them for protection. The gun MUST work and be powerful enough and controllable enough to stop a deadly attack. Concealment IS important, but not as important for lawful concealed carry owners, and not an issue at all for those who use the gun only for home protection.

For home defense, a reliable .38 special or .357 loaded with .38 special (no overpenetration and shooting the neighbor) is desired, the gun is easy to use under extreme stress, reliable, and easy to make safe quickly.

For concealed carry, “midsize” autoloaders are both lighter and conceal more easily. Glock, Colt, Sig, Smith and Wesson, various 1911 companies like Kimber and Springfield, CZ etc all make outstanding semi-auto pistols that are relatively flat and light. Most people will not carry because it’s a pain in the ass, expensive to get certified/qualified/licensed, the holster alone will run in excess of $200 and is worth it. You will commit essentially to carrying around 5 lbs of metal and plastic on your hip every day. Some will only carry light/small 5-shot revolvers from Smith and Wesson or Ruger. Pocket revolvers. Hard to shoot, but reliable, definitely lighter and smaller. Expensive though, some will run into the $500 range.

For those at risk however, it can be worth it. Small pocket revolvers require expensive and painful practice, they are hard to shoot and often hurt (recoil being nasty in lightweight revolvers).

I would expect most people who would own guns legally in DC to own affordable .38/.357 revolvers, shoot them infrequently, and use them only in extreme home defense, for example an equalizer for elderly in the attempt of a home invasion.

I read about a man who worked for the police morturary, state that it took numerous rounds for a 9mm or 38 auto to kill a man from his experience. He said the 45 ACP or 357 magnum killed with less shots.

At the time of the original regulation the police used revolvers and there was a prejudice against semi auto pistols.

The semi auto is now the preferred weapon rather than a revolver. There are pro and cons for each one.

The fastest shot is with a revovler and the speed is incredible. Check you tube for videos.

Full allowance for false assumptions. I presume Mayor Fenty of DC is black. If not, the allusion collapses, but not entirely. Ha! I just checked. He is. Think about the irony of a black mayor opposing the decision of the Supreme Court based on his own personal wishes and fantasies about firearms. (That DC believes their definition of a machine gun turns non-machine guns into machine guns.) Now imgaine asking Mayor Fenty what he thinks about the reasoning of those who opposed the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Isn’t he likely to say, “Hey, the Supreme Court has decided. That’s it”? (Yes, yes, yes. I realize I am assuming his response. I think it is probable.) So on the one hand he agrees with the Supreme Court’s authority, and on another he does not. Well, which is it, Mr. Mayor? I think DC’s reasoning is a specious as any of those southern Jim Crow clingers. As an aside on the latter, 18 Senator species of Congress critter, and 81 Rep species of Congress critter signed a document, the Southern Manifesto, opposing school integration. Dem-97, Repub-2, in the name of public safety…?

As silence gives consent, I am please to presume you knew about Promelian Battle Cruisers, Hooked on Phonics and those other obscure document references.

The rest of you can decide to be subjects, or criminals.