In other words the Missouri law was interferring with interstate commerce

[Fisherman_48768]

Gun sales surge on change in Missouri law so the law was obviously obstructing interstate commerce.

By Tim Barker
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/06/2007
[EMAIL="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/0/D199787657A6109C8625734E000715E2?OpenDocument"[/EMAIL]

A new Missouri law that eliminated a time-consuming permit process has fueled a surge in handgun sales across the St. Louis area.

Gun shop owners and salespeople say business is up at least 20 percent since the Aug. 28 change. No longer do buyers have to seek permission from their county sheriff before buying a handgun. Also gone is the $10 fee paid for each permit.

The increase in business is attributed to several factors, most of which are expected to taper off in the coming months.

Some buyers are simply excited about the new law and eager to take advantage of it. Advertisement

But perhaps the biggest driver is that gun buyers have generally known about the impending change since it was passed by lawmakers earlier this year as part of the so-called Castle Doctrine legislation. That prompted many prospective buyers to put off purchases until now.

Such was the case for Matt Singer, a lawyer who lives in University City. Singer had his eye on a .357-caliber revolver for several months but waited until Labor Day to buy it.

"I just showed up with a check," said Singer, who considered the old rules a needless hassle. "They weren't giving you any additional protection. But it would cost you $10 and it took two weeks."

The idea behind the previous system was that a county sheriff's department would do its own investigation of an individual's background before issuing a permit. This was in addition to the FBI background check that accompanies every handgun purchase.

Proponents say it offered an extra level of security that kept handguns away from people who shouldn't have them. While the FBI looks for criminal convictions, the local sheriff could look at things like 911 calls and arrest reports that did not result in convictions.

But critics argued that the old law was often overly restrictive as interpreted by some sheriffs. In 1989, for example, the St. Louis city sheriff required applicants to get letters of recommendation from two reputable people, such as ministers or businesspeople. The requirement was later dropped.

While buyers will still face an FBI background check — unless they buy from another private individual — the entire process is much less complicated. And that's good for business.

"The thing is, people don't like waiting," said Pete Fox, manager of Top Gun Shooting Sports in Imperial. "Now people can come in, if they see a gun they like, they can buy it that day."

In the end, that's the one area — impulse shopping — where there could be some lasting benefit for gun shops.

Under the old system, a person wanting to buy a handgun faced the task of filing and retrieving paperwork with the sheriff — all done during normal business hours. That process could take longer than a week, giving buyers a lot of time to think about, and sometimes reconsider, their planned purchase.

"They had to make two trips downtown. And if they worked during the day, that was a real problem," said Mark Campbell, owner of Mid America Arms in south St. Louis County, which saw sales double during the past week.

Now that the hassle factor is gone, there could be a permanent, albeit minor, boost to sales.

"I don't think it will be enough to buy a lake house over," said Jim Stephens, owner of Bull's Eye LLC, a St. Louis firing range and retail shop. "I'd be shocked if it even hits 10 percent."

[email protected] | 314-340-8350

Effective Aug. 28, the state rules changed for buying a handgun in Missouri:• Buyers no longer must apply for a permit through the county sheriff.• Guns can be claimed immediately if the applicant passes an FBI criminal background check. Under the old law, the sheriff had up to seven days to approve or reject the application.• A $10 permit fee is gone.• Transactions between private individuals are no longer regulated by the sheriff.

 

[MisterPX]

I don't see anyhting about how it would have effected interstate comerce. Folks could have always bought one, a surge is just that, a surge. Unless the current surge lasts indefinately, you have no correlation to restrition.

 

[Fisherman_48768]

I don't see anyhting about how it would have effected interstate comerce.

Hummmm, lets see $10.00 tax on a right, when was the last time you paid a poll tax to go vote or read a paper? How about the time and trouble required to get all the former paper work completed to fulfill some local bureaucrats ego. Now that the tax is removed as well as the paperwork it seems that more folks are purchasing guns in Missouri that were manufactored elsewhere therefore interstate commerce is taking place at a rate not previously experienced.

...lasts indefinately, you have no correlation to restrition.

I am not sure what your trying to say but this is my translation '...last indefinitely, you have no correlation to restriction.'

 

[gego]

I went to a gun show in Mountain View, MO on September 1, and saw more than one individual walking around with a pistol for sale. I looked at a Llama .380 one of them had for $150, but passed as I wanted something with a little more punch.

Of course, there were the usual dealers which for a sale would need to call in for a NICS clearance on pistols as well as long guns.

At least the new law is one step away from government running roughshod over the 2nd.

Remember that the old law was just an old Jim Crow statute designed to keep hand guns out of the hands of those with dark skin. Hell, back in the 1950's a black was not allowed to spend the night in any of the rural southern Missouri counties without real fear for his life; certainly he could not get a room anywhere. So all the Liberals should be cheering the end to this law. Why the silence?

 

[One of Many]

I grew up in Missouri - the first few handguns I bought, I had to get two letters of character reference, on business letterhead, before the county sheriff would issue a permit to purchase. It took about two weeks for the criminal background check to be completed.

The letters were the biggest nuisance; you had to get your employer, or someone you did frequent business with, to take their valuable time to write a letter for you. This was intended not only to prevent certain races from purchasing firearms, but also certain economic classes from doing so. Only people with "good connections" would be able to get the required letters.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

So what if it did make a difference on interstate commerce? Why is that important from a legal perspective and what cases or statutes support your point of view?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I don't understand the comment about this law "interferring with interstate commerce".

If anything, it looks like this law would improve interstate commerce.

 

[Fisherman_48768]

If anything, it looks like this law would improve interstate commerce.

Old law did interfer, new law removing restrictions and requirements no longer does.

 

[bogie]

Well, I picked up Kel-Tec from Jim's place...

 

[garymc]

The surge was in large part due to people celebrating the legislative victory by buying a gun on "National Buy a Gun Day." The day that legislation passed earlier in the year and signed by the Governor after the legislative session goes into effect is August 28. That, coincidentally, is the same day some anti-gun protesters were supposed to picket a gun store in Chicago or somewhere.

 

[ServiceSoon]

Interstate commerce is the trasporation of money, goods or services between states. I don't understand how this could have anything to do with interstate commerce. Unless you follow the logic of the ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824).

Generally, rules and regulations hinder commerce. The news of increased sales because of less regulation is no surprise to me.