by Yesterday evening I posted about the CalGuns Foundation’s win in forcing San Francisco County Sheriff Michael Hennessey to obey the law and adopt a formal policy on the issuance of carry permits. Having read through the policy two things become glaringly obvious. First, it is expensive. The cost for the permit, the fingerprinting, the psychological test, and the firearms testing and qualification test is $2,607 for first time applicants and there is no refund of any of it if they deny you anywhere in the process.
The second thing is that it is incredibly restrictive as to handgun and caliber. It goes well beyond the California Roster of Handguns. You are restricted to four calibers and to pistols and revolvers from certain manufacturers. If you want to use a Colt 1911, forget it. 1911’s and all single-action semiautomatic pistols are prohibited. If you think you might like a pocket pistol like the Ruger LCP in .380, forget it as you are limited to pistols in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.
If you think you might want to use the S&W Model 29 made famous by the fictional SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry movies, you can forget that as well. Only revolvers in .38 Special are allowed. Moreover, you are only allowed to carry the weapon with which you qualified.
As to the qualification test, it appears to be a standard 50-shot qualification test as used by many law enforcement agencies. It probably isn’t the most relevant test for a concealed carry holder but at least it is an objective test that seems to be fairly standard. I do wonder how many of the SF Sheriff’s Deputies pass the test on their first try in their annual re-qualifications.
The policy as adopted is below.
San Francisco Carry License Policy
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Yep they got beat, so they crafted the most miserable, arduous, and expensive requirements so that only the most stalwart and committed gunnies will even dare to apply.
Do they subject their own PD to such bullshit? I know the SF Chief blew off her pistol qualifications for years.
Doesn't look like this is compliant with state law at all. They might as well have said "fuck you with a tetanus-coated nail."
When I see the lawsuit bait they keep throwing out all I can think of is the joke about the bear and the hunter.
"This isn't about making regulations that will stick for you guys, is it?"
Since I'm about as far from California as one can get, I have no idea, but is it possible to walk into a sporting goods store and walk out with a shotgun as we can here in Florida – and most other states. Do they forbid long guns?
The restrictions are so stupid I can't wrap my head around where they would possibly come from. The term "arbitrary and capricious" comes to mind…
And linked back from my humble little home on the web.
@Graybeard: As I understand it, you can buy any shotgun or rifle but you have a 10-day waiting period before you can take it home.
Was the included PDF document created by the Sheriff's department? Was it created for a commercial purpose? (I figure it would be hard to deny since it includes PRICES.)
Wouldn't that make it a direct and explicit violation of the Win2PDF license referenced on the last page?
Does anybody have the contact details for the Win2PDF creators?
I know Alan Gottlieb is busy right now suing Bloomberg and NYC over their excessive "fees" to exercise a civil right. Maybe after he collects from NYC he will have a little free time to drive San Francisco a little deeper into the red.