Handguns in Michigan
I did not know this but a handgun that is purchased in Michigan must be taken to the local PD for a safety inspection. This results in a registry and some departments charge a fee. There’s a push to get rid of that onerous requirement. Mike has information on contacting your reps.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Wow. An idiotic, useless, and nonsensical gun control measure that didn’t come from MA.
Man, the local cops would get mighty sick of me if we had that kind of regulation…
April 7th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
In a lot of places, the hours for the inspection are like Tues & Thurs from 2pm to 4pm.
Also, it generally consists of you fill out the form, they check the ser # on the weapon, then slide it back to you. Sometimes they don’t even take it out of the case. Some places have thick glass, so you just hold it up for them to read the ser #. It’s kinda funny, walk into a police station and hold the weapon up against the glass for the desk person to squint at it and try to read the ser #.
Stupid? Nah – much stupider than stupid.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Is it just handguns now? When I lived there it was all firearms. My friend had quite the time getting his stripped AR lower receiver to pass the inspection. It took three visits and lots of ‘splaining to get them to understand that, yes, it was a firearm and that he had to have them give him the green light before he could call it his own.
He finally did pass the “safety inspection” with his stripped lower. Just how they could tell it was safe was beyond our ability to figure out. I guess they could tell because they are experts.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I believe that any gun under thirty inches overall must be “safety inspected”. At least that seems to be the case with under folding AK clones and various other models capable of firing with the stock folded. You actually have to get a pistol purchase permit to buy one. The actual process to buy a pistol goes like this: 1) You see a pistol you like at a store/gun show, etc. 2) You take a day off work to go visit your local law enforcement office (City Police, County Sheriff, depends on the jurisdiction you live in) and get a “Permit to Purchase” ($5 fee, I think) 3)If you can, get down to the store and purchase your pistol. 4) Then, time permitting, scamper back to the Cop Shop, which closed about five minutes before you pulled in the parking lot. 5) Leave work early the next day and make another trip downtown. 6) Bring your pistol up to the counter for the “safety inspection” during which an ornery counter troll will take down the serial number, barrel length and caliber to enter into the sooper seekrit database of proles who dare to own a firearm. 7)Finally go home and go shooting. 8)If you have a CCW start at step 5 I think that about covers it. Did I miss anything? If you are buying private party, (pointless unless it’s a screaming deal) it is easiest to just both take a day off and go downtown together. You will make fewer trips back and forth for missing paperwork, incorrect signatures, etc. I would shed no tears if this little tidbit of statist tomfoolery got repealed.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
This stupid process requires 2 trips to the cop shop (unless you have your CCW permit). After you get the “purchase permit” (waived by CCW permit)you have 10 days to make the purchase, then 10 days from the date of purchase to return for your safety inspection. This usually requires missing work on 2 occasions, beacuse the paperwork ALWAYS takes more than an hour, thus making a quick and easy lunch trip impossible.
Where I live the gals that do the paperwork are awesome friendly people and charge no fee. Know me on a first name basis actually. Still too much hassle. I miss over $100 worth of paycheck just getting the paperwork done, this in just 1 trip due to my having my CCW permit.
Also, firearms under 30″ OAL are considered pistols in MI, and thus require a purchase permit and registration. This silly requirement, however, classifies things like side-folder AKs as pistols.
My MI CCW permit specifies pistols only. AK sidefolder legally is a “pistol”….
Therefore I can LEGALLY (according to the letter of the law) carry my side-folder AK with me loaded, anyplace CCW is legal in MI. (not reccomended)
The interesting side benefits do not outweigh the pain in the backside from taking care of the paperwork in the first place.
SAFR has been working long in MI to get this crap off the books. The latest thought was to cut it as a cost saving measure. The number of man-hours that go into dealing with these permits is nuts. A great way to save cash for MI’s already strapped budget, would be to do away with them altogether.