Replying to a message of Jeff Smith to Bob Ackley:

  BA>> I suppose I could.  But I haven't fired a handgun since 1971 and I'd
 BA>> probably be more of a danger to myself than to the crook.  AFAIK
 BA>> there aren't any ranges around here to practice on, and my acreage
 BA>> isn't really big enough to do it at home. Also, acquiring (legally)
 BA>> a gun of any sort in Iowa is a PITA; you can buy them at various
 BA>> auctions, but the transaction has to be completed through a (state)
 BA>> licensed firearms dealer, you don't get immediate possession and
 BA>> there's a significant fee involved.

 JS>      Dang, I live near the cities here in Minnesota and to purchase a
 JS> handgun requires a permit which I get from the nearest police
 JS> department. It takes about three days and is mailed to me. It seems
 JS> that the city or state police are required to grant a permit unless
 JS> they can show that someone should be denied. The permit is good for a
 JS> year and is renewable. My 9mm I took home the next day while my 44
 JS> mag (About a year later) took about a week to get. There is no permit
 JS> required here for long gunswhich I have a half dozen or so.

 JS>     A permit to carry here costs about $80 and requires the completion
 JS> of a $100 gun safety course.

I had a Nebraska handgun permit for several years, if memory serves it cost $5
and you got it from the county sheriff.  Permits weren't required for long guns.
OBTW, you only needed the permit to *buy* the gun, you didn't need one to own
it.


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