When I buy a gun in Virginia, the process goes kind of like this: I pick out the gun, pay for it, the dealer calls it in for government approval, 10 minutes later I take it home. There are sometimes some snags, but overall the whole process is speedy and relatively painless. (ie: If you have a really common name like 'Bundy' or 'Manson' it might take them a while to weed you out from all of the axe murderers.)

But in Washington D.C., where it is still technically possible to buy certain long guns, the process is deliberately inconvenient and painful.

(link via Kevin Baker)