Photo used under a Creative Commons license with kcdsTM.

Ever since the District’s sole licensed gun dealer went out of business earlier this year, residents have been unable to purchase handguns. Two different proposals offered today seek to remedy that.

During an interview on WTOP this morning, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier floated the idea of having the four Walmarts coming to town sell guns. “You have Walmart and others that are coming to town and willing to take that on,” Lanier said. “Are they willing to take that on and become the licensed firearms dealer in the District?” Sounds like a good idea, but it’s one that Walmart has already passed on. We’re surprised that Lanier singled out Walmart, though, when Target could serve the purpose just as well, puns included. (Okay, it really couldn’t because of zoning restrictions, but the name is so appropriate…)

Also today, Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) said that he plans on introducing legislation that would allow the District government to transfer in firearms purchased by residents in other states while Charles Sykes, the city’s sole dealer who closed up shop earlier this year, can find a new location for his services. Sykes, who doesn’t sell guns but transfers them in from other states, has said that zoning restrictions mandating that he set up shop 300 feet from any school or playground have made finding a new office difficult. (Mendelson introduced emergency legislation in May which reduced the waiting period for handgun owners after Sykes’ transfer business closed.)

“Right now it’s impossible for an individual to acquire a handgun…It’s a situation we need to solve,” said Mendelson to the Post.

After the 2008 Heller decision in which the Supreme Court declared the District’s handgun ban unconstitutional, the D.C. Council legislated regulations for gun ownership (which passed muster with a federal judge in 2010) and the D.C. Zoning Commission established rules on where gun shops could locate. In 2009, the final zoning rules took effect — gun shops could locate in most commercial and industrial corridors throughout the city (including Georgetown!), provided they were not within 300 feet of homes, schools and playgrounds. (The 300-foot buffer was a compromise between the NRA’s opposition to any buffer and the position of some ANCs that it stand at 600 feet.)

Since then, though, no gun shops have opened in the District, and Sykes remains the only federally licensed dealer able to transfer in guns from other states.