“Washington state. Go to the local sheriff. Get fingerprinted. Fill out a form. Wait ten minutes for a backgroiund check. Get your CWP and go get yer firearm. Done. Half a day.”
Here in California, you have to take a short written “exam” at the gun shop where upon you are issued a “Handgun Safety Certificate” which costs nothing ( as I recall) and is good for five years. The exam basically tries to see if you know the basics of how to handle both a revolver and a pistol. Then you are able to purchase both handguns and long guns subject to a ten day waiting period ( which has recently been declared unconstitutional by a Federal Judge in Fresno and which will be implemented within the next 6 months. Beyond that, the US 9th Circuit Court has ruled CA’s CCW law also unconstitutional, but that is being challenged by the State. No matter how that turns out, the end result will go to the SCOTUS, because if it stands, CA will become a “Shall Issue State.” Heads in Sacto. are exploding along with those in Hawaii, because the ruling will affect their gun laws as well.
A decade ago, I bought a handgun in Maryland. I went to Atlantic Arms in Silver Spring, chose a sale-priced Taurus 92 FS SS, watched a 15-20 minute video on gun safety, got my handgun purchase permit after that, filled out all the forms, paid for the gun, which came with an used shell case, and left.
I picked it up after the 7 day waiting period.
The new laws don’t materially change that, except to make it even more expensive for the people to purchase guns - as though that’s somehow going to prevent some gangbanger from Baltimore or Prince Georges from getting a gun. It will keep their law-abiding, but poor, neighbors from getting one, though.
Oh, and that used shell case? Not one case has used an empty shell case as part of the evidence against a criminal.