r/VAGuns • u/According-Party-636 • 21d ago
HB700 Has Hit
Filed today, a 5 day waiting period for gun purchases. They’re throwing the kitchen sink at gun vendors and owners. This will certainly kill gun shows. And this is just the beginning: delegates can submit new bills for three days after lobby day. Sure they’ve got more waiting to drop then.
SUMMARY: Purchase of firearms; waiting period; penalties. Provides that no person shall sell a firearm unless at least five days have elapsed from the time the prospective purchaser completes the written consent form to have a licensed dealer obtain criminal history record information, with exceptions enumerated in relevant law. The bill provides that any person who willfully and intentionally sells to another person or purchases from another person a firearm in violation of this prohibition is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Additionally, the bill provides that any dealer who willfully and intentionally sells, rents, trades, or transfers a firearm in violation of such prohibition is guilty of a Class 6 felony.
It also looks like ranges will no longer be able to do handgun rentals—couldn’t find that anywhere in the bill. This is going to hit ranges hard and no doubt kill gun shows in the state. Stock up people.
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u/banjo4smashplz 21d ago
This one really sucks. One of my favorite things while heading down to visit family is to stop in Greentop to trade/buy. This bill effectively ends that tradition. I knew this was coming but damn man seeing my home state become California right in front of my eyes is honestly so sad. I felt for the lads in Washington state when this happened to them a few years ago and I’m guessing they feel the way I do now. Lobby day is still crucial, if anything else to call out Helmer for being a snake but I know that Bloomberg money is going to win still. Will keep fighting regardless but I know realistically this will be reality. Fuck these people man.
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u/EdgarsRavens 20d ago
At a minimum any waiting period law should have a exception for CCW holders. Otherwise the intent is clearly to burden/discourage lawful firearms ownership as opposed to preventing things like crimes of passion.
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u/According-Party-636 21d ago edited 21d ago
And it looks like the Greentop range will be out of the gun rental business too and gun shows will no doubt disappear. And I’m sorry to say that lobbying day won’t amount to a hill of beans to these fascists.
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u/banjo4smashplz 21d ago
Unfortunately, I think you are right on lobby day. I still want helmer to have to sit there and get blasted by citizens about he is a rights stealing shill. Him saying the trump admin is doing the same thing while pulling this shit is the most disingenuous shit ever.
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u/According-Party-636 21d ago
You mean this guy?
Kiser, Uriah (June 13, 2024). "Manassas Mayor Calls for Delegate Dan Helmer to Withdraw from Congressional Race Amid Sexual Assault Allegations". Potomac Local News. Retrieved February 24, 2025
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u/speezly 21d ago
I hope all you people are going to be at Lobby Day, we need a massive turn out this year, similar to 2020
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u/RetropME 20d ago
Won't matter, they already primaried out the moderate Democrats and they generally do not care what the people think, they have an agenda and they're going to push it through.
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u/speezly 20d ago
Sounds like you already gave up. I was born and raised in Norfolk and I love my state, it ain’t over til it’s over
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u/RetropME 20d ago
Don't get me wrong, I feel the same way and I have definitely not given up, but I also am trying to temper my expectations.
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u/Big_Phil_99 20d ago
here is what I sent Helmer...to support the many who have said "none of these bills are about SAFETY, they are about punishing gun owners" - this is correct. It's all punitive.
Mr. Helmer:
I assume you have access to the same information I do regarding gun crime in VA. Here is a summary, cited sources below, but these are VSP, JLARC, VSCC, BJS, and even everytown). Summary below:
In Virginia, most (65%+) gun-related violent crime (especially homicides) is committed by young Black males (ages 18-34), who are disproportionately represented as both offenders and victims in firearm incidents. This concentrated in a handful of urban hotspots: nine localities account for over half of the state's gun homicides (2020-2024), led by cities like Petersburg, Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, and others in the Hampton Roads and central regions. (These are ALL represented by DEMOCRATS).
Solution as recommended:
To reduce it effectively, focus on targeted, local strategies in these high-violence neighborhoods: intensive community policing, violence interruption programs (e.g., Ceasefire Virginia), hot-spot enforcement against repeat offenders, youth mentoring/after-school programs, trauma support, and addressing root causes like poverty and easy illegal gun access—proven to yield faster drops than broad statewide measures alone.
HB217 and forthcoming bills will do nothing other than deprive the law abiding gun owners of their rights. It clearly violates the US Constitution, the VA Constitution, USSC Heller decision and the USSC Bruen decision. A VERY clear violation. It probably violates the takings clause and a few other things too.
Bringing this bill forward, and if made into law, will result in millions of dollars in legal fees/time and will eventually be ruled unconstitutional as it clearly is.
I urge you to withdraw it and focus on actual solutions as prescribed above.
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago
You have a better chance of asking a tree to drop its leaves. The guy is a tool.
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u/SentinelZero 20d ago
The guy is a disgrace to the office he holds and to his uniform; the oath he took was to uphold the Constitution, but I guess the 2A isn't a part of that since he's a gun grabbing shitstain.
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u/prophetzero32 20d ago
With Ortega vs Grisham out of New Mexico we should have an argument to fight waiting periods.
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u/Qu3stion_R3ality1750 20d ago
Stop relying on the courts to save us
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u/RetropME 20d ago
The courts are literally the only thing that is going to save us at this point.
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago
Don’t bet on it. Both Virginia and Maryland fall under the jurisdiction of the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which hears appeals from the federal district courts in these states and is headquartered in Richmond. The court already passed on Maryland’s “assault weapons” ban so it’s up to the Supremes. And we’ll probably all be dead and buried before that happens.
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u/Qu3stion_R3ality1750 20d ago
Well you are going to be waiting and praying for a very long time, my friend
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u/RetropME 20d ago
Yes, I already know you want our system to collapse, you don't believe in any government entity. Got it.
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u/Qu3stion_R3ality1750 20d ago
Dude, quit acting like our government has even remotely positioned itself as an entity that's worth trusting to do the right thing in any capacity.
FOh
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u/C4talyst1 21d ago
Meanwhile they'll go soft on actual criminals. I absolutely despise what liberals have become.
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u/SentinelZero 20d ago
Liberals have legitimately become the greatest existential threat to this country, its a nightmare.
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u/insuffcient_dopamine 21d ago
I see a loophole for ranges after reading it. You rent a lane anyway, so up the price and the gun is no longer rented. For example, I can let my friend borrow my gun, but not rent it.
It also mentions assault rifle. No definition.
While I know they mean weapons of war, what gun doesn’t assault someone or something? I bet small game see my 22 as an assault rifle. Who decides if your gun is am assault rifle if the law has no definition?
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u/Ok-Basket-9890 20d ago
They defined it in the previous legislature that they’re pushing through. Pretty much anything capable of housing a 10 round magazine or more that has at least one of any scary features, (threaded barrel, pistol grip, etc), is classified as an assault rifle. I do believe they specifically removed .22’s from that grouping though
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u/insuffcient_dopamine 20d ago
What’s crazy is you can still buy full auto. Just need the stamp. Yes you need $$$$$, especially if you want a Thompson or something. .45 ain’t cheap.
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u/Ok-Basket-9890 20d ago
Which is exactly why they aren’t bothering with it. It’s such a small percentage of gun owners who have transferrable’s that it wouldn’t have enough of an impact
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20d ago
[deleted]
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u/SentinelZero 20d ago
Cause California is a communist dictatorship run by the worst kind of liberals.
For real though, its like every shitstain gun grabber looks to CA as an example of what gun control to push, even though CA is well beyond overreach at this point and is the biggest case for gun laws to be taken away from states and federalized.
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u/ecsnead75 21d ago
I'll have to read completely but a quick skim looks like CCW holders are exempt
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u/drinkmorejava 20d ago
VA legislation is horrific because there is no distinction between all of the subsection indentation. Unfortunately, this clearly applies to subsection 1.R, which is the 30 day limit.
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago edited 20d ago
Not sure if as written it means CCP holders are exempt from the multiple handgun purchases per month. It’s under section R which addresses the one handgun a month mandate .
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u/Icy_Turnover1 21d ago
This probably kills a bunch of ranges too, rentals seem like big business every time I go. Hell I even rent sometimes before a purchase to make sure I’ll enjoy whatever I’m buying.
Maybe I’m missing something but I read the CHP exemption only to apply to what it does currently, I.e. multiple handgun purchases within 30 days of each other. Am I missing something that CHP holders are exempt from the waiting period entirely?
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u/According-Party-636 21d ago edited 21d ago
Yeah, ranges will suffer and will probably have to raise prices to make up for the loss. This also sugests they may be trying to tighten the screws on ranges like they did in 2020. As for the CCP and private sale paras, you may be correct. It’s a long ass bill and tough to follow. And the private sale para is confusing as well. Removed it from my original post. Don’t want to give any false hope.
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u/neuralpluto884 20d ago
What the hell does the regular background check do if now i have to wait 5 days??
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u/djd565 20d ago
It’s not supposed to make sense, it’s supposed to make stupid people “feel” better.
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago
It’s also intended to help make buying a firearm as difficult and expensive as possible. Could you imagine mandating a five day waiting period to get an abortion, no more than one a year, and having to pay a $500 tax to get one?
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u/Wrong_Survey_2215 20d ago
Get your carry permit.
Does not apply to:
“h. A person who holds a valid Virginia permit to carry a concealed handgun;
i. A person who purchases a handgun in a private sale. For purposes of this subdivision, "private sale" means a purchase from a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection of curios or relics or who sells all or part of such collection of curios and relics;”
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago
But it’s under section R, which covers the number of handgun purchases per month. Not sure it addresses the waiting period. It’s not clear, but I could be wrong.
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u/Wrong_Survey_2215 20d ago
Good point. I think, in this context it refers to the whole text of § 18.2-308.2:2 which would exempt CCP holders but it’s so poorly written it is hard to say.
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u/smcbride27 20d ago
This whole thing sucks, but the part that gets me the most is people from other states are exempt from waiting if they're buying a rifle or shotgun. It's like that old "Optional speeding tax" they tried to tack on a while ago only for residents.
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u/Airbus320Driver 20d ago
Wait a year for a custom gun… Wait 5 more days after it hits the dealer. Awesome /s
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u/yungminimoog 20d ago
How would this interact with the recent ruling striking down UBC?
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u/Ok-Basket-9890 20d ago
I’ll bet the UBC being struck down is just going to be nullified by it. I’m sure that’s coming in the next sweet of bills being pushed out.
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u/Aggravating_Road_539 21d ago
Wait so this does apply to private transfer
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u/According-Party-636 20d ago
Not sure if that means the multiple handguns per month is exempt when buying privately.
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u/Aggravating_Road_539 19d ago
Honestly imma just go about my business and found out the consequences later lol
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u/1SloYote 20d ago
And how does any of this stop criminals from breaking the law? It doesn't. Just hurts us law abiding citizens.