In the past if you wanted to buy a modern firearm here, you filled out a
couple of forms at the gunshop. If the purchase was a rifle or shotgun,
the usual phone background check was made and if you were ok, you took
the gun home that day. If you were buying a handgun, you had to wait
seven to 10 business days while the state police completed an additional
background check.

Simple enough.

Now, there's another layer.

If you are a civilian with no military background and you are not a cop,
you have to obtain a state Handgun Qualification License (HQL), and
there are several variables.

First time purchasers of handguns have to show proof they've taken a
qualifying handgun training course. I think that is a good idea.

Those without an existing carry permit also have to have submitted on
their behalf ($50) a set of electronic fingerprints taken by a couple of
local sheriff offices or by commercial vendors.

Everyone has to get the HQL and some get a pass on the training and
fingerprinting.

It takes the state about a week to issue the HQL.

The net effect is that the costs involved in obtaining a handgun have
gone up and are now about $100 if you have to get fingerprinted, and
another $25 if you have to get training, and the new processes add about
two weeks to getting the final OK from the staties.