Chicago area gun stores are preparing for a huge surge in sales. I think they may be underestimating how many obstacles Daley is going to throw in the way of residents who want handguns. Technically it’s legal in DC to get a handgun if you jump through all the hoops, but my understanding is that very few people have. Even if McDonald is a win, it’s not going to be like Chicago residents will be able to head out to the gun shop and pick up a heater. There will still be a process, and it’s probably not going to be easy.
We probably stand a good chance of getting many of those obstacles removed in later cases, but it’s going to take a while.
The thing is that there is an existing process now that is being used by cops, security guards, and civilians that have grandfathered handguns. Chicago might have a hard time explaining why they suddenly need a new process when they’ve been allowing folks to register handguns all along.
The population of Chicago is large enough that even a small percentage jumping through the hoops would be a big deal, though.
IANAL, but once McDonald is law, there will probably be a flood of new cases nationwide, not just Chicago or DC. And if SCOTUS refuses to hear the appeals, the decisions will stand, and will have force nationwide. So, for example, a case challenging an onerous registration scheme in New York City would apply also to Chicago, San Francisco and DC. A win in McDonald will make every local case a potential national case. Not that there won’t be obstreperous judges like Brooklyn’s Jack Weinstein, but even he can be overruled by a superior court.
Don’t forget Palmer (carry) is waiting in the wings.
It should be announced about the same time as McDonald and if it applies to DC it will apply to Chicago.