OK, gun owners, I'm curious, what does it take to own a handgun? What I mean by this question is, what is the process for owning a handgun?

My guess is, send your fingerprints to local law enforcement (OK, not a problem, my fingerprints are already in Washington, DC, so another copy can't hurt), law enforcement checks for a criminal record, you have to take a gun safety course.... etc. What else is there? Plus what does a good handgun cost?

I don't own a handgun or any gun, for that matter. However, my neighborhood is slowly becoming kind of, shall we say, Brooklyn-ized. More crack houses, shootings and so forth are in the news.

I'm not seriously considering buying one right now, but if the day comes that I need one, I'd like to be prepared.