Va. Beach councilman seeks permit to sell guns from home

VIRGINIA BEACH

Councilman Bill DeSteph said, if approved by the city, he will apply for a federal permit to be a licensed dealer.

Councilman Bill DeSteph has applied to the city for a permit to sell guns out of a Great Neck home he will be moving into later this summer.

DeSteph, a gun collector, said he wants to expand his hobby into a business.

If the City Council approves the permit, DeSteph said he will apply to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for a permit to be a licensed dealer.

“Once you’re clear with city zoning, the federal requirements for dealers are the same out of your house or a storefront,” ATF inspector Michael Adkins said.

Three people in Virginia Beach have city permits to sell guns from their homes, city records show.

DeSteph added a 17-by-10 foot concrete vault to the home to store firearms.

His targeted clientele listed in the permit application includes “elected officials, law enforcement, military and other dealers and collectors.”

“We have other elected officials who collect guns,” he said.

DeSteph wasn’t sure how many guns he owns.

“Honestly, I’d have to count,” he said.

He estimated he has close to 20, including pistols, shotguns, rifles and machine guns. Part of his collection is of machine guns manufactured before 1986, the year federal legislation banned civilians from owning machine guns manufactured after that date, he said. As a result, those guns tend to be valuable.

“The good thing is they appreciated on average 10 to 15 percent a year,” DeSteph said. “They are a darn good investment. Some people collect art, I collect guns.”

DeSteph’s application will be evaluated mainly for zoning issues, such as land use, traffic, number of employees and signage, said Karen Lasley, the city’s zoning administrator.

“You can’t just hang out a shingle and have people walk off the street,” she said.