What are best and worst gun law states?

[smallshot13]

Kalifornia report:

Reading about IL I believe that there might be a new winner.  In CA we can still hunt.  I can buy a CZ 97B polycoat, but not a blued version. (same with the 75B, polycoat only) I can buy an SP-01 9mm polycoat but not a .40, a 75D PCR, but not a 75 Compact, I can buy a Kadet kit for my 75B, but can't buy a Kadet, can't buy an 85 at all, etc..  I can open carry loaded on private property, when not in an area designated by local County as illegal to discharge a fire arm, (as long as I am not within 150 of a road).  There is a two page narrative description of the area in my County that it is illegal to discharge.  It only takes about two hours to follow the legal description to find out that it describes all of the County except a very small corner (that someone obviously overlooked)  I could get a CCW permit by applying to the sheriff, but he has been revoking permits due to political pressure, not issuing new ones.  No reciprocity recognition as far as I know.  I can protect my home and family with my weapon, but only between the 'brief period of time' between the time I phone the LE, and the time they arrive, (which is usually no more than two weeks, since they are tasked with protecting the homeless).  The State has reserved the right to contol gun laws so no local City or County can pass new gun control laws, except San Fancisco, and Sacramento which has simply required registration of ammo sales and thus eliminated all sales in the City limits.  So, staying legal is really not confusing at all, as long as you spend maybe 3-4 years initial study of the many gun laws, then spend no more than one out of four weeks keeping up with the changes in laws, both State and local.  If you got half way through this post and gave up, you are obviously not from CA.

[Artist]

Smallshot,

TFF dude and yes I did read the entire post. When you read the regulations set down by the California law makers it makes your head spin. It seems like they want people to misunderstand the law. Then they can arrest you when you screw up. That way you are convicted of a gun crime, which shows that gun crime is going up, which means they need to ban all guns... right?

By the way, we can hunt in IL, just not with a rifle. Most hunting is bow and arrow or shot gun with some areas allowing handgun hunting. At least when you check the IL DNR hunting regs it spells out in plain english what you can and can't do. We do have some excellent deer hunting in IL, we just can't use a deer rifle to hunt them with.

Bill

[BobC]

Trying to make guns illegal is very consistent with lefty politics in general.  They try to get people into the victim mindset so that they will think they need the left-leaning political champions to "take care of them".  This is what justifies the existence of these misery-merchant politicians.

[smallshot13]

Artist and BobC:
I agree.  Artist, you framed (pun intended) it well.  The goal of government seems to be to insure that all otherwise law abiding citizens could be charged with a gun crime.  It is a sad state of affairs when we have to spend so much time protecting ourselves from the government.  'Of the people, by the people, for the people?'; hardly.  California seems to be a leader in this effort, and it may be too late for us, so my advice to others, fight it when the start it in your state.  Federal, State, local; we have to stay on top of the buggars.

[Thren68]

By the way, we can hunt in IL, just not with a rifle. Most hunting is bow and arrow or shot gun with some areas allowing handgun hunting. At least when you check the IL DNR hunting regs it spells out in plain english what you can and can't do. We do have some excellent deer hunting in IL, we just can't use a deer rifle to hunt them with.

Bill

Artist, sent you a PM with the details.  But you CAN hunt some game with rifles in Illinois, including squirrel and coyote, but excluding deer.

Indiana just starting allowing pistol caliber rifles for deer, but I have a feeling Illinois will be more than a few years behind the curve.

[Artist]

Thren68,

Thanks for the PM; I'll check it out soon. I just bought a CZ452 Lux 22lr and really wanted to get out in the field with it. My 18 year old daughter actually wants to go rabbit hunting, how cool is that.

Bill

[Artist]

The one thing that kills me is the flat out lies that are spread by the media at large. You can almost picture Mr. Mackey from South Park... "Guns are bad m-kay, when people own guns they are bad, guns make people kill other people and that?s bad m-kay."

In reality, where guns are more prevalent crime rates go down. Where CCW is an option, crime rates plummet. There can never be enough police to protect everyone. As hard as our beloved and hard working LEO's try, they just can't be everywhere at once.

Before every great purge, before any corrupt government slaughters millions of their own citizens, before forcing the subjugation of the people... governments always do one thing first. They take away the peoples only ability to protect themselves; they take away their guns.

History is rife with the horror of what gun control leads to. Even if a government doesn't have immediate plans to purge its intellectuals (it's never the stupid ones they target unless the purge is based purely on racism or religion) the effects of gun control are immediate and frightening. Look at the Brits, crime rates are soaring, rape is up, violent crime is up, home invasion is up, murder is up. The Bobbies who not long ago carried only a whistle and a club and now armed to the teeth and are still outgunned by the bad guys. Gun control doesn't work; it is a lie and a very dangerous lie at that.

If the time comes, be ready to march in the streets in numbers that will make them think twice about stealing our guns and more importantly, our second amendment rights. If the time comes, it is the internet, it is CZ Forum and places like it that will make the difference. Here we can organize peaceful marches. Picture a million or more peaceful, law abiding citizens marching in every major city in America. It is important that these marches be friendly and upbeat. Be ready to remove any negative people from the crowd and hand them over to the police right away. The news media will be searching for the psychotic crazies and scary angry people in the crowds, they will be the ones highlighted on the nightly news.

I wouldn?t be surprised one bit if the government were to go so far as to pepper the crowd with ?plants?. Operatives well trained in the art of starting riots. Do not underestimate the lengths the anti-gun nuts will go. If a few kids have to die to further their cause they will justify it in their minds, ?the ends justify the means, little Johnny died for the greater good of the people?. After all, there?s nothing like a few dead kids to get the people on your side.

We need to make our viewpoint news, but it must be in a positive manner. We need the news reports to say? ?Millions upon millions took to the streets in a peaceful demonstration yet again today. They are protesting a bill that would take away their second amendment rights and in one loud unified voice they are saying NO. And now here?s Tom with the weather?

These are just my opinions and I do hope I am wrong. But based on history and the lies the news media feed me on a nightly basis I get the feeling that I?m right on target. God be with us all.

[jbsullivan524]

Short answer to the question is Vermont is the best no restrictions at all. No permits to carry including concealled. Only thing you can't own is a silencer. Worst is a toss-up New Jersey, New York or Mass. All of them have laws requiring permits or licenses for purchase/possesion left up to local officials discretion with basically no recourse if denied. The biggest joke is NJ is considering a one gun a month law, on average it takes 6-11 months to get a purchase permit in most cities.

As for travelling, Federal Law allows transport of unloaded/encased firearms as long as it's legal in the origin and destination locals.

[TSOL]

All I can say is I'm very glad I live in FL!!! However my next choices would be TX, LA or AZ (I still love saltwater fishing) after reading this thread. In case the way that FL voted in the last election is an indication of where this state is heading with all the retirees.

[Rainier42]

PA is good as well ... no permit required to buy, concealed carry permit took no more than 20 minutes receive.

[Armed Squid]

I'm not speaking from experience, but apparently Texas has like, the 4th-5th laxest, gun-oriented laws in the union ( which doesn't suprise me; our state constitution is the longest in exsitence, and has I think almost 2,000 individual amendments... >.> ). Anyone that comes here though, a word of warning: Get your CCWL with a Semi-Auto. If you get it with a semi, you can carry either a semi or a revolver. Getting a CCWL with a revolver means you can only tote wheel guns. No Assault weapons banned, you can own any Class III under the sun, but ironically there is no Open carry. They've considered it, but only in passing; I would love to open carry when I turn 21 in a few years, if Obama doesn't decide to outlaw all semi-autos.

[BobC]

Arizona CCW permit holders can carry open wherever they can carry concealed, but of course often choose not to because while old-time Arizonans tend to be fine with open carry, people from out of state sometimes freak out.  Some people believe if you get your AZ CCW permit, you can carry ONLY concealed.  This fallacy may come from the fact that it's like this in other states.

[bluestang65]

MO (Missouri) is the Show-me state, but as of 2003, guns have to get covered.  Oddly enough, it is legally OK to print with your gun, but don't get caught with the muzzle sticking out past your coat.  I'm proud that we're so low on the Brady list.  Certain counties are bucking the whole CCW thing...Jackson (KC) makes is pretty tough.  Our sheriff put on his website that ?CRIMINALS BEWARE, Citizens in Cass County have the right of self protection?
~ Sheriff Dwight Diehl

And it is inadvisable not to take his advise...when wife and I were looking for a home here, every one we went in that was occupied had a rack in it.  We also have great reciprocity too.  Nearly every state that does CCW honors a MO permit.  Now, the bad.  Living here means you have to deal with awful summers and winters both, no beaches and a healthy dose of obecity (probably due to the lack of beaches).  But the long winter makes for great bonding time with the 97BD. 

[CSM CZ Shooter]

I agree with E. SHell. Check the Brady site and invert it.
Oklahoma is tied for 48th with a score of 2.
We read that as tied for 2nd Best with a score of 98.
CCW is an option with a $50 class and $135 registration for 5 years.
Quick checks for purchases (no waiting period) and no registration.

Come on down...the economy is great!

You aren't afraid of a little F5 Tornado are you?

[BasinBictory]

Born in CA, raised here and lived here my whole life. Aside from our inane politicians, I love it here. However, it is just astounding to me that anyone on a jury would ever convict a man defending his family. I can understand if maybe Miss Mary Moonbeam Lovechild who has no (legitimate) children of her own and smokes pot and hash on a daily basis somehow got onto the jury, but most people in our state are just ordinary working folks with families, who, like any family people, would be willing to die to protect their family. I just cannot fathom the mentality of people who think it's somehow reprehensible to defend one's family against some thug who broke in. I've been on other boards debating just this topic, and some of the posters are from abroad, so we get a wide range of opinions. Surprise surprise, people from the UK are incredulous that we would "resort to killing" to protect our loved ones. They routinely say stupid stuff like "Well, you could scare him with a golf club or a baseball bat - or keep a large dog!" Yeah - sure.

I don't plan on leaving the state anytime soon, (because, as I mentioned, I love it here) and as I see it, the best way to preserve gun rights in CA is to get more and more of our Mexican immigrants (legal and otherwise) interested in guns and the shooting sports. As far as I can tell, their swelling numbers are pretty much what's driving everything else in this state, policy-wise.