What are best and worst gun law states?

[drnickels]

Ohio is pretty good. We have concealed carry and you just need a class by the NRA, $55, and a clean record and you can CCW.

We have open carry here as well, but good luck not being arrested for open carry. Many have tried it and many have been slapped with the charge of "inciting panic" for exercising their right to open carry. In fact when we were attempting to get CCW in Ohio the open carry law was the argument the far left was using. Idiocy on a grand scale.

I also would like to say the only reason Ohio didn't have CCW earlier was two fold. 1. Our Governor said at the time he would not pass a CCW law if any law enforcement group was against it. The sheriff's association, the police forces were both for it. The state highway patrol though hated the idea. People would then have guns in their car!!!!! News flash smokies, most people in Ohio already have guns in their car and you will never know it unless they are dumb and let you search their car.

We also have reciprocity with 23 other states. I can carry my handgun into a restaurant with an alcohol license as long as I don't drink and sit in the restaurant side. CCW is also legal in state parks here. We also have the castle doctrine that applies to our cars and our homes so if Joe Scumbag wants to try armed robbery on my home or apartment and I have to shoot him (hope I never have to) then he and his family cannot file civil suit against me. I love having my CCW. I still feel it's wrong that criminals and their families can file civil suit against CCW law-abiding citizens for protecting themselves. Even if Joe Scumbug pulls a shotgun on you and you double tap him and kill him his family can still sue you for all you own. What a country we have when it comes to the law. The law in my opinion is written to punish the law-abiding citizen while the criminal goes free.

As for everyone talking about law enforcement. They serve a great purpose, but they are almost never around to stop a crime from happening. In my opinion all LEO's do is show up after bad stuff has gone down and arrest whoever is dumb enough to still be around. Especially when I see how "well" some officers shoot their pistols, I'd be better off protecting myself and my family with a CCW.

[jwinch2]

http://www.usconcealedcarry.com/

This has some pretty good info on state and local statutes as well...

[BobC]

We have open carry here as well, but good luck not being arrested for open carry. Many have tried it and many have been slapped with the charge of "inciting panic" for exercising their right to open carry....

Many people freak out at the sight of someone who is apparently not in law enforcement openly carrying a firearm.  This is understandable, as our culture has become more and more sissified.

Carrying concealed solves the whole problem.  Everyone stays calm with the weapons out of sight and the people who carry have an added sense of security.

One thing that drives me nuts is a left-leaning worm who would try to deny people the right to carry openly but then say they shouldn't be able to carry concealed because they still have the right to carry openly.

[pitbull]

It's very easy to obtain a permit in PA. You can not have a criminal record and you need to state you want to carry a gun for self protection. No classes to attend. No firing range time. Just pay your fee and submit to an instant background check. The whole process including getting your ID takes about 15 minuets.

[southpaw.parallaxscurioa...]

North Carolina is not too bad but we do have this ridiculous pistol purchase permit system (required for all pistol transactions, including private and gifts).  Its a leftover of the racist Jim Crow laws.
You must go to the county sheriff too apply, each have different rules.  my county you just pay, wait 2 weeks and they do the NICS check they would have done anyways.  County over (Orange County) requires you live there a year, have 3 non family references who live there as well, preferably a LEO.  All references and you have get your signatures notarized, etc etc...

CCW holders do not require this though! though CCW in this state is expensive and restricted, no banks, any place that serves booze, any place where admission is charged, any place with any no concealed handguns sign posted.

Also Class 3 is hard to own in this state (short barreled rifles, suppresors, machine guns).

Aside from that, its a beautiful state with good weather, if you are from up north you can live in the town of CARY (containment area for relocated yankees   ).

Carrying concealed solves the whole problem.  Everyone stays calm with the weapons out of sight and the people who carry have an added sense of security.

"LEO carry open, civilians carry concealed", the way it should be IMO.

[chiuszeto]

"It's very easy to obtain a permit in PA. You can not have a criminal record and you need to state you want to carry a gun for self protection. No classes to attend. No firing range time. Just pay your fee and submit to an instant background check. The whole process including getting your ID takes about 15 minuets."

Are you describing a CCW? Just curious...

[Spiny Norman]

Georgia is getting better but we still have away to go.  With last year's passing of HB 89, we can now carry in resaurants serving alcohol, in state parks, and on public transportation.  We actually still have more restrictions on where to carry than California.  Georgia still has this screwy Jim Crow law on the books where we cannot carry at a "public gathering".  Nobody can define a public gathering so the Legislature is working on getting rid of the PG Clause. Church carry is in the same Bill but that probably won't pass.

[BobC]

AZ gov. Jan Brewer should sign the bill today allowing CCW permit holders to carry in establishments that serve alcohol, so long as the permit holder is not going to drink alcohol and so long as the establishment does not prohibit weapons.

This is one I've been wanting since my wife and I like to go out and many places that serve food we like also happen to serve alcohol.  I do not always partake of alcohol and I want to be able to protect her and myself most places I go, so this will increase the number of places we frequent that I can carry.

[8th ID]

I believe I have it good here in KY!! State preemption law-no regulation allowed by local city governments, etc. I Open Carry and CC. No problems. It took about 3 weeks for me to get my CC license after I took the required class.

Also, we are having an Open Carry picnic on Saturday August 29th 2009 in Lexington, KY, if there are any on here that are close enough to attend-All are welcome!!

[larryflew]

MN is a right to carry state (shall issue) and the sheriff has up to 30 days to issue after you apply. My county took 3 days. Permit is for open or concealed but most carry concealed. Because the laws are only a few years old we only have 64,000 permits but climbing every month. Nothing compared to states like FL that has something like 581,000 permits issued.

Lots of hunting.

[BobC]

Just spent a week in Minnesota.  The cool weather was a welcome change over Arizona!  My nephew proudly showed me his shotgun that he uses for sporting clays.

[nwcp]

Washington State has a shall issue law and obtaining your CPL is pretty straightforward and hassle free. The County Sheriff performs a criminal background check and takes your money. We also have a seldom used open carry law. Hunting regulations can be a bit convoluted, but all in all for a very liberal state we have pretty reasonable gun laws. Can't own a Barrett 50 BMG here, but my high cap pistols and rifles are good to go... for the time being. 

[armoredman]

Many people freak out at the sight of someone who is apparently not in law enforcement openly carrying a firearm.  This is understandable, as our culture has become more and more sissified.

Not in AZ! Most I have been asked by LE open carrying here was, "What kind of ammo do you like? What make and model is that?"
I carry concealed now, simply makes more sense to me, but I hardly ever saw anyone freaking out in the Old Pueblo.

[BobC]

Well...I've lived in AZ since 1990 and my observation is that fewer people carry open than they used to.

My wife saw people carrying open in the early 90s and it bothered her.  She didn't freak out exactly.  I was a little concerned because I couldn't tell whether these guys were good or bad, but they were just guys carrying semi-auto pistols in stores/restaurants.  It seemed to me that they were showing off or trying to look tough.

I prefer concealed for me and for others.  Not that I'm trying to control others...I mean that I prefer that people who carry do so in such a way that it stays off my radar screen.  And I prefer to not attract attention to myself.

[8th ID]

In KY there are many people who open carry...

I'm not quite sure what Bob means by knowing if people who OC are 'Good or bad.'  I would just ask: How many bad guys have you seen going into rob a convenient store open carrying? Or waiting to be seated at a restaurant?

I know there are going to be many on here who will disagree with me. I've heard all the arguments against open carrying; The being a target factor and the ever present, not being able to surprise the attacker factor. No one can prove these either way.

I'm not saying I don't CC. I do. But I believe in my right to carry any way I choose. And I believe in everyone else's right to carry how they choose. For me, seeing a person open carrying alarms me no more than seeing a person leaving a softball field with a bat.