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What is the best state for gun owners?

stainless1911

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I wanted to know where the best place in the country would be to live as a gun owner. Kalifornia is likely the worst, I've heard good things about Kentucky and Vermont, but where is the best place to be?
 

protias

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VT and AK are the two best to carry. As for ownership, any state that doesn't require to registration of guns.
 

SouthernBoy

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I think something is missing here. It's one thing to choose a state where the laws are the most lenient (Vermont and Alaska). However, it is an entirely different matter when you add in the climate of the populous and the law enforcement agencies. How receptive are they both to citizens owning and carrying firearms? This little criteria will most definitely alter one's choice of state(s).
 

Superlite27

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+1 on what SouthernBoy said.

"Best state to own a gun in" is very subjective. While Vermont is great as far as paperwork, how easy is it for someone from Vermont to carry in Wyoming,Oregon, or Connecticut? They may have a permitless system, but how does one carry in other states? One wouldneed a permit anyway, right? How easy is this process for out of state carry in Vermont?

How is OC perceived there? I've OC'ed in Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee and have never encountered a problem.

Citizens will often vote for their own state. This is not only out of patriotism, but often because the majority of a person's experience is at that location.Although many of us have practical experience carrying in our own location, few of us have extensive experience carrying in someone else's. How can we"vote" for a place we have no experience with?

Although I'velived in Alaska, I don't have any experiencecarrying there as it was before I started carrying. I would think the general acceptance offirearms there is far greater than here in the lower 48. Coupled with the ease of their permitless system, it would be a gun packer's paradise.

Yet, within my experience, all states I've open carried in have been issue free, so I'd think these would be honorable mentions.

I think the underlying standard of evaluation shouldn't be a comparison of facts about laws and permit processes. These vary between states, and some plusses in one state can be compared against plusses in another. The answer to such a subjective question, as asked in the OP, would be to answer "What is the reaction to an openly carried firearm by a particular state's citizenry and its law enforcement?"

There are absolute differences in perception. I have had no problems or even funny looks in Kentucky or Tennessee. Although I live in Missouri, and the majority of my OC experience is here, we do not have full pre-emption so it is possible to enter a municipality where OC is an arrestable offence. Although I have never had a problem, and would whole heartedly vote "MISSOURI! MISSOURI!" to answer your question, I wouldn't OC through downtown St. Louis as I would probably go to jail. Even though our gun laws are far superior than almost any other state, this one single fact ruins the whole "shebang" and puts us out of the running.
 

frenchdl

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I think it would be hard to pick a best state. Like everyone else said there are too many factors. There are indeed quite a few states that are pretty great for gun owners, among them I would include, Virginia, Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Kentucky, and Utah. I am probably missing a few and I'm sure some of these states could be argued to have "crappy" laws. Also another interesting way I found to figure out the best state is to look at states that the antis and the brady bunch go on about. I've noticed they have a pretty strong dis-like of my home state Virginia.
 

stainless1911

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Yep, the question was too subjective. I figured It would have been easier to answer. My bad.

Should have been more like, as an opencarrying gun owner, If you had no family/freind ties to any certain area, and no job issues, and you could move to a state where you could carry, and just go outside to shoot, or shoot for defense, and so on, where would it be? Kalifornia isnt even part of the USA anymore, I had thought of Vermont, but as it has been said, you cant take your rights out of state. Michigan has a couple of good points, but its hardly worth bragging about. Except the OC movement is strong here. Alaska is cold with long days/nigts and seems somewhat detached. So far, Kentucky is looking pretty nice.
 

YoZUpZ

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frenchdl wrote:
I think it would be hard to pick a best state. Like everyone else said there are too many factors. There are indeed quite a few states that are pretty great for gun owners, among them I would include, Virginia, Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Kentucky, and Utah. I am probably missing a few and I'm sure some of these states could be argued to have "crappy" laws. Also another interesting way I found to figure out the best state is to look at states that the antis and the brady bunch go on about. I've noticed they have a pretty strong dis-like of my home state Virginia.

Exactly, for example, Utah has the most widely recognized CCW permit and is the only state that specifically mentions that carry is allowed in schools and college campuses with a CCW. they are also currently working on passing a law that states the Federal government can have NO control whatsoever over guns/ammo made and sold in the state of Utah for use in the state... no FBI background check, nothing... You also don't have to register your guns, and police departments give gun locks away for free :)

However in Utah, if you don't have a CCW permit, you have to open carry "Utah Unloaded", meaning a round cannot be in the chamber, and must be 2 steps away from firing... (much more restrictive than other states)

So, there are the good and the bad of every state... And as Superlite27 mentioned, VT is awesome in how anyone can conceal/open carry... but since you can't get a permit from Vermont, you will not have a permit from your state that allows you to carry in other states...

Living in Vermont with a Utah non-resident conceal carry license would be pretty cool imo :)
 

NY2AZ

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stainless1911 wrote:
Kalifornia is likely the worst

Iv'e heard this plenty of times before, however, I Have to disagree. As a former New Yorker I can tell you it was much worse in New York. At least in California you can buy a handgun, and carry it openly without a permit.In New York one can not buy a handgun without a permit, cannot carry, or cannot even hold a handgun without a permit. It sounds ridiculous but its true. If you walk into a gun store and ask to look at a handgun, they will not hand it to you without you first presenting your handgun permit.

New York also has their own version of an Assault Weapons ban. I'm glad I don't live in that prison state anymore. Glad to be in America for once.

P.S. my vote goes to Arizona, especially if the constitutional carry legislation gets passed
 

Alaskan Shooter

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I'm biased but I would have to say Alaska. UPSIDE: We offer a permit for reciprocity, but you don't need one, no gun registration, no capacity rules, OC or CC doesn't matter. Minimum age to carry is 16 (14 with note on you from a parent). Cops already know that most of us are armed so it is accepted. And best of all every resident gets a check from the state each year. I like to buy guns and ammo with mine.

DOWNSIDE: We are disconected from the rest of the states (could be an upside), and it is Cold, Cold, Cold but I still manage to get to the range several times a week unless it is minus 25 or colder.
 

Gunslinger

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Alaskan Shooter wrote:
I'm biased but I would have to say Alaska. UPSIDE: We offer a permit for reciprocity, but you don't need one, no gun registration, no capacity rules, OC or CC doesn't matter. Minimum age to carry is 16 (14 with note on you from a parent). Cops already know that most of us are armed so it is accepted. And best of all every resident gets a check from the state each year. I like to buy guns and ammo with mine.

DOWNSIDE: We are disconected from the rest of the states (could be an upside), and it is Cold, Cold, Cold but I still manage to get to the range several times a week unless it is minus 25 or colder.
Colorado has excellent laws, with the sole exception of no OC in Denver County. But CC and car carry is permitted everywhere, with very few exceptions. All things considered, however, I'd vote for Alaska too.
 

petrophase

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South Dakota is not bad either. The CCW process is very painless ($10, temp. permit in one week, real in three). State preemption, permissive open carry. No permitting, licensing, or registration, and no waiting period as of 2009.
Much better than my original state of residence :(Maryland:(
 

1FASTC4

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SouthernBoy wrote:
I think something is missing here. It's one thing to choose a state where the laws are the most lenient (Vermont and Alaska). However, it is an entirely different matter when you add in the climate of the populous and the law enforcement agencies. How receptive are they both to citizens owning and carrying firearms? This little criteria will most definitely alter one's choice of state(s).
Arizona, baby.
 

Overtaxed

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NY2AZ wrote:
stainless1911 wrote:
Kalifornia is likely the worst

Iv'e heard this plenty of times before, however, I Have to disagree. As a former New Yorker I can tell you it was much worse in New York. At least in California you can buy a handgun, and carry it openly without a permit.In New York one can not buy a handgun without a permit, cannot carry, or cannot even hold a handgun without a permit. It sounds ridiculous but its true. If you walk into a gun store and ask to look at a handgun, they will not hand it to you without you first presenting your handgun permit.

New York also has their own version of an Assault Weapons ban. I'm glad I don't live in that prison state anymore. Glad to be in America for once.

P.S. my vote goes to Arizona, especially if the constitutional carry legislation gets passed
I largely agree, although every time I read about CA gun laws, I find out about some silly new rule or restriction that redoubles my reluctance to move there. (I love the natural beauty and climate, but would probably never move there due to high taxes, nanny state rules & regs, gun laws, etc).
At least NY isn't a state that spells out which guns are OK and which ones aren't.
NY has had strict laws for a long time, and I get the impression that although the restrictions aren't likely to be rolled back anytime soon, new ones don't pass too often because there seems to be a feeling that "enough is enough."
Yes, there's an AWB and hi-cap mag ban here, but at least we can own pre-ban stuff, and post-ban military-style rifles if they don't have too many "scary" features.
I would love it if NY would OK open carry, even if it's restricted at first to rural counties.

Let's face it, both NY and CA are pretty rough on gun owners. "Gun friendly" is a big factor in deciding where I would move. But so is climate. Based on what I've read, AZ, NV or NM are places I'd strongly consider.
 
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