In your opinion, which state(s) is/are the most gun friendly?

[tattedupboy]

I'm going to start this thread by giving my top ten list of most gun friendly states, based on a variety of factors, but primarily on what can or cannot be carried, and how easy it is to legally carry.

1. Arizona: Without a doubt, Arizona is the most weapons friendly state in America. An Arizona concealed weapons permit is exactly that, and it allows the carrying of handguns, long guns, class III weapons that are legally owned (including hand grenades), as well as knives, pepper spray, and expandable batons. Arizona also allows unlicensed open carry of all these weapons, whether in a vehicle or on foot. No other state is as liberal as Arizona in what people are allowed to carry. Furthermore, there are no magazine capacity restrictions, it is shall-issue, and it honors CCW permits from every state.

2. Vermont: This state has the best carry laws of any state in America. Unlike many of the states out west that allow unlicensed open carry, Vermont also allows concealed carry without a permit, for both residents and nonresidents. In Vermont, there are very few places that are off limits and schools are not one of them (for nonstudents). Like Arizona, there are no magazine capacity restrictions, and it is Class III friendly.

3. Alaska: Like Vermont, Alaska does not require a permit to carry either openly or concealed. Unlike Vermont, however, Alaska offers residents the option of getting a permit to be used for Alaskans who travel to other states and wish to carry. Alaska has slightly more off limits places than Vermont, requires carriers to notify police if they're carrying, and even requires anyone who is carrying to notify residents whose homes they enter that they are carrying. Besides those drawbacks, Alaska is otherwise a pretty good gun state by virtue of the fact that it is shall-issue/no permit required, is class III friendly, and has no magazine capacity restrictions.

4. Idaho: Open carry friendly, shall issue, extremely cheap CC permit
($10), no magazine capacity restrictions, Class III friendly, and honors permits from all 50 states.

5. Wyoming: Also open carry friendly, shall issue, no magazine capacity restrictions, Class III friendly.

6. Indiana: Ok, so being a Hoosier has made me slightly biased toward Indiana, but let me explain why. In Indiana, there is a choice between a 4-year permit ($40) and a lifetime permmit ($125). Also, no training is required for a permit, the state just recently passed the stand your ground law, and it honors permits from every state and foreign country.

7. New Hampshire: I really wanted to put New Hampshire higher on this list, but, nevertheless, it is open carry friendly (for pedestrians), a concealed carry permit is extremely cheap ($10 for residents, $20 for nonresidents), and no training is required to obtain a permit.

8. Montana: Typical of western states, Montana is open carry friendly, car carry friendly, has very few off limits places, and honors most states' permmits.

9. Virginia: Open carry friendly friendly. What keeps Virginia from being ranked higher is its one handgun per month law for people without permits, and its restrictions on high capacity magazines and handguns that have threaded barrels. Otherwise, Virginia is shall issue and is perhaps the most open carry friendly state in America.

10. Florida: Despite its prohibition on open carry, Florida has, in many ways revolutionized the concealed carry movement in this country. While not the first state to become shall issue, it was the first big state to allow it, as well as becoming the first state to actually pass a law not to require people threatened outside their homes or vehicles to retreat before using deadly force (a.k.a the stand your ground law/Castle Doctrine law).

 

[rabywk]

Hey!!!! You somehow left Illinois off your list!

 

[junglebob]

Hey!!!! You somehow left Illinois off your list!

There has to be a comedian in every crowd. I think Kentucky should have made the top 10 or be close to it. They recognize every other states CCW permit. They allow open carry without a permit, need that to do it in Indiana. They also allow you to carry a loaded firearm in your vehicle glovebox (not console however), no permit required. You can go to Kentucky and commonly see rifles and shotguns in pickup truck gun racks and its not given much notice.

 

[Torch]

Indiana??? Are you kidding me?

Indiana is a may issue state for pete's sake. That alone puts it in the bottom 15. You must apply to a law enforcement office who chooses to recommend whether to approve or deny your application. Then the app goes to a superintendent who determines whether you have a good character and reputation and worse, that you have a proper reason for wanting to carry (I'm guessing that the 2nd ammendment isn't good enough reason). :barf: If you're lucky enough to be approved the superintendent can revoke your license at will.

You also can't carry in a car without a license. No, Indiana doesn't belong in the list.

My list would be:

1. Alaska
2. Vermont
3. Arizona
4. Utah and Texas
6. Florida

At the bottom of the list in no particular order would be:

New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Hawaii.

 

[DrDavidM]

It may not be the most gun friendly, but I am pretty happy with Tn laws. Open or concealed with a premit. They recognize any other states permit that has a picture on it.

 

[tattedupboy]

Indiana??? Are you kidding me?

Indiana is a may issue state for pete's sake. That alone puts it in the bottom 15. You must apply to a law enforcement office who chooses to recommend whether to approve or deny your application. Then the app goes to a superintendent who determines whether you have a good character and reputation and worse, that you have a proper reason for wanting to carry (I'm guessing that the 2nd ammendment isn't good enough reason). :barf: If you're lucky enough to be approved the superintendent can revoke your license at will.

You also can't carry in a car without a license. No, Indiana doesn't belong in the list.

My list would be:

1. Alaska
2. Vermont
3. Arizona
4. Utah and Texas
6. Florida

At the bottom of the list in no particular order would be:

New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Hawaii.

Where in the world did you hear that Indiana is may issue? I live here, and there is nothing may issue about this state (this coming from someone who lives in the most anti gun part of the state, Gary!) Anyway, you simply apply through your local police department, get fingerprinted, fill out the application, and if no felonies show up on the background check, the permit Will be issued. No ifs ands or buts. Also, we are the only state in America that issues lifetime permits (Virginia passed the law, but none as of yet have been issued). Furthermore, no training is required for an Indiana permit. The application asks what the reason for getting a permit is, and on mine, Self-defense was already checked; I did not even have to choose it. The part about someone determining whether you have the right character is absolutely false; there is no truth whatsoever to it. I don't know where you are getting your information, but you need to find another source.

 

[teknoid]

I'd rank Kentucky ahead of Indiana. You may have the lifetime permit, but we're CCDW. It covers a lot more than firearms. That aside, we're Shall issue, No duty to retreat, Castle doctrine, Open carry with no permit, and VERY gun friendly.

 

[Torch]

Where in the world did you hear that Indiana is may issue? ...
The part about someone determining whether you have the right character is absolutely false; there is no truth whatsoever to it. I don't know where you are getting your information, but you need to find another source.

I didn't attend to hurt anybody's feelings. My information, however, is absolutely correct. My source is Indiana state law. If you don't believe me, click here. Link Removed

I quote from 35-47-2-3...

The officer to whom the application is made shall conduct an investigation into the applicant's official records and verify thereby the applicant's character and reputation, and shall in addition verify for accuracy the information contained in the application, and shall forward this information together with the officer's recommendation for approval or disapproval and one (1) set of legible and classifiable fingerprints of the applicant to the superintendent.
(d) The superintendent may make whatever further investigation the superintendent deems necessary. Whenever disapproval is recommended, the officer to whom the application is made shall provide the superintendent and the applicant with the officer's complete and specific reasons, in writing, for the recommendation of disapproval.
(e) If it appears to the superintendent that the applicant:
(1) has a proper reason for carrying a handgun;
(2) is of good character and reputation;
(3) is a proper person to be licensed; and
(4) is:
(A) a citizen of the United States; or
(B) not a citizen of the United States but is allowed to carry a firearm in the United States under federal law;

From 35-47-2-5

The superintendent may suspend or revoke any license issued under this chapter if he has reasonable grounds to believe that the person's license should be suspended or revoked.

I won't argue the may vs. shall issue point. It seems to me though that if the superintendent can deny you for 'reason' and 'character and reputation', then he may issue and he may not and there isn't a lot of recourse.

 

[BluesStringer]

I just found out that Bama is a may issue state upon finding this site with the recip. map. You couldn't prove it by me, and I don't know a soul who's ever been denied a permit. I've lived in three different counties and have carrying friends in several others. I'm not challenging the recip. map's info, the law clearly states that it's may issue.

That said, it's also cheap ($15 in Madison or Limestone County, $10 in Cullman County), we just got a very solid Castle Doctrine law passed a year ago June which extends to your car and specifies that victims have no duty to retreat from violent criminals anywhere in the state, no training required for issuance, no waiting for extensive background checks, you get your permit on the spot, and the permit covers a weapon both on your person and/or in your vehicle.

The may issue status is a virtual technicality. For all intents and purposes, this is a shall issue state. It'd be nice to get the law reworded to reflect the reality, but things go kinda slow down here. Most people, politicians included, are more interested in sittin' on their porch swing sipping mint juleps than making a fuss about rewording something that virtually no one pays any attention to anyway.

Blues

 

[BIG E]

I'd rank Kentucky ahead of Indiana. You may have the lifetime permit, but we're CCDW. It covers a lot more than firearms. That aside, we're Shall issue, No duty to retreat, Castle doctrine, Open carry with no permit, and VERY gun friendly.

+1 for KY. It's nice here.

 

[tattedupboy]

I didn't attend to hurt anybody's feelings. My information, however, is absolutely correct. My source is Indiana state law. If you don't believe me, click here. Link Removed

I quote from 35-47-2-3...



From 35-47-2-5


I won't argue the may vs. shall issue point. It seems to me though that if the superintendent can deny you for 'reason' and 'character and reputation', then he may issue and he may not and there isn't a lot of recourse.

I guess I wasn't aware of this wording in Indiana's state law. However, in practice, a person's character plays absolutely no role in the issuance of a permit. All that matters is whether or not an applicant can pass the background check. Indiana is also a shall issue state in practice. As I said in my last post I reside in the most anti gun part of the state and the reality is my state does not consider an applicant's character and is shall issue. All pro gun and NRA websites, as well as the experiences of myself and everyone else I know with an Indiana permit, will back me up on that fact.

 

[burley]

I'd put Ok in there . Texas too if you include all gun laws including hunting.

 

[longwatch]

I think Alaska and Vermont should be tied for first. Their unrestricted right to carry is my reason. Arizona is not a bad choice, and I can see the reasoning for overall gun friendliness.

Just for clarification on Virginia the magazine and threaded barrel restrictions are only if carried in public and only in a few of the urban areas, and the restrictions do not apply if one has a CHP. Also if it matters, Virginia does its own background checks and doesn't use the NICS system. Initially it wasn't a plus because we had it before the Brady Law but I think it is better to keep gun info away from the feds and it exempted us from the waiting periods under that law.

 

[Sgt. SIG]

I think we're one of the "gun friendly" states... Nevada!

 

[rabywk]

I think we're one of the "gun friendly" states... Nevada!

Nevada will not recognize CCW holders that have non-res permits. So since I am an IL res with a PA & FL non-res permit, I cannot carry there.

 

[Sgt. SIG]

Nevada will not recognize CCW holders that have non-res permits. So since I am an IL res with a PA & FL non-res permit, I cannot carry there.

I guess that by "gun friendly" I was thinking mostly how Nevada treats it's citizens. But things are changing for the better.

Nevada now has reciprocity with Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee and Utah.

Non-res permits are an issue but at least it's a step in the right direction. The wheels turn slowly!

 

[Torch]

Hey Sgt. SIG. Do you Nevadans not like us Texicans? We'll accept your permit but you won't accept ours?!?

 

[douglasd]

Some of you (in talking about Indiana and Alabama) are forgetting that "Shall Issue" does not mean it's automatic, in any state.

The difference between shall and may is that instead of you having to prove why you need a permit/license, the government has to prove why you shouldn't have one.

 

[Sgt. SIG]

Hey Sgt. SIG. Do you Nevadans not like us Texicans? We'll accept your permit but you won't accept ours?!?

Ha Ha! Naw it's your darn permit! Like everything else in Texas... IT'S TOO BIG!

My daughter and her husband live in Plano so I guess wez cousins Torch!

I was disappointed though to see how small the reciprocity list was. I hope that changes with time.

 

[Torch]

Plano?

We Texicans don't recognize Plano as part of the Republic. Plano is the land of rich heroin addicted youth.