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).
Kentucky should definitely be in this list. I wonder how many of the above states don't have self defense laws that match up to the gun laws.
PROS
- Open carry of ANY WEAPON without a permit, although city and county government may regulate weapons other than a firearm, but not if you have a CCDW permit
- Storage of firearm in any OEM compartment in a vehicle without a CCDW permit, just passed and law in 90 days once the governor signs the bill
- Open carry is constitutionally protected by our state constitution
- The only places off limits for OC is a courthouse, detention center, K-12 schools(can keep in car though) and active meetings of the general assembly
- No gun registration required for face to face sales
- Concealed carry with a permit, of ANY WEAPON, shall issue
- VERY Class III friendly
- Castle Doctrine, home, vehicle and any place you have a right to be
- Stand your ground
- You can't be arrested for killing someone in self defense, in public or otherwise, unless there is RAS it was not self defense.
- You are legally protected from civil liability and criminal prosecution in a case of self defense
- You can shoot someone for arson, kidnapping or a forcible felony
- No mag capacity restrictions
- No ammo restrictions
- Preemption law, NO city or county government can make gun laws that are more strict than the state
- Pro gun culture
- Many businesses that I hear are not gun friendly, I've never had a problem with because of our pro-gun culture.
- You NEVER hear of MWAG calls
- Do not have to inform officer of possession
- Firearms cannot be confiscated, by law, under ANY conditions as long as you are legal to possess them
- We can go into our police stations and sheriff's offices OCing
- We can go into a bar with an OCed and unloaded firearm, mag in pocket
- 35 other states recognize our CC permit
- No stop and ID law, so LE cannot force you to ID yourself, even if they want to know if your a felon or not, because your carrying a firearm
- People from other states can OC a firearm as soon as they cross our state line, can't do THAT in Indiana
- "No Firearms" signs carry no weight of law, you must be told by property owner or trustee to leave the premises, obviously you face criminal trespass if you still refuse to comply once police are present
- Notwithstanding the negative of the last positive, employers and even private property owners cannot refuse your right to have a firearm in your vehicle, on their property, without them facing civil liability.
CONS
-Not a completely constitutional carry state. Had a bill going this year and a short legislative session and it died in committee. But hey, they want to talk about it for a bit, that's fine. The pro gun mentality will prevail and we'll get it next year.
- CC license is a little pricey at 135.00, the training is ridiculously easy to pass though
- Cannot use deadly force to protect property. However, you can physically stop someone and if there is more than one or the one is armed, your good to go.
The first two will no longer exist once constitutional carry gets passed next year, so how many will that leave for the CONS list? 1 and I can live with that one.
I think you should really reconsider Kentucky's position. Looks to me that if we get complete constitutional carry next year, we'll belong at number 2 or 3. As it stands now? I'd say number 4.
As CCW laws increase and States, citizens and LEO's get used to the idea, things seem to improve. I compare the Northeast to the old Communist Soviet Union, except for maybe Vermont.
The more CCW's in a state, the better.
