Koobuh stated
Washington is NOT firearm or firearm manufacturer friendly.
Some -- et moi -- would take issue with this statement. In terms of the
average gun owner,
Washington is a very firearms-friendly state.
- CPLs are shall-issue, for five year periods, relatively inexpensively with no training required;
- most law enforcement agencies here are quite pragmatic about gun issues and the cops are not spooked by armed citizens;
- even the media is a bit more understanding of gun-related issues and not quite so visibly anti-gun as is the norm in many states;
- There's no waiting periods for those with CPLs;
- there's no state registration requirements, no "FOIDs" or "gun-purchase authorization" or "firearms safety inspection certificate" required;
- Gun clubs are plentiful, as are indoor ranges;
- Gun lobbies and gun associations here are pro-active politically and highly visible;
- Aside from perhaps two or three major counties, the voter base tends to go pro-gun and conservative ...
You can always find something to bitch about in terms of the relative "unfriendliness" to gun-owners and gun issues in any state -- but don't try and say Washington is NOT firearm-friendly. Compared to most states, Washington is way ahead of the power curve. Sawed-off shotguns? Is this not a
federal law? Class III? Would be nice, I'll grant you that. Firearms manufacturing? The tax system in place in this state affects far more industries than firearms manufacturing, and in the great scheme of things, of little import to the average gun-owner.