What is Gun ownership like in your state?

FFGColorado said:

Fair enough but I'd wait to see what actually happens. Ya know the guy in the big chair, nationally, is 'famous' for pushing national
-RFLs
-21 YO minimum age
-UBC


So..political rhetoric aside..no issues now on the streets of the people's republic of Boulder. A 'blue' county. like weld, a 'red' county.

BTW-I have been in Colorado for 38 years...Went to JH/HS in Colorado Springs, then CU, left for the USN for 20 years..returned in 1993...

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Thank you for your service!

Nebraska. (East of Rockies, North of Mason-Dixon line and was admitted prior to the distinction of 'free' or 'slave' territory.)

Been mentioned prior. One must have a 'Firearms Purchase Permit' which essentially is a NCIC query showing no convictions. A state concealed weapons permit will substitute, as that indicates 'clean record' as well. The nice part of the Firearms Purchase card is it is issued by the Sheriff's Office and requires very little time and red tape. There is a a $5.00 fee (or used to be) for the officer's time to do the checks.

Gun Shows are allowed all over and private citizens are not restricted from disposing of personal property. Selling guns as a primary source of income is considered 'in the business' and Federal laws apply.
Suppressors come under NFA laws, and state laws do not particularly restrict them any further. I know a couple people who have such items and two or more stores who stock them for sale. For hunting? Not sure, not in my personal experience. Fully automatic weapons? I've never investigated the matter.

Nebraska is a rather hunting oriented state. Lincoln (the capital) is large cities, but generally do not seem anti gun in the main. Omaha is the largest city and has indications of being anti-gun in terms of ordinary people having handguns.

All in all, I find Nebraska an easy place to live as a gun owner and collector. Then again, I lived in the Peoples Democratic Socialist Republic of California for close to forty years until I retired in 2010. Very nice change.

Robbins290 said:

yes we can, have to apply for a permint. but i think its free. we also have constitutional carry.


Edit, it is free for the permit.

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Constitutional carry in VT, NH and ME. It's nice to know that I can go east all the way to the coast without worrying about a permit. If my wife and kid ever made time to take a vacation I would love to go to ME. Used to go there every summer as a kid, loved it. My buddy moved there for the last few years and he had met lots of gun people. People with massive collections. Very gun friendly state.bi hope they dont go the way Vermont decided to go, I might move there one day.

SwampWolf said:

You are exactly right, Reloadron. They can throw you in jail for violating the law; there's no such thing as violating the culture, last time I checked.

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daniel craig said:

The way people interact is important to know when you move to an area. The culture writ large in that area, can impact your quality of life regardless of the laws.

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It certainly can. It can also impact your legal status. In CO, for example, the law says, "no magazines over 15 rds that were made after a certain date". In large areas of the state, the culture is such that that "law" is not enforced. In other areas, it may be. It's good to know the culture in those different areas, not just the laws. The same thing is true in reverse when we start talking about interstate travel and enforcement of local laws in places like Maryland and New Jersey in violation of FOPA. Even though a person may not end up going to prison doesn't that they won't incur significant expense and possible jail time, even while following "the law". Knowing the culture may help avoid that. IMO, this is going to become even more important in the future as (more than likely) more 2A infringements will be put in place at the federal level and ignored or even actively resisted at the local level

The law is the law doesn't really express reality. Daniel and I both live in NYS and to purchase a handgun depends on the vagaries of county judges working within the same 'legal' framework as we discussed in the Scotus/NY thread. In same counties the process is annoying but quite possible and runs efficiently. In some it is impossible. That's why the case from the NYSRPA. In a sense, this looks like the 'good shoot' debates we have where someone claims all kinds of appearance and cultural factors do not influence decisions to try you or the jury decision, because it's a good shoot because the law is the law.

Also, while various opinions might set your hair on fire, it is a good idea to continue this discussion politely. Views on open carry vary widely with legit experts thinking it is a bad idea tactically and others liking it, for example. No need to use strong language.

Wisconsin

Everybody and his or her brother or sister owns a hunting rifle to go with their fishing rod and reel. Handgun ownership is no problem, but not so universal.

That being said, we are a pretty purple state with a long history of flipping and flopping. Currently we have a far-left liberal governor trying to follow his party's playbook -- the first thing on his agenda when he took office was gun control -- and he's kept in check only by a conservative legislature. So, Wisconsin's future as a free state is kind of iffy at this point.

California (about as bad as it gets)
May or may not be possible to get a CCW permit. (my county is good I understand some are almost impossible)
All transfers thru a FFL
Only handguns on the "approved" list (nothing new can go on the list unless it microstamps and since nothing microstamps....)
All ammo purchases require a background check, so no mail order ammo to your door (ammo sales thru an ammo vendor, in the courts Rhode vs Beccera))
No "assault rifles", ARs must be modified to be legal
Can't buy mags greater than 10 rounds. (an they were going to take the ones you already owned but that is in the court Ducan vs Berrecra)
No silencers, no .50 BMG rifles
One Handgun per month purchase, waiting period on purchases
No lead bullets for hunting (they were going to try to ban all lead bullets even at ranges but it didn't pass the the first try)
Firearms safety card for gun purchases(no big deal but another "tax")
More odds and ends but the above are the main things.


My county is sort of Pro gun, but most are not.

daniel craig said:

I mostly want to hear from people east of the Rockies (or in the Rockies)

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https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/where-are-the-rocky-mountains.html

I suppose a lot of folks think the “Rockies” are mainly in Colorado, but the fact is, the “Rockies” run from New Mexico way up into Canada. And they run through Idaho.
At any rate, Idaho is still just about as red and pro-gun as a state can be. It’s a constitutional-carry state for the most part - about the only restrictions are on college and university campuses, schools, and government buildings/courthouses. And as far as I know, open carry has been legal here since even before my dad was born in 1929.
If someone wants an Idaho CCW License though, it’s easy to get, and Idaho has two versions - both a Standard, and an “Enhanced” version. The Idaho Enhanced CCW License has reciprocity with a few more states than the Standard version, and it provides for legal concealed carry on Idaho’s university and college campuses - that’s why my wife and I got ours. But the Enhanced version requires an 8-hour class, whereas you can get an Idaho Standard CCW License by just listing some firearms experience and/or training on the application - like military, or formal competition experience.
As far as the gun “culture” in Idaho goes, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a gun or three, there's a lot of gun stores, and before covid, the gunshows were always packed.
Things might be changing though, at least in some parts of Idaho. Around 300,000 people have moved into the Boise Valley (aka the “Treasure Valley”) on the west side of the state in the last 30 years or so. I grew up over there, and according to my sister who still lives there, most of those 300,000 people brought their “cultures” with them. Consequently, the Treasure Valley is purple now, and it probably won’t be long until, just like Oregon and Washington, the big population centers on the west side of the state control the whole state politically.

Best Friend tells me his CCW renewal required a three hour "Refresher Course" $95.00, a renewal License Fee $10.00, and a Illinois State Tax (Just because they can) of $150.00. $255.00 to renew. He's seriously considering moving out of state.

Surprising to most Illinois is not as awful as some people think. There are no statewide bans on any kind of guns or magazines. There are a few localities with magazine restrictions and so-called assault weapon bans, but they don't actively enforce them as best I can tell.

All firearms transfers require a waiting period and NICS check.

You have to have an ID card to purchase or possess firearms or ammunition. It cost $10 for 10 years. They are shsll issue but right now getting one is slow.

When it is available there are no restrictions on purchasing ammo as long as you have the ID card.

There are some kinds of ammunition that are restricted like dragon's breath ammo or whatever it's called.

Silencers are not permitted.

You cannot purchase a short barrel rifle but if you have a c&r license you can make your own as long as you get the federal tax stamp.

Short barrel shotguns not permitted.

Centerfire Rifle hunting not permitted, but oddly handgun hunting is permitted, as is black powder.

Concealed carry licenses are expensive and require an excessive amount of training but they are shall issue and the state has been pretty good about issuing them, although they are slow. Unfortunately there are so many restrictions on where you can carry that the concealed carry license is not especially useful in urban areas.

Dudedog said:

California (about as bad as it gets)
May or may not be possible to get a CCW permit. (my county is good I understand some are almost impossible)
All transfers thru a FFL
Only handguns on the "approved" list (nothing new can go on the list unless it microstamps and since nothing microstamps....)
All ammo purchases require a background check, so no mail order ammo to your door (ammo sales thru an ammo vendor, in the courts Rhode vs Beccera))
No "assault rifles", ARs must be modified to be legal
Can't buy mags greater than 10 rounds. (an they were going to take the ones you already owned but that is in the court Ducan vs Berrecra)
No silencers, no .50 BMG rifles
One Handgun per month purchase, waiting period on purchases
No lead bullets for hunting (they were going to try to ban all lead bullets even at ranges but it didn't pass the the first try)
Firearms safety card for gun purchases(no big deal but another "tax")
More odds and ends but the above are the main things.


My county is sort of Pro gun, but most are not.

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Here in Maryland, there's s saying," so goes California, goes Maryland." Personal protection is illegal here, 10 round capacity mags and page after page of "common sense gun control laws" I must admit though, our strict gun control measures are certainly working......want proof; look at Baltimore!

WV checking in. We are a Constitutional Carry state. As a veteran, there is now no fee for my CCW, (recognized by 38 other states last time I checked) and the fee for my wife went down to $25. No magazine limits, and no ridiculous FOID like we needed when we lived behind the lines in NJ. See a number of people open carrying, and nobody seems to get their knickers in a twist over it. I love WV!

daniel craig said:

That’s your opinion. The question asked didn’t express interest in your opinion on whether the culture was important or not. It’s important to the OP and that’s all that matters. Deviation from that makes for a lot of irrelevant information and discussion that has no bearing on answering the question.

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Well in that case I am in Ohio which I would say overall rates very good as to being gun friendly. My only concern now is any changes to federal law(s) which will trump state law. Sorry if my earlier reply was not what you were looking for.

Ron

New York State

Home of the SAFE (secure ammunition and firearm enforcement) Act enacted 2013, with the tag line "Making New York a safer place to live". If you're not a participant and unfamiliar, it is a collection of laws governing firearms imposed upon us and based largely on the appearance of the particular firearm.

To qualify as a prohibited long gun firearm, it must be a semi-auto with a detachable magazine AND have one or more (of ten) "military" characteristics. (thumbhole stocks, pistol grips, folding/telescoping stocks, flash suppressors, plus some others) None of which (in my opinion) makes the firearm any more dangerous, with the possible exception of the grenade launcher prohibition. But then for that to be effective you would also need to possess a launchable grenade(s). Not sure if those are specifically mentioned as banned, I'd have to check.

Possession of pre SAFE act long guns (AR's, evil black rifles, etc) is permitted providing you registered them with the NYSP before a certain date and continue to register them every five years. Transfers are tightly limited.

No suppressors allowed, hunting or otherwise. Actually, no threaded barrels capable of accepting a suppressor (or other muzzle device) permitted.

Ten round magazines (long guns and handguns) are lawful to own, however, you may only load seven rounds unless you are at an actual firearms range, then you may load to capacity. The rifle you hunt with is limited to six rounds.

Free or public shooting areas? What's that? Ranges are either private clubs requiring membership or open to the public indoor ranges requiring range use fees. You might be able to get away with sighting in a rifle on remote public land in the upstate area or at least until someone calls and reports you.

There is much more but I limited the response to those areas of your interest.

daniel craig said:

...... Btw you are allowed to have a full 10 rounds, not 7. That was changed in like...2016........

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Hmmm, I'd check again. But, if you can point me to the section in the NYS Penal Law that shows that the section was repealed I'd be most appreciative. .....and apologetic.

SSN Vet said:

Robbins290 already spoke up for ME, but since the OP mentioned it specifically, I'll add a few points.

The key is to not broad brush the "northern" New England states with the rest. ME, NH and VT arguably form three state region that is (IMHO) much more 2A friendly than most give credit for.

• All three have open carry without permit.
• All three have concealed carry without permit.
• ME and NH also have shall issue, and these permits allow some advantages, like carrying in National Parks (which follow the host state permit laws).
• VT gets a black mark for not issuing CCW permits, which is banal at best as they have never had laws banning concealed carry, so why bother with permits for something that has never been banned.
• All three allow NFA items.
• All three have state pre-emption that keeps the liberal cities in line.
• All three are pretty rural and have strong hunting traditions.
• ME & NH have castle doctrine. And while VT does not, there is a strong judicial president that people have no duty to retreat in their homes.
• NH is one of the most libertarian minded states in the union, with no state income tax and no sales tax. They basically don't want big gub'ment so they starve it.
• Before being ousted on term limits, ME had in Paul LePage an awesome governor, and he may come back next go around.
• While none have stand your ground, you will be very hard pressed to dig up a self-defense shooting where the victim was charged.

The biggest problem the northern New England states have wrt. to 2A is that they have become refuges for people fleeing MA. The problem here is that they bring their MA mindset with them and wind up voting for the same types of people and policies that made MA intolerable to them in the first place.

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Everything @SSN Vet said about VT is true. But the trend is less rosy.

New as of 2018: universal background checks (with exemptions for transfers to LEO or immediate family member); no transfer to anyone under 21; handguns limited to 15 rounds, long guns to 10. All as a reaction to a case of a 19yo buying a shotgun and threatening to shoot up his former high school. He apparently really intended to do it. Obviously, only one of the measures would have impacted that situation.

And now the Covid influx - a literal land rush - of "flatlanders" as we refer to 'em, fleeing the eastern cities. We're being overrun by 'em. We natives begin to fear being priced out AND the increasing tide of regulation for firearms and every other aspect of life.

The good news: The holiday season still starts at the beginning of rifle deer season 11 days before Thanksgiving; law enforcement recognizes the unenforceable nature of the magazine restrictions; hunting licence sales are up 20%, the crime rate is the lowest (second?) in the nation, and outside of the one city-like area of Burlington, people, even the liberals, mostly have a live-and-let-live attitude...at least until it comes to spending public dollars. And for my wife and I personally, its only a 15 mile move east to NH when we retire

Mississippi:

Outside the areas you ask about, but maybe a good point of reference.

Legally, Mississippi is good. Pretty free. Culturally speaking, firearm ownership and use is generally accepted. It’s common.

Ive seen a shift in my lifetime. Late 80’s through the 90’s most guns were equated to hunting. Early 2000’s through today there seems to have been much greater interest in concealed carry and defensive firearms.

This thread asks the wrong question. The split in gun culture is not by state; it has to do directly with the urban/rural divide. This can be seen in almost every state. I know it's certainly true in Virginia. I live in a hotbed of antigun sentiment, but the situation is entirely reversed if I travel half an hour away from home.