Might be Moving to Colorado

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MathurinKerbouchard

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Hello all,

I may be moving to the Colorado Springs area from NoVA in a month. :D How bureaucratic is the process for getting a CHL and how gun friendly is the state as a whole? I know that Denver has some issues with open carry.

Any places in El Paso county I should stear clear of?

Thanks.
 
Colorado = good state for gun owners

I've lived out here in Colorado for the past 12 years. This is a gun friendly state, the Colorado Springs area has about 6 gun shows per year, they are all big, lots of merchandise. El Paso county, which neighbors my county is a conservative bastion. In terms of getting a CCW here, its fairly easy. The basic requirement for a CCW application is a 3 hour basic handgun safety course, no big deal. You have to apply at your home county's sheriff's office, depending on the county, the processing fee is anywhere from $100-$150. You will have to get fingerprinted, the sheriff's dept will run your background with both the CBI(state agency) and the FBI. The usual waiting period is 2-4 weeks, I had mine in 3 weeks.:D Colorado is a good state to move to in terms of gun friendliness, hunting is big out here also.

The only area in Colorado that is not gun friendly is Denver. Outside of the Denver area, its all good.:D
 
You have chosen wisely. Colorado is indeed a gun friendly state. I already had a CPL from Michigan when I moved out here last year, so it took less than three weeks for the whole process. The Sheriff's Office took care of everything for a price of $150. Couldn't have been easier.

Besides that, Colorado is just a great place to live.
 
The only area in Colorado that is not gun friendly is Denver. Outside of the Denver area, its all good.
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And don't forget Boulder. Its like an occupied territory. Still, if you have a CCW permit, neither Denver nor Boulder can stop you from carrying your firearm concealed. Also, CO allows possession of a firearm in your car without a CW permit. Getting a permit is easy, but does require you to take a handgun safety course.

I live just south of Denver, so I can't help you with gun stores in the Springs. There may be a Sportsmen's Warehouse down there.

Besides that, Colorado is just a great place to live.
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True dat! I'm originally from PA and love it here in CO!
 
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12-year former NoVA resident here; have been in Colorado Springs for the past 5 years. Colorado will be a welcome breath of fresh air. You'll laugh at what passes for 'bad traffic' here. But that's a good thing.

There is a Sportman's Warehouse here, which usually has pretty good prices. Specialty Sports stocks far more guns than any other shop I've ever visited, but their pricing isn't usually the best. There are a number of smaller shops around.

Probably a few bars and apartment complexes that you should steer clear of, but other than that, it's all good.

By the way, have you priced housing here yet? It's currently about half of what you'll find in Fairfax/Loudon counties.
 
MathurinKerbouchard said:
Excellent! Any good gun stores/sporting goods stores in the Springs Area?
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Here's the 2 gun shops my Sister/BIL go to the most. (They help teach the Personal Protection class at Paradise Sales, which qualifies for CO CCW)

Paradise Sales
605 W Colorado Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
(719) 630-7070

Specialty Sports & Supplies
4285 E Fountain Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80916
(719) 391-2556
 
You'll laugh at what passes for 'bad traffic' here. But that's a good thing.
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Ironically, my company gave me two choices. One was Fairfax, VA, the other was Denver. My wife and I drove down there from the Philly area to check it out one Sunday. It was TOTAL GRIDLOCK on a Sunday! I said, no way Jose and we ended up in Denver. Haven't regretted it.
 
Specialty Sports and Sportsman's Warehouse are the two biggest gun shops in town..pretty good selection of most things..

CCW is not too bureaucratic..have the proper paperwork and you are good to go..

The county votes pretty conservative..but did split last time on a US senator election.
lots of religous non-profits in the area ( focus on the family, Navigators, Compassion International and others.)..as well as lots of military..Air Force and Army..(Air Force Academy, Space Command, Northern Command, Homeland Defense, NORAD, 302nd Airlift, 3rd Armored Cav, 2nd BCT (25th Inf) 3rdHBCT (4ID), 43ASG, 10th Special Forces and lots of other units ).
 
Thanks for all of the replies. Currently I live in McLean right next to Tyson's Corner, the Beltway, and I66. So i know traffic. I've lived in Michigan, Montana, and Missouri and i want to get back to that kind of life.

I could get my CHL here, but i don't want to put up with Fairfax County's bureaucracy. If i need really feel the need, a can just open carry and the locals will have to put up with it.

I want to get back to living with REAL people. (no offense to my other THR compadres in occupied NoVA, but face it folks, we're outnumbered)
 
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CO allows possession of a firearm in your can without a CW permit.

Don't know about that, but you can keep one in your vehicle, loaded and concealed, without a CCW.
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Be careful, Denver is trying hard to become part of California. Denver is still trying to enforce their own, more restrictive gun laws despite State law to the contrary. In fact, I think they won a recent court ruling, so expect Denver cops to follow their own set of rules.

In general though, Colorado is a pro-gun state.
 
A couple years ago Colorado went from "May Issue" to "Shall Issue", however nothing really changed in El Paso county as it had been Shall Issue for years :D

Go here for the forms and requirements for your CHL
 
CO allows possession of a firearm in your can without a CW permit.

Don't know about that, but you can keep one in your vehicle, loaded and concealed, without a CCW.
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LOL! What a typo! Well I keep a firearm in my car and my can!
 
You'll love Colorado

I moved to DFW about year and a half ago after living in Denver since '94. Prior to that I, too, lived in NoVA.

Another good shop to check out is Dave's Guns in Aurora. It's an easy drive from the Springs and they have a good selection and decent prices...plus, they'll normally negotiate.

Have a great time and let us know when you need good recommendations on places to camp, shoot, fish, etc.

DFW1911
 
Colorado has a preemption law concerning CCW. Denver sued the state back in '03 claiming it had a right to home rule. The Colorado Supreme Court struck down the concealed carry ban that Denver had in effect. The court ruled that Denver could continue to ban "assault weapons" and they could ban guns in city parks. However, Denver cannot ban concealed carry or the possesion of guns in your vehicle.
 
Don't come here! It is terrible. There are a few places posted. Mostly hospitals and the usual fed. places. We have open carry! Terrible! The traffic is horrific. Somes times it slows down to 35 mph. And it snows. IT IS GREAT OUT HERE IN GOD'S COUNTRY!

I moved out here in 91. Used to live in Fairfax. I hate to go back to see family. Can only take 3 days. I know the Tyson area. I understand what you are talking about. Traffic is terrible there. The wife likes to go to Legal Seafood.

Semper Fi
 
In case you're interested, we have a Bass Pro store in Denver, and in about a year we should also have a new Cabela's in Wheat Ridge (NW Denver suburb).
 
I'll tell you a little story...

I helped a friend move to Denver. It was a harrowing experience. Three days in two UHauls (first one blew its transmission) with two girls. Scary.

So, we get to Lamar, CO. We stayed there the night before heading into Denver. We went out for a bite to eat. One of the guys here told me CO was an open carry state. I open carried my double-stack 1911...

And was promptly cornered by half the Lamar, CO police department at a restaurant. They saw my gun. They flipped out. They approached to "discuss" the situation with me...

"Uh, 'scuse me, sir."
"Yes, officer?"
"I just wanted to ask you about that firearm you're carrying."
"Ok. What's the trouble, officer?"
"Well, is that a .45?"
"Yes, sir. It is."
"Well, where'd you get one that big?"
"Eh?"
"Well, I've never seen one with a magazine that big. Is it something new?"
"Uh... well, I think they've been around a few years. Not too long, though."
"Oh. So, where'd you get it?"

And it went on like that. So, ask me how I like Colorado...
 
'Nother great thing about Colorado...buying ammo in bulk at WalMart. It's the only reason I go in there.

"What's your price on 9mm 100 round boxes?"

"$10.88."

"Great. I'll take a thousand rounds. Can you just put it in this ammo box for me instead of a bag?"

"Sure."

:cool:
 
As stated above, Denver, Boulder and a few other small liberal towns are a thorn in our collective side. But the state is generally gun friendly. For CCW, CBI charges 52.50 for the background check, and the issuing Sheriff's office can charge anywhere from $0-$100, usually about $75. Additionally, they have 90 days to issue your permit from the day you are fingerprinted. Denver has been pushing this back, citing BS reasons at every turn, but eventually they have to comply with the state.

The only real "Beware" is that Denver has there own AWB that they have been enforcing, despite the Colorado State law preemption guidlines. I would not go cruising around the city with an RRA entry carbine or Kel-Tec PLR-16 in the passenger seat. You may not be convicted of anything, but it will cost you time and money.

If you're looking at El Paso county, that is one of the best spots for gun folk. It is the Southern neighbor to my county. The rural counties here tend to have very high gun ownership rates. I know a couple hundred residents in our area, and only know of one household in my that is unarmed.
 
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