What is the gun culture like in South Carolina?

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vintage68

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My girlfriend and I are looking at moving to SC from where we live in Colorado.

What is the general gun culture like in the state? Just curious if there are quality ranges ( both pistol and rifle), what the ease of obtaining CCW permits is, and if there are good gun stores with knowledgable staff, etc.

So far we're looking at the Florence area but that might change.

If anyone can give their observations that would be great.
 
What part of SC are you heading to? I live just across the river in Savannah, and I know there is a pretty good indoor range in Hardeeville SC. Also there is an outdoor range not far from there that I am going to join.

As far as CCW laws, I cannot speak to that.

Gun culture, I'm guessing that it is about the same as here. A lot of us are outdoorsy types, and most folks own guns and hunt, or are not opposed to hunting. But just like anywhere, you have nut jobs on both sides of the issue.

I have found that most folks in the southeast are decent folks. The cities are just like any other city, any where else.

We talk a little funny too.
 
My girlfriend needs to be closer to her aging parents in Florida, but for various reasons we can't live there.
 
I prefer GA over SC for gun culture.

Unless you are sold and commited to SC, check out Brunswick GA, and the surrounding area.

Many retirees are stopping north of FL state line, and property values are increasing dramatically in GA. Brunswick has pretty ocean (compared to Savannah) with Gray's reef not far away, if you are into diving or fishing. It is only an hour or so from Jacksonville, FL. and 3 hours from Orlando.
 
I moved here from AZ. I did not want to, but had to for a job. The state is gun friendly, but the gun stores here suck big time, shooting spots are few and far between, in the whole state they don't have one 600 yard range open to civilians.
 
Thanks Hagar.

I dread moving to SC for the high humidity alone, being a westerner my whole life. I lived in DC briefly, and Chicago for a summer once, and just HATE humidity. If I have to suffer because of the gun culture, or lack thereof, that just might be a dealbreaker for me...

Come on people, chime in, I needs lots of feedback on this before I pull the trigger ( so to speak!)
 
Generally gun friendly. The times I've been to state and county court I spied LE and lawyers packing and I assume the judge does also. Gun retailing is not as refined as other places but they are available.

Florence is prototypical small southern town. Is it hot? Youbetcha. Augusta to Columbia to Florence is a hot zone in the state. Can't say why; it just is. Commercial centers of the state consist of the coast at Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head. Mid-state is Columbia, and up northwest is Greenville-Spartanburg. What's your day job?

http://www.city-data.com/city/Florence-South-Carolina.html
 
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Florida and South Carolina does not honor each others CCW

I agree, it sucks big time. Same for GA. Hopefully we will get nationwide CCW one of these days.
 
Thats why , when I go to visit my brother in Va. , I go through Ga. and Tn. :banghead:

Florida will Honor any state that honor their CCW
 
Columbia, SC is one of the hottest palces in the south I do believe and Florence is not much better.
 
I spent 10 years in Charleston, SC. There's a few decent ranges and a lot of gun owners. I'd say they're gun friendly there.

I believe you'll experience quite a culture shock from Colorado. And, if you like sticky-nuts and swamp-ass, you'll love South Carolina. Oh yeah, the tropical rains and hurricanes are great too... Although I despised the place, including Mayor Joe Riley's politics and the enormous welfare crowd, at least you can ride motorcycles year round!
 
Grrrrrreat. "Sticky nuts and swamp ass" in "one of the hottest places in the south", with so-so gun shops and ranges. This is getting depressing.

So if we need to be close to Florida, what is a better choice? NC, GA?
 
Using 29501 as a zip code, I find 5 places to shoot within a 50 mile radius of Florence, when searching at Guns and Ammo - Places to Shoot

"The upstate" is on the Piedmont plateau, probably 1000 feet above sea level. The "low country" is sandy and probably reclaimed from the ocean, much hotter than "the upstate". It is quite hot at the base of the Piedmont, such as in Columbia and Orangeburg. Florence is the low country, soil in that region well suited to farming tobacco and soybeans, whatever does well in sandy soil.

Compared to many other States, SC is cool with me as far as guns go. Legislatively, there is a problem with SLED (State Police) having undefined regulatory discretion, fixed somewhat by imposing ""shall issue" requirements on licensing. One of those issues is adamantly requiring that licenses from other States will not be recognized unless meeting comparable standards to South Carolina's and providing for instant verification. Training would be 8 hours of instruction, passing both a written exam and competently shooting targets. Thus we don't get the reciprocity we would like in return, even though better qualified in theory.

It certainly wasn't always true, but SC enjoys having two very pro-gun Republican Senators, DeMint and Graham. Rep. Barrett for my district (upstate) is just as good in the House. I had a modest role in DeMint's campaign in 2004. You have a real stinko in Rep. Spratt, a Democrat. Not sure if that will be your district.

For the Florence area, I think you stand a good chance of finding private property where you can shoot. Find the nearest gun shop and talk to them.

Statewide, there are a few ranges in State parks and at least two I know of maintained by the Fish and Game rangers.
 
The only problem with Georgia as an alternative is the ban on carrying weapons, even with a permit, anywhere that serves alcohol, and at any "public gathering", whatever that is.

Good Grief! I thought the south had a reputation for being strongly pro-gun!
 
Off hand, I can think of 7 different ranges well within 50 miles of me in the upstate. One of them is only about a mile and half from the house. The people from here are for the most part gun friendly. Most of the people I work with hunt and a number of them have a CCW permit. Overall, the CCW laws aren't as bad some of our neighboring states. We can't carry in any government buildings, schools, places that sell alcohol for on site consumption, or political meetings. Trying to remember where I can and can't carry in NC gives me headaches. GA laws aren't that bad, except for trying to figure out what they mean by "public gatherings". Like stated above, the reciprocity is a problem. A lot of the strangeness in our gun laws in the South East are holdovers from the old Jim Crow laws that we need to correct.

The weather here on the other hand can be a challenge for someone from out west. I had a boss once that was from California and he described it as being "like when you open the door on a dish washer right after it gets finished". :D
 
I've lived out west my whole life, mostly in Nevada and now Colorado. I never got used to humidity when I had brief TDY assignments in DC and Chicago. So yes, I'm dreading the humidity.

Don't know why I'd ever move somewhere where I have less rights than those afforded by NV and CO.
 
The weather never bothers me here, maybe a couple of days over 100 in the 4 years I have been here. Winters are mild and short. But after Phoenix for 14 years, everything is relative!:D
 
If you have a choice, live somewhere that's NOT Florence, Spartanburg, or North Charleston. Unless you like gang activity mixed in with an already high crime rate. Most of the other cities/towns are fine but feel free to ask about specific ones.

I'm not familiar with Florence gun shops or ranges. In Columbia we have several gun shops:
Sportsman's Warehouse - just opened, decent prices, staff thinks they know more than they actually do
Palmetto Firearms - staff is excellent, selection pretty thin, but they do have used stuff
Shooter's Choice - great selection, generally high prices, staff is mediocre, indoor range
Various pawn shops - hit or miss, as is their nature
Wateree Arms - astronomical prices, the worst staff I've ever encountered, the only shop on that side of town
Lawman's - state contract for LE Glocks so good Glock selection, decent used selection, staff is mediocre

Getting a CWP is a bit of a hassle. 8 hour class that includes a written test and a shooting test. $50 fee paid to SLED (State Law Enforcement Division), proof of training, fingerprints, 2 photos. The head of the agency doesn't like the idea of Average Joe having CWPs and he has instructed his staff to delay the process for the full 90 days allowed by law, but we are shall issue. No carry in places that serve alcohol, government buildings, schools, and a few other places.

Law enforcement attitude regarding weapons is generally positive to neutral.

Full auto, suppressors, SBS, SBR are ok.

There are two outdoor ranges within 30 minutes of my house. One is in a state park, the other is the club where I'm a member (www.midcarolinarifleclub.com).


Oh. Yes. The weather. This is the only place where you can experience all 4 seaons in one week. When I was in school, I was wearing shorts on Tuesday and it snowed 3 inches on Thursday. The summers are very hot and horribly humid. The winters are mild, rarely dropping below freezing for more than a few days at a time.
 
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