2017 Best States for Gun Owners

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The November 2017 issue of Guns and Ammo has a lengthy article written by Keith Wood that ranks the 50 States plus DC. Where does your state fall... (We'll start from the worst)???

DC NY MA NJ HI CA CT MD RI DE MN IL CO WA NM IA NE OR PA SD VA ME OH LA MI NC NV SC WI AR IN VT ID AL WY MS NH KY WV FL TN MO GA TX ND UT MT OK KS AK AZ

I found the article informative with its short write up on each state plus DC.
 
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Montana is correctly in the top 5. I don't get why Wyoming is so far back. It has permit-less concealed carry and Montana does not.

But, we do have some great gun law. Weapons do not have to be surrendered during emergency, no city can pass more restrictive law than state law, everyone legally eligible to possess a gun is granted an exemption from Federal gun free zone restriction.
 
I'm sorry to see my adopted home state has slipped to fourteenth. We're shall-issue, castle-doctrine, stand-your-ground and open-carry, with easy licensing requirements.

One study a few years ago ranked us the fifth most gun-friendly state
 
Arik said:
Can you post a link? Im wondering why Pa is so far back considering it's a shall issue state with no mandatory classes and no restrictions on guns or ammo. All class 3 is legal, carrying in restaurants that serve alcohol is legal.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Probably because of the extra, state mandated, form we have to fill out when buying. Oh, and Philadelphia.

Robert
 
Although not quite as gun-friendly as the upper tier states, I am grateful for what we Buckeyes have:

From G&A 2015;

"Things have gotten remarkably better for Ohio's gun owners since 2014. Residents have seen the passage of pro-gun legislation, and those laws have now taken effect. Suppressors are now legal for hunting, and CLEOs must sign NFA transfer forms, which makes the already good Class 3 category even stronger. Additionally, training for CCW permits was reduced from 12 hours down to eight. Ohio's CCW law has been changed to what is effectively a "full recognition" system, but the state does have a somewhat restrictive list of prohibited locations. The state enacted a Castle Doctrine law in 2008, but requires a particularly high burden of proof in the case of self-defense. An awkward definition of "automatic weapon" that created problems for certain firearms and magazines has been fixed, allowing for max points in the tactical rifle category."
 
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Having lived in IL, MD, OH, IN, and WI, I disagree with the rankings. From top to bottom: OH WI IL IN MD. I could be persuaded to swap OH and WI. I'm assuming the ranking is based purely on gun laws, which misses a lot. There is also availability of places to shoot and places to buy firearms, ammo, and related equipment. The lack of all of those drives IN to near bottom. I had far better ranges in MD than IN. OH has the best ranges. It was easy to find ranges in IL south of I-80.
 
Did I mention that this was taken from a lengthy article in the November 2017 issue of Guns and Ammo? A good read! That said, each state is covered individually but not all 5 categories used to rank the states are detailed.

The states were ranked numerically in each of five categories: Right to carry (RTC), access to "black rifles" (e.g., firearms possessing a tactical appearance), the presence and strength of a Castle Doctrine law, subjects related to the National Firearms Act (NFA), and a catch-all miscellaneous category that the writer admits was the toughest to award points and is the most subjective.

I hope this will remove some of the angst readers are experiencing or encourage them to read the full article.
 
I'm not at all surprised to see NY as 2nd from the worst. However, I have a concealed carry. Much of the issue is with the NY city area, but none of NY is good. Pistol permits are handled by the individual counties and as such change as the Sheriff and Judges change. I recently bought a S&W M&P M 2.0 in 9mm. It took 5 days to get a purchase stub approved so I could pick the gun up. About 2 weeks later the sheriff was appointed to a State job, in Albany and the under Sheriff took over. Now purchases are completed the same day, at a single stop, if you have had a background check updated within the last 5 years, assuming you already have a permit to carry..
 
Nov 2017 G&A By Keith Wood
Summary for Tennessee: 11th

"Governor Bill Haslam signed two pro-gun laws into effect this year including one that would allow citizens to sue cities if the city violates the states firearm law preemption statue with arbitrary "gun-free zones".

Tennessee would be in a tie for first place if it passed a permitless carry bill. It gets maximum points in every other category. The state has a great statutory framework for gun owners as well as a pro-gun culture. It has a growing firearms and training industry."

-----------

I agree with the general assessment particularly pointing out that Tennesseans still have to ask permission to exercise the Constitutional right to bear arms. Mandatory training, pass a test, pay fees and become licensed to carry a gun. That REALLY needs to change.

We're headed in that direction. A couple years ago it became lawful to have loaded guns in the vehicle without a carry permit. Earlier this year two bills were introduced to allow permitless carry. Unfortunately, both were killed in committee. We'll get there... it's been a long couple decades of pro-gun victories from where we were in the dark days of May Issue.

Arizona, well done! Tennessee looks forward to occupying first place with y'all.
 
These rankings are always somewhat arbitrary and subject to the biases of the author. Which is reflected in your post as well.

For me, having ranges is nice, but the ease (or lack of) licensing and the ability to carry for self defense are at the top of my priorities. Along with not having silly state imposed restrictions on what I can buy.

Of the states I've visited and carried in, my ranking is something like NH, ME, AL, PA, LA, TN, TX, VA.

There are a couple of other states that I have carried in so infrequently that I can't really give an opinion. MS is one of those. I could also easily swap PA and AL with each other or TN and TX. Those states have similar licensing and restrictions.

My home state of MA has worked hard to earn it's place, but I have to say that it's much better than NJ, HI, CA, or MD in regards to licensing.

CT is sad, because it used to be a very pro gun state with shall issue licensing and open carry. That's all gone, in fact, if not by law. At least people I know in CT tell me that. And of course DC is going to become better, but we don't know to what extent yet.

johngalt said:
Having lived in IL, MD, OH, IN, and WI, I disagree with the rankings. From top to bottom: OH WI IL IN MD. I could be persuaded to swap OH and WI. I'm assuming the ranking is based purely on gun laws, which misses a lot. There is also availability of places to shoot and places to buy firearms, ammo, and related equipment. The lack of all of those drives IN to near bottom. I had far better ranges in MD than IN. OH has the best ranges. It was easy to find ranges in IL south of I-80.
Click to expand...
 
I only briefly looked at the article at the grocery store, so I don't recall the details of the criteria, but if they considered local restrictions it could have a significant effect. Arizona has a state law preempting municipalities from enacting gun laws more restrictive than those passed by the legislature.

It's nice to be #1 in something. Usually we rank #49, which explains the state motto: "At least we ain't Mississippi."
 
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ParadiseRoad said:
...Colorado used to be known for hunting...skiing...and western freedom...now we're known for gambling and dope...sad...
Click to expand...

I have a close friend who was born and raised in Colorado Springs. He is a "cowboy" in the very best sense of that word: A Western gentlemen, courteous, friendly, chivalrous, with old-fashioned values. He rails against what is happening in Colorado, how the culture is changing because of people moving there from California and other states. It is sad... :(
 
johngalt said:
Having lived in IL, MD, OH, IN, and WI, I disagree with the rankings. From top to bottom: OH WI IL IN MD. I could be persuaded to swap OH and WI. I'm assuming the ranking is based purely on gun laws, which misses a lot. There is also availability of places to shoot and places to buy firearms, ammo, and related equipment. The lack of all of those drives IN to near bottom. I had far better ranges in MD than IN. OH has the best ranges. It was easy to find ranges in IL south of I-80.
Click to expand...

There are several regulation categories. As an example, right to carry is one of them. The author says he considers standard of issuance, training requirements, cost, reciprocity, locations where licensed carry is prohibited, open carry... on and on... and some of those categories are tie breakers rather than a points score. So just because a state is "Shall Issue" doesn't mean it's viewed the same with all other Shall Issue states. For example, the reciprocity map I'm looking at for Indiana shows 33 reciprocity agreements with other states. Tennessee shows 40 (if I'm counting correctly on my fingers and toes:D)

There's a Misc score that he admits is the most subjective, including items that you mentioned, such as availability of places to shoot to the frequency of matches, and that playing with the Misc category alone could significantly impacts the rankings, particularly among the top 20. As the author says "splitting hairs".

That Tennessee moved from 5th position last year to 11th position this year isn't something I'm going to launch a formal complaint over. ;)
 
For several decades, under a number of Governors, the Maryland state government has embarked on a campaign to inhibit the legal ownership of firearms. Every year when the General Assembly is in session --- for 90 days beginning in early January --- anti-gun legislators introduce and champion a variety of gun control measures. Not one of these measures has anything to do with reducing violence or crime; it's all about "making a statement".

They've thought of everything. You have to be fingerprinted, go through a background check, and get a Handgun Qualification License before you can buy a handgun. Then there is a mandatory seven-day waiting period, and separate Maryland State Police background check, for each and every handgun purchase you make.

We have a one-gun-per-month limit, unless you have applied for and gotten a "Collector" designation. Any handgun sold here must be approved by the Handgun Roster Board. There is a ban on so-called "assault weapons", and a ten-round magazine limit.

Despite all this, the bloodletting in Baltimore continues. There are 23 counties in Maryland plus the City of Baltimore...in seven of those counties, in 2015 (the last year for which figures are available) there was not a single homicide. Statewide, there were 553 homicides, and Baltimore accounted for 344 of those. With only 10.5% of Maryland's population, Baltimore accounts for 62% of the homicides here. Of course, we cannot talk about the elephant in the room, so the solution is, of course, more "gun control"...

I don't know whether to cry or scream...:(
 
Your state may be just as good as it's always been but other states have gotten better.

Texas is pro gun but the liberal run big cities are challenging the rest of the state.The previous administration in DC did everything in it's power to turn Texas blue.

I wouldn't be surprised if Texas slips a few notches in the coming years as demographics and voter preferences keep changing.

Move to Texas and bring your firearms.
 
Texas is on my list of potential relocation states. Actually, it's #1, not just for the ever increasingly good gun laws, but for other quality of life things as well.

I don't think that Texas will turn blue, despite the big cities. From what I've seen, a lot of the people moving to Texas are moving to Texas to escape the culture where they are now.



StakeOut said:
Your state may be just as good as it's always been but other states have gotten better.

Texas is pro gun but the liberal run big cities are challenging the rest of the state.The previous administration in DC did everything in it's power to turn Texas blue.

I wouldn't be surprised if Texas slips a few notches in the coming years as demographics and voter preferences keep changing.

Move to Texas and bring your firearms.
Click to expand...
 
GaryS said:
Texas is on my list of potential relocation states. Actually, it's #1, not just for the ever increasingly good gun laws, but for other quality of life things as well.

I don't think that Texas will turn blue, despite the big cities. From what I've seen, a lot of the people moving to Texas are moving to Texas to escape the culture where they are now.
Click to expand...

I hope you're right!
 
Montana...fifth from the top...That's good enough.

Part of the reason I moved from New Jersey back in 1979. I starved for a few years, but do not regret the move.
 
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