(courtesy tracetheguns.com)

I moved to Texas to escape Rhode Island’s anti-gun (and anti-freedom) culture. The Ocean State’s gun laws aren’t that bad – in comparison to neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut. And New Jersey. And New York. Not to mention Maryland. I’m under no illusions about The Lone Star state’s gun laws. Rhode Island, for example, “allows” open carry. Texas does not. Yet. Arizona is a Constitutional Carry state. Texas is not. But Texas is getting better while the aforementioned “slave states” are not. Where do you live and what’s it like for gun rights there? Are things getting better or worse? Oh, and click on the above map of Texas from tracetheguns.com (a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayors Against Illegal Guns) to see how the gun grabbers rate your state.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

158 COMMENTS

    • The map is totally misleading (surprise!) if not inaccurate. It shows Texas not having a *State* law against straw purchases. If that’s true then the law is a Federal one and any local cop will bust you for it, so moot point.

      So on the surface they make Texas look completely lawless, but why have a state law when a federal one already exists?

  3. Damnit we need some TTAG infographics!

    What dastardly thing is MAIG up to today 🙂 Same crap time, same crap channel.

    • Yep. Can you say handgun roster? The Sig Sauer buy a 1911 .45 and get a 1911 .22LR free was a great example of the lunacy/lack of any rational thought behind it. According to the local guns store only one of the six models was on the roster. Same design only minor variations in cosmetics and barrel length.

      I’m so happy that Ruger and S&W decided to bail and am hoping all the other manufacturers do the same and then refuse to sell their handguns to LEOs or state agencies. Do the ‘we’ll only sell to the police/govt those weapons available to the general public thing!!!

  5. Good, with a few possible changes in the next few months that would make it one of the best in the union.

      • Hey, the question is simply to rate, not reveal. Although I do go on about a certain state gun rights group enough that it’s pretty obvious.

    • I’m in the same position. Our laws in my state are pretty darn good but by this time this May or June things could be pretty eff’in awesome.

  6. Illinois not that great but better than some. Arrow is pointed up a little bit. If only we could make cook county split off from the rest of the state…..

    • If you have to live in a anti gun state, IL is the one to be in. Once you have a FOID, the only thing you have to worry about is waiting periods. (24 for long guns, 72 for handguns) Sure, if you live in Cook County, things are fairly bad (One feature test AWB, $25 handgun tax, mag limits). Of course, if you want CCW, it's going to be about $500 once everything is said and done. Of course, that money isn't including the value lost by having to spend a whole weekend attending training.

  7. Just saw that Wendy Davis is for open carry in Texas… I’d say Texas has a 50/50 chance for open carry in 2015 when the Legislature reconvenes…

    • …until she’s actually elected.

      you’re talking about a person who dumped her husband – who was paying her student loans – as soon as he made the last payment on them.

    • Greg Abbot has more 2nd creds than Wendy Davis. Abbot has supported texas gun rights.
      Wendy has been advised by her handlers to get on board for the open carry issue to get more votes, don’t trust a demorat with your gun rights.

      • Don’t trust a gold digging, lying, trifling democrat with your gun rights.

        She is the very embodiment of the term “it’s not what you know its who you blow”, and she is trying to blow every gun owner in the state of Texas.

  8. Given this is funded/backed by MAIG, I give it absolutely no credence, and will not give them the benefit of my clicks.

    • I would give it credence, as far as I can tell it’s just about exactly backwards from what it should be. If they don’t like a state that means it doesn’t have (as many of) the draconian gun laws they like.

  9. I rather like Tennessee. I would like a 4473 exemption for having a permit. But in light of 41p it’s nice to have a CLEO must sign law.

  10. Colorado is still not too bad–there are no bans on weapon types, like in many pestholes, but It’s shall issue with pre-emption so even fricking Denver can’t touch you as long as you conceal. Open carry is legal everywhere but the actual City and Cesspit of Denver.

    The bad news is, we seem to be moving in the wrong direction. We are saddled with a ban on transfer of magazines over 15 rounds, and a requirement to get background checked on private sales (since the fee that is allowed to be charged for this is so low, private transfers are borderline illegal now, unless you can find someone willing to lose money to do the check). The good news is, there could well be a backlash that will undo the damage we suffered last year.

    • Unfortunately, the repeal failed in the committee. I’m waiting for the shift in the state congress and the governor’s mansion. But with all the libs moving in, I’m not holding my breath.

      • I never doubted it would go down in committee on a party line vote. There was no way the “leadership” would let it go to a potentially embarrassing floor vote where the poor things on the D side of the aisle would have to show their position to their constituents in an election year.

        Unless there’s a shift in the majority of both houses plus a Hick loses, I think it’s unlikely we’ll see these overturned. It could happen-but we’d also need to see the traditional Republican circular firing squad cease.

  12. In RI it feels like we are fighting just to keep what we have (like a lot of states). My wishlist includes regaining some lost rights like being able to purchase suppressors and SBRs. You would think in such a small densely populated state that suppressors would be a no-brainer.

    • Here in RI we go through the same cycle during each legislative session. A barrage of hysterical, rights-stripping bills are submitted by the ivory tower dough hooks from The East Side. We organize and beat them back. It’s exhausting and infuriating each time. Last spring, after some high drama, we managed to preserve the status quo. We still have standard mags here. We are fortunate to have some heroic defenders in the General Assembly, first among whom are Mike Chippendale and Doreen Costa.

  13. Maryland. It can’t get much worse. The two new candidates for Governor at a conference this week stated they want finger printed Firearm Owners I.D. Cards for long guns now since the Columbia Mall Shooting.

    • Not that an actual logical connection is required for most of these people, but how does that mall shooting lead one to believe that the state needs finger-printed id cards? Do they even bother to provide some kind of reasoning?

      • Gun owners are criminals so we need to treat them as such?

        Actually, the HQL fingerprinting reasoning given was “to intimidate would-be straw buyers.” I’m pretty sure that is a metric we can’t track.

  15. Virginia is good, permitless open carry(with weird “assault weapon” in liberal towns) exemption, shall issue concealed carry, . Unfortunately, in the most recent state elections we now have a Democratic Governor, LT Gov, AG, and Senate, so I’m not anticipating it being awesome for much longer. Beretta canned moving operations here after our election.

  16. In Ohio, the only really dumb gun law is the greater than 30 rounds per mag ban they have here. Other than that, no waiting periods, registrations, monthly limits, NFA limits, nothing. OC is allowed though would be weird, and CCW is shall issue and not hard to get.

    • You do have weird laws about OPEN carry in a vehcile without a CONCEALED weapons permit (or whatever it’s named there).

      • Yeah, Michigan does that too. I don’t like it, but it doesn’t take much of a stretch to see why inside a vehicle is concealed. At least it’s inside something that’s blocking it from view.

        The really weird part is that it also applies to motor cycles and riding lawnmowers….

    • Yeah, everything else is alright. You can still get your 40rd mags, 75rd drums, etc. You just can’t load them above 30rds. I have yet to see someone get caught for that.

  17. Who cares how many guns are “exported.” California exports pot and fentanyl laced heroin.

    What is really sad is that while I’d rate Maryland really bad, there are actually worse states, like NJ and NY.

  20. Florida: No right to bear arms, just a privilege to carry concealed only. Waiting periods for handguns if you don’t have a concealed carry permit. Other than that elephant in the room of the so called “gunshine state”, pretty good. We need carry in schools and “bar areas”.

    • Florida Carry has a case to make FL a constitutional carry state heading to the FL supremes right now.

    • I’ve said quite often and I’ll say again that among the non-Constitutional Carry states, Florida has about the best all-around gun laws that I’ve seen anywhere.

      State level preemption, with teeth for those that try to flout it, is really nice. As has been pointed out, we need campus carry. Open carry would be a nice option.

      I don’t particularly care about carry in bars or “bar areas,” because I’d rather have the “bar area” restriction and be able to drink if I choose than be able to carry in a bar but not drink anywhere, or have silly rules like Virginia (otherwise a very gun-friendly state) where you can drink while carrying openly but not concealed.

      Also, I’d like to see a law that says CLEOs have to sign if the person is not otherwise prohibited, because about 4/5 of the CLEOs in the state won’t sign at the moment.

      All in all, Florida is about as good as it gets short of no restrictions at all.

        • Living in WA has been pretty good for me these past 30 years. No SBRs, but we’ve got cans and shall-issue concealed pistol licensing. I’d give us a ‘B’.

      • FL always was blue. There are 500,000 more registered Dems than there are Republicans. The reason that the Democrats can’t capitalize on their numbers is that FL is a fairly conservative state. The Cuban community is socially conservative and, away from the coast, FL is still a deep South state.

  21. Here in Arizona I forgot what its like to have gun laws that are overly intrusive, really. Though I was a little miffed about the whole SBR thing when I ran into that.

  22. In the Soviet of Hawai’i, gun owners are ranked just below pedophiles. A few years ago they raised the age of consent all the way up to 16; the felony for violating this law is one class below being caught with a single .22 cartridge in your pocket, never mind an actual firearm.

    If you shoot an intruder in your home you are automatically arrested and charged with murder, In a Code Napoleon type of legal thinking, you must prove that the intruder was there to harm you… not just steal your stuff.

    The state is listed as “may issue”. The reality is that it’s a “no way in hell” state.

    The law says that you can only transport a gun to a gunsmith, a range or to go hunting. Since the public was kicked out of the only range on the island two years ago and I don’t hunt. I’m screwed… as was the intent.

  24. What’s wrong with this picture? EASY:

    It shows states “exporting crime guns” in the dozens or hundreds — AS IF THAT IS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.

    It is not – what they do not want to admit is that there are MILLIONS of contraband firearms in NYC (1994 DOJ ~2M) and many probably come from outside the US along with drug importation (no good data available).

    If ammo becomes contraband in most (or all) states — we will have he biggest crime-boosting black market since JAN 1920.

    CURRENTLY things are great for gun owners in VT. We inherited a great constitution from the republic of VT [1777-1791] YES VT was an independent republic too! (longer than TX, I think)

    BTW: all those PHO-NEE stats that say that minimal gun law states (deep south) have high gun homicides; ignore Northern NE — with similarly “lax” gun laws — are the safest places in the US — VT has lowest gun murder rate, high gun ownership.

      • …and it wasn’t inhospitable for 5 months of the year! I won’t miss the weather when I move this year, but I will miss the gun laws (or lack thereof).

      • At least they’ve started to figure out that a state needs more than burger flippers and maids and are trying to get more solid jobs here. Now we just have to worry about burlington turning us into mini new york

  25. Texas doesn’t even need to have any of those laws.

    Federal law already stipulates the criminal penalties for “buying for the other guy” (uh, Abramski, anyone?). Federal law already stipulates the criminal penalties for lying on a 4473 (which don’t apply to felons BTW via Haynes v. U.S.). Federal law already stipulates the criminal penalties (for dealers) that sell their wares without a NICS background check. Federal law already stipulates the criminal penalties for purchase, trade, possession, sale, and transport of a gun by those with misdemeanor convictions of domestic abuse. Federal law already stipulates when, how, and why the BATFE can (and does) inspect FFLs.

    Fuck these ignorant assholes and their vehement refusal to grow beyond their naivety.

    • They’re not ignorant. They know quite well that these laws they champion are either already federal law or are total BS that won’t affect criminal behavior. They knew that when they put this infographic together. They’re counting on the general ignorance of gun laws among the public to drum up support for their failing crusade. Same reason they keep on crusading for background checks – which we have. They never say “expanded” or “stricter” background checks, even though that’s what they actually want. They’re counting on the average low-information citizen not knowing that a background check is already required for the vast majority of gun sales.

      It’s not ignorance, it’s willful dishonesty in pursuit of a goal.

  26. Forgot to mention. Our local constabulary bought 2 FN “sniper” rifles last year (local rag’s verbiage not mine)… to “save lives during hostage situations”. …Of which there have been none.

    On the other hand, they bought them just after a bill calling for the confiscation of most firearms hit the state senate. Some times 2+2 = 4… some times it equals .308

  29. I moved from Massachusetts to Arizona in 1995. What a wonderful difference! Now I can appreciate how my grandparents felt when they moved from Russia to America in the early 1900s. Sure, we have the University aholes in Tucson who break out in a rash if you even mention the word “gun,” but all in all, we’re in good shape.

    • Peter,

      Are you still writing? I miss your articles in The Blue Press, etc.. I am also working my way out of the People’s Republic, but “the boss” said “no” to AZ. 8~( So maybe NH or NC.

  30. Probably not the most reliable source, they’ve got Iowa down as a may issue state.

    • They got NH wrong on concealed carry. NH is a “Shall Issue” state. That means that we have only one good (bad?) law.

    • I guess in answer to the QOTD; Iowa

      The Good:
      – Shall Issue – only an easy on line course is required, carry open or concealed, no duty to observe ‘no firearms’ signs (except for schools of course), bar carry legal and drinking also allowed as long as your BAC% is below .08. All 50 states CCWs recognized. No 8 hour classes, no proficiency tests, and you can carry any weapon that’s legal to possess in the state.
      – No magazine capacity limits.
      – The entire Iowa code for firearms laws is 15 pages and can be viewed on line at the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s website.

      The Bad:
      – No NFA or Class III weapons.
      – Permit to purchase (or CCW) required for handguns (3 day wait).
      – No constitutional carry.
      – No stand your ground.

      Personally I don’t have any desire for an SBR or suppressor so I’ll gladly take what we’ve got. I read every firearms law on the books in less than an hour, and the CCW process is about as easy as you can get without constitutional carry. Way better than Texas IMHO.

    • They’ve also got Utah down as a may-issue state. Although maybe they consider Utah’s training requirement to be “law enforcement discretion”…which it’s not.

      I think they’re just making most of this crap up.

  31. California. It sucks but hey, I get to pick up my third Ruger from the dealer on Sunday!
    It’s not easy being a gun owner here but we find a way.

      • It always puts a smile on my face when I take a short trip down the cannonball run (222) and see the Amish with their AKs. Also The LGS in New Holland always has some nice guns. There are a little expensive, but they usually have what I want.

  32. At least three of the state-level laws on MAIG’s comparison make no sense, given that they’re already federal law: the first two have to do with lying on a 4473, and the last one is about FFL inspections.

    So those ones are actively nonsensical, as opposed to just MAIG’s usual ‘wrong’.

    • A further note—it’s indicative of their extremism that MAIG’s list of ten Reasonable, Common-Sense ™ Gun Laws averages about three or four if you look at the country as a whole.

  33. According to the graphic, 38 (smaller) states have a higher rate of crime gun exports. I suspect that crime guns follow the criminal who moves around and doesn’t actually indicate “gun trafficking”.

  34. Considering we have People’s Republiks bordering us to the north, south and east we are “lucky” here in PA. Not only are we the only state (a Commonwealth, actually) to be referred to by its initials, CCW licenses are accessible and there are no magazine capacity/feature restrictions on Modern Sporting Rifles. NFA firearms can also be owned by citizens. (PA does not allow semi-autos for big game hunting-no problem as far as I’m concerned.)

    • agreed, the fact we have a heritage of hunters and actually have people with “common sense” any gun control bill is quickly opposed and in force. we have a fairly safe state without “gasp” many restrictive laws

    • Dear Maryland,
      Please take Philadelphia so that we can be a Gold Star state. Thanks!
      Love,
      PA (You’ve got a friend in)

  35. Good. Better than most. Of course, if I venture south beyond NH, I’m screwed. NY, Mass and Connecticut await. Better to veer off into Vermont.

  36. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give PA a 7 or 8. Things are pretty good here. Handguns have to be transferred at an FFL but otherwise? Open carry is legal, a ccw is shall issue and cheap, no mag cap limits and lots of public land to shoot on.

  37. Missouri: Shall issue CCW, no AWB, no mag limits, no waiting period. You need to be 18 to buy long guns or 21 for handguns, but only from an FFL. Private transfers are not regulated. I think you need to be 18 to possess either type. The only thing we can’t do is open carry long guns.

  38. North Carolina isn’t too terrible, either.

    Still got that absolutely fucking retarded pistol purchase “permit” business (which I unfortunately just had to go through) to deal with. Not to mention the de-facto ban on NFA items what with only a grand total of three (3) out of over one-fucking-HUNDRED jurisdictions that will EVER sign off on Form 4s for ANY reason whatsoever.

    On the plus side, we now have restaurant (and bar) carry. Castle Doctrine was expanded to our POVs, places of work, and business. We can at least keep our sidearms in our cars on school campuses (much to the consternation of Duke University). Oh, and long-standing permit-less open-carry (which may or may not be frowned upon depending where you live anyway… Chapel Hill I’m looking at you), and “shall-issue” CCWs.

  39. Idaho:
    – Semi Constitutional Carry (outside incorporated city limits)
    – Open Carry
    – NFA Friendly
    – Enacted Firearms Freedom Law
    – Easy to get a CCW
    – CCW Waives NICS requirements
    – No waiting periods
    – No interference in private party sales
    – No Codified Caste Doctrine or Stand your ground, but our case law supports it.
    – There is some legislative interest in codifying the above and making the state fully constitutional carry.
    – There is strong gun culture (at least outside of Boise) in most of the state. Almost everyone I talk to owns guns, has a ccw, and/or hunts.

    So overall 9/10. The only state that rivals us is AZ , IMHO, and I would not want to live there (We have more beautiful land, and more of it.)

    • Also minus a point if you live in Multnomah county, but besides that:
      -NFA friendly
      -Open Carry is legal without a permit
      -CHLs are shall issue
      -No restrictions on carrying in places that serve alcohol
      -Can carry in schools with a permit
      -automatic knives and balisongs are legal to carry

      Downsides:
      -No reciprocity
      -Background checks are done through OSP, cost 10 dollars and if you get delayed then OSP drags ass and you might not hear back from them for a few months.
      -CHL applies to handguns only

      Unfortunately there’s a universal backround check bill in the works right now, hopefully it plays out like it did last year.

  41. Colorado…I would have given us a 9 until last year…now we’re a 5 at best. Never thought I’d see a ban on the transfer and sale of normal capacity magazines in the Centennial State, but the Democrats took over all branches of government here…with predictable results.

  42. I rest easy, for I am in Utah. Other than the cold and smog, it’s pretty damn good here in the land o Zion. And props to guys like Mike Lee who have continually demonstrated they’re not just talk when it comes to gun laws.

  44. Only a couple of things to improve in KS. First, IMHO it costs too much $$ (~$250) and takes too long (90 days) to get a concealed carry license, although if you have to take a class, and if they have to do a background check, that probably only covers expenses.

    And while I can carry at my place of employment if I should so choose (gun free zone state university) without much more than a parking ticket fine, I would most certainly be terminated from my position for having it should I ever need to use it to save lives. We’re all just sitting ducks on campus.

    On the other hand, I can walk into my FFL, buy whatever handgun they have that I like, and walk out with it strapped to my hip within 10 minutes. I have to remind myself that in some states that would be impossible.

    Unfortunately, we gave the country Kathleen Sebelius, and although we were thrilled to see her go, the rest of you didn’t deserve that witch, and she’s doing way more damage where she’s at. Sorry.

  45. NC is not as bad as some: Shall issue and restaurant carry are some good points.

    On the bad side, those little “No Guns In Here” signs DO carry force of law here, and there’s no format they to which they have to adhere. So, carry where a sign is up, and it’s not just trespassing.

    • Were actually rather good here. Shall issue CHP, restaurant/movie theater/parade/funeral carry, full blown open carry with no restrictions whatsoever. Statewide pre emption, right to bear arms in state constitution.

      Of course we have our bits of stupid too…pistol purchase permits and gunbuster signs carrying force of law.

      I like it here, but im interviewing for two jobs in AZ in a couple weeks because I still want better.

  47. I didn’t want to read all the stuff so to see how that pile of compost site was rating exactly what was good/bad for 2A for WA was I just compared the results of the green and red on the right to CA, NY, CT, MD etc. and I decided that WA is doing alright.

  48. Any state that does not follow the US Constitution is guilty of oppressing it’s citizen’s/slave’s God Given Rights
    No law ever passed prevented a crime from being commited

  49. First, their information on my state is wrong.

    Second, looking at their own stats for other states demonstrates how little sense their criteria make.
    For instance, Hawaii is a net exporter of “crime guns” just like Texas is even though Hawaii has 9 out of ten of their little green check marks for gun restrictions. So what would passing those laws in Texas accomplish if criminals are still “importing” weapons from Hawaii, a state with relatively restrictive laws that can only be accessed by air or water?

  50. Maryland – bought a pistol last September and my background check still hasn’t cleared; gun is at the gun shop and cant bring it home even though i have purchased two the in last two years. Meanwhile a kid bought a shotgun and 60 some days later managed to kill two people. This is the last time a make a legal gun purchase.

  51. Arizona is good for now, but I have my doubts it will stay that way into the future. Five out of nine US House reps from the State are now Democrats, which suggests that the State is turning purple and will eventually probably become blue. A Democratic State can still be fairly pro-gun, but only if the gun ownership rate is high, which it actually doesn’t seem to be here (I’ve seen a 30 percent figure, which is OK, but not great). I don’t know if Western States, CA aside, will ever become quite like NJ or MA, but they can certainly get a lot worse than they are now.

  52. I’m worried about the net importers, not the exporters. Draconian civil rights restrictions plus a plethora of armed criminals = a place that has serious problems.

  53. I’m sure most here know the following website, the site maintainer tries to keep on top of daily changes in any aspect of gun laws in each state, and is even better and more up to date than some states’ own official firearms laws’ websites. For instance, a few weeks ago just a few hours after Washington began to recognize reciprocity with Idaho’s Enhanced CCL, it was changed.

    http://www.handgunlaw.us/

  54. What a joke. There are no gun rights in these 50 states. They have been infringed. Period.

    If one conforms sufficiently, jumps through the necessary hoops, then pays the required extortion fees, maybe one will be extended “gun privileges.” Subject to revocation, of course, at any time.

  55. Their chart has at least 1 mistake:

    Minnesota – they list as law enforcement having discretion for carry permits –
    That is incorrect, we’ve been Shall Issue since 2003.

    • We’re only ‘shall issue’ as long as we pass the background check, which- in my neck of the woods- is performed by the county sheriff. He has denied permits to many, even when local PDs have found no reason for denial. Of course, we do have the right of appeal, which no one I know who’s been rejected has ever won.

  56. Massachusetts, so, essentially, F-.

    The restrictions that a gun owner eventually end ups operating under would be bad enough on their own, but what adds that special layer of suck is the sheer complexity of the zillion different Byzantine laws that eventually boil down to those restrictions.

    Imagine a voting scheme where there were multiple different types of voter registration depending on what elections you wanted to vote in and what parties you wanted to be able to cast a vote for. Violate those laws, even accidentally? Lose your right to vote permanently. And if, through sheer stubborn persistence, you insist on registering to vote anyway, you still won’t get to vote for anyone running for national office.

    That’s Massachusetts’ gun laws. Restrict any other civil right in this way and the ACLU would scream that the state was trying to discourage people from exercising that right. And you know what? They’d be absolutely right in this case, too.

  57. New Hampshire is alright. Shangri-La compared to where I moved here from. Would have preferred VT but VT has some goofy silencer law. I expect things to get bad pretty quickly as Massholes flee the state they ruined to come ruin this one. I have my sights on Idaho, Montana and Wyoming currently should the need arise. I know there are plenty of Southern options but I just cannot stand the heat.

    I love that the “top supplier of guns recovered at crime scenes” for NH come from MA. So it must be the availability of guns that’s the problem, right?

  58. MA is divided on guns. Permits are granted by local LEOs, and some of them are very supportive. The others are a bunch of fascists.

    Statewide, there is a two-feature AWB and a 10-round limit on post-AWB mags. “Pre-ban” mags are legal and can be loaded up the kazoo. There are few rules about where I can’t carry (schools and courthouses), and I legally carry in government buildings, bars and restaurants. There’s no SYG, and there’s a weak Castle Doctrine.

    Boston has its own rules, and getting a full carry permit is almost impossible. When I visit Boston via train (carry on the T is legal), I’m better armed than the people who live in Beantown. Which truly tickles my fancy since I’m a lifelong Yankees fan.

  59. CT and terrible in general BUT we do have a few nice things for people who carry (although some of the gray areas they create I would prefer to see cleared up in a way friendly to gun/gun owner/carrier way).

    1 – Carrying a firearm loaded up to .1% BAC is perfectly legal! I can be too drunk to drive but not too drunk to carry. After .1% BAC I can’t carry a loaded gun (good luck trying to find a definition of loaded though).

    2 – There is no burden on me to ask a home owner, business owner/manager, or property owner/manager if it is OK for me to carry on their property even if I suspect they may not be ok with it. I’d like to see it legally required by law to be posted unambiguously on places of business, private property is well, a private matter.

    3 – Open carry of long guns and handguns is allowed. We even recently had it clarified in a DESPP memo that it is not creating a public disturbance, etc etc when someone is open carrying.

    4 – Pre 1994 firearms have managed to elude additional regulation.

    5 – Carrying is not banned by state law pretty much everywhere most people go, i.e bars, restaurants, sporting arenas, movie theaters, etc etc. These places can take it upon themselves to ban it or local ordnance may ban it.

    Now for the bad… absolutely everything else to include but not limited to AWB 1.0, PA 13-3, registration, the permitting process, our scattered firearms/use of force laws (they are spread between 5 or more different sections of the General Statutes making it very difficult to do thorough research), our laws lacking definitions, the DESPP refusing to take responsibility in any advice they give or help in compiling any list of laws that can be considered legally binding, so and and so forth.

  60. Open carry but under the threat of being charged with terrorizing the public if one of the public wants to file charges. Concealed carry almost anywhere now including bars. Muddy law concerning what constitutes concealed carry. Muddy law concerning concealed and open carry in a vehicle. Concealed carry laws only allow concealing a handgun. A long gun in a soft or hard case could be considered illegal concealment. Like I said muddy, very muddy wording but we’ve come a long way in the last 20 years with the majority of all guns laws past being pro gun.

  61. I’d like to point out the 27% time to crime figure. They are deliberately trying to make it seem as though over one in four guns in texas have been used in a crime. But the number is actually a percentage of the guns used in crimes which had a ‘short’ time to crime. Kinda like when 98% of the guns found at mexican crime scenes which could be traced to america were…traced to america.

  62. Behind the barbed wire fence, and guard towers I can smell it. Freedom that is.
    It is right over there, across the state line in Nevada, or Arizona.
    We dream about having the issues like in Texas, or Colorado. For us it would be major progress to be that free. We can dream can’t we? Maybe one day..

  63. Wa State. Legal open carry. CPL (concealed pistol license) easy to get. Paid my $55 and had my fingerprints taken and got it in the mail a week later. 7 day waiting period on handguns without a conceal permit. shorter times depending on your background. No waiting period for long guns. Background checks on all guns.

    Only time will tell how much worse it’s going to get because even though it’s not the state capital, whatever Seattle wants, Seattle eventually gets and the rest of the state gets screwed.

  65. The link doesn’t work for me. If it did there would be a picture of a grabber crying. Wisconsin has open carry, concealed carry, Castle Doctrine, an Attorney General that is not in bed with POS criminals & a strong right to defend constitution, in short, a liberal nightmare. The one problem is that every a$$wipe with a cause has put up a no guns sign, sometimes they are hard to see though, Randy

  67. B- ,we have it way better than a lot of states but I’m not grading on a curve and less infringement than my neighbors does not equal not infringed.

  68. Hah! We don’t measure gun rights here. We measure gun privilege.

    And there we rank very high. I for one am grateful our statist overlords allow me to own a pellet gun.

    Sincerely,

    NY Subject

    P.S. S.O.S. PLEASE SEND HELP. NEED RELIEF.

  69. Maine is shall-issue so not sure why it shows as giving law enforcement discretion on concealed carry. Aside from that, go Maine!

  70. NC is moderately ok, swinging a little more to our side.

    Still a bit of legal schitzophrenia (sp?) here with legal open carry and “going armed to the terror of the public” being against the law. Further, I believe that my local sheriff has stated that he would not sign off on a citizen’s purchase of a silencer.

  71. I live in WA and I give it an A. Open carry, shall issue, NSF allowed, no real records kept on long gun purchases. 30 days from ap to ccw permit. All we need now is constitutional carry and we are an A+.

    • No SBRs, no full-auto, and we have to have a permit to carry concealed. An “A” is too generous. I agree that it’s good, but I’d give it more like a “B.”

  72. While I’m on the fence about open carry in Florida due to the political controversies associated with it, I think the concealed carry permit requirements here are too lax in that instructors don’t seem to be required to teach you much about concealed carrying before you are certified to get the permit. The class I took was just a basic safety course and then a trip to the firing range with a Glock to shoot paper a 10 feet. I’m somewhat on board with Illinois making it a crime to not teach the assigned hours needed for a permit there (though I am aware that to many there are controversies with the length of time and costs with the program) because now I feel I need to take a whole new course just to know how to handle concealed carry and to learn about the laws and such associated with it.

    • I feel I need to take a whole new course just to know how to handle concealed carry and to learn about the laws and such associated with it.

      Well, that’s a good thing. Training is beneficial. But just because you “feel” you need to take more training doesn’t mean that everyone “feels” the same way.

      Personally, I’ve had enough of people’s solipsism to last me a hundred lifetimes.

    • Red, it’d seem that anyone who intends to carry would step up to the plate and get the training they need rather than blame the instructor for not teaching more. A basic course is all it should be- enough to get you started. After that it’s up to you to do your own work. If you need someone to hold your hand, then you shouldn’t be carrying any where.

  75. This is really a silly way to compare states. To begin with, the 10 laws vary greatly in impact. E.G. Laws against providing false information are more reasonable than universal background checks. Furthermore, some of these are not unreasonable, e.g. aforementioned providing false information or acting as a straw buyer.

  76. WI, AAA+…have been an open carry state since the “big bang”, and concealed carry for a hair over 2yrs…when lawmakers wrote the CC law for WI, they also wrote in protections for OC as well…the law is very well written, and should be an example for other states to follow…

  77. Ky gun laws are pretty awesome especially compared to the slave states.
    We have a state constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
    State preemption. It is illegal for anyone to disarm Ky citizens during a time of emergency.
    Shall issue.
    Open carry is a-ok for everybody.
    Nfa items are cool. Knob creek.
    No waiting periods.
    No licensing or registration bs.
    Where Ky could improve would be constitutional carry and nullify nfa gca and gopa.

  79. Chiming in with my .02, I’ve got to admit that I don’t like my state’s carry laws, though we’re no where near as bad as NY, NJ, Ill, CA, or a dozen others we could all mention.
    Still, a permit is required to buy a handgun or any rifle that can shoot handgun ammo (which blew me away when I tried buying a 7.62×39 rifle and was required to show my carry permit!). I discussed- without arguing- the issue and my Friendly Dealer showed me his ATF law book, page and paragraph. He was right and I had to show my permit and get it registered along with the rifle. (This was quite a few years ago, so may not be in effect now so far as I know. One of my nephews bought a 7.62- different store- and had no problems or permit, so take it for what it’s worth.)
    We are a ‘shall issue’ state for carry permits, and can carry open or concealed since it is a ‘carry permit’, not a CCW. To get the permit, we’re required to take an eight hour text book course, show proficiency with a handgun, usually a .22 for simplicity and ease of purchasing ammo. The course must be passed to get the two certificates, which are then taken to the local county mounty with a $100 bill- no checks, who does a background check and has the option of approving or denying the permit within 30 days or it’s automatically approved. It doesn’t take much to be denied.
    In short, the whole carry thing is a money laundering scheme run by the state and county. Suffice to say, the whole thing irks the hell out of me, but I’m one of those who jumps through the hoops to carry so actually negate my 2A rights by default. I hope Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, et al, can forgive me.

  80. i give my state (ca) a 1/10. i would rather live here than in ny, ct, or a few others. very few others though.

  81. It’s wrong about Indiana. We’re a Shall-Issue state, no “May Issue” LEO discretion bollocks.

  82. Massachusetts gun laws are awesome!! No, really, honestly, they are.We set the standard by which all other states should be measured. Irrational, arbitrary and capricious doesn’t even begin to explain the situation here in the (former) Cradle of Liberty. And you ain’t seen nothing yet. The legislature is dead set on making them “even better”, for the children.

    Why do I still live here? Who the Hell knows.’Tis a puzzle.

  83. As an Arizonan I rate Texas just slightly better than California. I mean, you guys can’t even legally carry a gun openly.

    AZ has a perfect zero (0) score from the Brady Bunch. With a bit more work we can put that into negative numbers by the end of the legislative session.

    • Arizona has no (university) campus carry, the no guns signs have the force of law, and to get a meal at a restaurant that servers alcohol you still need a carry permit despite its being a “Constitutional carry” State. The nonsense never ends anywhere.

      • AZ does not have “campus carry” but on the other hand carrying on a university campus is NOT illegal, and the signs on the buildings do not carry force of law.

  86. Good job. Display a graphic for my home state, that touts false information about the laws (common liberal agenda shit) and then attempt to get viewers to read more propaganda from the group that should be truthfully named “Mayors Against Freedom”. Nice.

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