Gun Laws In Your State

Why are gun laws different in each state?

Gun laws are different in each state because laws of all kinds are different throughout our country from state to state. Gun laws are no exception.

Which state has the strictest gun laws?

There are several that can vie for the title of worst gun control state. Perhaps it would be Massachusetts where you have to have a permit to even buy a gun, where they will put you in jail for a year if you have a gun without their permission, but that is very similar to New York city. And of course Washington D.C. where they have had a total gun ban since 1976, for practical purposes. You may not have a hand gun and if you have a rifle or a shot gun, it cannot be semi-automatic, and it must be kept in a safe, without ammunition, and unable to fire.

Which state has the most lenient gun laws?

The most lenient gun states are Vermont, Montana, Alaska and several states throughout the rest of the country are nearly as lenient. And they're lenient because they have found that trusting people to protect themselves works a whole lot better than not trusting people to protect themselves.

Why can you conceal and carry guns in some states and not in others?

It's hard to get politicians generally to understand that citizens carrying guns is a good idea. It's been a state by state battle, and at this point there are four states left that totally prohibit concealed carry of firearms. There are a number of other states, maybe a dozen give or take, that have a conceal-carry law on the books, but we dare you to get one. So there's about thirty-five to thirty-seven states where the authorities, once you have shown; proven your innocence if you will, that you're not a criminal. They will grudgingly, maybe sometimes not so grudging give you the permit and you can carry that firearm.

Can carrying guns increase the chance of shootings?

Carrying guns has been shown to actually be a very safe thing for the population. It's a relatively small percentage of people that will be carrying firearm at any one time and I don't think there is a state in the country that has more than 10% of the adults that have a concealed carry permit.That might be North and South Dakota and typically less than that might be carrying at any one time. And these were also the states where crime is typically lower. And of course, accidental gun crimes, gun accidents are not a problem among that population for sure.