Hi! My current state and the state I’m getting to move to aren’t on the list. The biggest problem is travel. We often travel through states or visit states that have restrictive gun laws or that don’t have concealed carry reciprocity. It sucks because you’re faced with choosing between breaking a law or protecting yourself. We shouldn’t be put in that position in the first place!

It would be interesting to know how gun crime varies between the best and the worst states. I bet the additional restrictions in the worst states do nothing at all to reduce gun crime. I’m in the UK so would go to jail for even touching a gun.

Kentucky allows open carry without a permit as well as carrying in your car in a manufacturer-installed container (like your glove box or center console). But close neighbor Indiana does not allow. There are still no 22s available at Wal-Mart, though. Big empty space all the time.

I’m glad you mentioned Illinois, home to the great gun-free paradise of Chicago.
Sigh…It’s dangerous times when a supposedly free person has to prove to their masters that they have the right to defend themselves.

We travel for a living with my husband’s job. I can agree that Texas is the friendliest state I’ve traveled in/through. For the gun owner and otherwise as well. Montana would be second in friendliness but I don’t know a lot about their current gun laws.
Our permanent residence is in one of the states not listed and it’s semi-friendly but there are always rules, rules, and more rules.
Love the information and the beautiful pictures as well. It makes me want to get out and play with my camera!

Please correct your information about Texas. While Texas is a decent state for gun owners(there are much better states) We CANNOT open carry a handgun without a license. We can however open carry a rifle(as mentioned) without a permit. Hope this helps some people avoid any problems with our law enforcement.

Many have conducted studies on the subject which supports the position that states with strict gun laws reduce crimes, in fact some of these state have the most highest rates of gun homicide due to the unpopular fact that criminals do not attain their guns legally in stores, case and point “Chicago, New York, New Jersey, California, D.C.”

Please look/review California for 2017 (it certainly has become a very, very anti-gun state). I was born here and at almost a seven decade life…I really need to get moved to another state for the remainder of my life.

I am surprised Alabama never makes the list of “gun friendly” states. We are a “shall issue” state that does not even require any training or qualification. The permits are usually issued within an hour of applying. Carrying a firearm in your car is even allowed without a permit. Any law enforcement officer who retired in good standing can obtain a free lifetime carry permit. There is no charge by LE for the required NCIC check when purchasing a firearm. And of course no registration is required for any firearm. We have the Castle doctrine as well as stand your ground laws. We may have had some unfortunate racial issues in the 60’s but Alabama today is more racially harmonious than any of the northern states…

New Hampshire is also a “shall issue” state. In fact, as of late February 2017, you don’t even need a license to carry a loaded, concealed firearm. Of course, this could change with a change in administration, but we’ve been a “shall issue” state as long as I can remember.

Arizona does require a permit and training: http://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03112.htm

NEW JERSEY should be in the top 5. Need gun license & 3 day wait on hand guns, which I am fine with. The bad. restrictive on caliber size, no more than 10 round clips, just about impossible for carry permit if not in law enforcement, very few gun stores / ranges. The few ranges charge high prices for memberships. Need firearms license even to LOOK at BB/pellet guns.

I use to live in western Nebraska who you would think would be a very gun friendly state but it’s not. If you try to carry open carry which is legal you can still get picked up and find under what they term as a nurceint violation. So you can get a concealed permit which is very extensive background check and finger printing. A couple of years ago I moved to Arizona and so glad that I live in a state that is truely the land of the free

Wow, interesting that one of the top states in the nation in regards to gun violence (Illinois) is also one with the most stringent gun laws??
I moved to Utah from California 5 years ago and our gun rights are much closer to the 2nd amendment here, in my opinion! I can walk into a gun store, purchase a handgun, and be shooting in the woods a half hour later! In Cali, yeah…waiting periods, background checks on top of other background checks, ammo/magazine restrictions, has to be locked and stored away from ammo during any transportation, the list goes and on and on!
I don’t have the actual numbers in front of me at this moment, but I have researched the subject extensively. When you take away “suicide by gun” and only count violent crimes involving firearms, Illinois/Chicago was in the top few states with the most gun violence. Interesting that they also topped the list for the most restrictive state in regards to gun laws…
Laws and restrictions only keep firearms out of the hands of law abiding citizens!