[roughneck2zero]

Hi, I read many peoples post about some really restrictive gun laws around the country. I've been to more foreign countries than I've been to other states, so I was wondering how gun related things are. I worked/lived in Manhattin for a breif time, so I know about NYC. Funny though it's the only time I've been shot at (in America) and I didn't have a gun. I live in GA and I'm learning we have it pretty good here. The BATF for NFA that processes Class-3 paperwork is here in Atlanta. I know guy that works there, and he told me that there are more Class-3 firearms here than any other state. (still can't get my transfers any sooner, damit).

Georgia recently expanded our CCW law to include more places we can carry. One of the more controversial points of the CCW expansion is that we can carry in any resturant, but anyone that has a pistol on 'em doesn't consume alcohol there. That's all fine and good. However there is a clause to the law stating that if a resturant posts a sign stating "no firearms" we're not supposed to carry in there. so the Assc. of Resturant Owners is distributing printed "BAN" signs to all resturants to place in their windows. In response to that, and in recognition to the new law, a pizza place here in Atlanta (actually a block from my house) did this. They recently had a "gun-in". Anyone with a proper CCW permit was welcome last Fri night to come in for a free slice of pizza if you had your favorite handgun on your side. Of course it made all the local news, but it was just a story. I didn't notice any negative spin.
They're a Greek family owned joint. I've been there before but they just became my favorite pizza place (beside they have freakin good pies).

 

[tacweapon]

I am in Virgina and the laws are pretty good, anyone over 18 can own and use a rifle, anyone over 18 that legally has a pistol can open carry. Most of the people in the area have at least 1 firearm, a lot of people still hunt every year. NFA / Class 3 are legal. Most people in the area believe that firearms are a nessacity. There are very few gun related crimes, but unfornatly as the population increases that number increases also, the area I live used to very rural but with the amount of people going to James Madison University and the jobs that it is bringing into the area and the new business coming to the area is making the population skyrocket. In general the Firearm laws in my area are very good.

 

[Phalanx]

We have absolutely no gun laws ,other than those of the Feds.
In NM , The Governor says it will stay that way.

 

[gunner69]

I live in ALABAMA and it's great! If a perp visits you in the wee hours of the morning..... woh be to him. We are a CARY state (EXCEPT where Booze is served) so the criminal NEVER knows for sure if you have a piece or not. The South and West seem to the best for gun owners in my opinion. :2cents:

 

[Phalanx]

Minus Colorado its pretty much pro gun all the way North to Canada.
Colorado used to be good but the Liberals took over the big Towns and messed them up.
Its that way in a lot of States i think ,the Cities end up setting the policy's but the rural areas are still pro gun minded.
Even then its not real bad anywhere from the Mississippi to California ,and through the Southern States if you go by the NRA ratings.
Even by them it always turns out to be the Cities, even in the Liberal NE.

 

[cleric-dragoon]

i think there good here in NC. i walk out my back door and shot as much as i can afford. i dont know details on the laws. its not hard to own a gun here, the hard part is buying and getting it shipped.....lol

 

[MrSmitty]

Well up here in Canada the gun laws suck. We are never allowed to carry sidearms except at a federal approved range. Magazines for semi auto rifles are limited to 5 rounds and pistols are limited to 10 rounds though rimfire have no limit. Anything with a barrel shorter than 4.25 inches in a pistol is prohibted and you can't buy em. Any semi auto rifle with a barrel less than 18.5 inches is restricted and you can only shoot it at a federal approved range. Alot of certain rifles are simply prohibeted like the FAL and AK and AUG and Thompson. If someone were to break into your home and you shot them you would be the one going to jail unless they had a gun too. Alot of rifles are restricted and can only be shot at a federal approved range like the AR15. Only new model semi auto rifles since 1996 provided they aren't deemed a variant of others aren't prohibited or restricted. Basically anything that looks like a black rifle is extremely neutered when it comes to what you can do with it. Alot of ammunition is restricted here, and is very expensive and difficult to get. It just plan sucks.

 

[1redgmc]

West Virginia is a shall issue state for CCW. You may also own NFA weapons (machine guns, silencers, SBR, SBS, etc). I own several NFA items myself.

We enjoy the freedom CCW provides, and the restricted areas (schools, post office, Federal buildings, etc.) are clearly defined. When WV first started issuing CCW permits a while back, people did not widely accept them. Even the local Lowe's store had a sign on every door that stated NO GUNS. People started to buy their building materials at other "gun friendly" places and Lowe's felt the pinch. A new manager arrived and the signs came down.

My former neighbor (an older gentleman) had numerous rental properties in the area. He would review the local paper, who publishes the names of those issued permits once per month, and this man would check the lists to see if potential tenants were on them. He would not rent to CCW holders. I tried to convince him that those were the people he WANTED to rent to, and that the people who DIDN'T obtain CCW's were quite possibly the less desirable. He was hard-headed, but kept a gun of his own for personal protection. Nice man, but a closet hypocrite... and typical of the narrow minded mentality a lot of people have.

I've had one personal incident where I had to draw a handgun to protect myself. It was at my home, late at night, and three guys were breaking into my vehicles. I'll save that story for another time, but I ended up holding one at gunpoint until the State Police arrived. The guy was found to be armed with a rather large knife. The troopers caught all three dudes, and actually thanked me for my "participation" which resulted in three arrests. Oh, I should note that the trooper taking my statement said - "That guy you caught was pretty upset about having a gun in his face. I just want you to know that when I arrived on the scene - I saw no gun..."

I simply nodded and understood what he meant...

YES, responsible gun owners are for the most part accepted and respected by law enforcement - at least in my area.

ANYWAY, here are some factual highlights about WV CCW:

States that Honor West Virginia's CCW Permit: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia

State CCW Permits that West Virginia Honors: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia

You have to complete an NRA certified course (I think the current requirements are for a two day course that includes trigger time). You then take the certificate of completion down to the county admin building for processing. You pay $75 for the application (non refundable) and upon approval by the Sheriff (they run a local and NICS check on you) - and then they call you to come in and pick up your permit. They charge another $30 fee to "register" you in the State Police computer and then issue you the permit (large card) and a reduced copy that is laminated for carry in your wallet. It is good for (5) years.

My daughter recently turned 21. We've never even discussed CCW - but within two weeks of her birthday, she stopped by and stated she wanted to obtain her CCW. I was elated (my ex, the anti-gunner, is spitting fire - so it's a WIN-WIN in my mind). So now my daughter is scheduled to take the next available CCW course and will join the ranks of Second Amendment supporters.

Back to WV laws...

Individuals who possess a valid concealed carry permit may carry a concealed handgun in a motor vehicle for purpose of self defense only. West Virginia permits anyone who can lawfully possess a handgun to carry an unconcealed handgun (you must possess a valid CCW). If you choose to carry an unconcealed handgun in your vehicle and are stopped by a law-enforcement officer, you must understand that that the weapon will immediately attract the attention of the police officer. The presence of the weapon may lead to action by the officer to ensure his or her safety such as the drawing of his or her weapon, ordering you from the vehicle, and/or performing a pat-down search. Weapons intended for hunting must be unloaded and in a case when transported in a vehicle. It is strongly recommended that, if you do not have a valid concealed carry permit, while traveling in a vehicle, that all firearms be unloaded and cased in a location in the vehicle that is not readily accessible to any of the occupants. Any ammunition should be stored in a separate location from the firearm

As of July 22, 2004, federal law permits any qualified current or retired law enforcement officer to carry a concealed firearm in any of the 50 states. Officers must carry identification issued from the agency from which they are employed or retired while possessing the firearm. Retired members from states other than West Virginia must carry proof that they have met their respective state’s standards for training and qualification on the firearm which they carry within one year of the date that they are carrying the firearm.

Overall, I'd say that WV is a great state to live in.

If you ever want to move away from Canada and their BS gun laws - we'll be happy to have you as a neighbor here!

 

[aziator]

Roughneck, Are you a member of www.georgiacarry.org ? They are the driving force behind all of the change in GA and worth the nominal fee to be a member. When i get back from iraq we should hook up and do some shooting.

 

[MrSmitty]

If you ever want to move away from Canada and their BS gun laws - we'll be happy to have you as a neighbor here!

Thank you for the invitation and someday hopefully but at the moment in my profession I can only make big dollars where I am at. Maybe in 10-15 years when I can afford to take a big pay cut or retire I can move to the US.

 

[roughneck2zero]

Aziator: I'm not a member, but I'll prob join now. I see those guys at the gun shows & always give em a donation too. And yeah, we'll hook up. Just get back safely first. I'm in Kennesaw, ya know, that city that has an ordinance requiring that if you live within the city limits YOU HAVE TO OWN A GUN.

1RedGMC: I notice that GA isn't own your two CCW list. Is that because it's so easy to get a permit here?

 

[1redgmc]

1RedGMC: I notice that GA isn't own your two CCW list. Is that because it's so easy to get a permit here?

No sir, the list of states is only those that honor WV's CCW - and those states that WV recognizes...

Those are the reciprocity states that I listed... but it appears that GA and WV do not honor each others CCW permit - yet.

I can legally carry in the states listed, since they honor my WV issued CCW. Some states have some specific exclusions, so if I am travelling far - I generally check the laws of the states I will either pass through or possibly stop to sleep/eat. Better to be sure, than to end up face down in the dirt along side the road because of a simple misunderstanding of the laws of the state I'm visiting. :duh:

 

[Phalanx]

The Bottom line is if they spent as much energy prosecuting criminals as they do regulating us ,the solution would be obvious.

 

[magikbullet]

western pa gets 2 guns up :2rifle: ;D

 

[Deltaview]

WV probably does not reciprocate with GA for the same reason SC does not. GA does not require a training class for a CCW. Both SC and WV require a training class, usually the 2 day NRA class. I've taken the class and it is not difficult. I would even be OK with a requirement to qualify to an acceptable level of proficiency every couple of years to keep a CCW.

I'm a GA resident with a CCW and would like to see the lack of a training requirement change. I see requiring some level of training as a good thing and it would allow reciprocity with more states like SC and WV.

 

[roughneck2zero]

That's kinda what I meant. GA's CCW only requires that a person passes a general background check. Basically, if someone has no felony convictions (I'm not sure about arrests) they can get a CCW. And since I have a CCW it means that I've already passed a background check & I can buy a gun and take it home on the spot. We ran into aome conflict with the FBI & ATF about this a few years ago, we changed the type of BC's we run and it's OK now.

I have a few friends that are kinda celebrities and live in GA. I took em to the Atlanta probate office and they signed a few autographs and posed with some people, the clerks ran their BC's immeadiately and they got their CCW on the spot. All perfectly legal, it just pays to be famous.

I'd like to see a firearms competency course required too. I'm tired of teaching dumbasses. If I see people at a range being stupid, I'll set em straight.

 

[TerraShrewsbury]

I live in Utah - Pro 2nd. There are 3 firearms manufacturers in salt lake city alone. Pretty cool.


Although - there's been an influx of hippies in the past few years. Hopefully that doesn't bode evil...

 

[Phalanx]

Terra the Hippy's ruined Colorado as far as the cities go. They all but have done that to the Northern part of my state also.
We are lucky though if you look on a Map a huge stretch of Desert nothingness ,crosses the State from East to West.
The South is Heavily into Gun rights , and it is almost the same population as the North.
People who move into the South are Texans ,the North are California refugees and most of them are OK ,but some are Liberals and fruit cakes.
What i don't understand is Why people leave Calif .to get away from all the BS ,then they come out here and try to change us into what they left ?
Yankees are not that way ,they are thankful to be here enjoying the freedom.
The first thing they do is go buy a un neutered gun ,and some real Magazines ,then they tell the ones from Calif. to STFU.

 

[TerraShrewsbury]

What i don't understand is Why people leave Calif .to get away from all the BS ,then they come out here and try to change us into what they left ?

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[roughneck2zero]

I know it's not as cool as RobArms, but Glock is just down the street from my house. And Advanced Armament Co is here too.

And yeah, the city of Atlanta is full of people that aren't from here. They're the ones that want to change things (I'll reserve my opinion on that matter). I live in the suburbs where it's mostly still pretty cool. If you go just a little farther out it's real country, but they're good people.
cheers