Gun climate in NH? (Manchester, Concord: health insurance, high crime, new home)

[livefreenow]

Can anyone tell me what the general climate in NH is towards owning guns? I know it's the "Live Free or GTFO" state, but I'd like a little more information from people who actually live there. Massachusetts is basically a fascist state near Boston when it comes to firearms. You have to jump through hoops just to get a target only license (I did). I'm sick of being treated like a mentally deficient child and want to exercise my rights. So, some questions:

1) How hard is it for someone with no criminal record or mental health issues to get a gun in NH?

2) What is the general police attitude towards citizens owning guns? Do they treat you strangely or oddly if they see you open carrying?

3) Does owning a gun in your state make you seem strange to neighbors?

4) What is the gun scene like politically there?

5) Are M***holes (typically Massachusetts liberal pests) who have moved there trying to change laws to ones that favor gun control?

6) Are there any areas of NH in which it is harder to get a gun? As I said above, I am close to Boston, so it is nearly impossible to get a concealed carry license. Western Mass is a different story.

I know these questions may seem asinine, but they are definitely pertinent where I am coming from and factor heavily in my decision to move there. Call me selfish or what have you, but I do not want socialist-bending folks telling me whether I can own a gun for self-defense or not. And I love the idea of getting things done myself. No handouts or entitlements for me, thanks.

Looking forward to your answers!

[GregW]

NH has one of the most "liberal" (as in freedom minded) attitudes of any of the states. We are only slightly behind “liberal" Vermont. NH buyers only have to meet the Federal Standards to purchase a gun. Owners can carry any firearm openly and only need to apply to the local police for a concealed carry permit. IIRC the police must provide a reason for denying the permit. I do not think Vermont requires a concealed carry permit. Private restrictions must be obeyed. Most churches ban firearms and some bars may as well.

IMHO New Hampshire has a very reasonable attitude toward firearms and citizens basic rights.

[arctichomesteader]

Manchester police have given people open carrying a lot of trouble over the years. There's a bunch active in the Upper Valley (both sides of the CT River) pushing for towns to vote on resolutions supporting gun bans at town meetings. The current governor was opposed to constitutional carry.

[unit731]

Firearm ownership is written into the New Hampshire constitution.
Best read up there.

Then do a search of the name Carl Drega and after that Ward Bird. All newspaper accounts related to such.

[livefreenow]

Thanks for the responses. I read a bit on Carl Drega and Ward Bird. Seems those were isolated cases involving a crazy man and someone who may have been punished excessively. Are these important stories to NH residents?

I'll keep away from Manchester.

[unit731]

Not quite correct on both counts.

Best read up more on the first name.

The second name the law as it stood at the time was applied. Two courts agreed.

[sgthoskins]

Originally Posted by livefreenow

So, some questions:
1) How hard is it for someone with no criminal record or mental health issues to get a gun in NH?

Not hard, if you have a clean background NH is a shall issue state.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

2) What is the general police attitude towards citizens owning guns? Do they treat you strangely or oddly if they see you open carrying?

Depends on the location. If you're in a liberal hole of Portsmouth or Manchester the sheep might get scared and call the police who will hassle you since most of them don't know the laws they are enforcing.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

3) Does owning a gun in your state make you seem strange to neighbors?

Again location. Outside of the .gov depending sheep population centers, gun ownership is encouraged.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

4) What is the gun scene like politically there?

As in any state the elected liberals in office hate guns and are always trying to pass laws to cripple constitutional rights. More often than not they are stopped.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

5) Are M***holes (typically Massachusetts liberal pests) who have moved there trying to change laws to ones that favor gun control?

The liberals that move from MA because it's an expensive, over taxed, high crime state do move to NH and vote the same way that made MA what is is today. Keep in mind that there are a great deal of conservative/libertarian people leaving MA because it's a cesspool of socialism.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

6) Are there any areas of NH in which it is harder to get a gun? As I said above, I am close to Boston, so it is nearly impossible to get a concealed carry license. Western Mass is a different story.

Shall issue, if you pass the background check you get a license.

Originally Posted by livefreenow

I know these questions may seem asinine, but they are definitely pertinent where I am coming from and factor heavily in my decision to move there. Call me selfish or what have you, but I do not want socialist-bending folks telling me whether I can own a gun for self-defense or not. And I love the idea of getting things done myself. No handouts or entitlements for me, thanks.

If that is how you truly feel then you need to vote and pay attention to local elections in your town as well. The locusts never stop looking for more $$$ and never stop taking freedoms away.

[livefreenow]

Unit731 - I'm really not understanding your point or why you brought those people up...

Originally Posted by sgthoskins

The liberals that move from MA because it's an expensive, over taxed, high crime state do move to NH and vote the same way that made MA what is is today. Keep in mind that there are a great deal of conservative/libertarian people leaving MA because it's a cesspool of socialism.

This part is especially spot on. Mandatory health insurance (way before King Obama's mandate), absurd taxes, elitism, anti-Constitutional attitudes. I'm tired of people insisting that everyone with a gun must be crazy or out of touch and therefore must be controlled. I'm done.

Thank you, very useful since you addressed each point.

[nicolem]

Sadly, the progressives in Concord-both democrat and republican are attempting to overturn several gun owner rights laws-including Stand Your Ground. The criminal justice commitee(gotta love the irony of the name) voted to overturn stand your ground. Democrats and two republicans voted for this. Now it goes to the house for a full vote-last I hear it may be this Wednesday. So, I guess after that vote we will see exactly how far these idiots in Concord want to go to further restrict my Constitutional rights.

[Mac_Muz]

Originally Posted by livefreenow

Can anyone tell me what the general climate in NH is towards owning guns? I know it's the "Live Free or GTFO" state, but I'd like a little more information from people who actually live there. Massachusetts is basically a fascist state near Boston when it comes to firearms. You have to jump through hoops just to get a target only license (I did). I'm sick of being treated like a mentally deficient child and want to exercise my rights. So, some questions:

1) How hard is it for someone with no criminal record or mental health issues to get a gun in NH?

2) What is the general police attitude towards citizens owning guns? Do they treat you strangely or oddly if they see you open carrying?

3) Does owning a gun in your state make you seem strange to neighbors?

4) What is the gun scene like politically there?

5) Are M***holes (typically Massachusetts liberal pests) who have moved there trying to change laws to ones that favor gun control?

6) Are there any areas of NH in which it is harder to get a gun? As I said above, I am close to Boston, so it is nearly impossible to get a concealed carry license. Western Mass is a different story.

I know these questions may seem asinine, but they are definitely pertinent where I am coming from and factor heavily in my decision to move there. Call me selfish or what have you, but I do not want socialist-bending folks telling me whether I can own a gun for self-defense or not. And I love the idea of getting things done myself. No handouts or entitlements for me, thanks.

Looking forward to your answers!

1 easy, just choose the gun hand over you NH ID and in a few minutes you walk out after passing NICS, with what ever you bought.
2 Who cares what cops think. So long as you are not breaking laws what you do is none of their god damned bee's wax.

Although I have no idea why you would want to open carry. In rural place it is more common, but not very smart IMO. Besides we are Shall issue for NH version of ccw which costs 10 bucks and is good for 10 years.
Why blow your advantage of surprise?

3 again who cares..... I never worry about what neighbors think.

4 IDK

5 yeah no new news there mass brings what mass is.... This place has been over run with them since 1985.
What they want is too bad.

6 No and if you live in Mass and want long guns you can buy all the long guns you can afford and take them back to Mass.

Hand guns have different law and must be bought in the state you reside in and or be picked up in a FFL dealer in that state.

Living here does mean you are land locked behind the soviet republics of Mass and NY not to mention.
Canada.

21 other states recognize the NH permit. The only one that is a border state is Vt.

There are ways to transport guns thru Mass and NY legally, but it can be a pain...

My way if i feel like being disarmed and legal is to lock the gun maybe field striped in a case of some sort and any ammo in another. Then you just have legal gun parts.

You can not be prevented from taking a legal gun you own to a event at a place where you will be legal and ending up in a place where you will be legal, assuming that is back home, or you moved to a new home where everything is legal.

In NH NFL Class III full auto and silencer suppressors are legal under that series of LAW.

I believe but can't prove that NH contains the most full auto fire arms of all the states in the USA.
But full auto guns are legal here. Buying any is very expensive.