The strength of gun laws vary by state, and gun rights enthusiasts and gun control advocates often disagree how each state measures up. It's no surprise then that the same states often find themselves ranked at the extreme end by one group or the other.
These exact same states occupied the top seven spots — though in different orders — in listings put out by Guns & Ammo, which advertises itself as "the most widely read firearms magazine," and the Brady Campaign, the nation’s largest citizens’ lobby to prevent gun violence, working in partnership with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
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The Brady Campaign refers to these seven states as having the “
strongest gun laws” while Guns & Ammo lists them as being the “
worst states for gun owners.”
New York. The Empire State finished 50th — meaning worst — on Guns & Ammo’s list of the best states for gun owners. The only entity the magazine put lower, at No. 51, was the District of Columbia, which is not a state.
The efforts of Gov. Andrew Cuomo brought New York that distinction, contends
GodfatherPolitics.com, adding that “gun manufacturers are leaving the state because of the draconian laws.”
The Brady Campaign listed New York as having the fifth strongest gun laws.
California. The Brady campaign placed the Golden State first on its list while Guns & Ammo had it fifth. California and Rhode Island in 2012 had been the only states to require background checks on all gun sales at the point of purchase, though New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Colorado joined that group the following year, the Brady Campaign noted.
Connecticut. The Constitution State has imposed serious firearms restrictions since a man in December 2012 fatally shot 26 people at that state’s Sandy Hook Elementary School before turning a gun on himself, according to Guns & Ammo. It added that Connecticut was “not exactly a gun-friendly state” before that.
Connecticut finished just below California on the Brady Campaign rankings.
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New Jersey. The Garden State’s presence in the top three on both the Guns & Ammo and Brady Campain lists continued a pattern of states in the northeast maintaining some of the toughest firearms regulations.
Massachusetts. Guns & Ammo said: “The place where Americans first took up arms against our oppressors from across the pond is now one of the most difficult states in the union in which to legally bear arms.”
The Brady Campaign noted that Massachusetts had the second-lowest rate of gun deaths nationwide.
Hawaii. Guns & Ammo said, “If you head to Hawaii, say Aloha to your guns. For such a laid-back place, Hawaii has some very stringent firearm laws and the lowest gun ownership rate of any of the 50 states.”
The Brady Campaign noted that Hawaii has the lowest gun death rate of all 50 states.
Maryland. Guns & Ammo reported that Maryland’s state constitution “does not guarantee a right to keep and bear arms.”
The Brady Campaign ranked Maryland ahead of New York in its listings.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws before purchasing or traveling with a firearm.
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