Brett Bellmore
New member
Got RIF'd out of my former job, and have just gotten a fairly positive reception concerning a job near Reading, PA. How's the gun rights situation there? I understand the deer hunting isn't so bad...
Might be moving to rural Pennsylvania
- Thread starter Brett Bellmore
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Chunky Monkey
New member
Check out PAFOA
I'm from south central PA about 3 hours from Reading. Check this forum out it's a good one, tell em the Chunky Monkey sent you!
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/
I'm from south central PA about 3 hours from Reading. Check this forum out it's a good one, tell em the Chunky Monkey sent you!
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/
CGSteve8718
New member
A very very brief overview:
All PA firearms law is handled by the state, regardless of what the city/county/locality states.
You'll have to do a search if you can on what PA considers "firearms". For example, IIRC, a rifle is not a "firearm" in the legal sense within PA.
PA does not have concealed weapons permits, just LTCFs (license to carry firearm). I don't think you can carry knives or batons, etc. for SD like in other places. There is no mandated class or course in order for you to get one. PA is also a shall issue state.
The state overall is very good (an A I would give it) and better outside of the major cities. I hear from people who live in these parts that their police chiefs are OK with NFA sign offs, etc. (zero chance for Philadelphia, and I would guess Pittsburgh). OC (open carry, if you are so inclined) is legal there without any license except in the cities of the first class.
I also second what Monkey said about PAFOA. There are some very knowlegeable folks there where the law (most important for a new resident) is concerned, but in my opinion the firearms knowledge is not so great save for several people. You'd be better off here or a gun specific forum than there.
All PA firearms law is handled by the state, regardless of what the city/county/locality states.
You'll have to do a search if you can on what PA considers "firearms". For example, IIRC, a rifle is not a "firearm" in the legal sense within PA.
PA does not have concealed weapons permits, just LTCFs (license to carry firearm). I don't think you can carry knives or batons, etc. for SD like in other places. There is no mandated class or course in order for you to get one. PA is also a shall issue state.
The state overall is very good (an A I would give it) and better outside of the major cities. I hear from people who live in these parts that their police chiefs are OK with NFA sign offs, etc. (zero chance for Philadelphia, and I would guess Pittsburgh). OC (open carry, if you are so inclined) is legal there without any license except in the cities of the first class.
I also second what Monkey said about PAFOA. There are some very knowlegeable folks there where the law (most important for a new resident) is concerned, but in my opinion the firearms knowledge is not so great save for several people. You'd be better off here or a gun specific forum than there.
Having lived not terribly far from reading for a number of years - I have to chime and let you know that Reading is not what I would consider "Rural".
Now - you get yourself a couple-ten miles northwest of Reading, maybe that is rural. There are plenty of medium sized towns/small cities in and around the Reading area. Just don't want you thinking that Reading is farm country, because it's not.
Outside of reading is nice, but I would advise not living in Reading proper if you can afford the gas to commute. Reading isn't "bad" per se, but there are much nicer places to live near there, in my opinion.
I would consider PA to be a very gun-friendly state. Last I checked, PA has the largest number of registered hunters in the country. And there is venision to be had everywhere.
Best of luck.
Now - you get yourself a couple-ten miles northwest of Reading, maybe that is rural. There are plenty of medium sized towns/small cities in and around the Reading area. Just don't want you thinking that Reading is farm country, because it's not.
Outside of reading is nice, but I would advise not living in Reading proper if you can afford the gas to commute. Reading isn't "bad" per se, but there are much nicer places to live near there, in my opinion.
I would consider PA to be a very gun-friendly state. Last I checked, PA has the largest number of registered hunters in the country. And there is venision to be had everywhere.
Best of luck.
milemission
New member
I lived in a rural area close to the Flight 93 memorial before I graduated high school. In rural PA, they're kind of clannish, and typically very conservative. In some areas, you can shoot in your backyard (as it's safe), and nobody will pay you any mind. You should be fine there so far as the 2A goes.
its a concealed weapons permit but they just call it a license to carry firearms.if you just want to carry it open i don't think you need one.its $26 and covers all your guns and any others you decide to carry from friends or family.i think 7 other states recognize a pa license but non border us.oh and forget philly.its way against guns and your license is void there.pittsburgh allows carry but your supposed to inform them of your gun if your stopped and the cops are thugish towards you if you carry.your better off not telling them unless you know their gonna check you.i sat over an hour sitting on a ice and water covered sidewalk just to get an ok you can put your stuff back in your car and leave.i used a pay phone on a corner where drug deels go on.i was lost and used the phone to get directions neer wilkinsburg.oh i forgot,i did'nt have a gun on me.they were looking for it cause he saw my carry permit under my drivers license when i opened my wallet.real cops,the state boys are above such childish bullying though.
This has NEVER been true though some Sheriffs tried to, ultra vires, limit their licenses to not be good in Phila but that's long in the past. Over a decade ago the legislature made it clear that PA licenses were good everywhere in the state and Phila had to issue on a non-discretionary basis.
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming honor PA licenses. WV bordered PA last time I checked.
CGSteve8718
New member
ziggy222 said:
This is false information. The LTCF is a state issued license, and it is not void anywhere. I live in Philadelphia, and my LTCF is good for the entire state. There is a state supreme court that ruled on this, no county or locality has the right to create or enforce its own firearms laws. It is called preemption. This is precisely why Mayor Nutter's new laws are illegal.
By the way, the price of the application fee is not $26 everywhere, it depends on county.
And no, a LTCF is just that, a license to carry a firearm. It is not a CCW. Open carry is legal without a license except for in cities of the first class (Philadelphia which was noted by another post).
wow what i said is what i read from the papers i was given on 8/3/2004 at the butler county sherifs office when i got my license.i asked if they had anymore info on carry laws and they said sorry no this is it.its where i read that my license was void in philly and it named exactly 7 states that honored the license and non of them boardered pa. i don't recall all of them but alaska and i think florida were 2.i'd love to be directed to any pages of info reguarding the laws of my license.oh and i asked if you can carry in a bar and they said don't.i said ok i won't.is it illegal?and they once again said don't and looked eritated so i did'nt push the subject but i think if it was illegal they'd have just come out and said it.
wow thanks HKuser. your right.i found a link to the current laws.the papers i was given were way outdated.17 states honor the pa license and another 7 honor it without an agreement.and we can carry in philly with a license but they have special rules banning open carry there.i was reading straight from the papers i got with my permit but they were outdated i guess.