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Originally Posted by Crompsin
"New England" is generally a cock-blocker as far as concealed weapons (NY, Mass, Conn, etc). Minus Vermont, which has no state gun laws (love me some VT), most of these states make getting permit a dog and pony show.
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I have had my CCW in MA since 1982. The only places it is tough to get one is the city of Boston and a number of towns statewide that have anti-gun chiefs. The chief of police is the final say on licensing and if you live in "one of those towns", you will indeed have a painful time.
They do get issued even then however as if the chief cannot demonstrate any legal reason to deny you, you will get your CCW. You will need an attorney though and that will cost you. That alone scares off enough that they go no further when denied. However, since the attorney the town uses to support the chief will be funded by the town coffers, the last thing the town wants is a protracted legal battle. As I understand it, in some cases all it took was your hired gun to write the town & chief and they issue. MA has an organization called GOAL that can help those denied through the process.
An interesting side note on New England. MA & NH are Class lll states. You can (and people do) get full-auto weapons if your chief will sign off on them. Oddly silencers are specifically prohibited in MA which is really crazy as there are many farms close to residential areas and that is one place they have a perfect application, coyote, raccoon or fox dispatch. Also, if you have your CCW for MA, you can get one that is valid in NH too. As stated you don't need one for VT. I am not sure about RI & ME but never hear anyone complaining about them. I don't know about CT firsthand.
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Originally Posted by Fallon
Due to an incident at home, we're considering the purchase of a firearm as well as the training on how to properly use and maintain said firearm.
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Before I would recommend any firearm, I would ask if you've fixed the issues on your home that the intruder was able to bypass in order to get in the first time? Better & more lights, improved locks & doors and so forth. Secondly, have you considered any non-lethal alternatives such as pepper foam spray or even a Taser if allowed in your area?
You should absolutely track down the book "In Gravest Extreme" by Massad Ayoob. It will give you a better understanding of now being judged to a higher standard if you are wielding a firearm defensively. A firearm is only good if you are willing to use it and there are other things you can do first in order not to have to use it. At the end of the day, you don't want to have taken a life if you can avoid it by any other means.