Newbie here looking for info on Hagerstown

[Lennyjoe]

Hello everyone. Newbie here and am possibly moving from Arizona to Hagerstown, MD. I have a potential job offer coming up and would like to get some info on the area.

A bit about me. Retired Air Force maintenance guy. Lived in AZ for the last 7 years and have been a CCW permit holder since 2001. Active in legislation benificial to the firearm community and plan on staying that way.

From what I've read from Spot77 and a few others on Thehighroad.org (my usual hang out) is that Maryland isn't a handgun friendly place. Sorry to hear that cause like I said, I've been carrying for the last 6 years now.

So basically I'd like to know what to expect in that area as far as gun laws, housing, crime, places to live, cost of living ect.

Thanks for the help and I'm looking forward to keeping up the fight for our rights.

 

[Redneck]

Welcome to the site! maybe not MD...dont expect to be able to carry here unless your a LEO.

 

[Norton]

If you're job is going to be in Hagerstown, live in either PA or WV if you want to keep your permits to carry. MD is a pretty skinny state out there and H'town is an easy commute from either state.

On the other hand, we'd love to have another active gunny helping us straighten this place out.

 

[novus collectus]

If you have any of these guns, leave them in AZ.

An assault pistol is defined as any of the following specified firearms or their copies regardless of which company produced and manufactured the firearm:
AA Arms AP-9 semi-automatics
Bushmaster semi-automatic pistol;
Claridge HI-TEC, semi-automatic pistol;
D Max Industries semi-automatic pistol;
Encom MK-IV, MP-9, MP-45 semi-automatic pistols;
Heckler and Koch semi-automatic pistol SP-89;
Holmes MP-83 semi-automatic pistol;
Ingram MAC 10/11 semi-automatic pistol and any variation including the Partisan Avenger and the SWD Cobray;
Intratec TEC-9/DC-9 in any centerfire variation;
P.A.W.S. type semi-automatic pistol;
Skorpion semi-automatic pistol;
Spectre double action semi-automatic pistol (Sile, F.I.E., Mitchell);
UZI semi-automatic pistol;
Weaver Arms semi-automatic Nighthawk pistol; and
Wilkinson semi-automatic "Linda" pistol.

If you have a machine gun you need to register it with the state and pay a ten dollar fee every year.
"Class III" explosive destructive devices are not allowed in this state without a special license.
For all other "class III" firearms, no problem. All other NFA firearms are not regulated by the state as far as registration or prohibiting goes. (that means AOW, short barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers and destructive devices are allowed and you do not need to register them with the state, just the feds)
By the way, you may want to double check on this, but I believe any of the prohibitted "assault pistols" on the list above are illegal unless they are registered as an NFA gun of some kind. For instance an UZI semi auto pistol is illegal, but a short barreled UZI, an UZI pistol with a forward handgrip, and a fully automatic UZI pistol are all legal if properly registered with the feds.

Except for the handguns listed above in the "assault pistols" list, you can bring any handgun or rifle with you. Registration of handguns and MD regulated rifles is voluntary and you do not need to tell the state you have them when you move here.
There is a list of approved handguns (handgun roster), but don't worry about it unless you want to sell one of your handguns within the state because the roster only applies to transfers.

As already stated, open and conceal carry is out of the question without the hard to get carry permit except for while hunting and for this:

(3) the carrying of a handgun on the person or in a vehicle while the person is transporting the handgun to or from the place of legal purchase or sale, or to or from a bona fide repair shop, or between bona fide residences of the person, or between the bona fide residence and place of business of the person, if the business is operated and owned substantially by the person if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;


(4) the wearing, carrying, or transporting by a person of a handgun used in connection with an organized military activity, a target shoot, formal or informal target practice, sport shooting event, hunting, a Department of Natural Resources-sponsored firearms and hunter safety class, trapping, or a dog obedience training class or show, while the person is engaged in, on the way to, or returning from that activity if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;


(5) the moving by a bona fide gun collector of part or all of the collector's gun collection from place to place for public or private exhibition if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;


(6) the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun by a person on real estate that the person owns or leases or where the person resides or within the confines of a business establishment that the person owns or leases;


(7) the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun by a supervisory employee:


(i) in the course of employment;


(ii) within the confines of the business establishment in which the supervisory employee is employed; and


(iii) when so authorized by the owner or manager of the business establishment; or


(8) the carrying or transporting of a signal pistol or other visual distress signal approved by the United States Coast Guard in a vessel on the waterways of the State or, if the signal pistol or other visual distress signal is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case, in a vehicle.

Generally, and as I understand it as a layman, unloaded rifles in the car do not have to be cased or locked except for in Montgomery county and Baltimore and only when going to the range or gun shop and such in Montgomery county.

If you want to purchase am unregulated rifle here, it is an immediate backgound check at an FFL. Private sales of unregulated rifles among state residents is unrestricted.
Purchase of so called "assault rifles" and handguns is a pain in the ass. There is a seven day wait and you have to pay a ten dollar fee. Also, just for the handguns, you have to buy an integrated trigger lock that I hear is another fifteen bucks unless it is already part of the gun like with a Glock. There is also a one in thrity day purchase restirction on regulated guns, but that is easy to deal with because you can be designated as a collector by the state if you ask for it.


Maryland is not very gun friendly, but carry permits aside, compared to NJ, Ill and Mass, it is decent here.

 

[armedsks]

Allright, possibly another western Md shooter. Not many of us in the Western md area.

 

[Spot77]

Western Md is one of the saner pasrts of the state. Lots of beautiful country left out there, and lots of good hunting and shooting opportunities. Housing costs are reasonable compared to the rest of the state.

As Norton said, depending on exactly where your job would be, living in PA or WV could be an option in order to keep your ccw (although it obviously wouldn't do you any good while commuting to work.)

 

[K31]

Virginia is a do-able commute to Hagerstown also. Open-carry without a permit, CCW with reciprocity to many states.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Thanks for all the info.

I have a telephone interview with the company on the 4th of Oct and if all goes well then a flight out to check out the area and talk $$.

We'll keep you all posted on the outcome. I'm looking forward to getting back East. Most of my family is in Ohio and WVA so Hagerstown would be pretty close.

I'm so ready to get out of this hot box. Tucson is nice during Oct-May but unbearable (to me anyway) from June-Sept.