Top 10 Gun-Friendly States
Ranked using our own scoring methodology, explained below. Updated as we add more states.
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This Is Our Opinion, Not Legal Advice
We scored every state using the objective criteria below, but "gun-friendly" always involves judgment calls. This ranking only includes states we've actually researched and published on the Gun Laws Across America hub so far, not all 50 states yet.
Click any state below for the full breakdown, sources, and current legal status.
Florida - FL
100/100
Illinois - IL
27/100
Massachusetts - MA
17/100
New Jersey - NJ
38/100
New York - NY
22/100
Pennsylvania
88/100
Texas - TX
100/100
How We Score This
Every state is scored out of 100 across eight weighted categories. Higher score, more permissive/gun-friendly the state's laws are, based on our own read of the categories below, not a claim about safety or outcomes.
| Category | Points | How it's scored |
|---|---|---|
| Carry licensing | 25 | Permitless = 25, Shall-issue = 15, Discretionary/may-issue = 5, Effectively none = 0 |
| Open carry | 10 | Legal without permit = 10, Permit-only = 5, Not legal = 0 |
| Magazine / assault weapon rules | 15 | No restrictions = 15, Restricted but struck down/under serious challenge = 8, Fully enforced ban = 0 |
| Purchase requirements | 15 | Background check only = 15, Permit for handguns only = 8, Permit/license for all firearms = 0 |
| Private transfers | 10 | No check required = 10, Required with family exemptions = 5, Universal check, no exemption = 0 |
| State preemption | 10 | Strong (no local patchwork) = 10, Weak/none = 0 |
| Suppressors | 5 | Legal = 5, Banned = 0 |
| Self-defense law | 10 | Stand-your-ground + broad castle doctrine = 10, Duty to retreat + narrow castle = 2-5 |
Grade bands: A+ 90-100 • A 80-89 • B 65-79 • C 50-64 • D 30-49 • F under 30