Gun-friendly/firearm-cultural places to visit in New England/Tri-state area?

New England is a great place to visit but if you want a positive gun culture experience I suggest maybe you visit Alaska or maybe Wyoming instead.

You could head down to northern VA and check out the NRA's National Firearms Museum! And VA as a whole is pretty gun-friendly, to be sure. Lost of shops and quite a few ranges as well.

Of course closer to you is PA which has (literally) thousands of gun clubs and ranges, is extremely gun-friendly, and you'd be surely able to spectate and/or participate in any sort of shooting competition you might like. There are quite a few museums scattered around as well that display firearms, though not specifically just firearms.

If you're looking to just meet and hang out with a lot of shooters at once, I really would contact a match director of a club and tell him you're interested in visiting to watch a match. We love that sort of thing. He're a club outside of Philly that's holding both a major USPSA match and a major IDPA match this fall: http://lprgc.org/?page_id=60 Those would have the most shooters attending, but a monthly club match there would have 30-50 and would be less hectic. Easton Fish and Game is even closer: http://www.efga.net/

Staying behind enemy lines the Springfield Armory Museum and Higgins Armory Museum before the latter moves at year end. I'm going for the last time in September myself. Try walking through Old Deerfield -- whole town's old main street is a proper museum and museum program -- goes back to 1600's.

In Louisville the The Frazier History Museum (Frazier Museum for short, formerly the Frazier Historical Arms Museum and more recently the Frazier International History Museum which was The UK Royal Armories branch in the U.S.) is worth a coupla DAYS (as is the Royal Armories at Leeds in Yorkshire, UK) -- used to be referred to as "the best museum in Western Civilization."

The National Firearms Museum across from DC is excellent.

Cody (Wyoming) Firearms Museum is right up there.

The Rock Island Arsenal exhibit (tank park and Confederate Cemetary) is worth a day.

Hidden gems?

The Claude Fuller Collection at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga NMP IMO. It is heaven to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtlUDF8hzIk

The West Point Museum upstate from you. Just, wow! Try to arrange a tour of the old fort on the military academy's high ground while there! Usually reserved for staff rides these days so don't be overly surprised or upset if you can't get up there -- post 9/11 security is VERY high. Might make a trip through Saratoga Battlefield, spend a day exploring Saratoga Springs State Park, stop at he NY State Military Museum (OK, but only worth a coupla hours), spend a FULL day at Fort Ticonderoga from dawn to nightime arms shoots if you can get tickets.

The small Fort Ligonier Museum -- very nice little modern museum, beautiful French and Indian War fort, but the 18th C. artillery park is worth the visit alone!

Shafter
Don't let em knock New England for the gun culture. People of VT carry without license (same people elect an open socialist to Senate, but that's another topic). NH is still Leave Free Or Die. The SIG Sauer Academy in Epping NH has a factory outlet shop that will make your head spin. It's between Boston and Manchester NH, closer to Manchester

YZ said:

Shafter
Don't let em knock New England for the gun culture. People of VT carry without license (same people elect an open socialist to Senate, but that's another topic). NH is still Leave Free Or Die. The SIG Sauer Academy in Epping NH has a factory outlet shop that will make your head spin. It's between Boston and Manchester NH, closer to Manchester

Click to expand...

NH is great in terms of gun culture, and I'd second the Sig Sauer Academy. Also note that if you're interested in buying anything Sig, they have in-stock inventory of just about everything made by Sig, as well as usually a lot of Magpul stuff (including PMAGs).

It's not all bad in Massachusetts...we just have to fight harder than most to keep our rights.
If you find yourself in the SE Mass./Cape Cod area PM me and I'll be glad to take you to my range any time. We have pistol and 100, 200, and 300 yd. rifle ranges...I'll supply the guns and ammo. From your name I think you'd like my old SP1.

The Springfield Armory Museum is always worth the trip.

Tinpig

Hi TMiller,

If a fellow THR member is able to bring you to his range then that's great. If that doesn't work out there's an indoor range open to the public in Manchester NH. It does get very busy on weekends. Also considering the current ammo shortage make sure to call ahead.

http://www.gunsnh.com/pricelists.php

EDIT: Just noticed this on their site.

ONLY if you are alone AND plan to rent our firearms, you will need to present a certificate showing you have completed a course or have a LTC/CCW from a state that requires a course completion prior to certification.. If you bring a friend with you to the range, these restrictions do not apply

Click to expand...

If you are looking for pro gun culture, avoid Burlington, VT. You will not find it there. It is a literal Mecca of hippies and liberals. Most other places in VT are rather gun friendly since it is a Constitutional carry state.

pretty much everywhere in VT is gun friendly.

VT you can strap on a gun or tuck it in your pocket locked'n loaded and go anywhere except court or near a school. Most people shoot in their back yards so rifle ranges are largely a moot aspect of life here. I am a member of a fish & game club (+ rifle range) in Randolph, VT. You could easily do day trips for hiking or drive within an hr. to the Dartmouth Hanover, NH area or up to Burlington, VT. Small state so everything is an easy day trip. Guns are just a way of life up here so we don't have attractions built around them. BTW, VT and AZ both rated 50 out of 50 NRA, here in VT we are a tad bit better w/ the unrestricted hand gun issue. Long guns are the exception you have to unload them before hitting the road. No issues w/ locking them in your trunk or separating the ammo for travel, hence the prevalent gun racks in the back of most our trucks.

Stay in the Union, OK? We need you.

The best tip I can give you GET OUT OF NYC and the EAST cost that's all ANTI GUN.

Hey, Northern New England is fine for firearms, just stay north of the Peoples Republick of Massachusetts.

TMiller556 said:

Lol don't worry, I'll always be a Northerner no matter what. I have pride in it. If I ever do relocate however, it won't be in New York State I can tell you that.

Click to expand...

I meant your home state, broadly. I vaguely recall there was a secession movement there once.

If you decide to check out the Higgins Armory Museum, you should also check out the old Worcester Armory:

http://states.ng.mil/sites/MA/DevLibrary2/resources/museum/museum.htm

They have a decent display of military firearms on the second floor.

shafter said:

New England is a great place to visit but if you want a positive gun culture experience I suggest maybe you visit Alaska or maybe Wyoming instead.

Click to expand...

All you have to do is ignore the lower three states of the region. The northern three are just fine, thank you very much.

jack44 said:

The best tip I can give you GET OUT OF NYC and the EAST cost that's all ANTI GUN.

Click to expand...

Well sure, if you ignore Maine, NH, Vermont, and all the states from Virginia and south..... :banghead:

Windsor, Vermont: http://www.americanprecision.org/ Incredible exhibits, look for the days they have people running some of the machinery.

Lots of hiking in the area. Just down the road from the museum: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/ascutney.htm

Shooting ranges: http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/Vendors_and_sources/Shooting_Ranges_in_Vermont.pdf

And if you get bored, cosmopolitan New Hampshire is right across the river, and there is nearby Mt. Washington.

TMiller556 said:

Hello,

I'm currently planning a solo trip before college starts. I live in NYC and I'd like to travel to New England or possibly elsewhere in the Tri-state area.

I'd really like to travel to the most gun-friendly city/state that has a strong firearm culture. I would love to do some shooting and meet others within the gun community as well as range/shop owners, local smiths, etc. Visiting a firearm museum is also on my list.

If anyone can additionally recommend some ranges, that would be great.

Due to the limitations of living in NYC (and New York State overall), cost is not a concern. My right of owning a firearm has been trampled on long enough; I just want do what I love to do for once. I think of it as a treat to myself, considering I don't know when I'll ever get to plan a trip again.

Of course, I'm not solely going for that purpose. I want to do it for the experience, to see the sights, and to gain perspective.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...