No, we're not California liberals coming to ruin your great state.  We're just tired of this commie state and need to GTFO in a year or so when we retire.

How is Arizona?  Is it going liberal?  Any anti-gun legislation pending?  

Thinking about Prescott or Flagstaff.

Thanks for your insight in advance.

What area you moving from?

And it seems to get more pro-gun every week here LOL.

You are going to love living in a free state . We are one of the few states that the 2nd amendment is alive and well .

Sounds good, guys.  We're in SoCal - don't want to be any more specific until my ass isn't owned by my PD.  Then I can say what's on my mind.

Is Prescott still a little "small townish" these days?  I'd like that - a slower pace and less traffic.

It has grown, but there is LOTS of that in Arizona.  You can be as city as you want or as country as you want and everything in between.  Prescott and the surrounding areas are a great area IMHO.  You also get seasons in that area too.

I moved here, Chandler, from north OC back in 2005 and have never looked back.  First thing I did was get my license and buy a handgun with no wait or approval list LOL.. second thing I did was get all my non CA compliant stuff out of storage in Oregon and rolled around on it on the ground.

Still "small townish" but the traffic can be bad at times.

There are a lot of Prescott proper and valley folks around here that may chime in with a different take. That said, if you're looking to avoid the liberal transplants that you're escaping, the Prescott and Flagstaff areas are not it - quite the opposite. The liberal transplants seemingly took quite a liking to most cities north of the valley via the 17, for whatever reason. There may be some better city options for you here via the 87/260 regions.

When we visit the in-laws in Mesa, they complain about the traffic.  In comparison to back home in SoCal, it's clear sailing.  I guess it's all relative.

We love Arizona and can't wait to call it home.  California just isn't the same place it was for us growing up.  The last hope was when Reagan carried the state as president.  It's got a democrat super majority in the legislature and Moonbeam to sign virtually anything they put in front of him.  

I do appreciate the input, guys.

Go here to get your retired LEOSA card: https://www.azdps.gov/services/public/cwp

I moved to AZ from MN 39 years ago - I LOVE it!
I'm in Prescott - Flagstaff is pretty but way to cold for me during the winter months (and it's a little too liberal for me also), and there is NO WAY I could live in the heat and traffic down in the valley.
I think Prescott is the perfect mix of smaller town living while not giving up ALL of the benefits of bigger town living, but there is also Prescott Valley (although PV is growing fast) or Chino Valley for a more rural town.

Prescott native here. If you decide to come see the area, let us know and I can arrange a meet and greet with the other local arfcomers over a meal.

And if you do move, do not drive like you're in CA, it pisses us locals off. Full stops, use your fucking signals, do not disregard safety just because you want to be a snowflake.

Wow, you guys are awesome.  Many thanks.

I live in Phoenix but if I were to move north it would be Prescott.

SoCalJBT, as you correctly observed the 'bad traffic' in Az would be considered heaven compared to Ca.

I'm in Prescott and love it here. Just the right size to have the infrastructure I want (good hospital, plenty of stores for shopping, good restaurants etc.) but not the sprawl of a big city. People are friendly and the city center (county court house) has a "Mayberry" feel, like stepping back to the 50s-60s. You'll find families still use the court house square as a place to bring the kids, listen to frequent concerts or shop at the many open markets held during the summer.

Plenty of different living environments to chose from, in town living, rural ranch lifestyle, house in the tall pines forest or anything in between can be found in just a 15 mile radius of down town Prescott. I'm about 12 mile out of town where 5 acres lots are the norm and I shoot at steel from my back porch.

Weather is a mild 4 seasons. Summers are generally in the 90s for daytime high and cool off into the upper 60s night time low. We do get snow but it melts fast and even in January there are plenty of sunny days where a light jacket will feel hot standing in the sun. If summer heat is too much a short drive into the Bradshaw or Mingus mountains finds cooler temps. Drive 90 minutes to the Flagstaff area and 90 degree summer becomes 75 degrees. Same for winter, drive to the lower desert (Phoenix etc.) and back to 75 degrees in January complete with citrus trees.

Come out for a visit and lets us show you the area. Only thing we ask is when you move here tell all of your liberal friends & family how terrible Az is and how you regret moving here.

I am also a recent Prescott area transplant from a north eastern commie state. A wonderful area. Except when they are running an event downtown at the square traffic is otherwise ( compared to my past experiences !) close to nonexistent. I live in the Prescott valley area. With the exception of work ( I work 3-12 hour shifts a week) pretty much everything I need is an under 10 minute drive. Even my 25 minute each way work commute is cake being almost exclusively 65mph highway. The only thing that takes me a while to get to is the Yavapai recreation league pistol range but this is worth the drive ( 45 min each way for me) great range with some sort of shooting match every weekend. Within 15 minutes of home are about 8 places to get guns and ammo, and the politics is rather conservative ( again my yardstick of comparison is a commie state so Prescott is heaven!
Between balance of convenience weather shooting 2a rights I don't think you could do better!

Also there are lots of transplanted retired Leo's in the area many from California. Some other things:
If you enjoy conventional bullseye pistol shooting or high power rifle match shooting the Prescott sportsmans club runs monthly matches. Also about an hour away from ben Avery just north of Phoenix which runs long range stuff. For pistol if the weather gets too warm for you ( unlikely) there are a couple commercial indoor ranges to shoot at.
Another bonus is we are only about 45 minutes from Jeff Cooper's gunsite as well.
Many locals have spots in the national forest where they shoot but these often close for weeks at a time when the wildfire season is going on.
For non gun stuff there is loads of hiking trails lakes we kayak in, a great brewery in skull vallley great local eateries. And while they can jam up traffic at times most every weekend there is some event in the courthouse square ( music festivals craft shows car shows etc)

You may give Sierra Vista a look.  Smallish town at an elevation of 4500ft so it is cooler than Tucson and Phoenix.  You can still buy property in the county and enjoy the great outdoors.

Welcome, friend. No Anti-2A pending, in fact there was further loosening this past session.