Hi to all , thinking of moving to pa / looking at Easton or Bethlehem area , but i have commute from pa to nj (oh well) how are the gun laws in that county all info very welcome ..

Hi EC0084!

PA is a great state to live in (in my opinion). There are no gun laws per county. Pennsylvania is controlled by the Uniform Firearms Act (UFA) and the laws should be consistent from county to county, township to township. Sometimes a municipality gets out of line and needs to face legal action to get them back into the marching pattern, but most places its a non issue (save for Philadelphia).

PA is a shall issue state, so if you are looking for a License to Carry Firearms and you qualify, the Sheriff must issue one. It is $20 for 5 years and even if you don't conceal carry I recommend that you get one anyway as it provides a number of protections.

You can own any type of firearm in the Commonwealth. The only exception is actual explosives but all other NFA stuff is good to go.

Happy to answer other questions you may have. I don't live in that area so I can't speak to neighborhoods, school districts, etc.

Gun laws are good in PA.  State preemption keeps counties or municipalities from doing much, and you'll find a good amount of gun friendly folks in that area.  

But how far/where would you be going in NJ?

Depending on your budget and how far you're willing to commute, you could probably find something a little further into PA than Easton where you could actually have enough land to shoot on your own property.

This and its only a front and back form that has to be filled out max of 45 business days go obtain the LTC.  

PA is a great place to be.  I am not far from the Easton/Bethlehem area and you will enjoy it.  Easton is experiencing a small resurgence of sorts, good restaurants and social activities.  It's a nice clean place.

Bethlehem and Allentown less so.

Land really isn't that cheap around here anymore, at least not if you want a nice house.

PA is much better than NJ, but PA wouldn't be my first choice if I had the opportunity to move to any state in the country.

Nice houses aren't cheap.  If its on significant acreage, thats just going to cost more.  TANSTAAFL.  

Cheap acreage in Easton & upper Bucks? $25-35k/ac seems to be about average for 5-10ac, with heavy premiums for bigger lots with significant development or subdivision potential. Keep in mind, 10+ acres can get you in Act 317 for lower property taxes.

But if one can stand a bit more of a commute, and aren't dead set on cookie-cutter developments and Toll Bros McMansions, there's reasonable stuff a little further out.

I found a couple places on 10-12 acres, 30 minutes or so south and west of Easton, with a house, and under $400-450k on the MLS.  Probably more available to the northwest.

saturday i saw a ton of HOT chicks in Easton.

And that's hard to do, because most houses don't have a sycamore tree that offers a direct view into the upstairs bedrooms.  

I agree.  We bought our 60 acre property 20 years ago, I can't even imagine what it would cost now.

much more then twenty years ago...

Speaking from the perspective of a former NJ/NY resident who recently moved to PA, it feels like I died and went to heaven. Although houses are expensive, that is a relative term considering you're from NJ. Compared to NY/NJ, they are cheaper. Taxes are also cheaper (property and State) compared to NJ. Gun laws are awesome.



Got my pistol permit in one week. Only took one form, $25.00 and ten minutes of my time. And my CLEO was more than happy to sign off on Form 4s...Try that in NJ...



Only drawback so far are the roads (poorly maintained) and PA drivers, who love to leisurely cruise in the left hand lane at or below the speed limit. They have absolutely no concept of a what a 'passing lane is and wont ever yield to faster drivers. Makes for some insane traffic when the guy in the lest lane is going five under and wont move. Very frustrating....



People are much more polite than in NY/NJ, and neighbors (at least where I am), look out for each other...



FYI I'm in Berk County....

Im in lower bucks. Been here two years and liking it. Need to get me two references and head to doylestown and get my carry permit.

Agreed with this, Easton has been getting better, I'd avoid Bethlehem (city) and Allentown. I live in Hellertown which is close to the area you're looking in, and I commute to NJ daily for work, all over central jersey but base most of it out of Flemington

Want cheap? Come to the Coal Region and live in the Country. Schuylkill County is ehhhhhhhhh town suck dick totally no more money. But, if you are willing to travel a little for a better job, you can live in the farmland which I have been here my whole life and it is beautiful.

I see you're coming from NJ.

Almost any state is an improvement.


Cons,
No private party handgun sales allowed (must go through a FFL). Long guns can be sold private party.

Lots of fudds. It's hard to find someone willing to sell a rifle private party without involving a FFL and a bill of sale.

Whacky liquor laws and I don't even drink.

State and county income taxes.

Annual vehicle inspections and some counties require emissions testing.

Lots of no turn on red signs everywhere. We can't wait be trusted to come to a stop and make a right turn on red if the intersection is clear.


Otherwise overall it's not a bad state but I foresee things changing for the worst probably in the next ten or less years.

You are a lot less optimistic about the Keystone State than I am. I have bought and sold rifles private party often enough to have to wonder what part of the state you're in.

there are alot of Fudds. you should see their eyes pop out of their heads when i open up....LOL

There are also a lot of blue laws regarding hunting.  No semi-auto hunting. You're 10/22 cannot legally blast that woodchuck. Also they have a flintlock season, not a muzzle loader season, you use percussion caps...you're not liked by the popo.  Suppresser use is allowed but the hog situation is still but in the air as they are not fully infiltrated into agricultural areas.  Hoping that they are more pragmatic than NYS(killing them, like Terrorists,  adds to the problem ).  

Moved to the Poconos last year from Texas and don't regret it but you are right. This place can get a little goofy. Up in Wilkes-Barre was the first time, at an on-ramp, I have ever seen a STOP SIGN! I'd hate to be a ten speed driver at that. Yeah things here can be a little weird. The courts here are very big on Stare Decisis. Law interpretations can change from county to county.


One downside is the cops here are very aggresive. Don't expect a lot of help from them at all, just attitude. This place is a polar opposite of Texas. Cops here are not afraid to escalate shit(rather than de-escalate). As a former LEO I do not have a high opinion of the cops here. To give them the benefit of the doubt though, there are some pretty bad crime spots and on top of which they're not paid a lot. But even still, careful what you say to them.


As for Fudds, I haven't had many problems at all with them here. Most of the people where I live are very much into ARs and shit. The game lands are a welcome sight too. Beats the heck out of paying $1,000 for a deer lease. Fishing laws are weird too. You have to have your license visible on your person. It's kind of goofy.
Plenty of places to go hiking too if you like that kind of thing. Just watch out for ticks. Ticks are really bad up here. There are various tournaments too that are sponsored by the state. I think Lake Wallenpaupack has a fishing competition where one of the fish they have tagged in the lake is worth like five grand. Real estate is also dirt cheap where I live. It's definitely a buyer's market.

ticks suck in PA. ive been Lymed already. if you catch it fast they pound you with antibiotics. but let it go, and its big problems.
tons of hiking, awesome gun laws etc