State level gun rights groups are probably one of the most effective and most over looked groups to join.  

Here in Michigan our State level pro-gun group, MCRGO, has been around for 8 years.  News articles, editorials, gun shows, website, flyiers, and other events such as being a major factor in getting shall-issue CCW have all taken place.... YET I'm still amazed at the number of gun owners, even one's actively involved in shooting events who claim to have never heard of our organization.  We have accomplished a lot with just a small number of the gun owners in the state, the more gun owners that get on board the more effective we become.

So the bottom line is, join a state level pro-gun group.  Help them get their word out and to sign up new members.  I'll tell you this, the people running at the State level become the people running for positions at the Federal level.  If you let the anti-gunners fester at the state level, they will use their name recognition later on and become a Federal anti-gunner.  Gun rights start in your own back yard.  Please join and help out your state organization.

Ditto: [b]Life Member Texas State Rifle Association[/b]

Mike

Gun Owners Action League [url]www.goal.org[/url]

State level Mass. Organization that is working towards getting rid of the Attorney Generals’ handgun ban.

If you live in the people’s republik and are wondering why you can’t buy a new Glock or Kimber the AG is the one who has done this by circumventing the law by stating that only certain handguns are unsafe for use by the common peons, yet these are safe for the LEO and military to use.*


*Not a flame to LEO or military

Same as mr_wilson, since 1985. They were the biggest reason Texas passed a CCW law.

Member Gun Owners of South Carolina

SWIRE I could'nt agree with you more, I'm a member of the Arkansas Rifle and Pistol Assoc. and for as many hunters' and gun owners that this state has the ARPA's membership hovers right around a thousand members.  Membership only costs $5 a year and $15 for a voting membership.  The guys that run ARPA frequently spend their own money to push our agendas in the legislature, none of them are paid by ARPA.  I think Arkansas has something like 25,000 CCW holders, but apparently very few of them are interested in CCW issues that ARPA lobbies for.  I do what I can to promote ARPA at gunshows and on the net, hopefully I've got at least one person to help out and join.
[url]www.arpa-online.org[/url]

Member of the Illinois State Rifle association.

Member, Texas State Rifle Association.

MCRGO, in light of all they've accomplished, is one tough act to follow (Who'd of thought Michigan would have EVER gotten CCW? Bravo-Zulu guys!).

The Wisconsin Rifle & Pistol Association that I'm a member, is well, just O.K.

To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what they do.  Nobody in the upper echelon of the WRPA has the balls to push for CCW in Wisconsin.

We do have a new orginization popping up though: the Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association ([url]http://www.wisconsinconcealedcarry.com/[/url]), and I'm pretty excited about the possibility of CC in WI!

Garandman wrote:

Same here, but reluctantly.  The local groups seem to be much more focused on side issues.  For example, the one listed above (according to one thing I read and a couple of members confirmed this for me at a show last weekend) 3/4 of their volunteer time and money is spent on an issue that affects only a very small portion of the gun owners in the state.  Rather than fighting for concealed carry for everyone, they spend their time fighting to change a few details of where the existing few elite who already have a permit can carry.  As far as I'm concerned, if a group doesn't support my right to carry, they're anti-2nd amendment.  I've heard many people here mention that they won't support a politician who doesn't support their right to defend themselves.  I think we should hold our gun groups to the same standard.z

Virginia Citizen's Defense League

[url]http://www.vcdl.org[/url] for those of you in Virginia.

    Black Fox

ISRA member.

I'm afraid Illinois gun owners might be in for a rocky ride after the elections this year. A democrat hasn't been Governor for almost 30 years. With the hatred that many in Illinois have for George Ryan, it's going to be a tough race for the Republician nominee. And frankly, the leading Republician candidate, Jim Ryan, is no friend of the second amendment, IMO.

Illinois needs help!!!!!!

Rotsa ruck. Most of the legistraitors who voted for that stoopid law in '98 have no knowledge of guns, are clueless in general, and only voted for it, bec. the Demorat leadership told them to. Many regret having done so, but what pol is ever going to publicly admit they made a mistake, esp. on gun laws....

As for our Obersturmbannfuehrer, AKA Attorney General Tom Reilly, the MA Courts have backed up his tactics, repeatedly.

I'm a member of GOAL, too, BTW. If it weren't for them, ALL guns would have been banned from MA long ago. They are the only ones who show the pols what guns are and try to educate them on the laws.

If the Dems and Repubs (RINOs) in MA had their way, only crack dealers, Whitey Bulger, and the Kennedys' bodyguards would have guns....[rolleyes]
...........
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Cambridge, Massachusetts, unless specifically stated.

SWIRE  I'm a member of MCRGO also its a great bunch of people. I also belong to Michigan Rifle &Pistol Assc.  and the Ohio Rifle &Pistol Assc. I try a shoot in all class in both states.

  [pistol]      [rifle]

You might want to see if other organziation have popped up in Wisconsin.  From what I've been told before Sept 11 your state was about 2 years away from getting CCW.  Someone in your state getting something done.  Might want to give a call to the NRA and see which state group they are working with.

TSRA

Member, Tennessee Firearms Association [url]http://www.tennesseefirearms.com[/url]

zoom -

You want GrassRoots South Carolina. Hard core CCW advocates.

GOSC did 9at least they are willing to take credit for it) have a hand in legalizing Class 3.

But a question -

What else do you want to see in SC's concealed carry law?? We're a "shall issue" state. I'm making application for my permit this week.

Are you sure we're a shall issue state?  From the state law, "If the fingerprint review and background check are favorable, SLED must issue the permit."  In pratise, things are very different.  So far, SLED has returned my application three times without issuing a permit.  Out of the eight others in my CCW class that I exchanged e-mail addresses with, only one has been granted a permit by SLED.  The one got it, because she worked for the coroner's office in Columbia.  She got the permit after she got her boss to pull some strings.  The other seven have given-up fighting the state police.  I've made five trips to Columbia (four to the state police and one to the AG's office), had a lawyer call threatening to file a mandamus brief, had a relative who works for SCDPS introduce me to the woman that handles the paperwork, and had my local rep (Hawkins) write a letter to Cheif Stewart.  A couple of weeks ago, SLED sent my paperwork back a third time.  Again, on paper SC is a shall-issue state, but if the state police won't issue permits, then we're not a shall-issue state.

To answer your question of what I'd like to see changed, I'd like a non-law enforcement organization to handle the permits.  It's not right that a rabid anti-gun group has 100% control over the process.

I'd like to see Grass Roots fight for more concealed carry permits rather than fighting for their friends who know somebody who already have used connections to get a permit (like w/  S. 261).z

[url]www.anjrpc.org[/url]

Memeber [b]Texas State Rifle Association[/b] here.  The TSRA is a great organization and is [b]highly[/b] influential in the legislature.

CMOS

Member GSSA - Georgia Sport Shooting Association. I donate to the junior rifle team, volunteer a lot, and even shot on the service rifle/rattle battle team at Perry one year (B-team).
[img]http://www.gssa.com/images/georgia2.jpg[/img]
That's me, 2nd from right at Camp Perry. Truth be known, I was the new man, got nervous, and kinda choked. It did not matter anyway, because one of our swing-shooter's gun jammed badly and we shot the event with 5 guys. The GA A-team still holds the national civilian NTIT record, though!

zoom -

You are bumming me out man. I'd heard that from another source, but hoped it was an isolated incident.

Well, I'm submitting my app. We shall see.

What EXCUSES did SLED give for returning your app????

The first time, the form they returned stated that I had to include proof of 20/40 vision even though the law states that having a driver's license is substitute for proof.  OK, my vision is good enough to drive, but not to carry?  The second time they claimed I hadn't included the $50 fee.  I had included a $50 USPS money order made-out to "SC Law Enf. Div."  That's what the woman at the counter wrote on the MO when she stapled it to my application.  The last time I turned in my application, I handed them three sets of three pictures (they're sticklers about the required 1"x1" size), three different $50 money orders made-out three different ways, a notarized copy of my drivers license, a notarized copy of my voter registration card (to meet the residency requirement two different ways), and a signed statement from my optometrist (even though the drivers license is supposed to be good enough).  SLED still returned it!  Several people that I took the class with said SLED claimed that their driver's license wasn't proof of residence even though the law says it is good enough.  From what I remember, it took SLED 2 weeks the first time, 2.5 months the second and close to 5 months the third time to return my application.  It's frustrating.  I first submitted the application 9 months ago, and I still don't have a way to appeal SLED's (non)decision.  The law specifies the appeal process, but that only applies if SLED has the guts to deny you rather than just return the application.

Good luck.  I hope you don't receive the dreaded form with the title "CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT APPLICATION RETURN FORM" on it.z

Board member.

Maryland Citizens Defense League [url]www.mcdl.org[/url]

I think I am too but I haven't gotten any response from VCDL about my membership status.  I paid them back in September!

Texas State Rifle Association
Present and accounted for!
[url]www.tsra.com[/url]

BigDozer66