Move from MA to Colorado? Is it still a free state?

[Varmint]

My wife has an opportunity to work in Boulder, CO. I could probably find a job as well.

But is Colorado really still a great free state? I hear scary stuff, just this morning they said homeless population is up 30% cause of the legalized marijuana (homeless are moving to CO for the weed). So the state is full of Californians and doped out homeless now?

I used to think of Colorado as a dream place to live, now I have second thoughts.

 

[dhuze]

They now have a high capacity magazine ban that the Sheriffs refuse to enforce.

I love Colorado. I go there every year. If it wasn't for my job I'd have moved there years ago.

 

[usp45ct]

Be advised, Boulder is like Northampton and Cambridge rolled into one. Definitely a bastion of liberalism. Still freer than Mass.

 

[1903Collector]

Not immune to anti ass-hattery

 

[Picton]

Be advised, Boulder is like Northampton and Cambridge rolled into one. Definitely a bastion of liberalism. Still freer than Mass.

This. You could smell the Boulder pot from halfway up Rte 36, even before it was legalized.

Im visiting CO right now (most of family has lived here for decades); gun culture is still alive and well here, even in the higher-end Denver suburbs.

As as for the homeless thing... If you've never lived in the West, homelessness here is very different from homelessness in the East. I grew up in SoCal, and the homelessness in CO has always seemed light by comparison. But there are a lot more you'll see here than you see in Boston.

 

[mark056]

Remember that Boulder is to Colorado what Austin is to Texas and they are both Cambridge clones. Colorado is still a gun culture state, but you wouldn't know it in some areas around Denver, Aspen and in parts of the corridor between Colorado Springs and Denver. You might as well be in Massachusetts, no kidding if you are going to live in Boulder IMO. I've lived in Colorado three times in my life. Colorado is shall issue for concealed carry. There is a 15 round cap on magazines and Denver has an assault weapons ban (Denver is a city/county). No licenses required to purchase or own, open carry is permitted except in Denver, but I have personally never seen it, maybe in some small towns in the mountains or in southern Colorado.

What Picton says about homelessness is very true, plus there are a lot of refugees from the 60's that never made out of their rainbow colored VW micro buses.

I read the Denver Post on my Iphone App everyday, and Colorado according to a recent article is ranked 4th in state population growth, what this means is an influx of peeps from back east and So California which means that they want to make Colorado like whatever place they came from, so you gotta worry about the transplanted moonbats. They are everywhere. You will love the fact the you can literally buy guns in some chain drugstores but there is whiny anti-gun vocal element out there and a fair amount liberals. It's better than here, but then so are most other places.

 

[rep308]

My wife has an opportunity to work in Boulder, CO. I could probably find a job as well.

But is Colorado really still a great free state? I hear scary stuff, just this morning they said homeless population is up 30% cause of the legalized marijuana (homeless are moving to CO for the weed). So the state is full of Californians and doped out homeless now?

I used to think of Colorado as a dream place to live, now I have second thoughts.

A great place if you are into outdoor activities. Boulder has gotten crazy expensive and new towns pop up like weeds. The dope thing is overplayed by the media, although Perl street is overrun with stoned skateboarders. Plenty of nice suburbs although they seem to have a different style of housing with the houses crammed close together and large common open spaces. I have friends and family there and would go in a heartbeat.

 

[caboose84]

Moved out to the central rockies last June, bought a campground. It has it's quirks, but it's a great place.

Came from NH, would've prefered to stay but couldn't find a business we liked that we could buy.

As others said Boulder is Cambridge west with better scenery. It is very pricey. Towns in the area are more reasonably priced.

The Front Range as a whole is pretty crowded, and has a fair share of moon bats, but not quite the dumbassery of MA moon bats. A bit more of a leave me alone attitude. If it wasn't for the Columbine HS and Aurora shootings, the mag limits probably wouldn't have happened.

Getting a concealed carry permit is harder than NH, but certainly easier than MA. You do need a safety class and to get fingerprinted. But it's shall issue, $100 to the county and $52.50 to the state for the background check. We are waiting on ours now, they said it generally takes a couple of weeks for the background check, then you come in and they take your photo, print out the license and off you go. Open carry is legal, as is having a loaded gun in a car without a license. No permission needed to buy anything.

The weed is way overplayed- it is in Boulder and Denver and a lot of the mountain towns, but really not as common as portrayed in the media.

We could use some more liberty minded folk out here!

 

[kalash]

Move to Weld County - close to Boulder and the Sheriff is very pro-2A, from what I understand. I'm jealous; I'd love to move to CO.

 

[willbdavis]

Be advised, Boulder is like Northampton and Cambridge rolled into one. Definitely a bastion of liberalism. Still freer than Mass.

This.

 

[Spanz]

Be advised, Boulder is like Northampton and Cambridge rolled into one. Definitely a bastion of liberalism. Still freer than Mass.

yeah you don't live in downtown boulder. my brother lived in estes park, and the hunting there was simply fabulous. herds of elk would just saunter by his back door.

 

[Hoover]

They now have a high capacity magazine ban that the Sheriffs refuse to enforce.

I love Colorado. I go there every year. If it wasn't for my job I'd have moved there years ago.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the normal capacity mag ban is completely hollow. Not only will none of the Sheriffs outside Denver and 2 or 3 other areas not enforce it but I believe existing mags people had were exempt.

Also, the crap bill was written by idiots and idiots who don't know a thing about guns nor the law. I believe they banned the sale of new normal capacity mag's but they didn't write it to include parts of mag's. So I believe you can buy a mag "parts" kit which is 100% legal and assemble it when you get home. I remember a thread here about a parent of a Columbine student who is UBER anti and he was flipping out that the ban was basically non existent since you can buy a "parts" kit.

 

[caboose84]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the normal capacity mag ban is completely hollow. Not only will none of the Sheriffs outside Denver and 2 or 3 other areas not enforce it but I believe existing mags people had were exempt.

Also, the crap bill was written by idiots and idiots who don't know a thing about guns nor the law. I believe they banned the sale of new normal capacity mag's but they didn't write it to include parts of mag's. So I believe you can buy a mag "parts" kit which is 100% legal and assemble it when you get home. I remember a thread here about a parent of a Columbine student who is UBER anti and he was flipping out that the ban was basically non existent since you can buy a "parts" kit.

Correct. Pre owned magazines are exempt. Who's to say what you owned?

There are a number of stores selling magazine "repair" parts kits that include the body. Major retailers aren't, but there's lots of small shops. And outside of the big cities near Denver in the Front Range, no one is looking to enforce the law.

 

[Varmint]

Thanks everyone, some great info here. We definitely wouldn't live in Boulder, just the job is there, so I assume there's nice places to live within 30 min drive. We wouldn't want to live in Denver either.

The restrictions on magazines, even the AG list doesn't bother me so much as just the feeling like you're one mishap away from losing all your 2A rights in this state, like someone breaks into your home or car. I don't like that feeling, it's like a daily annoyance if i think about it.

 

[Hoover]

Colorado gun owners are easily circumventing the state’s ban on ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds, a CBS Denver investigation discovered.While the law, which went into effect last summer, makes it illegal to buy or sell typical 30-round magazines, some sellers have found creative ways around the law that render it all but meaningless.

At one gun store, an undercover producer for Denver’s CBS4 bought a “kit” for a 30-round magazine, which was essentially all its parts that simply hadn’t been assembled. It took the clerk less than 30 seconds to put it together, the station reported.
And at a gun show, the producer bought a magazine retrofitted so that it would only accept 15 bullets in order to comply with the new law. That retrofit is easily undone, however, allowing the magazine to hold up to 30 rounds.
An even simpler work-around is to buy the magazines in neighboring states, where their sale and possession is legal.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/31/colorados-ban-on-high-capacity-magazines-is-easy-to-skirt/

Even more pathetic than I thought. You can't buy or sell normal mag's in CO. I guess they don't think the world outside CO exists.

 

[ggboy]

The republicans hold a majority in the Senate in Co.
The possibility of the mag ban and the expanded background checks being repealed is increasing.
I'd move there just to buy Victor Head and Laura Caurno a drink.
If anyone doesn't know who they are they were the key players in the recall for the anti-gunners
Morse and Giron.
ggboy

 

[dhuze]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the normal capacity mag ban is completely hollow. Not only will none of the Sheriffs outside Denver and 2 or 3 other areas not enforce it but I believe existing mags people had were exempt.

Also, the crap bill was written by idiots and idiots who don't know a thing about guns nor the law. I believe they banned the sale of new normal capacity mag's but they didn't write it to include parts of mag's. So I believe you can buy a mag "parts" kit which is 100% legal and assemble it when you get home. I remember a thread here about a parent of a Columbine student who is UBER anti and he was flipping out that the ban was basically non existent since you can buy a "parts" kit.

This is why nobody wants to enforce the laws. It is impossible to say who owned what and when. There are plenty of magazines bought and sold there, mostly by the unaware, but some know what they are doing.

 

[Christian]

It's on my short list of places to move to, I still don't know why I left(twice).

 

[Golddiggie]

For the magazine capacity stupidity, how does it impact people living in a free state that move out to CO? If someone buys magazines that are perfectly legal in the state they're currently living in. Then move out to CO in X weeks/months (all done after the stupid law was passed), what kind of impact are they looking at?

I did see that people visiting CO can bring their normal capacity magazines without issue.

Personally, if I get a job out in CO, I'll probably bring all my standard capacity AR mag's with me. Especially those made by MagPul.

 

[PaulD]

I've spent a fair bit of time out there and I like a lot of things about it, but there's one problem with the area.

It's really, really dry! After three days I'm itching like crazy when I'm there.

 

[M1911]

I've spent a fair bit of time out there and I like a lot of things about it, but there's one problem with the area. It's really, really dry! After three days I'm itching like crazy when I'm there.

Lack of water is a big problem in much of the west.

 

[Varmint]

I've spent a fair bit of time out there and I like a lot of things about it, but there's one problem with the area.

It's really, really dry! After three days I'm itching like crazy when I'm there.

yeah, I don't get that though, with all that snow there should be decent runoff.

We probably won't look at moving to CO unless one of us gets laid off, or until the kids are out of daycare (we love our daycare).

 

[Varmint]

yeah you don't live in downtown boulder. my brother lived in estes park, and the hunting there was simply fabulous. herds of elk would just saunter by his back door.

I googled it, seems to be an hour drive to Boulder. Must be some nice places a little closer though.

 

[Christian]

I've spent a fair bit of time out there and I like a lot of things about it, but there's one problem with the area.

It's really, really dry! After three days I'm itching like crazy when I'm there.

[video=youtube_share;7rgSnm2-2ps]http://youtu.be/7rgSnm2-2ps[/video]



Seriously though if someone is looking into moving out there water rights are something you definitely don't want to mess with, folks have gotten themselves killed over it.

 

[greencobra]

Lived there for 2 1/2 years. Couldn't wait to go, couldn't get back to Mass fast enough. I was living in southern Colorado. I never saw much gun culture. Nobody in work had an interest except my boss, he came from Utah. I belonged to 2 gun clubs, 1 was trap and skeet exclusive, but the other was a pretty nice all around club with a great amount of property, think Harvard but 50x larger, up to 600 yd rifle range, nice outdoor pistol range with set ups beside paper for pins, dueling trees, and steel, for use at any time. Every member had the combinations to all target storage sheds to access all the steel targets and pins. Something I've never seen here, a plinking range. Everything went except glass (yes, required to clean your mess when you left). Point I was making, never saw anyone use any of those facilities except the rifle ranges and then only before hunting season. Where are the shooters? I don't know, maybe it changed in a decade. You couldn't get a CC license. Doled out by county sheriffs and not one of them wanted to set precedent and start issuing them on a regular basis. NEVER saw open carry even though the good folks of Colorado were proud of the fact they had that right. Just before I left the state, you could see as you traveled north of Colorado Springs, on to Denver, crazies were coming in from the west coast to settle and talking about changing the laws in the state. I can see that slowly, that's happening now. Sure, a couple of politicians were recalled, but that legislation still passed and is law. And like almost all gun restrictive laws, I don't see them getting repealed. No gun restrictions?, Hell, they now have mag capacity limits. It's starting. Denver and Boulder are modeling themselves on New York. People from the east think Colorado and the old west comes to mind, everyone totes guns, mows down the bad guys, justice prevails. Nope, not any more.

 

[roadkillrob]

Just remember that Colorado is slowly being taken over by Californians and they bring their beliefs and rules with them, so slowly it is turning in to CA.

 

[JoeT]

We lived there for 3 years, been back on the east coast for 18 months.

Colorado is nice, but it's not perfect. Boulder's cost of living is very similar to the North Shore area, but pay is MUCH less (for the average person, again there are exceptions) Tax rates are higher than Mass

We lives in Broomfield, 20 minutes south of Boulder, 20 minutes north of Denver, nice town/county and pro 2nd

North and West of boulder are cheaper and if you can find something in Boulder County UNincorperated there's very low taxes. When we moved, people told us to stay east of 25 to stay away from tornadoes. But home prices drop quick, and you get some land and no traffic.

Areas also change from "nice" to "ghetto" in literally 1 block

I left before the new gun laws so I can't speak with first hand knowledge of what it's like, but from friends I hear they are having the same problems as Mass, the laws are so poorly writte that they are hard to follow, and different cops view differently. And as said above the Sheriff's aren't following anyways

There aren't many gun clubs in the area, and those that are have VERY LONG wait lists. But you can find plenty of public land to shoot.



Politically, what the FSA of Denver and the Hippies of Boulder want, they get. I forget the exact numbers but more than 1/2 of population of the state lives in a 10 mile circle around these 2 cities.

There's a pretty good group gun guys at https://www.ar-15.co/ and RMGO's is only the same idea as GOAL (only Dudley is a little crazy....and is all doom and gloom looking for money)

 

[glockerblogger]

Still freer than MA. The other thing that amazed me was how much Fracking has taken over the land. When flying into or put of Denver - or driving 470 / 36 / 25 - the entire landscape is pock marked with frack wells and collection units -like Matrix the movie. A big fight between the developments and the fracking lobby. Technically you don't own the land below your house, so that can be handed out for mineral rights. Some of these fracking ops are within 100 feet of single family homes. Farmers getting ripped off by the energy companies, etc.

Just be sure to consider the fracking dimension (not common in the east).

 

[Varmint]

Wow, my stiffy for Colorado is deflating rapidly, thanks guys! Maybe we'll have to wait til we can retire in Wyoming.

 

[greencobra]

Wow, my stiffy for Colorado is deflating rapidly, thanks guys! Maybe we'll have to wait til we can retire in Wyoming.

Experience it for yourself is my advice, you may like it. I've owned property in Colorado since 1976, 8 acres, with the anticipation of retiring out there. No more. Wyoming, Montana, some places in Texas I'm looking at now. People that visit and pass through don't have a true feel.