Proportionally, Massachusetts has half again as many concealed handgun licensees as Texas

[friendly_iconoclast]

Note: this OP was inspired by research done in response to Kang Colby's OP:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172181197

"Gun Ownership in MA Increases 66% since 2010"


Yes, you read that correctly- if the figures I've found are accurate, 3% of the residents in
'gun-happy' Texas had concealed handgun licenses in 2014.

At the same time, 4.7% of the residents of Massachusetts (a state well known for
strong gun control) have the equivalent license

Here's what I found, with sources:

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/reports/ActLicAndInstr/ActiveLicandInstr2014.pdf

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
REGULATORY SERVICES DIVISION
CONCEALED HANDGUN LICENSING

Active License/Certified Instructor Counts
As of December 31, 2014

Active License Holders: 825,957

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html

Texas Population, 2014 estimate 26,956,958-

which means that
ca. 3% of Texans (or 1 in 33) had concealed handgun licenses

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/20/gun-laws-tightened-mass-number-permits-spiked/KDbdE52Cvdf4xNfIL4r0hN/story.html

Statewide, the number of active Class A licenses — the so-called license to carry category that broadly includes the right to carry a concealed weapon — grew nearly 12 percent between 2013 and 2014. That was a significantly greater jump than in past years, a Globe review of data from the Firearms Records Bureau found.

Overall, the number of active gun licenses of all types grew 5 percent, with a total of 355,272 in the state last year...

...With about 318,000 licensees in 2014, the Class A license was the most popular in the state

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html

Massachusetts Population, 2014 estimate 6,745,408



If the Globe's figure are correct, ca. 4.7 % of Bay Staters (or 1 in 21) have a Class A (concealed carry) licenses. If Texas had as many in proportion, there would be 1,219,977 CHL holders there

[MannyGoldstein]

1. They're easy to get here

www.democraticunderground.com/10021003005

[friendly_iconoclast]

2. Much easier now than when you wrote that OP (2012)

They pretty much *have* to give you a Class A license now, if you pass the background checks
and the gun law tests. If you get turned down and fight it in court, chances are you'll
get your Class A.

Yet crime is still low, for the most part and I still don't fear my neighbors or worry who might be packing when I'm out and about.

(For those who wonder, I live and work in racially-mixed, decidedly non-affluent Boston suburbs

It's almost as if culture and socioeconomics had greater impacts on crime rates than gun
availability...