Living and Shooting In Minnesota

M

Master Blaster

New member
Do any of you TFLers live in Minnesota?

I am considering relocating there and would like to hear any opinions, from a handgun perspective, cost of living crime schools etc.

Thanks

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Master Blaster
 
Handguns: not hard to buy from FFL or private party, hard to get a carry permit in the south

Clas III: C&R only

A few ranges here, not many but enough

Hunting is a big activity, excersizing the 2nd isn't.

Crime is OK except in Mpls/St.Paul

High state taxes

Where are you moving from?

I recommend NRA site for laws...
 
I would be moving to minneapolis St Paul area, My ne employer would be in the Suburbs
Bloomington Minnesota.

I now live in Philadelphia, DE actually.

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Master Blaster
 
Hi there, I live in Bloomington now. Good place to live except that we are home to the over-rated Mall of America.

Buying firearms is a relatively painless process. As of right now, you need to apply for a "permit to purchase a handgun" from your local police authority. They take about 7 days to process the application and then send you the permit to buy. By the way, you don't need this for most long arms purchases. This permit is good for one year. Then at the gunshop when you want to buy, they need your permit to buy, liscence, and then also run you through the NICS check. If you don't run into a delay with the NICS, you're out the door with your new gun. However, I still wonder why the heck I need to get a permit to purhcase from the local police when I am subjected to an instant background check anyways.

As for the cost of living, it's not too shabby. Most prices are reasonable, except for gas of course. Crime really isn't much of an issue these days. The whole "Murderapolis" thing is in the past. Violent crime is actually down in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. As a side note, Minneapolis' mayor (Sharon Sayles-Belton) and police chief (Robert Olson?) are very anti-gun. But the St. Paul mayor (Norm Coleman) and police chief (William Finney) are much more pro-gun and can often be spotted at gun shows. Norm Coleman was behind the most recent failed attempt to pass a CCW reform law in this state.

Let's see, as Oleg stated hunting is big, but exercising the 2nd Amendment isn't. This has to be one of the states with the most liberal gun owners in the nation. You always hear the "I'm for guns for hunting and sport shooting.....but handguns are only for killing people and should only be had by cops.....blah blah.....who needs M16's or high capacity mags...blah blah blah..." Eventually you get used to hearing this and it won't get to you after a while.

Oh, and our governor is a total bafoon and media whore, but he's good for a few laughs at least once a week when he makes his weekly "make an ass of myself" activity or statement.
 
This is the state of Hubert H. Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and others like them. If you bring your car it will take a few weeks to break it in. Most cars only make LEFT turns.
One of the highest taxed states in the nation.
Shooting isn't bad. Plenty of casino's. Rent average but low compared to New York City. Gas right now is $1.49 a gallon for unleaded. So-so cafe's, Mall of America grows boring real quick. Mexican population is exploding, largest Somolian population in the country, and second in Hmong. Metro area about 1.5 million and 10 counties large. 10 lakes just inside Mpls city limits and Mississippi River. Fishing is #1 sport. Great camping within an hour or so of Metro area.
 
What does a 4 bedroom house within an hour drive of Bloomington, with some land go for these days? Are the Schools any good?

Can I buy a house in the wilderness (ha Ha) or at least in the outskirts of the BURBs for a reasonable price?

How are the property taxes?
Thanks
 
Chief Finney seems pretty cool: a gunnie and a biker from what I can tell. I run into him in gun store occasionally.
 
"you need to apply for a "permit to purchase a handgun" from your local police authority. "

Shaking my head in dismay...what in the world have we come to? :(
 
Chief Finney "Corky" appears pro gun but don't believe it. We have more trouble with his department in obtaining permits than most. He is much like Gov. Ventura. " I got mine you get yours." attitude.
 
master blaster, the twin cities metro is a great place to live. lots to do and see. housing is fairly affordable, you can find quite a few 3-4 bedroom homes, new and fairly new, in most suburbs with prices from 110,000 on up. i live in a northwest suburb and have a 4bdr 2bath 4level home that i bought for around 130,000. restaurants are fairly reasonable, as well as entertainment.
there is lots of shooting events going on, but most ranges are private and hard to get into for non-event shooting. crime is fairly low in the suburbs, but like most everywhere else has the usual problems. bloomington is in the south metro and a nice place to live.
good hwy access, and good schools. bloomington is also known for lots of large corporate computer employers. i'm a full time leo, and run a self defense/firearms training business on the side. i get to see lots of stuff on crime, and this is definately a nice metro area compared to some other metropolis's around the country.
i can send you a list of shooting events if you like.
 
About a half hour south of Bloomington, on I35, there are several small, but growing, towns with lots of new zoned real-estate (that matters, since you won't have to push & pay for a zoning change if you buy up some farmland).
Towns like New Prague, Lonsdale, Faribault (Fare-bow), Northfield, Dundas, Dennison, Hastings, Hampton, Farmington, Cannon Falls.....
In pretty much all of those towns a 4br. 2bth. on 1/4 to 1/3 acre is about $100,000-$125,000. You can pay more, you can pay less.
Northfield, Hastings and Farmington are at the upper end, the other's are in the lower end.
The house I grew up in, 1962 Rambler-style w/basement, 4br. 2bth. garage, finished basement on a third acre was appraised at $98,000 in 1995.
Hope this helped, -Kframe
 
Minnesota is a wonderful state. I find the political climate very liberal and taxes obscene, but the folks wonderful. I am missing a big gun show I am told at the State Fair Grounds in St. Paul.
Carry permits are difficult but not always impossible.
 
All the above posts tell it accurately. However, you aren't bound to encounter the Minnesotan "Yaaaahhhh....." popularized in the movie 'Fargo' too often in the metro area (I only know a coworker who does it). Maybe farther north (have some relatives about an hour north of Minneapolis who could have served as linguistic trainers for the cast).
In regard to schools...Hmmmm. Been some time since I was in the public school system. If spending was an indicator of quality, it could be rated quite highly (one-third of state's budget goes to education). But that factoid really does say little. I guess they are okay, but may have the standard nonsense that creeps into the classrooms.
I'm glad to see a number of TFLers are Minnesotans. It's nifty, oh you betcha!
 
When I feel bad about political climate I go up north. Much nicer people there, with more guns. Pity about the alcohol fumes blanketing Grand Rapids though...

Part that gets me about this state is the "2nd Amendment will protect my deer rifle here" mentality. People who own more guns than I do look at me like I am nuts for worrying.
 
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