Even Massachusetts is seeing big CHL type increases.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... te/?page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As a Mass native, I found this trend quite heartening that CHL type
licenses are surging in popularity.

A Mass Type "A" license equates to a Texas CHL.
But if you get a Type B, it's useless for self defense because you are
only allowed to carry your gun locked in a box in the trunk of your car.

For comparison purposes:
Texas has ~ 314,500 CHL's as of 12/31/09, out of a state population of 22,000,000.
So about 1 in every 70 Texans has a CHL.

Mass has 224,000 Type A handgun licenses, but a state population of only ~ 6,200,000.
So about 1 in every 27 Bay Sate residents has a Type A pistol permit. To tell you the
truth this figure must be wrong, because I don't see Mass having such a larger share of
its residents having Type A's.

Although Mass may be issuing the Type A permits in significant numbers for a
"may issue" state, the weak part of the 2A equation is that Mass LEO's are more
inclined to think anyone with a gun is a criminal, and self-defense is not as strongly
endorsed by the Mass legal system.

[joe817]

Very interesting post SIA, thanks! I'm surprised that MA has a larger per captia ratio of CHL's than Texas.

One minor clarification though...not that it matters. The Texas stats you quoted. The actual numbers are at 12/31/08 total license holders in Texas was 316,085. DPS hasn't gotten around to publishing numbers for 2009, which is disappointing.