The Firearms Coverage Coalition (FPC) has launched its 2026 FPC State Freedom Index, which the group touts because the “most principled, clear, and unapologetic scorecard of gun rights in America.”
The index reveals the state of the regulation of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., as of the tip of 2025, giving gun house owners a single, clear instrument to see precisely how their state is failing them—and what to demand their elected officers repair. Designations included “Chad States,” 100%; “Freeish States,” 85-99%; “States of Confusion,” 70-84%; and “States of Catastrophe,” lower than 70%.
“The 2026 Index’s scores present that far too many states run by supposedly ‘pro-gun’ Republican leaders are failing their very own constituents, with solely Kansas and New Hampshire incomes an ideal 100% rating,” FPC wrote in a information launch saying the launch. “Shocking precisely nobody, California completed final at 4.55%. However the true disappointments? The so-called ‘Freedom State’ of Florida scored simply 81.82%. Ohio matched Florida’s poor efficiency. And Nebraska underwhelmed at simply 77.27%.”
FPC President Brandon Combs mentioned each state besides Kansas and New Hampshire has had ample alternative to succeed in 100%, however as an alternative, politicians in these states have chosen to not.
“That’s not a minor oversight—it’s a betrayal of the individuals and our basic rights,” Combs mentioned. “These states must get their act collectively and repair their legal guidelines to completely respect the fitting to maintain and bear arms.”
In keeping with FPC, the index provides gun house owners and elected officers one clear, constant reply to a easy query: Does your state respect the pure, pre-existing proper to maintain and bear arms? Not like rankings that depend on opaque methodologies or political favoritism, FPC says this index objectively evaluates all 50 states and Washington, D.C. throughout 22 particular sure/no standards in 4 classes—what are you able to legally personal, how will you get it, the place are you able to bear it, and different standards, together with preemption, registration, and extra.
Combs added that every one states needs to be free states, which is the purpose his group is working towards.
“There isn’t a excuse for unhealthy legal guidelines and no excuse for extra excuses from politicians,” Combs concluded. “Lookup your state. Discover out precisely how your authorities is failing you—then make your elected officers reply for it. Get to 100%.”
A deep dive into particular person states is an eye-opening endeavor I’d encourage readers to strive. My house state of Oklahoma is rated at 90.91%, placing it into the “Freeish State” class.
The 2 out of twenty-two classes that had been faulted by FPC’s index handled an age-based ban on the flexibility of 18- to 20-year-olds to amass a allow to hold a handgun in public for self-defense and a ban on carrying firearms at authorities buildings (aside from colleges, legislative/govt workplace buildings, courthouses/judicial places of work, jails/prisons, psychological well being services, and army installations) which are open to the general public.
On the different finish of the spectrum, California was solely greenlighted on one of many standards—the truth that it didn’t have a regulation limiting the acquisition or possession of physique armor by lawful residents. That earned the Golden State a “State of Catastrophe” distinction.
By the way, together with California, 12 different states had been ranked as “disasters,” together with New York, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington, Delaware, and Colorado.
