as 75% of the Canadian population lives within 160 kilos (100 miles) of the U.S. border... is that what accounts for the similar/like gun-culture attitude of Americans living within states bordering Canada? :mrgreen:
Go WAY back to the first of this thread and you'll find a comparison of similar states and provinces divided by only a border.
You might be surprised.
Leave out the American inner cities along the border and things look very different in comparison.
Here: I updated it for you:
I went looking to isolate two populations, as close as possible in population make-up, culture, etc, with the ONLY difference being gun control laws. I settled on the west, the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in Canada, and the three American states that border them, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. These seemed to be the best examples, as they are the two areas of Canada and the United States that are the most alike in population culture, etc., yet most different in gun legislation.
Let me lay it out for you.
In Canada, before you buy a long gun, you must pass a safety course, undergo an investigation, get references including your spouse, and obtain a license. Most military semi-autos are prohibited. Semi-auto rifles can only have magazines with 5 rounds
In these states, if you want the semi-auto version of the American military M-16, you walk into the gun store, put down your cash, buy the piece and as many 30 round magazines as you like. You wait a federally-mandated 7 days, and go get your rifle. No license, no registration, no course, any rifle is OK.
In Canada, the vast majority of handguns are prohibited. If you want a handgun, you must either be a collector, or a target shooter. Self-defense is NOT allowed. You must have a long gun license (see above), pass ANOTHER course, and register your pistol. You must belong to a gun club, and you are ONLY allowed to transfer the weapon back and forth from the club to home, it must be trigger locked, and in a locked case.
If you want a handgun in any of these states, it is exactly the same as the process for buying a military "assault" rifle in the Sates, as laid out above. No license, no registration, no course, no NOTHING. NO handguns are prohibited.
In Canada, getting a license to carry a handgun is practically impossible.
In these states, the gov't MUST give you a license to carry a handgun for self-defense if you don't have a criminal record. Montana requires NO license to carry concealed handguns outside city limits.
Just to make it clear, here are the ratings for the states given by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: Montana (F), North Dakota (F), Minnesota ( C)
Here are the homicide rates for the concerned areas, years 2009 to 2013 inclusive:
CANADA (per 100,000 per year)
Manitoba: 4.1
Saskatchewan: 3.1
Alberta: 2.3
UNITED STATES (per 100,000 per year)
Minnesota: 1.7
North Dakota: 2.5
Montana: 2.7
Not quite what you expected, huh?
Given some time, I am gonna do the other connecting states without large inner city problems.......Idaho, Washington State (vs BC) Vermont (vs Quebec), Maine (vs New Brunswick)...........stay tuned.
SOURCES
2013 State Scorecard | Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Murder Rates Nationally and By State | Death Penalty Information Center
Homicide offences, number and rate, by province and territory (Homicide rate)