Western Colorado Town’s Strange Law Requires A Gun In Every Home

Gun laws in municipalities are not unusual, but this western Colorado gun law is extremely uncommon.

Gun Ownership On the Rise

Gun ownership in the United States seems to be on the rise, and according to a story in the New York Times, there is at least one gun in 40% of American homes. In Colorado, the number of armed households is a little higher at around 45%.

A Firearm For Every Household

There is a small western Colorado town of about 700 where owning a firearm is nothing new. It's been almost 10 years since the town of Nucla, located in Montrose County, passed what was known as the Family Protection Order. In 2013, the town board passed the order requiring the head of every household to own a firearm.

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Standing Up For Gun Rights

The ordinance didn't really change anything. There are a lot of hunters in Nucla, and nearly everyone in town already owned a gun. Montrose County Sheriff's Deputies had more important things to do than go door to door making sure every household was in compliance.

The ordinance was more symbolic than anything according to Richard Craig, one of the Nucla town board trustees. He told NBC News it all started as an off-hand remark when state lawmakers were considering stricter gun-control measures. It was the town's way of standing up for its right to bear arms.

One Dissenting Vote

The ordinance was passed on a 5-1 vote. The only dissenting vote belonged to trustee Bill Long, who said he had nothing against guns, but felt it was just as wrong for the government to mandate gun ownership as it would be for them to prohibit the ownership of firearms.

Nucla Has Other Gun Laws

The city code in Nucla requires anyone carrying a concealed weapon to have a conceal carry permit, and it is actually against the law to fire a gun within the city limits or "exhibit any such gun, pistol or firearm in a rude, angry or threatening manner."

While the town of Nucla may not be actively enforcing the gun ownership law, it's a pretty fair bet that most residents are going to have at least one gun in their house. Nucla may be the safest town in the country.