Montana Cops Can Confiscate Your Guns for a Very Specific Reason

If you have spent any time in Montana, it is clear that we are big fans of the 2nd Amendment. Yet, the debate on gun control continues even in Big Sky Country.

As a Montanan and an avid outdoorsman, you can probably guess which side of the argument I lean on. Montana is a community engulfed in gun culture. In fact, Montana has narrowly beaten Wyoming in gun ownership numbers for 2023.

According to World Population Review

For the purpose of this article, we’re focusing on the total percentage of gun ownership in relation to the state’s population. Based on this, the state of Montana has the highest gun ownership rate, with 66.3% of adults owning a gun. Wyoming closely follows at 66.2%, with Alaska in third at 64.5%.

 

I was raised around guns and taught to respect them. Just like I do with my son, and I know he will do with his. The gun debate isn't a new thing. It goes back generations. I still have my grandfather's shotgun, which he ordered from a SEARS catalog at the turn of the century. Sometimes my son asks if we can pull it off the mantel to admire it, and when I do, he holds it like he just got handed the Holy Grail. He respects guns and I can proudly say he is great with gun safety.

Even with Montana being the "gun-loving" state that it is, did you know that Montana is also one of the 32 states that can confiscate your guns?

It's true that Montana is one of the 32 states that can legally confiscate your guns, regardless of your federally protected 2nd amendment right. But, before you get too fired up about it, read below on the reason why the state has this right.

According to 247 Wall Street

In the absence of federally backed enforcement protocols, many states have enacted their own policies that not only mandate but also ensure that certain individuals give up their guns. Depending on the circumstances, state and local law enforcement in some parts of the country can confiscate an individual’s firearms for months or even years at a time. Of the 32 states on this list, the majority have enacted a set of laws known as extreme risk protection orders, or ERPOs. ERPO laws temporarily remove firearm access for persons showing clear warning signs of violence.

 

Some people will still see this as stripping away of our rights as American citizens. Yet, the reason behind the policy is safety and prevention of harm to others. It makes sense to confiscate guns from someone who is threatening to harm other people. To argue that is just dumb. Law-abiding gun owners need not worry that the state of Montana is going to kick down your door and steal your guns.