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gun laws across the country?

ksmbutt

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I'm planning on taking a road trip across the country with my girlfriend in the fall and I want to keep something small in the car in case of emergencies, but I'm concerned about the gun laws in each state. I'm considering getting a CCL and have read the list of states that recognize GWLs. We'll be going driving in a pretty much straight line up to Washington, then south to California, then back to Georgia.

My main concern is California. I did some light reading on California gun laws so I bought a lock box to put my handgun in. If I store it with ammunition, is that legal and if I get pulled over and tell the officer I have a gun, are they gonna put me in handcuffs?

I would love some advice about this
 
In CA, your pistol must be unloaded and locked in a container during transport. Your trunk counts as a locked container if not readily accessible from the passenger cabin. Glove box and console are NO GO and considered part of the passenger compartment. Also remember that you cannot bring magazines with greater than 10 round capacity into the state.
I am not a lawyer and this obviously isn't legal advice, this is just my understanding having lived in CA for several years.
 
In CA, your pistol must be unloaded and locked in a container during transport. Your trunk counts as a locked container if not readily accessible from the passenger cabin. Glove box and console are NO GO and considered part of the passenger compartment. Also remember that you cannot bring magazines with greater than 10 round capacity into the state.
I am not a lawyer and this obviously isn't legal advice, this is just my understanding having lived in CA for several years.

Thanks for the input, that helps a lot. does unloaded just mean no rounds in the magazine/chamber? in other words, do i have to put the ammo/magazines in containers separate from the handgun itself?
 
Thanks for the input, that helps a lot. does unloaded just mean no rounds in the magazine/chamber? in other words, do i have to put the ammo/magazines in containers separate from the handgun itself?
Unloaded means no rounds in the gun itself. While it's certainly legal for you to store a loaded magazine next to your unloaded gun in a locked container, how hard would it be for a cop to insert the magazine, charge you, and then arrest you in a battle of "he said she said"? AFAIK, you don't have to lock up your ammo in CA, just the gun. Again, I am not a lawyer and they law may have changed - goodness knows Kalifornistan loves putting new gun laws on the books every session to turn otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals overnight.
 
Unloaded means no rounds in the gun itself. While it's certainly legal for you to store a loaded magazine next to your unloaded gun in a locked container, how hard would it be for a cop to insert the magazine, charge you, and then arrest you in a battle of "he said she said"? AFAIK, you don't have to lock up your ammo in CA, just the gun. Again, I am not a lawyer and they law may have changed - goodness knows Kalifornistan loves putting new gun laws on the books every session to turn otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals overnight.

Couldn't agree more. The hoops that they make you go through are crazy. I remember having to do the same thing last year when traveling through their.

I used a great hard case by the manufacturer "Bulldog" that has a slim profile and is lockable that will hold a small to medium size carry gun along with your magazine and a few other oddball items. Hope this helps.
 
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