When does a gun become a gun?

[OIS]

What if a citizen (Non CCW) wishes to transport a handgun in one's vehicle and does not want to go through the hassle of "Locked Boxes?" If one disassembles [field strips] the weapon and puts the parts in a cloth bag on the front seat of the vehicle . . . is that legal?

[Fjold]

The frame of a handun is always a handgun.

[jim2005]

I am just guessing here but I would think it would be considered a disassembled “gun”
I would think one would have to make it a nonfunctional gun to do what you are describing.

Disclaimer I am not a lawyer, or a cop and I don’t play one on TV

good luck

[G36 Steve]

Originally Posted by OIS

What if a citizen (Non CCW) wishes to transport a handgun in one's vehicle and does not want to go through the hassle of "Locked Boxes?" If one disassembles [field strips] the weapon and puts the parts in a cloth bag on the front seat of the vehicle . . . is that legal?

Sure as long as you have a lock on the "cloth bag".

You do not need a "locked box". A gun rug or a range bag with a small padlock will do. If it's concealed it must be unloaded and locked to lawfully transport it.

The frame is considered a gun.

[PUNK]

any type of firearm piece that has a serial number is a GUN. Therefore the bare stripped frame is a GUN and must have a lock on the bag/box/whatever you are transporting it in.

[EM2]

Is it not more of a hassle to dis-assemble a firearm than it is to lock it up???????

[rycerz]

Originally Posted by PUNK

any type of firearm piece that has a serial number is a GUN. Therefore the bare stripped frame is a GUN and must have a lock on the bag/box/whatever you are transporting it in.

Ummm you kind of overgeneralized it.. I have several firearms that have all components serialized with the same serial number. For the purposes of the handgun (with VERY few exceptions) the frame is considered to be the GUN portion.

As others said it's easy to transport them though: put it in something that you can lock with a lock. Can be as simple as a backpack where you can lock the zipper to so that the compartment does not open without a key or a combination.

[JackOfClubs]

Originally Posted by EM2

Is it not more of a hassle to dis-assemble a firearm than it is to lock it up???????

That was my question, too.

[RickD6023]

Wasn't disassembly the Washington DC solution to keeping a handgun in the home for self defense?

[spc]

Some of those funky locks are such junk that they might just take longer than as quick reassembly.

spc

[DVSmith]

Originally Posted by spc

Some of those funky locks are such junk that they might just take longer than as quick reassembly.

spc

Assuming the barrel doesn't roll under the seat when you stop and/or accelerate. Then fumbling around to find it would be a bit inconvenient.

I would have to agree with what I believe is the general consensus so far; a that a locked gun rug would be the most practical.

[nosmatt]

i was told just two days ago (by a ccw instructor, and sheriff), an unloaded firearm on your passengers seat is legal, as long as it is unloaded, and most importantly, not concealed.

i still would not do it though.

plenty of good advice above. just passing along. has not been long enough for me to forget. i had no clue it was legal prior to last sunday.

[rycerz]

Originally Posted by nosmatt

i was told just two days ago (by a ccw instructor, and sheriff), an unloaded firearm on your passengers seat is legal, as long as it is unloaded, and most importantly, not concealed.

i still would not do it though.

plenty of good advice above. just passing along. has not been long enough for me to forget. i had no clue it was legal prior to last sunday.

It gets more complicated then that.... IIRC if you choose to go that route then:
1. Expect to get harassed (equal to the open carry folks)
2. Expect to make sure that you don't travel too close to schools and so on...

there's more to that... so...... lets go back to square one: lock it up and keep it simple.

[Hogxtz]

A little off topic but as far as receivers go, when I researched the purchase of my AR-15, I learned that the lower receiver with the SERIAL NUMBER is always considered the gun, even when stripped down. And, if the lower stripped receiver has the extra hole drilled for the sear pin that converts it to automatic, than just mere possesion of the stripped lower receiver is still considered possesion of a machine gun,(hence, federal prison time). You cant go wrong by just locking your hand gun in a box for transport by someone who has no permit.

[akulahawk]

Though some transport methods mentioned are legal... we here at CalCCW prefer the safer legal method... the locked container. It's well understood by LE, and avoids problems with school zones that you might have to pass through on the way to the range or wherever you might need to go...