CA legal - SKS in trunk okay?

[dave3006]

I read that rifles and shotguns are exept from the loaded and concealed gun laws in CA. If a person had an unloaded SKS rifle locked in a container in the trunk on a permanent basis, would this be illegal? The ammo would be locked in a separate container.

The idea is to find a legal way to have a gun fairly close on a daily basis without breaking the law.

Any legal scholars out there?

 

[dav]

Within the limits of my understanding, you have it (almost) correct.

You can keep a legal, unloaded rifle in your trunk anytime, anywhere (except perhaps school grounds or other "forbidden" areas). It is even exempt from the "in a locked container" rule. In fact, it doesn't have to be in your trunk.

California DOJ says (quote):

Nonconcealable firearms (rifles and shotguns) are not generally covered within the provisions of California Penal Code section 12025 and therefore are not required to be transported in a locked container. However, as with any firearm, nonconcealable firearms must be unloaded while they are being transported. A rifle or shotgun that is considered an assault weapon in California must be transported in accordance with Penal Code section 12026.1.

Summary of Cal DOJ rulings

 

[larryw]

I think dav hit that one. Also, don't forget that any attached ammo turns the rifle/shotgun into a "loaded weapon": so keep the buttcuffs, slings with ammo tabs, ammo storage in butt, etc. empty.

I keep an M6 in my evil SUV at all times; ammo (22 Hornet and 410ga) is kept in the same (soft) case. I choose to keep it locked.

 

[alcmaeon]

As mentioned earlier, watch yourself around a school, and there are probably other spots you can't take them. Seems I read that in California you can't posses a firearm within 1000 feet of a school, anybody know if that is true?

 

[mylesd]

I heard that in California, you can only have a gun if you are enclosed in a solid steel box 100 feet underground and totally isolated from the rest of the state and you can't have any hi cap mags in the gun but you can own them... evil guns cause crime...

 

[larryw]

I read that in California you can't posses a firearm within 1000 feet of a school

Only references I see in the text of the laws relate to possession of guns and ammmo on school grounds (don't!), nothing with regards to public or private property surrounding a school.

Such a law would make things kinda hard for a shooting buddy of mine who lives across the street from my kid's school.

 

[PrudentGT]

Before SB23, all longarms in Kalifonia were defined as 'inherently legal weapons' in statute. Now that we have 23, so long as it isn't a so-called 'assault weapon,' it's still an 'inherently legal weapon,' and you can transport it anywhere, for any reason, either concealed or unconcealed -- it doesn't matter if it's in your back seat with a towel thrown over it. You can't be on school grounds with it and it can't be loaded -- in KA, if the DA wanted to hurt you, having a loose round lying next to the weapon or having a loaded magazine could be prosecuted as having a 'loaded weapon.' Keep longarm and ammo strictly segregated.

 

[Amadeus]

I back that up. If you feel you must keep a rifle in your vehicle then keep it in your trunk and seperate from any and all ammo.

If you get stopped then for GOD'S SAKE don't do anything to make Mr. Lawman nervous.

I gotta tell you though. The idea of keeping firearms in the car --- not very comforting. Your car is not always under your control and is susceptible to theft and burglary. If some gremlin decides he likes your car better than he likes his car or if he "goes shopping" through your vehicle then you're out a rifle and the badguy has just gained a nice SKS with which he can go out and behave in irresponsible ways thus further tarnishing the reputation of law abiding gun owners AND their guns -- especially the oh so "evil" SKS.

So is it legal? Sure. Recommended? I say give it some serious thought.