Colorado Car Gun Question

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TimM

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I know that in the state of Colorado it is legal to carry a handgun in your vehicle even if you are not a CCW holder. Is it legal to carry a long gun (rifle or shotgun) in your vehicle if you are a CCW holder? If you are not a CCW holder?

I can't seem find the answer to this via my own searching.
 
You can carry a handgun however you want in a vehicle, even without a CCW.
A long gun in the vehicle, with or without a permit, may be loaded but not have a round in the chamber (something quirky that has to do with hunting laws).

You can OC in CO without any permits or whatnot unless you're in the Denver area where OC is banned.
But, car carry rules are still the same.
 
Yep, long guns have to be not-chambered condition. In the case of muzzleloaders, that means NOTHING in the gun. :)
 
I guess I could look up the exact laws for citation, but I'm not feeling all that motivated after three midterms. Maybe later if someone else doesn't do it.
 
Yep, long guns can be carried in a vehicle loaded, but the chamber has to be empty. Too many accidents from people pulling a rifle/shotgun out of a vehicle and catching the trigger on something. I know some folks that lost a son that way.
 
If I remember correctly it's specifically aimed at poaching.
I could be wrong but that's how I remember it.
 
In the case of muzzleloaders, that means NOTHING in the gun.
__________________
09 regs still state no cap, primer, or powder in the flash pan to constitute an unloaded ML.
I don't know if what little regulations Co. has on firearms in vehicles is due to poaching but I'm pretty sure the ATV regs came from shooting off the vehicle.
 
it's specifically aimed at poaching.
They don't want hunters hunting from vehicles or roads.

In the case of muzzleloaders, that means NOTHING in the gun.

From the DoW brochure:
IT’S AGAINST THE LAW TO:
1. Have a loaded (in the chamber) rifle or shotgun in or on a motor vehicle,
including a motorcycle. Muzzleloading rifles are considered unloaded if the
percussion cap or shotshell primer is removed
, or if powder is removed
from the flashpan.
5. Shoot from ... a motor vehicle, motorcycle, off-highway vehicle,
snowmobile or aircraft...
15. Shoot from, across or on a public road with a firearm, bow or crossbow.
 
Thanks guys,

So... if the above is indeed correct, it is legal to have a long gun as a "car gun" as long as there is no round chambered?
 
Yup.
I used to carry a mauser/12ga in the trunk as a car gun until I got my pistol.

Still do it every so often.
 
I doubt it has anything to do with poaching, since you can quickly chamber a round from the loaded magazine and still poach the animal. I do believe it is a DOW based law though. My bet is on the safety issue. Believe it or not, people really will grab their rifle or shotgun by the barrel and drag it out of the back seat. Loaded chamber, trigger snags on something, BOOM! Or the person grabs the trigger when they grab the rifle/shotgun to pull it out, BOOM!

Dumbazzes will be dumbazzes.
 
I've been pulled over with a gun in plain view, exactly twice. One was with a long gun, the other a handgun. The long gun was unloaded, and the officer asked to make sure that it was. The handgun was loaded, but the officer didn't care one way or the other. He just told me not to grab it while he conducted the traffic stop.
 
I got pulled over with my pistol in the passenger seat in plain view when I was off to go meet with my girlfriend and her parents.

Cop didn't even bat an eye at it.
 
I got pulled over with my pistol in the passenger seat in plain view when I was off to go meet with my girlfriend and her parents.

Cop didn't even bat an eye at it.

And that's pretty much the norm so long as you don't look to be up to no good.
 
Okay, I'll chime in here with the entire text of the statute that covers concealed carry in vehicles, just as it seems like a good place to start with this discussion:

"18-12-105. Unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon - unlawful possession of weapons.

(1) A person commits a class 2 misdemeanor if such person knowingly and unlawfully:
(a) Carries a knife concealed on or about his or her person; or
(b) Carries a firearm concealed on or about his or her person;
(c) Without legal authority, carries, brings, or has in such person's possession a firearm or any explosive, incendiary, or other dangerous device on the property of or within any building in which the chambers, galleries, or offices of the general assembly, or either house thereof, are located, or in which a legislative hearing or meeting is being or is to be conducted, or in which the official office of any member, officer, or employee of the general assembly is located.
(d) (Deleted by amendment, L. 93, p. 964, § 1, effective July 1, 1993.)

(2) It shall not be an offense if the defendant was:

(a) A person in his or her own dwelling or place of business or on property owned or under his or her control at the time of the act of carrying; or
(b) A person in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance who carries a weapon for lawful protection of such person's or another's person or property while traveling; or
(c) A person who, at the time of carrying a concealed weapon, held a valid written permit to carry a concealed weapon issued pursuant to section 18-12-105.1, as it existed prior to its repeal, or, if the weapon involved was a handgun, held a valid permit to carry a concealed handgun or a temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to part 2 of this article; except that it shall be an offense under this section if the person was carrying a concealed handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-214; or
(d) A peace officer, as described in section 16-2.5-101, C.R.S., when carrying a weapon in conformance with the policy of the employing agency as provided in section 16-2.5-101 (2), C.R.S.; or
(e) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2003, p. 1624, § 46, effective August 6, 2003.)
(f) A United States probation officer or a United States pretrial services officer while on duty and serving in the state of Colorado under the authority of rules and regulations promulgated by the judicial conference of the United States.

Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 482, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-12-105. L. 73: p. 683, § 3. L. 77: (2)(c) amended and (2)(d) added, p. 976, § 8, effective July 1. L. 81: (2)(c) amended, p. 1437, § 3, effective June 8. L. 86: (2)(d) amended and (2)(e) added, p. 774, § 2, effective July 1. L. 89: (1)(d) added, p. 911, § 1, effective April 15. L. 93: Entire section amended, p. 964, § 1, effective July 1. L. 94: (2)(e) amended and (2)(f) added, p. 647, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2000: IP(2) amended, p. 1009, § 1, effective August 2. L. 2003: (2)(c) amended, p. 648, § 3, effective May 17; (2)(d) and (2)(e) amended, p. 1624, § 46, effective August 6.

Cross references: For affirmative defenses generally, see §§ 18-1-407, 18-1-710, and 18-1-805."





As the others have mentioned, the DOW has rules regarding the transportation of weapons in vehicles, but I'm not sure if these statutes would be enforceable against persons who were not engaged in hunting-related activities. The statute text doesn't say anything specifically about this being an issue only for hunters, however the text of the law does seem to be geared towards hunters:


"33-6-125. Possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.

It is unlawful for any person, except a person authorized by law or by the division, to possess or have under his control any firearm, other than a pistol or revolver, in or on any motor vehicle unless the chamber of such firearm is unloaded. Any person in possession or in control of a rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle shall allow any peace officer, as defined in section 33-1-102 (32), who is empowered and acting under the authority granted in section 33-6-101 to enforce articles 1 to 6 of this title to inspect the chamber of any rifle or shotgun in the motor vehicle. For the purposes of this section, a "muzzle-loader" shall be considered unloaded if it is not primed, and, for such purpose, "primed" means having a percussion cap on the nipple or flint in the striker and powder in the flash pan. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of fifty dollars and an assessment of fifteen license suspension points.

Source: L. 84: Entire article R&RE, p. 876, § 1, effective January 1, 1985."




Regardless, you can carry a long gun in a vehicle with a loaded magazine, even if CRS 33-6-125 does preclude you from having a round in the chamber. As a matter of personal opinion here, I don't see any reason to keep a long gun chambered in a vehicle (we don't even do so in LE).
 
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