CT members: need CCW permit to go to range?

[Monkeyleg]

I was just talking today to the owner of a gun shop in Connecticut. While we were talking, I was going through their website.

I pointed out what I thought was an error on their page for their gun range. It said that anyone bringing a gun to their range must have a CT carry permit. I thought it meant that anyone wearing a gun when they come to the range needed a permit.

The owner said, no, a permit is required when transporting a gun--loaded, cased, or not--to and from a range.

Can this really be true?

 

[El Tejon]

Can be.

You may also find that it is true in other states. *ahem*

 

[juggler]

2002 Connecticut Firearms Laws (Issued by the CT State Police) Sec. 29-35 allows transportation to a range for

"formal pistol or revolver training"

The double quote is to indicate that it is as written (in quotes) in this section. They get into the means of transporting a firearm to the range, etc.

You may want to go to Packing.org or call the State Police yourself, but my understanding is that you are allowed to transport firearms to/from a specific training area such as a private club or firing range, as long as you jump through the hoops of keeping the firearm and ammo separate, abide by the areas you may and may not store said firearms and ammo, and whether your outfit is coordinated with said firearm……

What part of the state was this range…….sounds familiar.

 

[Gray Peterson]

read "formal". If you're attending a training course, it's ok. If you're just shooting guns at the range, that isn't "formal training".

Get a a pistol/revolver license, ASAP.

 

[model 649]

Interesting, technically, in Michigan, one needs a "hunting and target" permit to take a handgun outside of one's home. That said, the LEO's I have spoken with stated that they wouldn't have much problem if the person is headed directly to or from a legitimate range and the handgun was being transported in the locked trunk of a car, unloaded, with the ammo in a separate container. Of course, being a "butthead" wouldn't help one's case (so one should not draw the attention of L.E. in the first place). Sounds like a similar situation in CT. Best to check with your local authorities as mentioned above, and don't forget names, dates, and times of those Q and A sessions.
$.02
Josh

 

[Gray Peterson]

Not anymore in Michigan. They passed HB6337 back in 2003, which is called the "Vear Transportation Bill"

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

The Prudent Action is to Get a Permit

1. Go to www.packing.org and get the number for Ralph Sherman, who is the attorney who set up Gunsafe. He will be able to give you the straight skinny and the CT page on packing will tell you how to get the permit.

2. Having said that and saying that I am not a lawyer, my understanding is that, technically as noted above, if you are going to a formal course you don't need a permit to carry. I have heard several different versions of this and advice to keep the handgun in the trunk separate from the ammo. This, however, is a technicality and it was never presented to me that just "going to the range" was covered. You are best off getting the permit so there is no question about it.

3. Just FYI until they passed the Certificate of Possession law (sorta like NYC you have to have one to own a handgun in CT unless you have a carry permit) the law stated that you had to have a carry permit to carry a handgun outside of your own home, even in your own yard, on your own property. I just mention that so you can get a feeling for the thoughts of the legislature behind the law.

 

[alsipd]

In Massachusetts you NEED a Class A License to Carry to own a gun that will hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Yes I said OWN a gun, not carry it!

This state is so messed up! :banghead:

 

[Smiley]

It is my belief and interprataton of the law that you are not required to have a carry permit to transport a pistol to a firearms event. But it has to be directly to and from. However, it is far easier and safer to possess the permit then to explain to an officer of the law and anyone else who doesn't understand or interperet the law like this.
Was this range New England Outfitters or Blue Trails?

 

[Monkeyleg]

Smiley, it was Forest And Field Outdoor in Norwalk.

The woman there (Sarah?) seemed to be very knowledgeable on the subject. Or could it be that they've just been hassled to the point where that's their policy?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The Connecticut permit is not a CCW permit. It is a handgun permit. You need it any time you carry a handgun off your own property.

 

[Vodka7]

The Connecticut permit is not a CCW permit. It is a handgun permit. You need it any time you carry a handgun off your own property.

Sorry, that couldn't be more wrong... Unless you meant to say that it does not function *only* as a CCW permit. According to the Connecitcut Board of Firearms Permit Examiners FAQ page:

"Q36. Does my permit to carry pistols and revolvers permit me to carry on my person?

A. Yes. However, mature judgment dictates that every effort should be made to make sure that no gun is exposed to view or carried in any manner that would tend to alarm people who see it. When your gun becomes visible so as to cause alarm, and the police are called, your permit to carry is placed in jeopardy of revocation."

Sounds like concealed carry to me. Perhaps you were confusing it with our equally expensive, much more restrictive Eligibility Certificate (which, as I understand it, basically entitles you to buy a gun, take it home, and never ever remove it from your home again.)

To the original poster:

"Q41. May I carry (or transport) handguns between my home and a gun club or to a commercial shooting range, without having a permit to carry pistols and revolvers?

A. No. A felony prosecution and conviction are risked whenever a handgun is carried (or transported) without a permit, outside of the exemptions provided for in Section 29-35."

Things you are also not allowed to do without a permit: carry outside of your house, transport the gun to a business you own, and buy a pistol.

Lots of good reading material to consider:

http://www.ct.gov/bfpe/site/default.asp