NH "loaded" rifle in car?

[JonathanE]

The NH Supreme court recently ruled that a handgun, with an empty chamber and a detached, full magazine, is not "loaded". This allows residents who do not have a "Pistol/ Revolver Licence" (our absurd name for a CCP), to have a full magazine in their car or on their person with an empty handgun.
Reading the law, however, I realized that I may have been under a misconception regarding long arms. I had always believed that, in NH, one could not have a loaded rifle/ shotgun in a car, and that rounds in a detached magazine meant "loaded". It seems however, that the long arms are covered under a different statute (one under Fish and Game), and that "unloaded" has always meant chamber empty/ detached magazine full.
Am I seeing this correctly? Can a NH resident drive with an empty rifle and a full magazine?
I'll feel dumb knowing how many times I've unloaded magazines before driving to or from the range or hunting areas so that I don't have a "loaded" rifle in my car!

 

[Ex-MA Hole]

I've never heard this before. I always load mags before I go. It is my understanding that as long as they are not in the long arm, the said long arm in unloaded.

 

[Nar]

in my understanding of the law (from when i was taught at a hunting summer camp in my youth) was that ammunition could not be in contact with the firearm, a loaded detached magazine was permitted so long as it was not "touching" the firearm itself.

 

[Ryanxia]

It's the understanding of local LEO's I've talked to as well as what I was told during my CCW course that as long as the magazine is not attached you're ok. Of course if you were concerned you could always get your CCW that would allow you to have a loaded pistol and just carry a pistol AR (pistol buffer tube instead of stock) and you're good.