Traveling Discreetly In California

[The Undertaker]

Hi all,

I currently own two shotguns and, with my 21st birthday fast approaching, plan on purchasing a pistol. An AR is further down the road.

I frequently travel by foot or public transportation. I have found that my soft and hard cases (Eagle and Pelican, respectively) are still frowned upon by the public. I seek to avoid attention while in transit, either from law enforcement or uninformed citizens.

I plan on using a repurposed SLR camera soft case for my sidearm and a repurposed guitar hard case (lockable) for my future rifle. Is this legal, or do cases used to house firearms must "look the part" in California?

 

[shockwave]

I have found that my soft and hard cases (Eagle and Pelican, respectively) are still frowned upon by the public.

So? Let them frown.

 

[hacksaw]

Get a hard shell guitar case

 

[The Bushmaster]

Shades of mofia and a "violin case"...

 

[Art Eatman]

Nobody here at THR has ever mentioned any legal requirement as to the size and shape of a gun case in California, so it's likely there is none. In eight years, I'd figure that it would have been mentioned if such did exist.

As long as you're legal in your possession and carry, IMO you're good to go--locked cases, etc.

 

[Trebor]

Check with Calguns.net

I know I've heard something about Cali law saying that a firearms case must obviously be designed to look like a firearms case. I don't know though if that was proposed law that never passed or actual law.

 

[vanagon40]

Some confusion may arise because California law does prohibit "any camouflaging firearm container . . . ." Cal. P.C. § 12020(a)(1).

However, the very specific definition of a "camouflaging firearm container" states:

As used in this section, a “camouflaging firearm container” means a container which meets all of the following criteria:

(A) It is designed and intended to enclose a firearm.

(B) It is designed and intended to allow the firing of the enclosed firearm by external controls while the firearm is in the container.

(C) It is not readily recognizable as containing a firearm.

“Camouflaging firearm container” does not include any camouflaging covering used while engaged in lawful hunting or while going to or returning from a lawful hunting expedition.

P.C. § 12020(c)(9).

Subsection (B) would clearly eliminate guitar cases, etc., as "camouflaging firearm containers."

I was unable to locate any other statute regulating gun cases, but I made a very limited search.

 

[Jon_Snow]

Vanagon is correct. So long as you don't set it up so you can shoot the guns from inside the cases you will be fine. May sure you always lock the pistol case, otherwise you can be charged with carrying a concealed weapon. The long-guns do not have to be locked from a legal standpoint. This could all change with the upcoming ban on unloaded open carry. Pick up a copy of "How to Own a Gun and Stay Out of Jail" if you want a good layman's explanation of Ca's goofy gun laws.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Happy Reading!

http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/dwcl/12020.php