would this method work for carrying to the range?

[b__josh]

hey... this is how i intended to carry my pistol and ammo to the range. please let me know if there are any problems with what you think i want to do.

the pistol will be locked with a CA approved cable lock, while its locked it will be placed in it's regular no lock blue case. the pistol/case will then be placed inside a military surplus ammo can along with ammo.

once the ammo can is closed it can be locked via loop in the lid by a regular key lock.

then once everything is locked up i'm transporting it to the range in the locked trunk of my car.

now is everything i plan on doing sounds reasonable enough and safe for to and from the range? this is my first pistol and want to make sure i'm doing everything in a legal manner as well as safe practices.

please let me know. thanks.

[RT13]

The fact that the ammo and pistol are in the same container makes it a violation of transporting a firearm. The law states that the ammo and firearm should be completely seperated or in separate compartments ie gun in car, and ammo in trunk, or vice versa.

[WRENCHHEAD]

wow that sounds like over kill!

for me i just keep a big lockable storage box and pad lock in my trunk. when i load up i just put my whole range bag in there and lock the whole thing up.

[mothergreen]

when I first started shooting I was concerned about them cable locks.. after a few times using the "universal key" at the range I dumped them silly things. put the ammo in the back and the guns in the front or something like that. that oughta be fine.

[hoffmang]

The fact that the ammo and pistol are in the same container makes it a violation of transporting a firearm. The law states that the ammo and firearm should be completely seperated or in separate compartments ie gun in car, and ammo in trunk, or vice versa.

This is not the law at all. I suggest you go to the Penal Code and find it because it isn't there.

However, back to OP's question. I don't think that would suffice for a locked container. You could use the cable lock to lock the zippers on the bag together and that would be legal.

-Gene

[sloguy]

i believe the pistol has to be locked up and the loaded magazines must be in a seperate container. i thought ammo, empty mags and pistol all locked up together was ok.

i aslo thought the trunk was a locked container, so a pistol with empty mags and ammo doesnt have to be locked when its in the trunk.

in the past when ive been stopped and the cop went thru my stuff he told me that a backpack with no locks with a pistol in one pocket and loaded mags in another pocket was ok because the loaded mags were in a seperate container from the pistol. and that the trunk was the locked container. was he correct?

[bobfried]

As a rule I keep ammo and mags in an ammo can everything else in either a range bag or a gun case. Has nothing to do with trying to be extra law-abiding but more to do with making sure my guns don't get damage if the ammo somehow goes off and pop primers everywhere.

[hoffmang]

Sigh. This is going to be this weeks "loaded" disinformation thread...

People v. Clark is the current legal interpretation of "loaded." Loaded means what it means to the average joe - it doesn't mean loaded magazines as long as those magazines are not in the mag well.

The transport requirement is either unloaded and in plain view or in a locked container unloaded where the glove box is not a locked container but an enclosed trunk is.

I would suggest this as well:

-Gene

[zefflyn]

hey... this is how i intended to carry my pistol and ammo to the range. please let me know if there are any problems with what you think i want to do.

the pistol will be locked with a CA approved cable lock, while its locked it will be placed in it's regular no lock blue case. the pistol/case will then be placed inside a military surplus ammo can along with ammo.

once the ammo can is closed it can be locked via loop in the lid by a regular key lock.

then once everything is locked up i'm transporting it to the range in the locked trunk of my car.

now is everything i plan on doing sounds reasonable enough and safe for to and from the range? this is my first pistol and want to make sure i'm doing everything in a legal manner as well as safe practices.

please let me know. thanks.

Your trunk is the "locked container" and all that's required for transporting a handgun in a "locked container." You don't need any other locks on the handgun or the ammo container. Don't keep ammo inside the gun. Yes, it really is that simple.

Don't break any laws on the way to or from the range and you're golden.

To be extra careful, keep the ammo in a separate container from the gun. You could get one of those soft zippered handgun cases, put your handgun in there, and put that inside the ammo can with the ammo. It doesn't really matter, though, as long as the handgun is completely unloaded.

[brassburnz]

Ammo is heavy. Guns are heavy.

Guns go into soft sided cases with a lock built into the zipper. Soft side cases with guns go into one canvas tool bag.

Ammo and extra unloaded mags, loaders, etc. go into another canvas tool bag.

I carry stuff this way because it makes it easy for me, and it complies with the law. I've got one ammo bag for casual shooting and one ammo bag for competition.

Randy
NRA Life Member

[leelaw]

Assuming all the handguns you have are registered to you (different situation for those who bought them before 01/01/91) then I carry as follows:

In a large range bag, the ammo is held in the main compartment. The magazines in the magazine section, and the handguns in a mix of inside the main compartment and in the outside pockets. The range bag goes into the trunk of a vehicle which does not have a pass-through from the passenger compartment, nor can the seats fold down.

That complies with all laws.

Now, on the chance that I am borrowing a gun from a friend or testing one from the shop, I'll put it into one of the outside pockets, isolated from ammo, and lock that particular pocket with a luggage lock.

[M. Sage]

One word: backpack. The ultimate range bag.

My transport: Lock the handgun in it's nifty locking-zipper-soft-side-case. Drop a loaded mag in with it, but not inside the gun... just cause. Drop the locked container into one compartment on my backpack, zip it closed. Open a bigger compartment and drop ammo and mags (usually loaded - why keep unloaded mags around?) into that. Attach my hearing protection to a strap on the outside that works perfectly for the task, and I'm ready to go.

[AfricanHunter]

trunk of a vehicle which does not have a pass-through from the passenger compartment, nor can the seats fold down.

So if your car has rear seats that fold down to allow long things like snowboards or whatever to fit, the trunk is no longer good to go as a locked container? I guess that makes sense, I have just never thought of it like that before.

[Fjold]

If you carry an unloaded handgun in a locked container (not your glovebox) you're legal.

[natedogg1777]

OK, so it's either unloaded in a locked container, or unloaded in plain view right? As far as ammo goes, it does not have to be in a separate container(locked or unlocked)...if your unloaded handgun is in plain view on, let's say, your passenger seat, can you then have a loaded magazine in your glove box/cup holder/ door panel, wherever you want? Or does your ammo have to be locked up at that point?

Thanks,