Traveling through California with some firearms

[SidTheMuss]

Hi, i'm not sure if this is the right spot for this but i have a couple questions i'd love to get answered. I tried contacting the DOJ but they were no help. In a few weeks I'm going to be traveling from the SF Bay Area to Colorado. I'm bringing a semi-automatic handgun .40 and an AR 15 that has a bullet button and 10 round magazines. I have the 2012 Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty State but even that is a little vague.

Ok my questions are (and i've read a lot of the California Penal Code Sections on Firearms/ extremely vague) 1) does an AR rifle legally count as an assault weapon? Meaning are there new restrictions on transporting such rifles or is it still alright to have them in my truck (unloaded of course)? The reason I ask are the Penal Code Sections about .50 BMG and Assault weapons and i'm not sure what is considered an assault weapon. 2) for my handgun is it ok to have rounds in the magazine as long as the magazine is not in the firearm, or does it have to be empty (this goes for the AR Rifle as well)? Also can the magazine be stored in the same locking case if it is full?

If there is anything i might be missing that i havent touched on i would greatly appreciate the info. Thanks, Sid

[RoundEye]

Hi, i'm not sure if this is the right spot for this but i have a couple questions i'd love to get answered. I tried contacting the DOJ but they were no help. In a few weeks I'm going to be traveling from the SF Bay Area to Colorado. I'm bringing a semi-automatic handgun .40 and an AR 15 that has a bullet button and 10 round magazines. I have the 2012 Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty State but even that is a little vague.

Ok my questions are (and i've read a lot of the California Penal Code Sections on Firearms/ extremely vague) 1) does an AR rifle legally count as an assault weapon? Meaning are there new restrictions on transporting such rifles or is it still alright to have them in my truck (unloaded of course)? The reason I ask are the Penal Code Sections about .50 BMG and Assault weapons and i'm not sure what is considered an assault weapon. 2) for my handgun is it ok to have rounds in the magazine as long as the magazine is not in the firearm, or does it have to be empty (this goes for the AR Rifle as well)? Also can the magazine be stored in the same locking case if it is full?

If there is anything i might be missing that i havent touched on i would greatly appreciate the info. Thanks, Sid

A BB'd rifle is not an AW unless it has a fixed magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, so no it would not be an AW. With that said if you want to be 100% safe in California when transporting it's best to transport all firearms unloaded and in a locked container (which could be a trunk, but not a glove compartment). The ammunition can also be stored in the same said container, just not in a position where it can be fired (in a magazine in a gun).

Have fun on your road trip.

[SidTheMuss]

Thank you, so the ammo can be in the magazines and in the same locking case (I have a large Pelican case) as long as they are not 'attached' to the gun?

[Chaos47]

A BB'd rifle is not an AW unless it has a fixed magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, so no it would not be an AW. With that said if you want to be 100% safe in California when transporting it's best to transport all firearms unloaded and in a locked container (which could be a trunk, but not a glove compartment). The ammunition can also be stored in the same said container, just not in a position where it can be fired (in a magazine in a gun).

Have fun on your road trip.

It is important to note that if OP's AR is banned by name adding a magazine lock does nothing to make it legal.

OP please make sure that your AR is what is called OLL (Off list lower).
A list can be found on the 2nd page of the Flowchart. http://www.calguns.net/caawid/flowchart.pdf
As long as your AR make and model is not listed it is OLL and you are good to go with a magazine lock and 10 round or less magazines.

As Chad said for transportation locked is best even if it is not dictated by state law because you will probably cross within 1000 feet from a Federal Gun Free School Zone GFSZ at some point and it would need to be locked Federally. Also keeps out prying eyes.

Thank you, so the ammo can be in the magazines and in the same locking case (I have a large Pelican case) as long as they are not 'attached' to the gun?

Loaded magazines in the same case while not attached are fine

[SidTheMuss]

Thank you, my rifle is a CMMG AR15 Carbine standard with a 16" barrel and a Magpul CTR Carbine Stock. I know the laws are much looser in Nevada, Utah and Colorado but i plan on keeping everything in the locked Pelican case while traveling