Open Carry of Handguns in California

[vindicated]

I wanted to take a moment and find out how many of you exercise your 2nd Amendment rights here in SoCal? If you know California law, you know then that carrying an exposed handgun, unloaded in California is legal, with certain restrictions placed therein.

I have just started to do this, and will be setting up a monthly or bi-weekly meeting place where we can exercise this right.

[Chewy]

Wow, I've never heard of such a silly law. You can carry a gun but it can't be loaded? Does the state think everyone is Barney Fife? Will they let you carry one bullet in your shirt pocket? I feel for ya Vindicated, this must be pretty frustrating.

We've got plenty of room and reasonable gun laws here in Montana if you're looking for a change of venue.

[havasu]

I'm just trying to understand the whole concept of why anyone would want to walk around in public with an unloaded weapon.

Maybe with my CCW permit, I just don't understand correctly.

[vindicated]

The ammunition can be next to your gun. It just can't be IN the gun. It takes me roughly two seconds to load it. Obviously, if someone came and put a gun to my face I would be in bad shape, for the guy who tries to shoot up a store or something, he's going to have a really bad day.

The whole law is asinine in itself, but we have to work with what we got. The odds of me ever having to use it are slim, the odds of me ever needing to use it in under two seconds are slimmer.

[blucher]

Once CA sees any real number carrying that way it will disappear fairly fast. Carrying unloaded just announces you're armed but unready.

[YelloJeep]

If there are a buch of folks carrying around "unloaded" weapons.... How does anyone know if some are in fact loaded?? I was just wondering. Are the cops going to do random checks? The law sounds kind of silly to me.... If you have an unloaded gun, someone with a loaded one very well might point their gun at you and steal yours!

[havasu]

Yes, police officers have the authority to check to see if the gun is loaded or not.


PC ? 12031(e) ? Peace Officer Authority to Examine Firearm
In order to determine whether or not a firearm is loaded for the purpose of enforcing PC ?
12031, peace officers are authorized to examine any firearm carried by anyone on his or
her person or in a vehicle while in any public place, or on any public street, or in any
prohibited area of an unincorporated territory. Refusal to allow a peace officer to inspect
a firearm pursuant to this section is, in itself, probable cause for arrest for violation
of this section.

[Blank_doubt]

When I lived in sunny Suthun Calipornya in the early 80s, I understood THEN that a person could LEGALLY walk down ANY City street whilst toting:
A Machete
A Crossbow
a Shotgun
a Single Shot or Semi-Auto Rifle
(and maybe a CO2 operated BB Machine Gun)
a Pistol (any type/size including CO2 and BB)
a Knife
Ammo Clips and Ammo Belts.
>>Such site would indeed have been a Kodak moment!!<<

NEVER witnessed anyone performing such action however there were PLENTY of people....usually in Compton, Watts, El Segundo, Norwalk (in the 1 ways), Long Beach and other locales with representations of fine citizenry displaying their 2nd Amendment Right.....YET THEIRS WERE LOADED.....or being reloaded.
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Soooo, one can carry a UNLOADED TOOL in compensation of something lost or desired?? Sorta like buying a large vehicle to profess ones masculinity or prowess??
A UNLOADED PISTOL serves no purpose (other than dead weight) and certainly NOT for self protection except as a club...or..."oh wait a few, let me LOAD UP!!"
Why not just carry a DULL KNIFE, A BROKEN WATCH, A DEAD CELL PHONE to accompany the UNLOADED WEAPON, since there's no need to display simply one USELESS WEAPON when there can be availed another or more.

2 of the Mottos of the Marine Sniper:
Never bring a Knife to a Gun Fight.
Never carry a Unloaded Weapon.
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Here in NORTH CAROLINA, WE can openly Carry as well openly carry Pistols in vehicles.
The Weapons/Tools when carried in Vehicles are supposed to be UNLOADED (Ammo locked in something, separate from the Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun) yet few People adhere to such specific.
----
The only UNLOADED weapons I want to see are in Displays and when I'm cleaning them.

Best to ya!!
CHEERS!!