Transporting Loaded Magazines

[DaveTN]

So.....you guys are thinking a AOW or SBR with a barrel shorter than 12" would be okay under Tennessee law for a HCP?

[Mark@Sea]

yeah Dave, thats' it, I was wondering if a cut down M-249 with a three-point sling (and a really large trench coat) would qualify as a carry piece...

Read back a little bit. I'm trying to figure a legal way to carry a long gun and ammo, or rifle caliber pistol in my vehicle, without falling afoul of various and sundry laws aimed at dumbasses who shine deer....

[DaveTN]

yeah Dave, thats' it, I was wondering if a cut down M-249 with a three-point sling (and a really large trench coat) would qualify as a carry piece....

If you were walking around with a SAW who would question you?

I'll try to pay better attention next time.

Read back a little bit. I'm trying to figure a legal way to carry a long gun and ammo, or rifle caliber pistol in my vehicle, without falling afoul of various and sundry laws aimed at dumbasses who shine deer....

It doesn’t appear to me that you can if the barrel is over 12â€.

[Mark@Sea]

Dang it...

Unloaded? Ammo seperate?

[Guest Mugster]

I will vouch for this fact.

+1

There is the proper answer.

Do not have ammo and guns in your truck cab without a HCP period.

And even when you do get a permit do not transport loaded rifles, ever.

An HCP is completely worthless for transporting rifles and shotguns. I've been driving around this state with rifles and shotguns since i was a teenager...you do not need an HCP to do that. All you need to do is lock your weapon with a lock, or remove the bolt/firing pin and lock that up. By lock, I mean like a padlock/chain through the bolt, or remove/lock it in an ammo can or toolbox. Or one of these "ralph nader" devices you can physically lock the bolt open so it won't fire. Its a good idea to keep your ammo separate and lock that too, if for no other reason than its just a good idea. Or else someone might wind up shooting you with your own gun...and then you'll really look like an idiot. I keep most of my stuff stored in a disabled state, which is a substantial amount of firearms, just because i think its a good idea.

The notion here is convince a reasonable person that your gun ain't going to fire, and that you are not a threat to the community. When your gun won't fire, you are not "going around armed" which is the intent of the law. That way if/when an officer asks you if it is loaded you respond with a

"No sir, the rifle is locked and in fact the firing pin is removed and locked up in that toolbox right there, and the ammo is locked up in that one over there."

If you are respectful and "squared away", you won't have a problem with any officer in Tennessee, period. If you have some cool stuff, they may want to check it out though. I've never had one, but some of you guys might want to take a hunter's safety course if you didn't grow up around firearms. They cover alot of this stuff in that.

[Mark@Sea]

Thanks Mugster.

That answers my question. It isn't your fault that it wasn't the answer I wanted...

I take it that the only citizens allowed a long gun in their vehicle for defense are those who are employed as police... and then presumably only while on-duty.

Bummer. Well, at least I don't need to look for one of those 'north end of a south-bound bull' AK pistols. Count the little blessings, right?

Heck, once I get home, I don't want to go anywhere anyway. I'm gonna try to push it, and see if I can get away with two months before I go back out.

[Mike.357]

I'm gonna try to push it, and see if I can get away with two months before I go back out.

I feel you Mark, once I get home on a Friday it about takes a crane to make me move anywhere before Monday. I would want to just stay home if I had not been there in months, well maybe make the occassional trip out for dinner.

I can't imagine that Sue, Tower and Julez can't make that happen, but just the same if you need something you message me and I will personally deliver it for you.

Of course you have to take me to the draw to go shootin'.

[towerclimber37]

hahahah mike, you can do that anyhow..give me a call when you want to. I'll be happy to meet you for lunch and a quick shoot..or the weekend and a long shoot.

I need to spend more time out there anyhow...I have to finish pressure washing the decks..but I'm not sure when as Sue has to do a bleach job to get the mold off.

oh..and mow.

Mugster, +1 on your post!

I have been just putting my shotgun in its carry pouch, and my rifles are still operational, but the ammo is separate..(the ammo is usually in ammo boxes in the cargo section of my jeep and the rifles in the back seat. I will now start removing the bolt carriers and/or using a gun lock to safe them.

I can totally understand if Dave were to pull me over, and then ask to inspect my weapons. I do NOT want him to feel that he's in any danger, simply because he's not!

[DaveTN]

I can totally understand if Dave were to pull me over, and then ask to inspect my weapons. I do NOT want him to feel that he's in any danger, simply because he's not!

If I were stopping someone for a minor traffic offense and I saw a rifle case in the back seat I would not ask to see it unless it was a slow night and I might ask if you had anything cool in there I might like to see. You might have your Garand with you.

I feel the same way about people that are legally carrying handguns. It wasn’t legal in the state where I was a cop, but if I were a cop here I wouldn’t expect someone to tell me they were carrying (because as I understand the law here that is not required) unless I ask them to get out of the car or make some other move that would expose the weapon. (If someone is going to try to shoot me they aren’t going to tell me they are armed.)

But if I had a feeling something is up, a rifle case in plain view gives me PC to inspect it. If there is a violation with it; I now have a free pass to the rest of the vehicle.

[TGO David]

I will now start removing the bolt carriers and/or using a gun lock to safe them.

This will be the first time I have ever even given a second thought to carrying my ammo separate from my AR15 or keeping a lock through the bolt while I travel... but I'll be doing both today when I go down to visit the guys at Hero Gear and maybe stop to do some shooting on the way back home.

Prior to reading this thread, I had never really given any consideration the notion that Tennessee's permit is a handgun carry permit and that an officer might get his shorts in a knot if he were to somehow discover that my AR15 was nestled inside it's bag in the far rear of my SUV, magazine firmly inserted into the mag well. :-\

Today I've got a cable lock threaded through the action and the mag well and I'll keep magazines tucked away in their pockets on the case.

You know, the shameful part of this is that the State of Tennessee trusts me to carry a concealed weapon. It would only seem logical that a police officer would extend that same trust to me to carry my rifle and ammo in the vehicle w/o having them locked up in such a ridiculous fashion. This is totally absurd.

[TGO David]

If I were stopping someone for a minor traffic offense and I saw a rifle case in the back seat I would not ask to see it unless it was a slow night and I might ask if you had anything cool in there I might like to see. You might have your Garand with you.

And the good news is that like you in your past life, not all police officers are pricks. The more involved with shooting that I've become down here in Tennessee, the more LEOs that I have met and the majority of them have been average guys just trying to do a job without getting killed. A few were mall ninjas and a few others were just Alpha Dog jerks, but most have been good regular folks.

BUT... if Buford T. Justice pulls me over on the highway and asks me if I've got anything cool in my black bag in the back of the vehicle, my answer to that's just going to be "No Sir... just a rifle, properly locked and secured, ammo kept separate. I'm on my way to/from the target range. Here's my handgun carry permit and I would like to let you know that I am presently armed and that is on my right hip at this moment. I'm going to keep my hands on the steering wheel for you now and await your instructions."

Why? Because I like breathing and don't like the sight of my own blood.

[DaveTN]

but I'll be doing both today when I go down to visit the guys at Hero Gear and maybe stop to do some shooting on the way back home.

Is Joe back yet?

[Guest Mugster]

Thanks Mugster.

That answers my question. It isn't your fault that it wasn't the answer I wanted...

I take it that the only citizens allowed a long gun in their vehicle for defense are those who are employed as police... and then presumably only while on-duty.

Bummer. Well, at least I don't need to look for one of those 'north end of a south-bound bull' AK pistols. Count the little blessings, right?

Heck, once I get home, I don't want to go anywhere anyway. I'm gonna try to push it, and see if I can get away with two months before I go back out.

Keep in mind though you can legally carry a shotgun/rifle and probably get it into operation in less than a minute if you are pretty quick. So I don't think its unreasonable to keep a shotgun or rifle locked or disabled in a trunk with a box of ammo or a mag or 2 somewhere close by, if you want an emergency weapon. That way when the panzers come rolling down main street, you'll be ready to man the barricade.

I mean, consider this. Using .45 state lingo, its pretty tough to go through life in condition zero. If you are in condition zero at all times, you'll likely die an early death if for no other reason than stress. I think you are better off mentally in condition 3/4 for most of the time. If you go into downtown memphis at 1 am for a bottle of milk, you might want to up your alertness to condition 1, but then, why are you there in the first place? Why not wait till the sun comes up? If you do risky work for a living or your economic status is not good, I feel for you. But for the most of us middle classers, we have a choice of where to and how to live, and a recon of the place with security in mind before you move in might be wise.

[fury2neon]

Is Joe back yet?

Joe is back. I just left Hero Gear, Tungsten and Hornet Handler at the store.

[TGO David]

Is Joe back yet?

I can neither confirm nor deny Joe's presence at the store today.

Joe is back. I just left Hero Gear, Tungsten and Hornet Handler at the store.

Dude... you blew his cover.

[Mark@Sea]

Mugster, I'm somewhat fond of where I'm living now, and consider it pretty low-stress.

Now if I can just get to actually spend time there, that'd be nice....

Not gearing up for the Zombie Apocolypse or whatever, and I am definitely not a mall ninja, but it is always nice to have the right tool for the job. For 'crisis intervention', a shotgun, carbine or rifle have it hands down over a pistol. Odds are extremely high that I'd never need it. Odds are high that I will never need the blanket, fire extinguisher, and first aid kit I have in the vehicle. I'll probably get funny looks from y'all for the MRE and the bow saw.

Better to have and not need.... because Murphy is a four flushin' bastige.

You know the saying, the things you see when you don't have your gun....