Legality of Openly carrying around a NON handgun (shotgun/rifle)

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Doug.38PR

Moderator
I just got a Remington 870 Police Magnum for Christmas that will make a great home and car defense gun. I would like to know where I would stand in regard to the law when it comes to things like taking the gun out of my car and into the hotel room and vice versa or walking around in any way with the gun. I would hate to have a "OMGsh he's got a BIG gun!" Or having a police car spot me, stop and get the drop on me with his own shotgun :eek:

The law (in most states like Texas) say you can only carry a gun concealed and with a CHL, or even if you can carry openly (like Az.) you still must have a license. But that is in regard to handguns, what about long guns?
 
Laws vary greatly as I am sure you know. Here in Colorado I can legally carry any "legal" firearm I wish so long as I do so openly. Long gun, handgun, it does not matter.
 
Of course, the law will vary state to state. In my state, it's legal since there isn't really any law *against* it... but you have to really mind yourself and how you carry it. You wouldn't want to walk through the mall with an 870 slung over your shoulder even though it "may" technically be legal. It's just NOT a good idea lol! Loaded and unloaded can also be drastically different, legally.

I think in the scenario you listed, that transporting a shotgun plainly visible from your car to your hotel room is not a good idea... not really because of the law, but because of the trouble it could bring you. You could have the soccer mom seeing a gun calling the cops, or you could have the gang-bangers thinking you probably left another gun in your car worthy of stealing after dark. I think erring on the side of caution is the better idea... put it in a case or at least sling a blanket over it. I don't see a benefit to announcing to the world that you now have a shotgun in your hotel room. I guess it may make you feel better, but I don't see how it makes you any safer...

my .02.
 
Simple solution would be to check the laws in each jurisdiction. Don't forget game laws as well... I'd not want to be out with a long arm in the brush during hunting season and have to convince the wardens it was not for hunting.

Common sense and prudance would dictate that one not walk around holding weapons if it can be avoided.

Let's face it even places where it is totaly legal the line between open carry and brandishing a weapon can be subject to interpretation, esp. on the part of the public.

Who else this could be an issue for bogles my mind a bit... I meean you are worried about the police getting "the drop on you" is this for real?

Give it a break, law or no law if you are acting suspicious in publiic with any firearm don't be suprised if you attract law enforcement scrutiny, I mean do you honeslty think that a police officer is going to roll past you carrying a shotgun around in public and think nothing of it (like you said in a motel parking lot)? Not want to know what is going on? It's out of place in the situation you describe and would attract attention like any number of ther instances that might not even involve a firearm but would still attract at a minimum a hey what's up from law enforcement. Heck in many of the situations you describe I'd be the first to want to knnow what was up.

So common sense would seem to address this question more than anything.

Also car defense???? What is that? I mean first and formost jsut drive away, secondly considering the RARE instance that is not possible shotgun in a car??? give it a rest, it's one of the few instances wehre a long arm would not be preferable...
 
In Texas (where I believe the OP is), there's no law against carrying a long gun in your vehicle, loaded or unloaded (Texas makes no distinction), concealed or unconcealed. Of particular interest is Disorderly Conduct in Title 9 (42.01). Just about any other law pertaining to the carrying of weapons is in Title 10. Read up!

http://www.texaspolicecentral.com/penal_code.html
 
Doug:

Stick the shottie in a duffle bag or gun case of some sort, feel good with your pistol on your hip, and feel better knowing that YOU have a long gun in your hotel room.

No reason to advertise it to the world, and no reason not to have it if you feel you need it.

Come on... think about it. What if some OTHER guy was in the same hotel parking lot as you, with a bare shotgun in his hands? What would make of it? Jealous husband? Drug hit? Carjacking? The possibilities can be listed for quite a while.

Put it in a nondescript bag that you can get into easily.
 
Come on... think about it. What if some OTHER guy was in the same hotel parking lot as you, with a bare shotgun in his hands? What would make of it? Jealous husband? Drug hit? Carjacking? The possibilities can be listed for quite a while.
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Now that I think about it, many might not think anything of it in most of the places I work. I work in a lot of small rural towns (where there is often hunting) and stay at hotels like Best Western and Holiday Inn (average clean hotels that hunters might be prone to stay in)

In Texas (where I believe the OP is), there's no law against carrying a long gun in your vehicle, loaded or unloaded (Texas makes no distinction), concealed or unconcealed. Of particular interest is Disorderly Conduct in Title 9 (42.01). Just about any other law pertaining to the carrying of weapons is in Title 10. Read up!
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That's right. That's what I understand too in carrying long guns
 
San Antonio has a local ordinance against carrying a loaded long arm in the car. One can find it through a search. There is some debate about its status vs. state law but as far as I know, it's never been tested.

In today's world, except in a rural hunting environment or getting out of your car in your driveway, you might expect trouble from someone calling the law.

I'd bag it.
 
I think the most important question is: Why are you staying in a hotel that makes you feel like you should have a shotgun in your room? :eek:

I'm all for having your favorite gun by your side, but damn... Isn't there a Motel 6 down the road? You know they leave the light on for ya!
 
That's right. That's what I understand too in carrying long guns.
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Ok, ignoring the fact that you've admitted you already knew the answer to your question before posting, I'll answer anyway.

There's no law against it, but if things go badly (which they probably will if you go around walking into businesses with an uncased shotgun) the police will probably decide you need to be taught a lesson.

If they know what they're doing, they will call a game warden and let him get creative. You'll probably lose the shotgun and get fined under some game law that you never knew existed...

I presume you have ammunition for the shotgun and a flashlight in your car and sometimes arrive at a hotel after dark? That would give the warden fodder enough! ;)
 
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Doug,

It depends on how much spare time you have in your life.

If you have the freedom to spend a lonnnnng time explaining to the local cops why you're walking around with a long-gun then you have more free time than most of us.

And I can tell you that the 2nd or 3rd time a cop is called to investigate the same person carrying a gun they start getting annoyed. This can lead to forms of "persuasion" to stop scaring the sheep, such as citations for disturbing the peace or creating a public nusiance.

It also depends on where you are. If you're seen taking one or more long guns into a motel room in, say, a rural Colorado area, most folks will assume you're going hunting. Do the same in an urban California motel parking lot and chances are one of the sheep will call the police.
 
Carrying a naked long gun just because you can just seems..."chip-on-a-shoulder-ish" to me.

Got your ccw pistol? check. Can you shoot it well? check. Got reloads for that pistol? check. Got a BuG? check. Got your long gun handy within fighting distance of your ccw pistol? check. Got ammo for it? check. Can you shoot it well? check. Can you get to it in the event your ccw pistol, reloads and BuG can't save your bacon? check.

Why do you need to tell the world you have a shottie? Just because you got it for christmas and don't want to buy a case for it? You don't advertise to the world that your ccw is strapped to your butt, or your BuG. Why do that with your shottie?

Please explain.
 
I think the most important question is: Why are you staying in a hotel that makes you feel like you should have a shotgun in your room?
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Answer: It's not that I need a shotgun in the hotel room, it's that I don't want ANY guns left in the car overnight so I take them ALL into the hotel room with me. (Had my car broken into a few weeks ago and they got some ammo and some mags and a CD changer. THEY TURNED THAT CAR UPSIDE DOWN TRYING TO FIND THE GUNS THAT GO WITH THE AMMO. And they look into EVERYTHING. Take panals off. There is no safe hiding place. I wouldn't even trust a safe or latch bolted to the floor. Not over night anyway)

I know the Houston law say it's technically okay. But I wasn't just refering to Texas, actually mean't in general. Other states too. As everyone here has indicated it does depend on the state, city and town.
 
you could stash the shotgun in a rose box
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In most of Nevada open carry of any firearm is no problem. Then again, most of Nevada is public land.
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+1... I love this state!

However, a bit of common sense is required. While the Nevada State Constitution allows open carry, and bans any city law that tries to amend the state constitution, I do believe walking in the middle of down town Reno with a .223 over my shoulder (or even a Glock on my leg) would be a BAD idea.


But when I'm out of the towns... :cool:
 
In this state, "long arms" as you call'em, are to be transported unloaded and ammo seperate. That is a normal practice for local hunters. In the last ten years that I have live here, I have only seen one shot-gun in the back window of a truck. It was parked in WallyWord. Bet that gun was gone when the driver returned. It's just bad practice to walk around with a long gun. You're just asking for trouble. Doesn't matter if it's legal.
 
Growing up in WA several decades ago it was quite different. Couldn't drive 3 miles without seeing a rifle or shotgun in the back of someone's pick up. That all changed of course once those from Cali started moving up here in hordes.
 
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