VA arms restrictions

[Duxman]

VIRGINIA" Effective July 1st, 2005. If you do NOT have a CHP, and if you are in a public area in a city with a population exceeding 160,000 (like Richmond, Virginia Beach, etc.) or a county having an urban county executive form of government (like Fairfax) or in a city or county that is surrounded by or adjacent to such a county (like Falls Church), you CANNOT possess:
1. A LOADED semi-automatic CENTER-FIRE rifle or pistol that has a magazine in it that will hold MORE than 20 rounds at the time of the offense or
2. A LOADED semi-automatic CENTER-FIRE rifle or pistol that was designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer (suppressor, more correctly) or
3. A LOADED semi-automatic CENTER-FIRE rifle or pistol that has a folding stock or
4. A LOADED shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than 7 rounds of the longest ammunition for which it is chambered

Questions for you legal eagles out there: CHP = Concealed Carry Permit?

If no - is there a grandfather clause ? (IF you bought your weapon BEFORE the law came into effect, are you exempt?)

 

[BrokenPaw]

Duxman,

Yes, the CHP is the Virginia "Concealed Handgun Permit" it is so named because it only allows concealment of a handgun, and of no other type of weapon.

As for grandfathering, there's nothing in what you posted about ownership at all. It's all about "possession in a public area". In your home or on private property, none of what you posted has any bearing.

In public areas of the cities and counties described, the carrying of a loaded firearm of the types they listed is illegal. Note that (1) makes carrying a loaded AR-15 with a 30-round mag in it illegal, even if the mag has only 1 round in it. Carrying the same AR but with a fully-loaded 20-round mag would be perfectly legal. Also you could have a fully-loaded 30-round mag in your pocket, and still be fine.

I'm glad our legislators are thinking rationally. I'd be terribly upset if someone shot me with two rounds from an other-wise empty 30-rounder. I'd mind an awful lot less if he only had a 20-round mag in there at the time.

I can't think of a whole lot of circumstances where I'd be walking around in a city or urbanized county with a loaded rifle or shotgun. My carry handgun, certainly, but as a rule I leave my rifles unloaded when I'm transporting them.

I am not a lawyer. This post is worth what you paid for it.

-BP

 

[Duxman]

Thanks BP -

This makes the clarifications much cleaner and neater.

 

[blume357]

Oh but

You can get 20 and 30 round magazines for some pistols...so someone could open carry with one of those too and get in trouble....

I like Tim Wilson, the comedian's, take on large capacity magazines. Don't worry about the other 29... it's that first one that scares me the most. or better yet... "You can't see the reason for the need for a 30 round magazine in a rifle... you haven't gone hunting with my brothers."