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A friend, a former native of N Cali and S Oregon/Willamette area has suggested a driving visit to his old home-town. We are neither of us in the best health and age has it's limitations so this might could be his last hoo-rah. I told him let me think on it for a couple days and run it past the Old Woman. Also told him I won't travel without my personal protection. He pretty much feels the same way. Been doing some online research on the laws out there and hope to stay under the radar....f
I do know that the People's Republic doesnt recognise our ccw permits from Colorado. What other things should I be aware of?
My selection includes a Rem 870 8-shot with ghost ring and tritiums, or a .30-30 lever, or an SKS with bayo. Id say that would be a no-brainer. Looks like my 13 round Glock 21 is out of the question, as is any "assault rifle" so-called. Would I be better off with say a .357 or .44 revolver than a 1911?
Any thoughts or observations?
 
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Went there three years ago.

I found a gun I owned on there approved pistol list. And took it.
I then kept it unloaded in a locked truck safe. [That's the way they like it.]

Figured it was worthless as a defensive weapon at that point. But Hey. I had it. o_O
 
Well, better a pop gun than nothing! Totally defenseless, that's Cali's sweet spot!
Last time I went I took a 2.5" .357, well stashed in the cab, ammo in the trunk. Good luck on your road trip! :)
 
Wasp spray or squirt gun with bleach? Wait a minute, wasp spray is poison (can't do that, might get sued) and bleach is bad for the environment, is a harsh chemical, might get it in the mouth, might hurt somebody, might get sued.

Stay home. Tell friend to send pics or enjoy it on the Travel Channel.

I have family there... won't go, no way, no how. :eek::eek::eek:
 
Best advice anyone can give you is not to get advice from the internet. California has an unbelievable amount of anti-gun laws and many don't even make any sense so don't rely on what you think is reasonable.

There are a number of new laws either in effect already or taking effect such as a maximum of 50 rounds in your possession when crossing the state line, background check to buy a box of ammunition, among others.

What is legal changes so often it is virtually impossible to create a good summary. I don't know if such a thing exists and if it does it is probably not up to date.

I'll be going again soon and plan to do all the research over again just before packing.
 
Wasp spray or squirt gun with bleach? Wait a minute, wasp spray is poison (can't do that, might get sued) and bleach is bad for the environment, is a harsh chemical, might get it in the mouth, might hurt somebody, might get sued.

Stay home. Tell friend to send pics or enjoy it on the Travel Channel.

I have family there... won't go, no way, no how. :eek::eek::eek:


There are videos out there showing what wasp spray does. Unless you're being attacked by wasps it's worthless. OC, while less than great, is far more effective against what you're after here. As for guns, many rifles and shotguns are CA legal. Of course must be carried empty but load very fast if needed.
 
You have to leave any mags greater than 10 rounds at home. No loaded weapons in the vehicle. Pistols need to be transported in a locked case...but not the glove box or center console...in the trunk is a good idea but a locked case in the back seat is fine too. Mags can be loaded and in the same case as the weapon, just not inserted into the magwell. That's a no-no. And just because this is legal doesn't mean you won't get a cop who thinks otherwise. Ignorance of the law is no excuse...unless you're a cop and then there's "no way they could possible know every law." :rolleyes:

The safest bet if you're going to keep mags loaded is to keep it separate from the container that holds the weapon. Further to this, there is no law that says loaded mags need to be secured. You can have one in your pocket or on your belt if you like, or sitting next to the shifter...although I wouldn't advise them to be in plain sight if you get pulled over. If I were looking to be able to protect myself the best I could while driving through CA, I'd likely put a pistol into a quick access safe and keep a couple loaded 10 round mags on my belt. That's about the quickest you could get a gun ready and not have to worry about getting a cop who doesn't know the law.

Regular Rifles (non assault rifles)...I'm a little fuzzy on the latest and greatest for rifles...they most certainly can't be loaded in the car. And I don't think they need to be locked up in the car unless you're going through a school zone...which is just about everywhere in a city. Best to simply keep them in a locked case too.

AR's and other "Assault Rifles" - There is a short list of older AR's that are banned specifically by name. You'll want to avoid bringing those in. Most newer AR's are fine as long as a) you're not bringing "high capacity" mags in with them and b) they have a bullet button installed...which is probably too much of a hassle to deal with. Note that the laws for AR are currently undergoing a change and the State is trying to get the new rules hashed out. It's still legal to shoot bullet buttoned AR's in the state but we are fast approaching the deadline to register all "assault weapons" or convert them into "featureless" rifles and the rest of the nonsense. The point is, very shortly it will be illegal to bring in AR's at all without converting them into an abomination that makes no sense to anyone. If it were me, I'd just leave the AR's at home. You'll be well protected with an 870 and a pistol while you're in your hotel room. Outside of your hotel room, I wish you the best of luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor.
 
I am getting pressure to visit Kommiefornika to see family in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The pretty city. The garden oasis of the known Galactic Confederation. The center of the Universe. Old home town until 1987. I do not want to go.

So I probably won't.
 
I am getting pressure to visit Kommiefornika to see family in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The pretty city. The garden oasis of the known Galactic Confederation. The center of the Universe. Old home town until 1987. I do not want to go.

So I probably won't.

Good thinkum! Did they turn the water back on yet so it no longer looks like the Gobi?
 
We ride with a baton in the door panel storage. Been thru Cali on the way to Quartzsite. Didn't know it was considered a lethal weapon!!

Of course if they had checked inside the 5th wheel....
 
You have to leave any mags greater than 10 rounds at home. No loaded weapons in the vehicle. Pistols need to be transported in a locked case...but not the glove box or center console...in the trunk is a good idea but a locked case in the back seat is fine too. Mags can be loaded and in the same case as the weapon, just not inserted into the magwell. That's a no-no. And just because this is legal doesn't mean you won't get a cop who thinks otherwise. Ignorance of the law is no excuse...unless you're a cop and then there's "no way they could possible know every law." :rolleyes:

The safest bet if you're going to keep mags loaded is to keep it separate from the container that holds the weapon. Further to this, there is no law that says loaded mags need to be secured. You can have one in your pocket or on your belt if you like, or sitting next to the shifter...although I wouldn't advise them to be in plain sight if you get pulled over. If I were looking to be able to protect myself the best I could while driving through CA, I'd likely put a pistol into a quick access safe and keep a couple loaded 10 round mags on my belt. That's about the quickest you could get a gun ready and not have to worry about getting a cop who doesn't know the law.

Regular Rifles (non assault rifles)...I'm a little fuzzy on the latest and greatest for rifles...they most certainly can't be loaded in the car. And I don't think they need to be locked up in the car unless you're going through a school zone...which is just about everywhere in a city. Best to simply keep them in a locked case too.

AR's and other "Assault Rifles" - There is a short list of older AR's that are banned specifically by name. You'll want to avoid bringing those in. Most newer AR's are fine as long as a) you're not bringing "high capacity" mags in with them and b) they have a bullet button installed...which is probably too much of a hassle to deal with. Note that the laws for AR are currently undergoing a change and the State is trying to get the new rules hashed out. It's still legal to shoot bullet buttoned AR's in the state but we are fast approaching the deadline to register all "assault weapons" or convert them into "featureless" rifles and the rest of the nonsense. The point is, very shortly it will be illegal to bring in AR's at all without converting them into an abomination that makes no sense to anyone. If it were me, I'd just leave the AR's at home. You'll be well protected with an 870 and a pistol while you're in your hotel room. Outside of your hotel room, I wish you the best of luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor.
It's so hard to keep on top of things. Bullet buttons got banned a while back. You Can Already Buy a Kit to Circumvent California's Brand-New 'Assault Weapon' Law Now you need the Patriot Magazine Release. Oh wait, you want the new speed loader from MEAN Arms. Video: A California Legal AR-15 Speedloader :rolleyes: They'll probably outlaw that before you can drive down there anyway.
 
California does not recognize ANYONES CHL and barely their own IF you can get one issued.
 
It's so hard to keep on top of things. Bullet buttons got banned a while back. You Can Already Buy a Kit to Circumvent California's Brand-New 'Assault Weapon' Law Now you need the Patriot Magazine Release. Oh wait, you want the new speed loader from MEAN Arms. Video: A California Legal AR-15 Speedloader :rolleyes: They'll probably outlaw that before you can drive down there anyway.

Except it hasn't gone into affect yet. The DOJ initially published the set of directives as to how the new laws were going to be managed/enforced. And as you might expect, they took ENORMOUS liberties and latitude, essentially creating brand new laws that were NEVER passed by the legislature. So they got legally smacked down, went back to the drawing board and updated the directives without public visibility. They've recently released them again, they still suck and now the Pro 2A attorneys are filing a motion to place this all on hold so that this can be properly vetted and implemented. To say this is all a Cluster Eff would be putting it mildly.

The point is, bullet buttoned AR's are still currently legal at the moment. What will likely happen is that the deadline for the new rules will likely get extended while the attorneys hash all this out and come to agreement on what is legal...but anything is possible, of course.
 
Wasp spray or squirt gun with bleach? Wait a minute, wasp spray is poison (can't do that, might get sued) and bleach is bad for the environment, is a harsh chemical, might get it in the mouth, might hurt somebody, might get sued.

Stay home. Tell friend to send pics or enjoy it on the Travel Channel.

I have family there... won't go, no way, no how. :eek::eek::eek:

One spray bottle with bleach, one with ammonia? bring a gas mask
 
Except it hasn't gone into affect yet. The DOJ initially published the set of directives as to how the new laws were going to be managed/enforced. And as you might expect, they took ENORMOUS liberties and latitude, essentially creating brand new laws that were NEVER passed by the legislature. So they got legally smacked down, went back to the drawing board and updated the directives without public visibility. They've recently released them again, they still suck and now the Pro 2A attorneys are filing a motion to place this all on hold so that this can be properly vetted and implemented. To say this is all a Cluster Eff would be putting it mildly.

The point is, bullet buttoned AR's are still currently legal at the moment. What will likely happen is that the deadline for the new rules will likely get extended while the attorneys hash all this out and come to agreement on what is legal...but anything is possible, of course.
So in my post where I was talking about keeping current on CA gun laws, I was not current on CA gun laws. :rolleyes: So glad I don't live there anymore.
 
Your best bet for finding about legal in California is on CalGuns.net.

For a forum, like this one, CalGuns do a very very comprehensive job of outlining what law abiding citizens can/should do to be in compliance.

For me, of the firearms you suggested in your post, I would take the 1911 or get some 10round mags for the Glock. If you feel a need to have a rifle, then I would suggest the lever action.

Also, where you are going in California has some impact on how this all plays out. Driving to metro LA or Bay area is different than going to Redding.

Mine is not legal advice, but rather a suggestion what may come across as less Mall-Ninja/Tacticool. Most folks don't see a lever gun as menacing compared with other firearms. As with everything, your mileage may vary.
 

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