Rifle Carry laws help in Pa

[devildogljb]

Sorry if this is in the wrong area but i didnt see where this would fit in any where else. But i know and looked up the laws on carrying and transporting a rifle again. I understand the transporting in a car part but heres my question. I own a smith and wesson mp-15 and did all of the work on my rifle myself and its been suggested from the owner that where i work on the weekends, a flea market, he has a huge area inside with civil war era weapons to world war 1 (its not really a flea market its all new stuff being sold) i should bring my rifle down and display and show off my work and maybe get some people interested in the weapon system and get some stippling jobs for AR pistol grips hand guards etc. Now i live maybe half a mile away and i walk to work just because i can and its a nice walk down a country road. So my question is is it legal for me to carry my rifle in my carry case, cable lock in the chamber, no ammo on my person or in the carry case, empty mag in the the mag holder on the case. I only want to know the laws not personal opinion. Thanks for your help.

[Iraqgunz]

Take a look at this. http://cd.textfiles.com/group42/WEAPONS/LAWS/PA.HTM

[devildogljb]

yeah ive read the laws im just worried about getting some cop who doesnt know any thing and giving me a hard time but we will see. Ill print this out and keep it on me just in case

[Iraqgunz]

In that case nothing you will learn will help you. I'd be willing to bet that most cops across the board are pretty savy when it comes to the basic do's and don'ts. It's when you start getting into NFA and other shit that things tend to go sideways.


yeah ive read the laws im just worried about getting some cop who doesnt know any thing and giving me a hard time but we will see. Ill print this out and keep it on me just in case

[devildogljb]

In that case nothing you will learn will help you. I'd be willing to bet that most cops across the board are pretty savy when it comes to the basic do's and don'ts. It's when you start getting into NFA and other shit that things tend to go sideways.

What do you mean nothing i will learn will help me. And im not saying all cops will give me a hard time, my point is that some just dont know the laws (example in PA we are allowed to open carry 8 out of 10 didnt know that we are aloud too)and i just wanted to cover my bases is all simple as that. The whole reason for the thread is to make sure interpreted the laws correct. Never been in the back of a police car and i dont want too.

[Iraqgunz]

What I meant was you can be as educated as you want. If you get stopped by an officer and HE doesn't understand or know the law nothing you are going to tell him is going to change his mind if he thinks he is right.


What do you mean nothing i will learn will help me. And im not saying all cops will give me a hard time, my point is that some just dont know the laws (example in PA we are allowed to open carry 8 out of 10 didnt know that we are aloud too)and i just wanted to cover my bases is all simple as that. The whole reason for the thread is to make sure interpreted the laws correct. Never been in the back of a police car and i dont want too.

[devildogljb]

What I meant was you can be as educated as you want. If you get stopped by an officer and HE doesn't understand or know the law nothing you are going to tell him is going to change his mind if he thinks he is right.

Oh ok sorry i took it as something else my apologies. And this is true nothing will and would change his mind but as long as the law comes out in the end then its all that matters.

[Mac5.56]

I spent some time researching open carry laws in my area after that guy brought his M4 to the Obama rally in Arizona. (I live in NY)

The reality was I found myself in a very similar situation as you, and couldn't find any cold hard laws saying yes or no. I found laws stating that during a State of Emergency the transportation of firearms is illegal, and the transfer, but that was it.

So I decided to ask some local police officers, who's eyes proceeded to get really large at the questions I had. There were two things I wanted to know about, if I could open carry my M4 through town unloaded in response to similar actions in Phoenix, and if I could throw a case over my back, and ride my bike to a local gun range.

One answer I got from an officer was: "You'll probably get shot."

The more logical answer I got was: There may not be a law against carrying on the books, but that they would book me on menacing.

Then, a friend told me a story of how a guy got a menacing charge for walking up a village street with a compound bow, and that quashed my desire to explore the question any further.

[Iraqgunz]

You know what they say in real estate? Location, location, location. In Arizona open carry is perfectly legal, whether it be a handgun or a rifle. I have seen guys on motorcycles driving around with their pistols exposed and I saw a guy in Tucson with an AR across his back.

There are probably other states where open carry is allowed, but depending on what venue you are at, the attitiude of the community, etc...it may not be smart to do. In the OP's case I would think what he is planning would be perfectly acceptable.


I spent some time researching open carry laws in my area after that guy brought his M4 to the Obama rally in Arizona. (I live in NY)

The reality was I found myself in a very similar situation as you, and couldn't find any cold hard laws saying yes or no. I found laws stating that during a State of Emergency the transportation of firearms is illegal, and the transfer, but that was it.

So I decided to ask some local police officers, who's eyes proceeded to get really large at the questions I had. There were two things I wanted to know about, if I could open carry my M4 through town unloaded in response to similar actions in Phoenix, and if I could throw a case over my back, and ride my bike to a local gun range.

One answer I got from an officer was: "You'll probably get shot."

The more logical answer I got was: There may not be a law against carrying on the books, but that they would book me on menacing.

Then, a friend told me a story of how a guy got a menacing charge for walking up a village street with a compound bow, and that quashed my desire to explore the question any further.

[Mac5.56]

I agree kind of, but I also am in the backwoods of NY, not the city. He is in a very similar location to me, just with less gun laws, but it still has the baggage of being close (in Western terms) to a large East Coast city.

My suggestion the OP would be to speak with your police force and explain your reasons for asking. They may be totally cool with it, and if they get that call from a concerned local about you walking down the street they will be able to say: "Hey, we know that guy, no worries he's just walking to a flea market."

It is the fear of the unknown that causes problems in these situations.

Hell when I grew up in Wyoming we could have two guns in gun racks in our trucks, in the high school parking lot pretty much all year round. After Columbine (when I was 18 and just graduated), they changed that rule to one cased gun, unloaded. I highly doubt that if I went back twelve years later it would still be the same attitude.

[arizonaranchman]

Good advice from Mac5.56 above, call your local PD and tell them what you have in mind and where you're headed. Make sure they don't have some reason why that wouldn't be legal. After all they're the guys that will be getting the "call" on a guy carrying a rifle case down the road. If they already have a heads-up on it they won't even blink.

It all depends on where you are. In states with open carry laws it still varies widely as to the culture of it. In Arizona nobody even blinks if you walk thru Walmart with a 4" S&W .44 mag on your hip. In other states you might have people having a heart attack and calling the police who will also take you down like you're a menace, even though it's perfectly legal. Police in AZ don't even look twice at you carrying a sidearm unless there's some other reason due to your behavior, etc.

[rubberneck]

It would be interesting to know the answer. PA issues a "license to carry firearms" not a "license to carry a handgun". I'd call your Sheriff's office and ask. Make sure to write the name, date and time of the deputy that you speak to just in case.