Just wondering. The last weekend I slept with my 12-gauge under my cot just in case someone tried to get fresh with our bikes.

 

Don't know about Glamis, but most places around here they say no firearms. Doesn't mean people don't. Can't remember any cases of thieves calling police because someone pulled a gun on them.

 

Get a copy of the book, "How To Own a Gun and Stay Out of Jail", by John Machtinger, from Gun Law Press, Los Angeles, CA. A lot of sporting goods stores like Turners, carry it.

Most people in Calif. don't know this, but it is legal to have a loaded gun in your campsite (for self-defense), just like it is legal to have one in your home, apartment, motel room, or place of business. Your campsite and/or your motorhome is considered your "home" while you are occupying it. The firearm must however be unloaded, and in the case of a handgun locked in the trunk or in a locked case, when you are transporting it to and from you campsite in your vehicle.

Imperial County has open target shooting, as does the BLM. So, technically you could target shoot out in the dunes. This would however be quite irresponsible! There is plenty of open desert all around, so go out there to do your shooting, and lets not make any more trouble at the dunes than we already have, OK. And, it might not be wise to wave a shotgun around in front of the rangers and other campers!

 

bump

 

reconranger,if your gun is unloaded and locked in trunk, what are you supposed to do when somebody tries to rob/carjack you? Ask them to wait a second while you go get the gun out of the trunk load it then tell them where they can stick it. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

I still can not believe that you are straddled with so many screwy laws. A unloaded and secured away gun is useles when it is needed the most.

Another thing people can do besides the book is take a Concealed Weapons Course(CCW) even if they have know intention of carrying concealed. Most classes have lawyers on hand and go over the laws and help people understand that when they choose to arm themselves there are many cases where defending yourself with it would put you into jail.

A shotgun is the perfect home/camp defense weapon, just the sliding of the pump has been known to make the biggest baddest burglar turn into a cry baby. Not many people will go up against a shotgun because unlike a handgun, where most people can not hit what they are shooting at in the first place, a load of buckshot or even birdshot will hit part of its target and kill or maim the intruder. Most intruders do not like those odds. AlaskaBoy.

 

Californians, read the book! There are numerous "exceptions" to many firearms laws. The two most pertinent laws are the "loaded gun law" and the "concealed gun law". A well informed individual can go LEGALLY armed in many instances, or at least have a firearm very close at hand. For instance, you can't have a loaded handgun in your vehicle (no exceptions to the loaded gun law here), but you could have it in a case (an exception to the concealed gun law), sitting on your seat with a speed loader right there next to it, ready to go.

At Glamis you could walk around with a loaded handgun in a holster (you are in a legal target shooting area), but you could not have it concealed (no exception to the concealed gun law).

It's really not as bad as everybody thinks, if you are well informed! Just don't handicap yourself unnecessarily because you don't know the laws.

 

It's funny in Texas. I can cut my grass wearing my gun in a holster, if it is in plain view, but I can't go past the sidewalk. I have a CHL, so as long as it's concealed, I can go out into public.

 

Thanks for the info reconranger!

I'm going to buy the book. Just curious, how up-to-date is it? I know the laws are constantly changing particularly here in California.

 

I would never shoot in the dunes or anywhare close to a camp-spot, I respect the dunes more than most peaple and same with other riders lives. My friend a SWAT team officer brougt out a assault rifle (auto-matic) and was shooting it a coulple miles away from the dunes facing away from the dunes at a target. Figured something like that would be ok.A shot gun spreds out and is not harmfull at a good distance unlike most other guns.

 

The book gets updated every year. Just be sure to get the current year.