Unlicensed Vehicle Carry

[Cjohnson44546]

So now that we can carry a firearm in our cars without a HCP... I have some serious questions....

The law is very vague. It says no where that the firearm needs to be a handgun, which means it can be any type of firearm? It says no where if the weapon can be loaded or a round chambered or anything...

The law also removes the former sections about long gun carry in the automobile where HCP holders can have a long gun loaded but no round chambered... does this mean we can no longer do that, or that we can now carry loaded and ready to fire long guns in our vehicles?

Does anyone have a good explanation of what is actually legal now or changed because of this law...?

[Rforbus]

I would like to add one (01) question. Now, I fully understand how a sidearm with a magazine can remain loaded yet not chambered. I have no questions regarding the legal carry of these arms by a non permit holder in their personal vehicle. The magazine can be full or partially full as long as a round is not present in the chamber.

We permit holders have been able to do this for some time now regarding the carry of a loaded (but not chambered) rifle or shotgun in our personal vehicle in addition to a pistol or revolver that we would normally carry. My following question does not apply to a break-open shotgun that is loaded if a round is chambered.

The new law begs the question.....

How is a non permit holder expect to legally carry in their personal vehicle a revolver that is loaded yet not chambered? Because in essence each cartridge opening is described as a "chamber" when using proper revolver terminology. That being the case; in order to comply with the new law regarding loaded but not chambered; Is one required to (a) leave one chamber empty and have it in fire position, or (b) have no chambers loaded?

I know we may have to wait until a decision is rendered by the State. Is anyone chasing this question up the mast?

[johnharris]

The new law, which will be codified in TCA 39-17-13017, is silent as to whether permitless vehicle transport is limited to unloaded or loaded firearms. As written, the law appears to allow loaded and chambered firearms in personal vehicles without a permit.

However, without going into details, this new law is very dangerous. Its dangerous because almost all of the exceptions (parks, parking lots, etc), reference those with handgun permits not those who are otherwise legally carrying. Thus, you might be ok on a public street (not including those going through a park) but if you pull into a parking lot, you might commit a crime and in some instances (school grounds) its a felony.

[johnharris]

The new law, which will be codified in TCA 39-17-1307, is silent as to whether permitless vehicle transport is limited to unloaded or loaded firearms. As written, the law appears to allow loaded and chambered firearms in personal vehicles without a permit.

However, without going into details, this new law is very dangerous. Its dangerous because almost all of the exceptions (parks, parking lots, etc), reference those with handgun permits not those who are otherwise legally carrying. Thus, you might be ok on a public street (not including those going through a park) but if you pull into a parking lot, you might commit a crime and in some instances (school grounds) its a felony.

[Fred762]

Recently we spent over 2 weeks traveling by automobile thru parts of 10 southern & eastern states, visiting relatives and seeing parts of the NE which I have never seen. MY fiance' and I have been legal handgun carrying folks in TN for years, but this trip we knew we were traversing several places known to be totally anti-gun(MA, NJ, NY etc)..well anti-gun for taxpayers, anyways. What to do? We decided that we did not dare to go totally unarmed, bks part of the trip was to be tent camping in remote forest campsites, plus we just believe that being totally disarmed is stupid and wrong. To compromise [with the stupid anti-gun laws we knew about] we decided to carry a Winchester "Camper" lever action rifle..and ammo for it(.30-30)..both in separate locked cases in the trunk. On our persons, in place of our usual legal 9mm pistols, we carried pepper spray and folding Gerber knives..figuring these were way better than nothing if accosted b4 we could retrieve our rifle. This trip was completed w/o incident & we had a good time and saw alot of new places like the forests and coast in Maine, but I have to say this..we were very relieved to return to Tennessee, the state where we belong, and which trusts us to be good citizens and carry handguns responsibly!!