CT Gunlaw question

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Hi All,

I've had a look around here, but can't seem to find any answers to these questions. My father-in-law (who got me into guns...thanks dad) resides in CT. He has an old handgun that he purchased when he lived in Alaska in the 1960's. We have both been shooting with it in CT this past few weeks (it's mostly been living in a box for the past 20 years).

We were talking a few weeks ago and found out he doesn't have a CT handgun license (which seem really awkward to get). My question is does he need one, even though the handgun was purchased 40 years ago (i.e. is he grand-fathered in)? Either way, can he bring the handgun to NH so we can go shooting together (he's OK with travelling with the handgun unloaded as per federal transportation requirements)?

Thanks
 
Don't know if we have good links to CT laws here, but check via the CT gun owner's org for CT laws and read them carefully to answer the possession w/o permit question. If a permit is required, doubt that any grandfather clause exists that makes his case different.

FOPA makes travel legal as long as the person is LEGAL at BOTH ends (CT and NH). NH does NOT require any permits for possession, only for CCW so he'd be OK at that end. The answer hinges on the answer to your first question.
 
In CT. you do NOT need a permit to transport any handgun within the state as long as it is cable locked or in a lockable case(ex.glove compartment)and the ammunition must be stored in a separate comparment of the vehicle.If the firearm is in the trunk transport the ammo in the back seat or vice versa.You are allowed to trasport a loaded hangun in CT. without a permit if you are a business owner(ex. jeweler)but only before or after your business hours or in event of late night alarm etc...but you better be able to prove that.
 
WRONG USMC109! Get caught without the permit and you potentially face TWO class D felonies. One for illegal possession of a hand gun and the other for illegal transportation of a hand gun. There is no provision for business men or even how it is to be transported.

If you still contend you are right, post the actual LAW (and links). I've never ever seen anything giving exceptions to business men in the actual laws.

There are a few ways to legally carry a hand gun in a car without a permit, such as going to/from FORMAL training. Range practice doesn't count according to the SFLU. You can also drive it to a gunsmith for repair. You can drive it into the state and from residence to residence within CT if you move. Below are the entire statutes for "weapons in vehicles" and carrying a hand gun in general.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/pub/Chap529.htm#Sec29-38.htm

Sec. 29-38. Weapons in vehicles. (a) Any person who knowingly has, in any vehicle owned, operated or occupied by such person, any weapon, any pistol or revolver for which a proper permit has not been issued as provided in section 29-28 or any machine gun which has not been registered as required by section 53-202, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years or both, and the presence of any such weapon, pistol or revolver, or machine gun in any vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section by the owner, operator and each occupant thereof. The word "weapon", as used in this section, means any BB. gun, any blackjack, any metal or brass knuckles, any police baton or nightstick, any dirk knife or switch knife, any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches in length, any stiletto, any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or over in length, any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (1) Any officer charged with the preservation of the public peace while engaged in the pursuit of such officer's official duties; (2) any security guard having a baton or nightstick in a vehicle while engaged in the pursuit of such guard's official duties; (3) any person enrolled in and currently attending a martial arts school, with official verification of such enrollment and attendance, or any certified martial arts instructor, having any such martial arts weapon in a vehicle while traveling to or from such school or to or from an authorized event or competition; (4) any person having a BB. gun in a vehicle provided such weapon is unloaded and stored in the trunk of such vehicle or in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console; and (5) any person having a knife, the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or over in length, in a vehicle if such person is (A) any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 27-103, or any reserve component thereof, or of the armed forces of this state, as defined in section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, (B) any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, (C) any person while transporting such knife as merchandise or for display at an authorized gun or knife show, (D) any person while lawfully removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or from one residence to another, (E) any person while actually and peaceably engaged in carrying any such knife from such person's place of abode or business to a place or person where or by whom such knife is to be repaired, or while actually and peaceably returning to such person's place of abode or business with such knife after the same has been repaired, (F) any person holding a valid hunting, fishing or trapping license issued pursuant to chapter 490 or any salt water fisherman while having such knife in a vehicle for lawful hunting, fishing or trapping activities, or (G) any person participating in an authorized historic reenactment.[/QUOTE]

Sec. 29-35. Carrying of pistol or revolver without permit prohibited. Exceptions. (a) No person shall carry any pistol or revolver upon his or her person, except when such person is within the dwelling house or place of business of such person, without a permit to carry the same issued as provided in section 29-28. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the carrying of any pistol or revolver by any parole officer or peace officer of this state, or parole officer or peace officer of any other state while engaged in the pursuit of official duties, or federal marshal or federal law enforcement agent, or to any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 27-103, or of this state, as defined in section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, or to any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, or to the transportation of pistols or revolvers as merchandise, or to any person transporting any pistol or revolver while contained in the package in which it was originally wrapped at the time of sale and while transporting the same from the place of sale to the purchaser's residence or place of business, or to any person removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or to any person while transporting any such pistol or revolver from such person's place of residence or business to a place or individual where or by whom such pistol or revolver is to be repaired or while returning to such person's place of residence or business after the same has been repaired, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver in or through the state for the purpose of taking part in competitions, taking part in formal pistol or revolver training, repairing such pistol or revolver or attending any meeting or exhibition of an organized collectors' group if such person is a bona fide resident of the United States and is permitted to possess and carry a pistol or revolver in the state or subdivision of the United States in which such person resides, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver to and from a testing range at the request of the issuing authority, or to any person transporting an antique pistol or revolver, as defined in section 29-33. For the purposes of this subsection, "formal pistol or revolver training" means pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility, and "transporting a pistol or revolver" means transporting a pistol or revolver that is unloaded and, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle, is not readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle or, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle that does not have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, such pistol or revolver shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the carrying of a pistol or revolver during formal pistol or revolver training or repair.

(b) The holder of a permit issued pursuant to section 29-28 shall carry such permit upon one's person while carrying such pistol or revolver.
 
When I was a PT PO, I carried a Colt Trooper and Colt Det Spcl. I toyed with the idea of bringing them to Colt for trigger/action jobs, but was advised that it would be "unwise" w/o a CT permit . . . even for LE. [This was >20 years ago.]

So I never had any work done on them.
 
When I was a PT PO, I carried a Colt Trooper and Colt Det Spcl. I toyed with the idea of bringing them to Colt for trigger/action jobs, but was advised that it would be "unwise" w/o a CT permit . . . even for LE. [This was >20 years ago.]

So I never had any work done on them.

Seems to me if you called ahead and made an appointment, you'd be okay if you were stopped because they could verify where you were headed. It's the whole "are you able to prove it?" thing we need to cover our asses. My wife just did her pistol permit class and took her gun so she could use it and I made damned sure her name was on a roster. You don't need a permit to have it in your car when going to/from formal training. And she would have the dated certificate and receipt to prove it on her way home. All this permit is another eff YOU way of CT stealing even more of our dollars. It is a TAX on hand gun ownership because you have to pay to play in the vast majority of cases. [rolleyes]

There's a reason CT is the fourth highest state in the US regarding the percentage of people legally being allowed to have a carry permit as compared to the number of people who actually have the permit. Even higher than gun loving states, such as AZ, TX, FL, etc. That little old lady who has a .38 snubby in her night stand and never intends to carry it a day in her life has to have the permit just to be legal to go to the range to practice one in a blue moon.
 
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WRONG USMC109! Get caught without the permit and you potentially face TWO class D felonies. One for illegal possession of a hand gun and the other for illegal transportation of a hand gun. There is no provision for business men or even how it is to be transported.

I understand the illegal transportation, but with no permit required to have a handgun, how would it be illegal possession?
 
There are a few ways to legally carry a hand gun in a car without a permit, such as going to/from FORMAL training. Range practice doesn't count according to the SFLU.

Do you know if there is any case law on this, Altezza? We were discussing this very subject a while back, and the law could certainly be interpreted to say that range practice was ok, because the law defines "formal training" as "pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility." So you could argue that the 'formal' part refers to the place, not the training.
 
Do you know if there is any case law on this, Altezza? We were discussing this very subject a while back, and the law could certainly be interpreted to say that range practice was ok, because the law defines "formal training" as "pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility." So you could argue that the 'formal' part refers to the place, not the training.

I thought i did find something once to clear that up...
 
I thought i did find something once to clear that up...

Well, if the SFLU is stating that it's not ok, as Altezza indicated, then it's certainly all but cleared up. That would indicate that they'd be inclined to charge you in such an instance. Given the vague wording in the law, the prosecution might or might not be successful (unless there's precedent somewhere). But we'd still be in the "you wanna be the test case?" situation that we all know and love here in MA.
 
Uh, just so everyone's clear here...I'm talking about CT and not MA as the last few posts seemed to indicate.
 
Do you know if there is any case law on this, Altezza? We were discussing this very subject a while back, and the law could certainly be interpreted to say that range practice was ok, because the law defines "formal training" as "pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility." So you could argue that the 'formal' part refers to the place, not the training.

What I got from the SFLU was that generic range "training" is, in fact, NOT training. It's PRACTICE and that is NOT covered under the law. TRAINING involves formal instruction and you'd better be goddamned able to prove it if you're stopped going to or returning from said "training". That's why I said it was important to have yourself on a written roster when going and have the course certificate and/or receipt when returning home. I just returned from Thanksgiving in Florida and drove/carried all over the fukin' place with my handgun as I have a FL non-res permit. Went shooting, too, and even though I had it, NO permit of any kind is required to transport a handgun in a car for any reason. CT is a real pain in the ass. [angry]

As for case law, I used to work with a guy who is fighting multiple Class D felonies (more than one handgun) because he showed up at a range (never got the full story because I never saw him again and he was fired). He was arrested during a CSP "spot" check for permits. He was new to the state and, even though I warned him, he felt he didn't need to play by the rules and have a permit "just to go shooting". It really does suck, but you couldn't have been more wrong, "sport". That's as close to case law as I've ever seen.
 
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