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im more confused now then when i started. Im going to air on the side of caution and say that i cant cross state lines with weapons in my car. One of the weapons i wanted to bring was my AR so thats out anyway.
Fox,
Let me cut through all the confusion.
1) Handguns - You can't bring handguns into CT unless you have a pistol permit. There are a few exceptions. Formal training and formal competition are two of them. You can transport THROUGH CT. But if your destination is in CT, you either need a pistol permit or fall into the exemptions I mentioned above.
2) Rifles and Shotguns - There are literally no requirements to own, possess, transport or carry long guns as long as you are not a prohibited person. No license or permission is necessary for anything with respect to a rifle. You can transport a rifle right up front with you in the car. As long as its unloaded you are empty.
3) Assault Weapons - CT's AWB as updated with PA 13-3 includes pretty much ALL AR15s!!!. The only ARs that are not AWs are those made prior to the 1994 ban.
Thats it. In a nutshell, you are 5hit out of luck with respect to an AR, have limited freedom with handguns, and have complete freedom to do what you please with rifles and shotguns.
I hope this helps.
Don
p.s. bring ammo. You won't be able to buy it in CT unless you have a PP or an ammo card.
make sure FOPA covers you if you start having car trouble and need to park it at some random CT house that coincidentally is where your friend lives. BTW, i read the thread earlier and dont recall any mention of 11 round and up mags. regardless of manufacture date, you cant bring any in to CTthanks a ton exactly what i was looking for. i think ill leave the ar home and take a couple pistols on my way to a destination that is not ct
Fox,
Let me cut through all the confusion.
1) Handguns - You can't bring handguns into CT unless you have a pistol permit. There are a few exceptions. Formal training and formal competition are two of them. You can transport THROUGH CT. But if your destination is in CT, you either need a pistol permit or fall into the exemptions I mentioned above.
2) Rifles and Shotguns - There are literally no requirements to own, possess, transport or carry long guns as long as you are not a prohibited person. No license or permission is necessary for anything with respect to a rifle. You can transport a rifle right up front with you in the car. As long as its unloaded you are empty.
3) Assault Weapons - CT's AWB as updated with PA 13-3 includes pretty much ALL AR15s!!!. The only ARs that are not AWs are those made prior to the 1994 ban.
Thats it. In a nutshell, you are 5hit out of luck with respect to an AR, have limited freedom with handguns, and have complete freedom to do what you please with rifles and shotguns.
I hope this helps.
Don
p.s. bring ammo. You won't be able to buy it in CT unless you have a PP or an ammo card.
Let me cut through all the confusion.
1) Handguns - You can't bring handguns into CT unless you have a pistol permit. There are a few exceptions. Formal training and formal competition are two of them. You can transport THROUGH CT. But if your destination is in CT, you either need a pistol permit or fall into the exemptions I mentioned above.
2) Rifles and Shotguns - There are literally no requirements to own, possess, transport or carry long guns as long as you are not a prohibited person. No license or permission is necessary for anything with respect to a rifle. You can transport a rifle right up front with you in the car. As long as its unloaded you are empty.
3) Assault Weapons - CT's AWB as updated with PA 13-3 includes pretty much ALL AR15s!!!. The only ARs that are not AWs are those made prior to the 1994 ban.
Sorry to bring up a 3 month old thread, but I'd like a little NES sanity check re: FOPA and Connecticut.Yes, unlike MA, the only people who can lawfully possess standard cap mags are those who declared them prior to 1/1/2014.
Sorry to bring up a 3 month old thread, but I'd like a little NES sanity check re: FOPA and Connecticut.
I travel between SE MA and the greater Springfield, MA area fairly regularly. I much prefer back roads to the MA Turnpike and a couple of my regular travel routes dip into CT for short to medium distances.
While in Western MA, I occasionally do a little collectible handgun shopping. It hasn't happened yet, but I can foresee an instance where I will someday want to make a handgun purchase before heading back home.
Question: I do not have a CT NR license. Will FOPA protect me sufficiently if I stick to one of my usual routes home including those short distances through CT? Or would it be advisable in such an instance to alter my usual route home so as to stay entirely within Massachusetts?
I see this as less a question about the law and more a question about CT cop attitudes and practices re: FOPA.
Thank you. And yes, I value all serious opinions.FOPA is FOPA - you're legal in origin and destination, pack the firearm in accordance to federal law, don't drive like an ahole and don't worry about it.
The difference between you and the original poster is that his destination is Connecticut. Your destination isn't Connecticut, it's merely somewhere you're passing through. To the best of my knowledge, Connecticut "recognizes" FOPA, we're not NY or NJ, (yet...?). Usual disclaimers, you asked for an opinion, that's what I'm giving you.
Thanks Len!You should be GTG wrt FOPA even though start/destination are both in the same state (MA).
Thanks Don. I have gone through the actual wording of the law numerous times, in part because I drive an SUV with no discrete locking trunk like a sedan. But there is a small storage area underneath the load floor and forward of the spare tire that can only be accessed when the tailgate door is unlocked and opened and the load floor removed. It cannot be reached and opened by a backseat occupant. I've often wondered if that particular storage space would satisfy FOPA (or MA law for that matter)... however, I do not rely on it and I carry a lockable pistol box with me wherever I go.I'll second Len's advice. Just make sure that you are complying with FOPA requirements when you have a handgun with you. Please Google it and read the original text. But the bottom line is that it needs to be locked in either a secure container OR your trunk. Trigger locks do you no good.
Also, please remember that FOPA is not relevant with respect to non-AW long guns, since no governmental permission is necessary to posses, carry, or transport long guns in CT.
With respect to AWs, FOPA is very relevant. Even a post-ban MA compliant AR is illegal in CT unless you registered it or it is pre (94)ban. So if you are transporting a MA legal AR through CT, you are dependent on FOPA. Which means a locked container OR in the trunk.
Hope this helps.
Don
+1. if you'll be seeing the friend more than once you should apply for a permit. It is fairly straightforward.I will say however that it's pretty easy to get a non-resident permit for CT, and once you have it, things are a *lot* simpler. The AR would take some research, but handgun wouldn't be a problem at all, (pretty much, unless it was silenced, was an AR-pistol, or other "specialty" pistol).
Exactly right. And yes, my lockable pistol box does fit very nicely into the SUV's hidden rear compartment.EJ
It sounds like you have all your bases covered. As to the compartment under the floor, if it cant be raised with the rear hatch closed, then you are good. But a pistol box can't hurt either. Especially if it can be put in the compartment under the floor.
Exactly right. And yes, my lockable pistol box does fit very nicely into the SUV's hidden rear compartment.
The only other issue I can think of is that of pre-ban magazines. What if the collectable handgun I end up buying includes a pre-ban magazine of over 10 rounds? Does FOPA still protect me from your new CT regs?
That question nearly came up earlier this year when I suddenly realized that an empty 12-round pre-ban magazine I had bought was still in the trunk of my wife's car as we were headed toward CT. Fortunately, we had time to turn around and drop the damn thing off at home. We really don't need any trouble from your wonderful state police.