Loaded Long Guns in Vehicles/ATVs/UTVs?

[Trevelayan]

I always have one tucked behind the seats when I drive into the woods. Just don't know what you're going to run across.

I do too but it's usually unloaded and/or cased since I always carry a handgun. I was wondering specifically about carrying loaded

 

[Mr. Habib]

Loaded or unloaded does not matter. as long as you can legally possess it there you are good to go.

 

[indyjohn]

I do too but it's usually unloaded and/or cased since I always carry a handgun. I was wondering specifically about carrying loaded

Rifle is always loaded, they're not much use otherwise. Some will argue that it should be laying in between the seats next to me but I always have a pistol on my hip too.

 

[DragonGunner]

You can have a loaded rifle setting in your lap while driving your car or truck if you want. Do not have a spot light in your car and truck at the time though. As for ATV's and SXS I believe your rifle must me in a hard case, at least during hunting season. If I read the DNR rules correctly all these years. I don't use my SXS or ATV for that purpose but some friends do and they have hard cases. Outside of hunting season I don't know how the DNR would view a rifle not mounted in a hard case.

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

For about as long as I can remember, I always thought long guns had to be unloaded in a vehicle. I never gave it any thought after I started carrying handguns. At some point when I was young, I was told long guns had to be completely unloaded. Muzzleloaders had to have the primer removed. A friend even told me bolt action rifles without mags had a "game warden" switch to quickly empty the gun. A couple of months ago during the last Hunter Ed class I hosted, the COs clearly stated it was legal to carry loaded weapons in a vehicle. However, they also explained of a deadly accident where someone was putting a loaded shotgun in the backseat, with the barrel pointed towards them, and something caught the trigger and he shot himself. As others have said, don't have any firearm, or bow, in the vehicle while spotlighting.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

You can have a loaded rifle setting in your lap while driving your car or truck if you want. Do not have a spot light in your car and truck at the time though. As for ATV's and SXS I believe your rifle must me in a hard case, at least during hunting season. If I read the DNR rules correctly all these years. I don't use my SXS or ATV for that purpose but some friends do and they have hard cases. Outside of hunting season I don't know how the DNR would view a rifle not mounted in a hard case.

SxS/atv/utv/snowmobile long guns must be unloaded or have a trigger lock on them. Handguns can be carried loaded if on public property. I believe on private property with owners permission long guns may be loaded.
IC 14-16-1-23Restrictions on operation; exceptions
(9) While transporting on or in the vehicle a firearm, unless the firearm is:

(A) unloaded; and

(B) securely encased or equipped with and made inoperative by a manufactured keylocked trigger housing mechanism.

(b) Subsection (a)(9) does not apply to a person who is carrying a firearm:

(1) if:

(A) the firearm is a handgun; and

(B) the person has been issued an unlimited handgun license to carry a handgun under IC 35-47-2;

(2) if:

(A) the firearm is a handgun; and

(B) the person is not required to possess a license to carry a handgun under IC 35-47-2-2; or

(3) if the person carrying the firearm is operating the vehicle on property that the person:

(A) owns;

(B) has a contractual interest in;

(C) otherwise legally possesses; or

(D) has permission from a person described in clauses (A) through (C) to possess a firearm on.

 

[guardman7]

Not to hijack, but is it not true that they have certain legal authority above normal police?

Yeah. A lot of bad advice on this forum. If you’re stopped rurally by a conservation officer or any other peace officer with suspicion of poaching, a loaded firearm (minus legal handgun) is all you need in your possession to catch a poaching charge, and in hunting regulation it is illegal to possess any kind of loaded firearm in/on a motor vehicle (including boats and ATV/UTVs).

So for the purpose of self defense it’s not illegal, but you could easily catch some DNR charges you don’t want if the conditions were wrong.

 

[ditcherman]

Yeah. A lot of bad advice on this forum. If you’re stopped rurally by a conservation officer or any other peace officer with suspicion of poaching, a loaded firearm (minus legal handgun) is all you need in your possession to catch a poaching charge, and in hunting regulation it is illegal to possess any kind of loaded firearm in/on a motor vehicle (including boats and ATV/UTVs).

So for the purpose of self defense it’s not illegal, but you could easily catch some DNR charges you don’t want if the conditions were wrong.

Where's the bad advice? Nine out of eleven responses that address the OP or the more authority question pretty much agree with what you said, except you added "in hunting regulation", which may be true or may not, but the OP directly stated "for self defense".
And welcome to INGO.

 

[Rookie]

Yeah. A lot of bad advice on this forum. If you’re stopped rurally by a conservation officer or any other peace officer with suspicion of poaching, a loaded firearm (minus legal handgun) is all you need in your possession to catch a poaching charge, and in hunting regulation it is illegal to possess any kind of loaded firearm in/on a motor vehicle (including boats and ATV/UTVs).

So for the purpose of self defense it’s not illegal, but you could easily catch some DNR charges you don’t want if the conditions were wrong.

Show your work please.

 

[guardman7]

Show your work please.

Well, I know it comes from TV, but I like to watch those Game Warden Shows from time to time and I've seen several times the sole evidence used against someone they suspect of poaching being a loaded rifle in the car. Say you're nearby and the game warden thinks there's poaching in the area and then bam, you've got a loaded rifle. I'll challenge the law when I need to, with the exception of Game Wardens. I won't challenge them. Their job is so difficult that they WILL try to prosecute on anything they can get their hands on, and I've never heard of a case being overturned or not ruled in their favor.

Also, unless youre working the land using your truck as a tool, theres no real reason to have a loaded long gun in the car.
1. it can get stolen, and you can't exactly grab it and take it in with you when you're going places like the store or work (most people)
2. if you need it quick enough that you don't have time to load it, it's probably going to be way more awkward to handle than a handgun in the glove box.

 

[ditcherman]

Well, I know it comes from TV, but I like to watch those Game Warden Shows from time to time and I've seen several times the sole evidence used against someone they suspect of poaching being a loaded rifle in the car. Say you're nearby and the game warden thinks there's poaching in the area and then bam, you've got a loaded rifle. I'll challenge the law when I need to, with the exception of Game Wardens. I won't challenge them. Their job is so difficult that they WILL try to prosecute on anything they can get their hands on, and I've never heard of a case being overturned or not ruled in their favor.

Also, unless youre working the land using your truck as a tool, theres no real reason to have a loaded long gun in the car.
1. it can get stolen, and you can't exactly grab it and take it in with you when you're going places like the store or work (most people)
2. if you need it quick enough that you don't have time to load it, it's probably going to be way more awkward to handle than a handgun in the glove box.

Wow, so there's a lot of bad advice on this forum but we're now getting our info from TV?
Laws vary from state to state, and I doubt that any game warden shows are filmed in Indiana, not to mention the ridiculousness of arguing the rest of that. I bet around here the game warden thinks there is always poaching going on, and he also knows nearly every single person has a rifle in their truck.

I will in no way argue with you that a CO will try to make the worst possible case and jump to the worst possible conclusions in any situation many times, whatever the motivation is. But that doesn't make them above the law, and able to make something stick that shouldn't.

So don't have a loaded long gun in your truck because it can get stolen? You ain't where I'm from, that's fer sure.

I don't not keep a rifle in my truck because I might be guilty of something.

 

[cosermann]

If one is going to carry a long gun in a vehicle, "cruiser ready" carry (or similar) deserves some consideration since most long guns don't have firing pin blocks. YMMV.

 

[ditcherman]

If one is going to carry a long gun in a vehicle, "cruiser ready" carry (or similar) deserves some consideration since most long guns don't have firing pin blocks. YMMV.

Had to look this up, found a few different meanings, I assume you mean mag loaded but chamber empty?

 

[guardman7]

Wow, so there's a lot of bad advice on this forum but we're now getting our info from TV?
Laws vary from state to state, and I doubt that any game warden shows are filmed in Indiana, not to mention the ridiculousness of arguing the rest of that. I bet around here the game warden thinks there is always poaching going on, and he also knows nearly every single person has a rifle in their truck.

I will in no way argue with you that a CO will try to make the worst possible case and jump to the worst possible conclusions in any situation many times, whatever the motivation is. But that doesn't make them above the law, and able to make something stick that shouldn't.

So don't have a loaded long gun in your truck because it can get stolen? You ain't where I'm from, that's fer sure.

I don't not keep a rifle in my truck because I might be guilty of something.

No but I regularly drill where "you're from" (dont know why you feel the nee to overembelish an accent that isnt native to your region) and I DO know firearms are stolen out of trucks "Just north of Indy"

You do you boo, aint gunna affect me any, me? I think that unless youre using it around your property or actively hunting/shooting, truck guns are a stupid liability.

 

[cosermann]

Had to look this up, found a few different meanings, I assume you mean mag loaded but chamber empty?

Right.

Most pump shotguns (from whence this term originally comes) would be hammer down also, so the slide is free. But that applies differently to different actions (shotgun or rifle).

To generalize - empty chamber (in all cases), hammer down/action uncocked/bolt forward, ready to rack and go.

Opinions on whether the manual "safety" should be on or off vary depending on different contexts, actions, etc. For example: for an AR-15, since the safety can't be on with the hammer forward, one would have to make an informed decision as to whether to have the hammer down on a closed bolt (safety off), OR bolt forward on an empty chamber with the hammer cocked (safety on).

So, it can depend a bit on various factors. The idea is how to best configure a long gun so that it can be rapidly deployed from a vehicle, while at the same time doing so safely/mitigating risks.

 

[ditcherman]

No but I regularly drill where "you're from" (dont know why you feel the nee to overembelish an accent that isnt native to your region) and I DO know firearms are stolen out of trucks "Just north of Indy"

You do you boo, aint gunna affect me any, me? I think that unless youre using it around your property or actively hunting/shooting, truck guns are a stupid liability.

Uh no, that's exactly how a lot of people talk around here.
You are entitled to your opinion of course.
I don't think I'll be changing my practices because of North Woods Law or whatever.
Still sounds like rolling over for the man, to me.

Do you have any data on how many guns stolen from trucks in rural areas?

 

[ditcherman]

Right.

Most pump shotguns (from whence this term originally comes) would be hammer down also, so the slide is free. But that applies differently to different actions (shotgun or rifle).

To generalize - empty chamber (in all cases), hammer down/action uncocked/bolt forward, ready to rack and go.

Opinions on whether the manual "safety" should be on or off varies depending on different contexts, actions, etc. For example: for an AR-15, since the safety can't be on with the hammer forward, one would have to make an informed decision as to whether to have the hammer down on a closed bolt (safety off), OR bolt forward on an empty chamber with the hammer cocked (safety on).

So, it can depend a bit, depending on various factors. The idea is how to best configure a long gun so that it can be rapidly deployed from a vehicle, while at the same time doing so safely/mitigating risks.

In reading about this, some favored safety off (talking AR15's here) empty chamber so ALL they had to do was rack and be ready, but that sounds way more accident prone to me than safety on empty chamber or not. Flipping the safety off should be second nature in all cases when readying to fire. Racking and then having to flip the safety on then back off in a tense situation sounds bad.
There is no penalty for having the hammer cocked and the safety on (vs hammer forward).
If the safety is on, how can an AR15 discharge? The mass and exact length of the firing pin is designed to prevent this.

 

[Rookie]

Well, I know it comes from TV, but I like to watch those Game Warden Shows from time to time and I've seen several times the sole evidence used against someone they suspect of poaching being a loaded rifle in the car. Say you're nearby and the game warden thinks there's poaching in the area and then bam, you've got a loaded rifle. I'll challenge the law when I need to, with the exception of Game Wardens. I won't challenge them. Their job is so difficult that they WILL try to prosecute on anything they can get their hands on, and I've never heard of a case being overturned or not ruled in their favor.

Also, unless youre working the land using your truck as a tool, theres no real reason to have a loaded long gun in the car.
1. it can get stolen, and you can't exactly grab it and take it in with you when you're going places like the store or work (most people)
2. if you need it quick enough that you don't have time to load it, it's probably going to be way more awkward to handle than a handgun in the glove box.

Perhaps there was a little confusion...

You made the statement "a lot of bad advice on this forum". Then you made the bold claim that "in hunting regulation it is illegal to possess any kind of loaded firearm in/on a motor vehicle (including boats and ATV/UTVs)." I asked you to "show your work" and you responded with television watching and personal feelings.

Since I hunt multiple places during the night, it's much easier to leave my gun loaded until I'm done for the night. This means that I have a vested interest in knowing the law, and I'd like to know where you get your information from. So let's try this again...

Feel free to quote Indiana law, DNR regulations, or even case law to prove that "it's illegal". Opinions and feelings are irrelevant.

 

[Rookie]

As far as "cruiser ready", in most cases I agree. However, my guns are secured in a rack with the muzzle facing the roof. With them being secured this way, chances of an accidental discharge is almost zero and the only victim would be the roof of my truck...

 

[guardman7]

Uh no, that's exactly how a lot of people talk around here.
You are entitled to your opinion of course.
I don't think I'll be changing my practices because of North Woods Law or whatever.
Still sounds like rolling over for the man, to me.

Do you have any data on how many guns stolen from trucks in rural areas?

I know several people who have had guns stolen from their trucks and I live pretty rurally. you do you though.

I won't argue thats how people talk up there in NORTHERN Indiana, but I highly doubt your grandparents talked that way, its just something you've picked up to accent a persona.