anything pre or post this section is relevant to firearms, unless you are hunting this doesnt apply
OP is in BC and this applies to On only
Truck gun
- Thread starter Shovel
- Start date
anything pre or post this section is relevant to firearms, unless you are hunting this doesnt apply
OP is in BC and this applies to On only
Agreed, I only use the window rack occasionally and I wouldn’t plan on keeping a firearm in a truck long term either. There’s case law about a woman charged with unsafe storage after leaving a firearm in her hatchback. There’s also been case law where a judge deemed a Stack-On cabinet was a safe so after seeing such a disparity amongst judges, I’d rather not leave a firearm in my truck other than hunting.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
The first rule of truck guns is not to let anyone know you have a truck gun.
Yes it’s legal, keep it out of sight and trigger locked as it’s storage when you aren’t driving/transporting, as in parked in your driveway overnight or at work etc etc. Probably a good idea to keep ammo locked in a glove box or center console if you’re worried about keeping ammo “separate” while storing, or just keep quiet about it from the get go.
squirrelshooter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Near Sudbury, Ont.
I’ve usually gone with out of sight and it’s alright but recently one of the guys at work told me in Ontario it’s illegal to have a .223 in the bush during moose and deer season because you can’t use a .223 for either. I was target shooting though and don’t have a deer license so I kinda thought it doesn’t apply?
Way off track but your co-workers are fudds. You can use 223 for moose or deer in Ontario if you want.
Firearms
If you are hunting small game in an area where there is an open season for deer, moose, elk, or black bear, you may not possess or use a centre-fire rifle or shells loaded with ball or with shot larger than No. 2 shot (non-toxic equivalents include steel shot larger than triple BBB, or bismuth larger than double BB), unless you possess a valid licence to hunt big game (deer, moose, elk or black bear) during the relevant open season.
This restriction does not apply south of the French and Mattawa rivers during an open season for deer that is restricted to the use of bows, or to hunters with a valid small game licence who are hunting wolf or coyote during an open season for deer, moose, elk or black bear.
A person hunting small game may not carry or use a rifle of greater calibre than a .275-calibre rifle, except a muzzle-loading gun, in the geographic areas of Brant, Chatham-Kent, Durham, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxford, Peel, Perth, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington or York. Note: It is illegal to hunt ring-necked pheasants with a rifle.
A crusty CO could charge you. Same thing I said before an attempt is the same as committing the offence, just like the guy getting a fishing charge because there’s a rod in the boat.
Firearms
If you are hunting small game in an area where there is an open season for deer, moose, elk, or black bear, you may not possess or use a centre-fire rifle or shells loaded with ball or with shot larger than No. 2 shot (non-toxic equivalents include steel shot larger than triple BBB, or bismuth larger than double BB), unless you possess a valid licence to hunt big game (deer, moose, elk or black bear) during the relevant open season.
This restriction does not apply south of the French and Mattawa rivers during an open season for deer that is restricted to the use of bows, or to hunters with a valid small game licence who are hunting wolf or coyote during an open season for deer, moose, elk or black bear.
A person hunting small game may not carry or use a rifle of greater calibre than a .275-calibre rifle, except a muzzle-loading gun, in the geographic areas of Brant, Chatham-Kent, Durham, Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxford, Peel, Perth, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington or York. Note: It is illegal to hunt ring-necked pheasants with a rifle.
A crusty CO could charge you. Same thing I said before an attempt is the same as committing the offence, just like the guy getting a fishing charge because there’s a rod in the boat.
stripperclipper
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Middle East Alberta
Doesn't need to be trigger locked, but must be out of sight.
Have to lock your truck, and have to be unloaded.
The law is the law. If it doesn't outright prohibit you from doing something, then it is legal by default. None of the laws on the books tell you what you can do, they're only a list of things you can't do. And if the thing you're doing isn't on that no-no list, then it is perfectly legal.
Just be well aware of storage/transport/hunting regulations and you can drive around with a vehicle covered in guns as long as they're unloaded. Hell you can't even get charged for obstructing your mirrors as long as you have the driver and passenger side functional.
Unless you run into a town or county by-law that says you can't. But that would be a ticket at most, and honestly just plead not guilty to them. The issuing authority is responsible for hiring a prosecutor for it, and most will get dropped to avoid the expense of hiring a lawyer to prosecute outside of large municipalities of course.
350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
I totally agree. That's how it works for me.
- Location
- Alberta, North America
This...... my go to fishing rods hang on my gun rack ... the rack is legal no change. Displaying guns in a vehicle in plain sight in a rack with no human occupants and who hold a valid PAL is not.
While legal I wouldn't do it personally. Cops will charge you with improper storage just the same, and let the judge sort it out. In the meantime you lose your guns, and ammunition, and if you win your case in court do you even get them back in the same condition they got taken?. It's the same as your allowed to walk around with an unloaded gun on your back. Doesn't mean your not going to be arrested and charged with a slew of offenses even if it's legal. Cops don't know ####, and all ways let the court figure it the hell out instead of them.
People have been charged simply for not having their guns in a hard locked case in the car, or for simply not having trigger locks. People have been charged for just leaving them in the car under a blanket. People have been charged for having them on the passenger seat legally. Cops don't know ####, and Cops will charge you just the same as someone breaking the law. Again they let the judge sort it out. So ya personally a truck rack seems like a bunch of problems I don't feel like dealing with.
After reading many cases of charges laid by police in regards to firearms in a vehicle. It seems to me unless transporting them somewhere, keeping them in the vehicle long term is a horrible idea.
People have been charged simply for not having their guns in a hard locked case in the car, or for simply not having trigger locks. People have been charged for just leaving them in the car under a blanket. People have been charged for having them on the passenger seat legally. Cops don't know ####, and Cops will charge you just the same as someone breaking the law. Again they let the judge sort it out. So ya personally a truck rack seems like a bunch of problems I don't feel like dealing with.
After reading many cases of charges laid by police in regards to firearms in a vehicle. It seems to me unless transporting them somewhere, keeping them in the vehicle long term is a horrible idea.
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wordiestdata
CGN Regular
- Location
- Montreal, QC
While I somewhat agree and would not want to go through this, I find it so backwards that cops can charge you for something that is LEGAL and say "figure it out in court".
I've been debating keeping a 12 gauge in my car. Technically, if its unloaded and trigger locked, you respect both transportation and storage regs so no reason to be charged. But again, cops don't know the regs and don't seem to care about learning them.
Honestly if Hunting or sports shooting is ones main hobbies. Then it is never worth keeping one in the car or truck. One careless storage charge, and you lose the guns, the ammunition, your bows, knives/bush crafting tools like machete's or hatchets. A weapons ban due to careless storage is multiple years of never being allowed to do the hobby of hunting or sports shooting. If anyone plans on actually keeping a truck or car gun behind the seat or in the trunk. I highly recommend having insurance, through one of the main Firearms orgs, so that you can call on their lawyers when the cops decide that they know the law, but if not the judge will figure it out. There was a guy on here who tried to represent himself, lost literally all his firearms even though he followed the law to the letter. Never represent yourself, all ways get a lawyer. And the CCFR and NFA can help with that, if one would of purchased the appropriate memberships.
If anything we should be discouraging people from this style of storage/transportation. It's too risky, and can lead to bad public perception of the sport and those who hold licenses. I do understand there may be a bit of a rural and non rural divide on this idea. I do recognize instances where if really rural, keeping one in the car makes sense. But the cops in those areas are probably more used to this as a concept and most likely know firearms law a bit better then a small city, or town cop (I'm thinking like Brockville, or kingston as small city/town) For sure a city cop will not understand and charge you simply for having it in the window.
Also modern cars are not secure. All it takes these days for a large swath of modern vehicles to be stolen is some cheap computer tech. They take your car without a key, and it's just gone. No longer would I consider a modern truck, or car, or SUV as a secure locked compartment when literally any sufficiently intelligent group of thieves can now just walk up, open and drive away with your vehicle at a few clicks of their techs buttons. Actually I could see a judge depending on the make and model, making this exact same argument to prove your not following proper storage laws. Remember, a guy got charged with careless storage even though it took a group of thieves a whole weekend to break into his literal vault because he should of known it was an area known for break ins. Judges suck, police suck. Protect yourself by not leaving guns in the car.
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The original poster is in B.C., and as already stated by a few who responded to his question, it is perfectly legal in B.C. to have an unloaded firearm in a window rack in a truck, so long as there is a PAL holding occupant in the vehicle ... doesn't matter if it's during a hunting season of any sort or not, or whether it's in an area open or closed to hunting, or whether it is before or after legal shooting times. IF the firearm is left unattended in a vehicle it must be locked in the trunk, or if the vehicle does not have a trunk, a firearm may be left in the vehicle such that it is not visible from outside of the vehicle. A vehicle though is not considered to be safe storage, so aside from leaving one in a vehicle long term being stupid, it may also be considered unsafe storage. I believe, but am not certain, that the same or similar rules apply in Alberta, and possibly some other western provinces.
So ... unless you move to some other province such as Ontario, where there are a whole bunch of other goofy and restrictive rules and perhaps some overly zealous enforcement officers, put a gun rack in the back window of your pickup, and put your rifles or shotguns in it. It's convenient, and legal, and if you want to, you can even stop at a Tim's drive through and grab a coffee and snack on your way to wherever ... just make sure you are unloaded, and that all of your paperwork is current and in order.
So ... unless you move to some other province such as Ontario, where there are a whole bunch of other goofy and restrictive rules and perhaps some overly zealous enforcement officers, put a gun rack in the back window of your pickup, and put your rifles or shotguns in it. It's convenient, and legal, and if you want to, you can even stop at a Tim's drive through and grab a coffee and snack on your way to wherever ... just make sure you are unloaded, and that all of your paperwork is current and in order.
JACKSMYDOG
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Haldimand County, Ontario
Details on the guy who followed the letter of the law and lost all his guns after representing himself please?
I looked high and dry for the thread, but wasn't able to find it. It may have been deleted by the mods, or I just didn't search the right sub forum. If I remember correctly he got charged with careless storage of I think an SKS he was working on when he left it out when answering his door for the police . He decided to represent himself, and ended up losing the few firearms and ammunition he had. If I do end up finding the thread, I'll send you a PM. But my details could be off as I remember replying to his thread far earlier in the year.
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Sure but if you have targets and no hunter orange you can probably talk to a rational person. Stupid is as stupid does.
You have to prove an attempt was made to hunt.
JACKSMYDOG
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Haldimand County, Ontario
He left his SKS out on a bench for multiple days, without a trigger lock. That is not in compliance with storage laws. He posted video(s) of it in that condition advertising that he was breaking the law. When the Police arrived they found it in that location and condition, and he made no claim that he was in the process of working on it when he stopped to answer the door. He broke the law, and posted videos on Facebook of all places demonstrating that he was doing so.
I have decided to never use a trigger lock before early morning hunt. It’s impossible to read the numbers on the lock in the early morning. In BC, we can hunt one hour before sunrise.
I just pulled the bolt and put it in my pocket
I just pulled the bolt and put it in my pocket
