Keeping shotgun in the car in PA

[Will3212]

I know many people say they keep a truck gun, weather it's an AR pistol or shotgun.

Is it legal to keep a Mossberg shockwave SPX in my SUV unloaded but with shot shells in the shell holder side saddle?

[knight0334]

Yes if you have a LTCF. The "Shockwave" series were declared to be "firearms", so they are treated as handguns and such. If you have a LTCF, it doesn't need to be unloaded.

If you do not have a LTCF - then it can only be in your vehicle while going to/from certain exempted locations listed under 6106(b).

While the definition of "loaded" in 6102 is supposed to only apply to "firearms", it will be the first one used by a judge/magistrate for full length rifles/shotgun since the state provided a definition.

No ammo in chamber(s) or fixed magazine. Loaded detachable magazines must be in a separate container.

§ 6102. Definitions.
"Loaded." A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or, in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired. In the case of a firearm which utilizes a detachable magazine, the term shall mean a magazine suitable for use in said firearm which magazine contains such ammunition and has been inserted in the firearm or is in the same container or, where the container has multiple compartments, the same compartment thereof as the firearm. If the magazine is inserted into a pouch, holder, holster or other protective device that provides for a complete and secure enclosure of the ammunition, then the pouch, holder, holster or other protective device shall be deemed to be a separate compartment.

"Firearm." Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length less than 15 inches, any shotgun with a barrel length less than 18 inches or any rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches, or any pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun with an overall length of less than 26 inches. The barrel length of a firearm shall be determined by measuring from the muzzle of the barrel to the face of the closed action, bolt or cylinder, whichever is applicable.

[mmi]

what is funny is i can not carry a regular double barrel shotgun but could carry a m16 w/ a 14'' barrel in my car .

[PAMedic=F|A=]

Yes if you have a LTCF. The "Shockwave" series were declared to be "firearms", so they are treated as handguns and such. If you have a LTCF, it doesn't need to be unloaded.

If you do not have a LTCF - then it can only be in your vehicle while going to/from certain exempted locations listed under 6106(b).

While the definition of "loaded" in 6102 is supposed to only apply to "firearms", it will be the first one used by a judge/magistrate for full length rifles/shotgun since the state provided a definition.

No ammo in chamber(s) or fixed magazine. Loaded detachable magazines must be in a separate container.

§ 6102. Definitions.
"Loaded." A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or, in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired. In the case of a firearm which utilizes a detachable magazine, the term shall mean a magazine suitable for use in said firearm which magazine contains such ammunition and has been inserted in the firearm or is in the same container or, where the container has multiple compartments, the same compartment thereof as the firearm. If the magazine is inserted into a pouch, holder, holster or other protective device that provides for a complete and secure enclosure of the ammunition, then the pouch, holder, holster or other protective device shall be deemed to be a separate compartment.

"Firearm." Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length less than 15 inches, any shotgun with a barrel length less than 18 inches or any rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches, or any pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun with an overall length of less than 26 inches. The barrel length of a firearm shall be determined by measuring from the muzzle of the barrel to the face of the closed action, bolt or cylinder, whichever is applicable.

This.

[Will3212]

So a "firearm", is different than a shotgun? Since you cannot keep a loaded shotgun in the car even with a LTCF.

[Sgt.K]

what is funny is i can not carry a regular double barrel shotgun but could carry a m16 w/ a 14'' barrel in my car .

20-30K for the M-16
Plus a tax stamp for the machine gun

My truck ain't worth as much as all that. I'd need to put in 10K+ worth of hardening to feel safe leaving that rig unattended, just so it would be there when I needed it.

Nah, I'd probably just go with a 7-8" AR pistol in 223 Wylde if I had a truck gun.

My2¢
YMMV
etc...

P.S. - Funny, yes

[Sandcut]

20-30K for the M-16
Plus a tax stamp for the machine gun

My truck ain't worth as much as all that. I'd need to put in 10K+ worth of hardening to feel safe leaving that rig unattended, just so it would be there when I needed it.

Nah, I'd probably just go with a 7-8" AR pistol in 223 Wylde if I had a truck gun.

My2¢
YMMV
etc...

P.S. - Funny, yes

I believe that he was pointing out the irony of the fact that something as "benign" as a single shot .410 is a "longarm" andncannot be carried, loaded, in a vehicle and yet, something as "dangerous" as an SBRed, full auto with a 100 round magazine was "lawfull" when carried with an LTCF.

And, he would be right. It's friggen retarded!

[jthrelf]

The SPX is a regular shotgun with an 18" barrel.

Yes you can keep it unloaded (chamber and tube) with shells in the side saddle. This meets Pennsylvania's definition of unloaded.

[jthrelf]

So a "firearm", is different than a shotgun? Since you cannot keep a loaded shotgun in the car even with a LTCF.

Yes. Google the text of the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms act and go to the section of Definitions. There it will tell you about what 'firearms' are and what 'loaded' is.

[knight0334]

So a "firearm", is different than a shotgun? Since you cannot keep a loaded shotgun in the car even with a LTCF.

Pennsylvania regulates "firearms" more than rifles and shotguns. The laws forbid carrying "firearms" concealed or in a vehicle, unless you possess a LTCF or exempt for certain reasons.

The Shockwave is not a "shotgun". Under federal law it is an "other firearm", under PA law it is a "firearm" because of certain dimensions of the guns(barrel in particular here). The good thing is with that declaration under PA law is that your LTCF allows you to have the gun loaded, but you need to have a LTCF to merely have it in your vehicle.

You cannot confuse industry terms used for definitions with what the law calls things. ...yeah, it is smoothbore and uses shotshells - which is typically a "shotgun". But PA law calls it a "firearm" because it has a smoothbore(shotgun) less than 18". The ATF determined it to be an "other firearm" because it exceeds 26", instead of a NFA device AOW - which by letter of the law is incorrect because the AOW passage has no max length defined for overall length. Some idiot in the ATF miss-read "concealed" or "concealable", which was meant for disguised guns(like a gun that resembles something else, but is in fact a gun - concealed).