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What laws are in effect regarding carrying a rifle in a personal vehicle in Texas? The rifle I am speaking of is a Yugo SKS which has been modified with US parts to have exactly 10 foreign parts. Do I have to have the ammo separate from the rifle or anything? Thanks for your assistance. Just want to stay on the right side of the law.

You are allowed to carry long guns in the State of Texas.

No you don't have to have the ammo seperate. You can even have one in the chamber.

SW40VE wrote:What laws are in effect regarding carrying a rifle in a personal vehicle in Texas?

"No hunting without a license."

And that's about it, for long guns. Open, concealed, loaded or not. Just be safe.

Kevin

Being legal doesn't mean you won't get hassled.

A couple of Chambers County's finest threatened me with arrest for having a Mini-14 in my car. They said it was an "assault rifle", which wouldn't have made any difference, anyway.

I swear, they actually said, "You may beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride."

They eventually cut me loose and warned me to get back to Harris County. Instead, I drove to the courthouse, with them close behind me, and spoke to their chief deputy about their ignorance of the law.

That was in 1985, but don't count on the officers being well informed.

I've thought about walking around town with my Remington 700 PSS with Harris Bi-pod and Leuopold scope on it(looks like, and is, a tactical precision rifle). I figure it'd take about 5 minutes before someone either tries to tackle me, or calls the cops.

Mike 1951 said, "Instead, I drove to the courthouse, with them close behind me, and spoke to their chief deputy about their ignorance of the law."

So tell us what happened! How did the chief respond? And why did they think a mini-14 was and "assault" anything?

Many people have told me (and I read on this Forum) that having a rifle in your car/truck is ok, and it does not have to be either concealed or in plain sight (one time, someone told me it had to be in plain sight).

One friend said that having a shorty AR behind the seat could cause the police to give he grief if they had occasion to see it, but he could not tell me why he thought that, or provide evidence to support his feeling (i.e. an experience or anecdote).

Regards,
Andrew

I had called on a customer nearby and had some paperwork to do. I pulled down the road going to Turtle Bay which at that time was closed and parked at the gate.

They checked me out and just wanted a reason to roust me. The Mini-14 was laying across the hump in front of the front seat.

The deputies stopped me on the courthouse steps and asked me what I was doing there. I explained that I wanted to see the sheriff, settling for their chief deputy. He reprimanded them in front of me, which I didn't expect. I went on my way.

Texas doesn't prohibit carry or possession of long guns, loaded or unloaded, concealed or not. Penal Code 42.01 includes:

(7) discharges a firearm in a public place other than a public road or a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code;
(8) displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm;
(9) discharges a firearm on or across a public road;

42.01 (8) would probably be used for someone walking around Main St with a long gun.

Your friend is likely just anticipating an encounter like I had.

cyphur wrote:I've thought about walking around town with my Remington 700 PSS with Harris Bi-pod and Leuopold scope on it(looks like, and is, a tactical precision rifle). I figure it'd take about 5 minutes before someone either tries to tackle me, or calls the cops.

Two years ago myself and my assistant pastors went to down town dallas where the longhorns are for a picture shoot. It was an old time photo in black and white. We wear in western clothes carrying shotguns. I called the DPD before we went and told them what we were doing. They advised me that they would make a note in case someone called in. There was a lot of people there. We even had people taken pictures with us and their children, family, etc. . . I just knew we would be swarmed by the SWAT team, but it worked out.

BobCat wrote:One friend said that having a shorty AR behind the seat could cause the police to give he grief if they had occasion to see it, but he could not tell me why he thought that, or provide evidence to support his feeling (i.e. an experience or anecdote).

Several years ago, James Dark, currently the executive director of the TSRA, had a police encounter when some alarmist saw his black-powder rifle in his vehicle at a drive-in. He talked his way out the situation. I wasn't there, but I consider the account reliable.

That's the sort of thing that can happen, especially in suburban areas with lots of people who moved to Texas from wimpy states.

We drive around with shotguns all the time, and the police never give us a second look. Maybe they're not as observant as some people think.

You have to look at the whole situation, too. A middle-aged guy in a rural area in the daytime is a lot less alarming than six teenagers driving in a city at night with a rifle.

- Jim

I guess when I do carry the rifle to the range, I will also have my receipts for my US parts and a copy of the "10 or less parts" laws just to play it safe. I can't possibly expect local law enforcement to know every letter of the law, and I have a feeling that if they saw the rifle, most would immediately think "Assault Rifle". Thanks for the reply's guys!

cyphur wrote:I've thought about walking around town with my Remington 700 PSS with Harris Bi-pod and Leuopold scope on it(looks like, and is, a tactical precision rifle). I figure it'd take about 5 minutes before someone either tries to tackle me, or calls the cops.

I'd give you 90 seconds...Garland, right??? Yep...90 seconds...You may hear sirens at that time...

I bought a Remington 870 at a gun store, no case or anything. So I walked out to my truck with it, two students saw me and got wide eyed. One cop saw me and didn't even double take. Its no big deal for most people.

Will938 wrote:I bought a Remington 870 at a gun store, no case or anything. So I walked out to my truck with it, two students saw me and got wide eyed. One cop saw me and didn't even double take. Its no big deal for most people.

You gotta think if someone from the 1890's was told in the future you could carry long guns with no trouble but to carry a pistol you have to take classes , jump through hoops and spend money to get a permit to carry they would think we had lost our minds!

They would think a whole lot of what we have to do is weird:

• have a government-issued ID to do anything
• get a permit to build a structure
• be legally required to have insurance
• need a prescription from a physician to get medication from a pharmacist
• get taxes taken out of your paycheck
• file a tax return
• pay for something called TV

- Jim