FLY1NGSQU1RR3L
Newbie
The big question is, who determines what is unlawful carry? My guess is, the concerned citizen or the responding officer, and THEN The judge if you live to see them.
RCW 9.41.270. http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.270
I plan to hike my rural property a few days the next week or so in full tactical gear, to see if I've found the right balance of weight distribution, durability, and unfriendly terrain compatible gear. Will have both an AR-15 and a shotgun in scabbards (or one slung, depending on the situation), plus a sidearm in a leg holster, but there are areas where I may have to cross a public road to get to other parts of my own land. Would the State be in the right to charge me with unlawful carry based on the type of weapon or the amount of weapons on my person, on or off my property? Must these weapons be unloaded when carried in this fashion or am I correct in the law does not stipulate the manner of carry, just that I can carry open or concealed provided the weapon matches the class which my permit allows?
The news coverage on how the police and the state have been interpreting RCW 9.41.270 have always concerned me:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2009/10/14/is-washington-an-open-carry-state-regarding-guns/
While I don't consider a rifle in a scabbard a form of brandishing, I'm interested to see if there have been any newer cases than the one cited above where the court dismissed any charges of unlawful carry, in a similar context.
P.S., while I won't be travelling alone, some of the unwanted companions are a Mountain Lion and a neighbor that has been cited for illegal activity on the property bordering mine (the lion can stay, the neighbor should go). So having an unloaded rifle is not a preferred situation, but the goal is to test the weight and balance, not the tactical readiness.
Love this forum, love the people here.
RCW 9.41.270. http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.270
I plan to hike my rural property a few days the next week or so in full tactical gear, to see if I've found the right balance of weight distribution, durability, and unfriendly terrain compatible gear. Will have both an AR-15 and a shotgun in scabbards (or one slung, depending on the situation), plus a sidearm in a leg holster, but there are areas where I may have to cross a public road to get to other parts of my own land. Would the State be in the right to charge me with unlawful carry based on the type of weapon or the amount of weapons on my person, on or off my property? Must these weapons be unloaded when carried in this fashion or am I correct in the law does not stipulate the manner of carry, just that I can carry open or concealed provided the weapon matches the class which my permit allows?
The news coverage on how the police and the state have been interpreting RCW 9.41.270 have always concerned me:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2009/10/14/is-washington-an-open-carry-state-regarding-guns/
While I don't consider a rifle in a scabbard a form of brandishing, I'm interested to see if there have been any newer cases than the one cited above where the court dismissed any charges of unlawful carry, in a similar context.
P.S., while I won't be travelling alone, some of the unwanted companions are a Mountain Lion and a neighbor that has been cited for illegal activity on the property bordering mine (the lion can stay, the neighbor should go). So having an unloaded rifle is not a preferred situation, but the goal is to test the weight and balance, not the tactical readiness.
Love this forum, love the people here.
