Feel free to keep your loaded magazines out of the magazine well of your gun while in transport. If you get pulled over,
don't consent to a search under any circumstances. Having loaded magazines with you in the cockpit w/o a CPL is fine. If stopped it might be wise to keep them out of sight. What you're doing isn't illegal, you'll just save yourself any possibility of legal run in if you don't consent.
When OCing (outside your vehicle), please consider keeping a round in the chamber. A gun without a round in the chamber may as well be thrown at the bad guy.
Be careful of places that are easy to get tripped up and illegally carry. A common place is anywhere that is licensed to sell alcohol. This may include:
- Your local grocery chain
- Gas stations
- Party Stores
Also consider getting your CPL. It'll save you lots of hassle. Once you have you CPL you can:
- Carry loaded in the cabin of your vehicle
- Go to places that are licensed to sell liquor without getting pre-written permission
- Not get a permit to purchase from the police for future pistol purchases
The CPL is the best $250ish I've spent in a while.
$105 = License fee
$25 = Box of ammo for class
$75-$125 = cost of class
I fully clean my firearm after every time I shoot it. Some may say this is over-kill, but this is a piece of equipment that is staying close to my body and clothes. I'd prefer it not to be laced with thick amounts of lead (to the extent I can control that). At the very minimal I'd recommend you clean the barrel (get a "bore snake" -- those are good for just opening the breech and dropping through without dis-assembly) after each shooting session. Mileage may very in this area, others will be like me and still others will tell you they don't clean their gun unless they've put 1,000 rounds through since their last cleaning.
