Nevada Backroaders

So, I finally decided to join the ranks of the armed, and purchase a handgun. I bought a Ruger LCR. I do a lot of wheeling and hiking alone, in the middle of nowhere, and have always brought pepper spray with me in the past, but I've always known that its efficacy can be dubious. The idea of purchasing a handgun was in the back of my mind, but a couple of things finally tipped the balance. First, I've been seeing A LOT of mountain lion tracks lately in the areas I usually explore. Second, a friend of mine (Kraig Knapp - some of you met him on the last Lucy Grey trip) met some unsavory folks in the Nelson's Landing area recently. They were probably planning to rob him, but quickly left when they saw he was armed. Apparently, Nelson's Landing is known to be a dangerous place - lots of tourists, no entrance fee, not much policing. Who knew?

Anyway, I finally decided to add a handgun to the safety kit I bring when exploring. Just like all my other gear, such as a splint and my Spot emergency locator, I don't expect to ever have to use it, but you never know. I'm also planning to get a concealed carry permit.

Now I need to make very sure I know all of the rules and regulations for carrying. I've been reading stuff online, but the regulations aren't as straightforward to find as I expected. I was hoping you folks could help educate me. I do all of my exploring in Nevada and California, on BLM land, the Lake Mead Recreation Area, Red Rock, Valley of Fire, and especially the Mojave Preserve. What are the rules for open carry and concealed carry for these places? Is my blue card for Nevada accepted in California? Will my Nevada concealed carry permit be accepted in California? What are the rules for open and concealed carry in a car?

It seems I am getting my own little arsenal. I now have a handgun, a shotgun, and a crossbow. Is my neck getting redder?

Nevada's pretty easy. You can carry a loaded handgun in the car. It can be concealed in the car, but not on your person without a CCW. California is another matter. You cannot carry a loaded handgun in the car, and usually, the ammo has to be separated from the gun. That means, if the gun is in the front seat, the ammo has to be either in a trunk, or in the back of the vehicle farthest from you. Same goes with the National Parks and Recreation Areas. California will recognize the blue card as showing the gun is registered in Nevada, but will NOT recognize the CCW. Those are the laws as far as I know. However, I would not drive around the back roads without a loaded gun, either in Nevada or California. Federally protected areas are a different matter. If I'm right, you are allowed to open carry around California, as well as Nevada.

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2012 Rubicon Unlimited.

Dawn...

I believe Rogue Leader is correct about the laws, but I would need to double check. Clark County is the only county that issues "blue cards". California doesn't accept any state's CCW permits. If you get a CCW permit, I believe it is currently accepted by both Arizona and Utah. If you decide to get a permit, I recommend the Gun Store at 2900 E. Tropicana Ave. I've known their Chief Instructor for over 20 years. I also know Beth and some others went to American Shooters on Arville to get their permits.

The Ruger is a good choice for what you need. I believe it will handle plus P ammunition. Loaded with the right ammo, it should do very well. If I can help in any way, let me know.

John

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2011 JKU Rubicon "QuickSilver". Rock Rails, 4"Lift & 33's.
NBCC
NBMC
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NBOFC
NBORV

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Is 3 4X4s too many?
89 YJ [ ] ||||| [ ]
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Dawn: I got my CCW permit and instruction from John Soro He's a little more expensive than the Gun Store,but instructs on a one on one basis. He was referred by the guys at Bass Pro. It was a breeze to pass. Less expensive if you have 2 or more people. Reach John at 281 1571
I forgot, he even comes to your home

Frank Caliva

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Is 3 4X4s too many?
89 YJ [ ] ||||| [ ]
5"Lift 33 M/Ts MM 9000 Winch 4.2L EFI Locked Front and Rear
06 Ram 2500 Quad Diesel
2" Front Lift 315/17 M/T's
01 Ram 2500 Quad cab LB
Diesel 6 Speed
NVBROFC

Thanks for all of the info. Now let's see if I understand it. Currently, without a CCW, I can:

- open carry my loaded gun on me in the Lake Mead area (though, I know there are certain "loaded weapon banned" zones), on Mt. Charleston, in Red Rock, in the Mojave Preserve, and on BLM lands in Nevada and California

- open carry, or concealed carry my loaded gun in my car in Nevada

- not carry a loaded gun in my car, open or concealed, in California

- not carry a loaded gun, open or concealed, in my car or on me, in North Las Vegas, or Boulder City

Is that right?

One more question. Looking around for rules on the net, I thought I discovered that the California regulation for guns in cars is even more strict. I read that, not only must a gun be unloaded while in a car, and away from the ammunition, but the gun must be in a locked container, which can't be the glove box. True?

When I'm on paved road in Cali I lock the unloaded gun in the glove box and put the ammunition in the center consol. I've never been stopped so I don't know if that's within the Cali law. Once I'm offroad I load the gun and keep it in the center consol. Out of the jeep hiking I then put the gun on. Back to vehicle back in the consol. If I'm deep in the backcountry I'll leave the gun on while driving rather then taking it on and off. Like I said, I've never been stopped so I don't know if I'm breaking the law or not, figure I'd find out if I do get stopped.

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1994 jeep yj wrangler-"d.d." []lllllll[]
Retired Trail Boss and Website Director
Founder of Uncle Brad's Misguided Children
NVBROFC
Re-located from my beloved Mojave to Texas. Where did all the mountains go???

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Is 3 4X4s too many?
89 YJ [ ] ||||| [ ]
5"Lift 33 M/Ts MM 9000 Winch 4.2L EFI Locked Front and Rear
06 Ram 2500 Quad Diesel
2" Front Lift 315/17 M/T's
01 Ram 2500 Quad cab LB
Diesel 6 Speed
NVBROFC

In North Las Vegas, if you have a CCW and you have a firearm with you, it MUST be on your person to be legal in North Las Vegas. If you have a CCW and it is not on your person, then you are in violation of the law. If you don't have a CCW, I think it's like California...it must be unloaded, nothing chambered, and ammo seperate and not within reach. That's what I've been told by a North Las Vegas Police Officer.

And in California, you should always lock your firearm up and keep your ammunition seperate and neither within reach, just like the criminals do.

If you want to do some reading of law and research on state stuff, here's a good website to visit. It seems to stay up to date very well. Check it out. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/State/

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2002 Jeep Wrangler X, ARB's, 4.5" RE lift, 35" KM2's, built to crawl on rocks

Laws might differ between the greater Las Vegas area and northern rural Nevada, I don't know for sure. I own a double barrel shotgun but am planning on obtaining a pistol, likely .38 caliber. I like to explore ghost towns, but carrying a heavy antique shotgun, digital cameras, a GPS and a video camera can get rather clumbsy.

When I go exploring with a buddy of mine, he lends me his wife's S&W snub nose .38 and a nice belt holster, which you hardly know is there. He had a close encounter with his wife last autumn, as both are avid rock collectors, when he entered a mine adit with his wife and came face to face with a lion. He had been carrying his gun all day, but this time he left it in the truck.

My understanding is that you can carry any gun in your vehicle loaded, as long as there is no round in the firing chamber. So, this makes my double barrel illegal to carry loaded (which I don't) because of its design. But a standard pump or semi-auto shotgun is legal to carry loaded as long as the firing chamber is empty.

I've seen on numerous occasions pistols in belt holsters in my neck of the sagebrush, but in plain sight. It is my knowledge that a concealed carry permit is fairly easy to obtain.

California gun laws are always changing, and changing for the stricter for the law abiding citizen; but doesn't do a dang thing to stop the criminal from always having the upper hand. The police, it seems, can't even pull their guns until the criminal's bullet is beginning to penetrate their skulls. And if they do, they get desk duty until the slow and rusty bureaucratic gears lurch and stop for weeks until they are cleared or disciplined.

The parks, such as Death Valley, have far stricter laws about carrying weapons. Which are not allowed to be used at all (although I've nearly been mowed down by some lunatic, so-called, 4WD club spraying automatic weapons in wide circles all around Chloride City ghost town about 1997 ... ). It is my understanding that any weapon be completely broken down, in a locked case and not in reach of the owner.

The NDOW (Nevada Department of Wildlife) website has a lot of general law information on guns in Nevada, not just the hunting laws. http://www.ndow.org/

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D.A. Wright
~When You Live in Nevada, "just down the road" is anywhere in the line of sight within the curvature of the earth.

It's quite common to be stopped by a NDOW Ranger during any hunting season and asked to show them your weapon to see if it has a round loaded or not. Same with the BLM, though not nearly as often.

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All Jeep trails had to first be Scouted.

1978 IH Scout II Lifted, locked, blah,blah,blah.
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Her car.
1992 Ford F350 XLT 4x4

ok do i need to really have a weapon when i explore? I was thinking maybe a bb gun being the bb guns now look very similiar. maybe this would be enough to warn some one i encounter when exploring.

thanks

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Kelly aka Mr. D

04 Rubicon;66 F100

_________________
Is 3 4X4s too many?
89 YJ [ ] ||||| [ ]
5"Lift 33 M/Ts MM 9000 Winch 4.2L EFI Locked Front and Rear
06 Ram 2500 Quad Diesel
2" Front Lift 315/17 M/T's
01 Ram 2500 Quad cab LB
Diesel 6 Speed
NVBROFC

I carry a gun for two reasons: to protect myself from mean critters and to make dinner (survival) if I happen to be out in the middle of nowhere (like the Owyhee Desert) and have to walk home because the truck died and I can't fix it. I don't carry a rolling restaurant with me at all times, so it might be necessary to eat a little raven stew some time ...

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D.A. Wright
~When You Live in Nevada, "just down the road" is anywhere in the line of sight within the curvature of the earth.