My Italian girlfriend is flying into LA near the end of November and I will be driving in from Utah to pick her up.  She likes the beach so we will try and do that.  Are there any other spots you guys recommend that she might like?

I have a Utah concealed permit but I see that it is not recognized by California.  If I bring my cased and locked P2000, what do I need to worry about besides 10 round mags?  I'm also thinking of bringing my 223 Howa bolt action which has a 10 round detachable mag and a traditional stock and unthreaded muzzle.  We might stop at a range in Nevada on the way home to shoot.

Make sure that you have a hefty way of securing your gun cases to the car.  Beach parking lots aren't the greatest in secure locations.

Once you get out in the desert, shooting is available on a lot of the BLM lands.

Unless she is a real movies fan, I'd bypass most of Hollywood.  If you do go, go by the Griffith Park Planetarium and Gene Autry Museum of the West.    This is an interesting museum for those interested in costuming in TV and the Movies - http://fidmmuseum.org/exhibitions/current/ Depends on the exhibition.

If she likes space flight, the California Science Center in Exposition Park, has a Space Shuttle, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft.  It's next to the Coloseum, so don't go on a day USC has a home game.

Disneyland and/or Universal Studio with the Harry Potter stuff?  Hollywood is grimy and not exciting for the most part with locals but can be popular with tourists.  The Thanksgiving break can be pretty crowded and heavy travel time.  Vegas on the way back to Utah?  It might be better to toss us some ideas of things she might be interested in to get more focused ideas.  San Diego has the Zoo and Safari Park.  Not really on your way.  San Francisco is way out of your way.

Transporting Firearms in California
Home Firearms Transporting Firearms in California
HANDGUNS
Pursuant to California Penal Code section 25610, a United States citizen over 18 years of age who is not prohibited from firearm possession, and who resides or is temporarily in California, may transport by motor vehicle any handgun provided it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle’s trunk or in a locked container. Furthermore, the handgun must be carried directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and, while being carried must be contained within a locked container.

Pursuant to California Penal Code section 16850, the term "locked container" means a secure container that is fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar locking device. This includes the trunk of a motor vehicle, but does not include the utility or glove compartment.

SHOTGUNS AND RIFLES
Nonconcealable firearms (shotguns and rifles) are not generally covered within the provisions of California Penal Code section 25400 and therefore are not required to be transported in a locked container. However, as with any firearm, nonconcealable firearms must be unloaded while they are being transported.

REGISTERED ASSAULT WEAPONS
California Penal Code section 30945, subdivision (g) provides that registered assault weapons may be transported only between specified locations and must be unloaded and stored in a locked container when transported.

Pursuant to California Penal Code section 16850, the term "locked container" means a secure container that is fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar locking device. This includes the trunk of a motor vehicle, but does not include the utility or glove compartment.

Santa Monica - the pier and 3rd Street Promenade. She'll like that. There should be something there to keep her entertained and fed. You can rent skates and head South, to Venice Beach and then Marina Del Rey (A few good restaurants). Or drive north to Malibu.

If you don't want to do Hollywood, you can go to Westwood, where there are several movie theaters (movies often premier there). A lot of college town restaurants, and two free museums (Armand Hammer and on the UCLA campus, the tiny Fowler Museum) and in the hills nearby is the Getty Museum.

Should the GF be familiar with or from Rome, and you hit the Getty Museum, she may well see a remarkable resemblance between the Getty and the Museum of the Ara Pacis.  The architect, Richard Meier, used similar materials and design ideas.  The museum is one of the major "tourism" spots in SoCal.

All good input, thanks guys.

We had a great time, thanks again for all the input.

Went to the beach, had some good food, and went up to the Griffith Observatory.  I don't know how you guys deal with the traffic around LA, I now see why carrying a gun is so restrictived in your state

Having grown up and learned to drive when only about half the freeways were "done", and knowing how to get places not using the freeways helps.

Does the gun have to be inside a locking container even when inside the trunk or can it be in a non locked container while inside the trunk?

It can be in an unlocked container (the trunk is the container for this purpose), but the issue is if you have to open or take it out of the trunk somewhere where it still needs to remain locked.

Quoted:  I don't know how you guys deal with the traffic around LA,...

As much as any other single factor, traffic will drive me out of LA when I retire.  The local attractions are spread all over So Cal and are not worthwhile if it takes hours to get there and hours to get back.

One example, it has taken me over 4 hours to make the 60 mile trip home from my range on a weekend afternoon.  2-3 hours is quite common.  Almost all that time is spent sitting in traffic during the last 20 miles to my home (from the Sepulveda Pass south until I exit the freeway).

40 miles in 40 minutes (60 mph) + 20 miles in 200 minutes (6 mph) = GRIEF!

Another example, it took 4 hours to go 15 miles from the ski area parking lot to the freeway entrance ramp.

15 miles / 4 hours = 3.75 mph = WALKING SPEED

People who bought homes 50-60 miles from work are driving in at 4 AM.  They get to work at 5:30-6:00 due to traffic.  They leave work at ~2 PM to beat some of the traffic going home.  Many drive on surface streets across town because even at 2PM, the freeway is an hours long drive.  Every day.

These drive times are without accidents or road work or other anomalies.  They represent the norm for me.

Add in the single party, communist, anti-American politics in Sacramento and you have the makings of a future failed State.  I've seen it before - everywhere socialism is tried.

@bigstick61 Thank you, so as soon as I open the trunk I'm in violation? We are visiting California next month and just wanted to make sure, what about a Mossberg Shockwave? are those a no-go too?

 Makes it a little easier.  BTW, the strength requirements for the container and lock are not listed.  The wits have said a paper bag with a twisted paper clip meet the rules.  Not sure I'd try that.  But you can get some locks you can twist off at dollar stores and use that to hold a zipper shut.

That is a good idea, get the flimsiest lock I can find and use it on the factory box.

To the extent I can tell quickly, the 14" Shockwave is not legal in Ca.  Pretty sure the shotgun barrel length limit is 18." (Not the only regs, just a quick answer to "Shockwave.")  The 18.5" Mossberg Tactical Cruiser, with pistol grip, is.

Shotguns need to be 26" minimum overall length and have a barrel that at least 18" long.  If it is manually operated, that's probably all there is to it.

If it is semiauto, there are additional requirements.

All Shockwave models meet the 26" minimum criteria.  However, most models have 14 3/8" barrels which is a problem (short barreled shotgun).  They do make a model with an 18 1/2" barrel, so that's an option.

Turner's Outdoorsman sells model #50639 here in California, so this model is legal to own.

Link to Mossberg Shockwave web page

Model #50639 - 18.5" barrel; 6+1 capacity

I’m traveling to Los Angeles next week just want to double check I’m good. I can bring a gen 4 g26 with only 10 rd mags and federal hst ammo?  Gun locked in a case ammo in factory box separate. Not to carry but at least keep in the hotel room. Want to make sure it’s not a gun prohibited by name and that there aren’t restrictions on ammo type like in New Jersey.

You're fine.  The "by name" assault weapons are early attempts to list AWs by name, no Glocks.  The only "gotcha" on typical (not meeting the AW definitions, like AR pistols, etc.) handguns is "no threaded barrel."  No ammo restrictions except "handgun ammunition designed primarily to penetrate metal or armor."

Sounds good thank you guys for the response.

Is there a limit on the number of guns you can take? how about on the number of magazines? hollow points? can I take 2 different guns on a single case or each has to be inside its own case? So magazines full inside the locked case just not inserted?  @trollslayer @featureless

I can't think of any limits.  I carry multiple handguns in a single case for events or range trips.  As noted, as long as a firearm isn't an "assault weapon," the ammunition isn't prohibited as noted above, or mags over 10 round capacity, shouldn't be a problem.

Is it normal that LAX forces you to either unlock the gun case or give TSA your key so they can rummage through your whole bag behind a closed door? This was not my first trip bringing a firearm in checked luggage, but the only time that I did not open the case to show the ticket agent and then get escorted to the scanning machine and on my way.  I would have thought TSA being a federal agency would have the same policies in place nationally.

It's been over a decade since I last flew with a gun through LAX (I tend to use Ontario if I can), but they didn't do that in the past. Don't know about now. Denver had the same BS when I flew through there a few years ago. TSA took my keys from me and took it to a room from which I was excluded, with a cop keeping people out. I was only allowed in because TSA couldn't figure out how to lock it. Turns out the broke the locks somehow. A big red tag was placed on the case (never had that done anywhere else) to specially mark it as a gun, and it was taken out front (to/through the pickup/dropoff area) somewhere instead of being placed on the conveyor with the rest of the baggage.