I'm heading to Arizona in a couple of weeks to visit a friend and then on to California to visit some other folks. I know Az has fairly relaxed firearms laws (I'm coming from Utah)...but what about taking guns into Cali? I plan on taking a couple of rifles, and a couple of pistols with me... I dont currently have a CCW permit, and wont be worried about carrying concealed, but can I keep an un-loaded pistol in the passenger compartment, as long as the ammuniton is kept seperate from the firearm?

Is there a website where I might find a "laymans" explanation of Cali gun laws?

Thanks fellas,

[url]www.packing.org[/url]

Short answer - NO.  Any firearm being transported here in the People's Republik of Kalifornia MUST be...

Unloaded.
Locked up (locked case, trigger lock, or preferably both!)
NOT in passenger compartment, unless trunk not available.  Also, you cannot make any stops anywhere when transporting firearms (legally) - not even for gas or other "pit stops."  

If you do not have a trunk (I don't - I have a set of Jeep Cherokees!) the firearms MUST be secured in locked cases, and MUST be at the rear of the vehicle out of reach of the driver or passengers.  Kali sux...  I like AZ, and we hope to move there in the next couple of years or so...

FFZ

as for rifles if it has a detach mag leave it in az to be safe same goes for the hi caps(importation rule).

I would be happy to store your weapons during your voyage into Caliban territory.

At your service,

-Hat

Actually you can carry a firearm in the passenger area with you here in CA. As long as amunition is not attached to it in any way. Now concealable firearms i.e handguns must be in a lock box in the trunk. Same goes for our so called assualt weapons. I always go out hunting and have my shotgun behind me. And I stop for food and gear all the time. There is no laws against such