Not guilty. I don't believe my comments have been an encouragement to people to carry guns. Go back and read what I've posted.
California laws are very strict about this and proper training is required. No one should just jump into firearm carry without knowing the laws and doing what is required by law.
In California a CCW (concealed carry weapons) permit requires:
1) A valid gun ownership certificate. No gun shop will legally sell a handgun to anyone without the purchaser having passed a written gun safety examination and has passed a California background check. There is a ten day waiting period.
2) For a CCW, the legal gun owner must pass a State of California approved class. The class includes intense lectures about gun safety, California State laws, personal responsibility, and several hours of supervised live firing at a range. Then, there is a long waiting period while the State does another background check, which might take several months. If the person passes that background check, they are interviewed by a local Sheriff, who questions them about their reasons for wanted a CCW. If the Sheriff then approves, the CCW is issued to them. In California a CCW permit is good for two years, after which it must renewed...after taking a CCW refresher class that is similar to the initial class. Carrying concealed without a CCW permit will get a person a felony conviction and a lot of grief.
In Inyo National Forest the open carrying of a validly owned handgun is permitted, but should be holstered and in plain sight. Do not open carry one within 100 feet of a public road: that is a felony. Personally, I don't think anyone should open carry a handgun in the backcountry. Someone might freak out and report you, which can result in you being questioned by police in a manner you will not like. Get a CCW permit and keep that weapon hidden.
Carrying a handgun concealed without possessing a valid, up-to-date California CCW permit is a felony. Even if the gun is concealed in a pack or a bear proof container and the person does not have a CCW permit - it is a felony.
All that information might be enough to discourage most people from even considering carry a handgun in the backcountry.
????? I wasn't addressing you. That's easy to tell by the quoted material above what I wrote.
Concealed carrying without a CCW CAN or MIGHT be a felony, depending on the circumstances involved and the DA. It's considered a "wobbler" and can go felony or misdemeanor.
The process you outlined to receive a CCW in CA is mostly correct, but it does vary by each and every county and local city that issues CCWs. In some jurisdictions it's impossible to get a CCW, in others it can be done in a few short weeks. Many, such as mine, take up to two years. I was never interviewed by my sheriff, the man is much too busy for such things. He has issued "by direction" to his CCW unit. Most other large jurisdictions operate the same.
BTW - I not only hold a valid CA CCW, but I also hold a valid FFL and do consultant work at a local gun shop.
Again, my comments were directed at the "keep it concealed" comment that I quoted. While it may make some feel more comfy in the backcountry, concealed carry it is probably not legal in most situations (unless it's unloaded and in a locked container rendering it useless anyway). For a majority of visitors to the CA backcountry, open carry is sadly the only option. CA does not recognize out of state permits so that excludes all of the non residents. Getting a permit can be difficult depending on where one lives in the state. In my county, there are just over 2,000 permits, but well over 2 million residents. That's a small club. Only three cities in my county issue permits, but I don't think they do in any significant amounts. (I've never seen any published numbers and one only started issuing in the past couple months)
I'm no fan of open carry, but if someone feels the need to be legally armed, it's probably going to be their only option............................................DUG
