While I know that open carry of handguns is legal in Arizona, I haven’t been able to dig up any information on the open carry of rifles.
Now, before people get all flustered, I’d like to clarify: this would be in the context of carrying a slung rifle on my back to and from the range while riding my scooter.
I suspect that carrying my Pelican hard case might not work so well, hence the question.
I figure that motorists seeing a scooter rider with a slung AR on his back might change their mental classification of such riders. It might also increase my visibility, making my ride a bit safer too. 🙂
6 thoughts on “Carrying a rifle openly on a vehicle in Arizona?”
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Having it unloaded would be a good idea. 🙂
Whatever happens, the headline will read something like “Biker Arrested With Assault Rifle”.
Rustmeister: Yeah, I figured as such. Laying a bike down with a loaded pistol is one thing. Laying it down with a loaded rifle is another.
gator: *laughs* I certainly hope not. That would Not Be Fun.
From all the statues I could find, a rifle is not considered a concealable weapon in AZ, and therefore not subject to concealed carry laws. If you put it in a pelican case, that’s not concealing, it’s securing. Even handguns follow this motif. If I purchase a Glock at a gun show, and it comes in the plastic case, I am not concealing it. If, on the other hand, I put it in a paper bag, that could be considered concealing. The gun is potentially at-ready, the bag obfuscates its contents, and the gun can be operated from concealment.
As for open-carry of weapons, the only weapon (barring explosives and the like) that I could find explicitly forbidden from carry is nunchaku, whether concealed or not. ‘Gotta level the playing field with ninjas somehow…
One of the nice thing about AZ’s CCW permit is that it’s a permit to carry ANY legal, deadly weapon concealed.
If you lay it down while carrying a rifle it’s gonna act as an extra big beating-stick on you. Think pain – don’t wear the pain. I’d try to get one of those ATV rifle cases that ATV riders use to mount a rifle rather than a big Pelican case. You can even get them from JC Whitney.
Legal? Haven’t checked, but I’ve seen it around here a couple of times. It’s strange even for me to see someone on a bike go by with a rifle slug over their back, so I can’t imagine what the average gun fearing SUV driver would think.
If you’re carrying an AR, get the case below. It has detachable straps that allow you to carry it like a backpack, and is actually quite comfortable. I have one and use it all the time when I have ammo bag in one hand and bolt rifle in the other. It would carry an SBR without breaking down, but not a standard 16″.
http://castlerocktactical.com/crt_dc16.htm