C H
I've stated this before. If I'm hunting, it's loaded (HOT).
"Unloaded" is not limited to the chamber. Rounds in the magazine constitutes 'loaded' .
Ask most Game Officers.
Jerry
I have no problem with how others hunt or carry their defensive handguns. I choose empty chamber nearly 100% with my CCW handguns and probably over 90% in the field with my hunting rifles. In both cases the mags are fully loaded.
Colorado's 2017 Big Game brochure states this:
IT IS ALSO AGAINST THE LAW TO:
4. Have a loaded (in the chamber) rifle or shotgun in or on any any motor vehicle. ...
The brochure goes on under #4 to define unloaded for muzzle loaders as cap or primer removed, flashpan empty and rifles with electronic ignition as empty chamber or battery removed.
We often have loaded mags while travelling in the vehicle from point A to point B if the distance is short. One thing we ALWAYS do is check chambers before putting a rifle in the vehicle. The CO DPW officers are OK with that but I wouldn't go driving through Denver that way.
Edited to add...
For clarification, it is not just the DPW regulations that consider a firearm unloaded in the chamber to be "unloaded". That concept is also codified in state law. I still wouldn't push the issue in Denver.
