Illinois Not Friendly To Gun Owners-Here's Why

Word on the streets today one of our friends and fellow fine trapshooter recently returned home from a hunting trip to IL. after a major incident. It seems his truck was totaled by a tractor trailer on the way home. Physically he's alright but the state trooper felt it his duty to arrest our friend for possessing an unloaded muzzleloader uncased on the rear seat. He now has to return to IL for a hearing in the near future.

I'm sure he's accustomed to PA rules where many pickups wear a 30-30 in a rack attached to the rear window. I often drive to local shoots with my trusty SX-1 sitting in the passenger seat never giving it a thought I'd be doing something illegal. Trapshooters should be aware traveling in IL with an uncased gun could be a problem.

 

I hope the prosecutor exercises some discretion based on the mitigating factors. A muzzle loaded is not a firearm under federal law if not capable of being easily/readily converted to fire modern ammunition. The “violator” is a non-resident.

https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/illinois/

 

Maybe your friend should have checked up on the gun laws in Illinois before he left home.
The incident, per your description, makes it sound like it's all the cop' s fault.
He was just doing his job.
Illinois does have some different rules as do other states.
Travelers should do a little more homework before traveling to or through other states with firearms, even muzzleloaders.

 

Who travels to Illinois? Why would anyone give the politicians there any money?

 

It's hard to put it in the Trunk of a Pick-Up, It probably slammed fwd into the back of his front seat, He should state to the Judge he was carrying it in the safest manner where it was lockedup, and not in the bed of the PU Truck. The State Trooper was probably a newer young Trooper.

GB...................DLS

 

Chicago owns Illinois. So goes Chicago so go's Illinois.

 

Win 101 wrote - "Maybe your friend should have checked up on the gun laws in Illinois before he left home.
The incident, per your description, makes it sound like it's all the cop' s fault.
He was just doing his job."

Cops used to send escaped slaves back too and they were just doing their job back then too - does that make it right?

 

Maybe the cop wasn't a bright and shining star and didn't know the difference between an in-line muzzleloader and a rifle. Not many of 'em are Mensa members but more likely members of the bottom 10% of their high school class.

 

The gun laws in the State of Illinois have never tilted the scales in favor of the gun owners even though most times there is a little common sense involved before the Police bring charges against the gun owner, unless there is an obvious reason ... I have family that are and or were the Police in Illinois (Chicago ) and County SWAT Team Commander and I can tell you unless they had no choice in the matter they did not use the gun as a issue or reason that the person got locked up ... The incident "oleolliedawg" mentions could of went either way from the way it sounds so now he will be at the mercy of the courts ... It will be very interesting to see how that pans out ...
The State of Illinois relaxed some of the gun laws when the WSRC was being constructed as an added attraction for shooters to go to the facility, we all know how that worked out so the States Un changed the laws back to the way they were before ... When I had my FFL and was doing deals back there the Feds, County were not bad to deal with if you did things their way but the City's (local Municipalities) were a pain in the ass ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Considering that their wasn't any hunting season open for muzzleloader until today Thru sunday I would say your friend is lucky he didn't get arrested for hunting out of season

 

LOL

 

I'd say he was arrested on his way home from out West after his accident. This happened a few weeks ago.

 

Illinois is an ahole state. People wondered where the Nazis got all their people to do their dirty work? Illinois is full of government worker types who would have fit in swell in Germany from 1932-1945. Just civil servants doing their job, to them there is no difference between arresting a guy for having a muzzle loader, or shoving people onto trains heading for the gas chamber, or cracking a guy over the head for pulling the tag off a mattress - just doing their job, because by God those people broke the law somewhere along the line.

 

Life is tuff,it's even tuffer when you are stupid.

 

That's the best thing you've ever said.

 

Google the IL gun laws and you will see that pretty much anything that goes bang is a "firearm"

 

Now, with a democratic Governor taking over don't count on things getting any better for shooters/gun owners in Illinois ... WPT ... (YAC) ..

 

Illinois want you to leave with your guns. Hey, help them out, take your guns and money and move to a state where you, you're gun, and Your money are welcomed....That's what I did in California when they went Communist.

 

If you think Illinois is bad & anti gun just wait till the new Governor takes office. This guy is very anti gun, a Democrat & very wealthy. Last one out remember to turn the lights out. Gonna be legalize dope, guns bad & tax more/spend more.
If you are a socialist you will love it here.

 

Vote with your money and your feet. Bye now!

 

I talked to a family member who knows about this new guy, he is supposed to be like a bull in a China Shop when it comes to getting things done … I guess we will see what happens, there's always that place in Ohio … WPT … (YAC) …

 

Many years ago I was traveling between Ohio and Missouri going to Leo's deer hunting I think and I had a rifle in the back window rack of my pickup truck. Someplace a little west of Springfield a State Police pulled me over and asked about my rifle. I told him what I was doing and he explained to me very politely that in Illinois my gun needed to be cased. I told him in Ohio we were to leave it in plain sight and I was sorry. He said ok and I put it in a case and went on my way.

I guess 1976 and 2018 are years apart. I don't go to Illinois anymore. No reason too. Brad

 

Firearm as defined in Illinois Law - 430 ILCS 65/1.1:


Illinois law regarding transport:
720 ILCS 5/24-1 Unlawful use of weapons (requires broken down, non-functioning, or unloaded and cased/boxed)

 

What is the latest on the National concealed carry bill that was being kicked around? The bill that would level the playing field based on the laws of your home state.

 

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 or H.R. 38 has been passed by the House of Representatives.
Current status: Received in the Senate on 12/07/2017 where it has been read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. I will be very surprised if this legislation is signed into law.

 

What part of UNCASED do you not understand ? Who gives a s_it what his home state allows, he was not in his home state, his ignorance is no excuse, the leo was correct in writing a ticket for an UNCASED fiearm !