TexasCHLforum.com

bpet wrote:I was there on Sunday and Keith is correct. There were two 30-06 signs clearly visible. If you went on Saturday, maybe you got there before they put the proper notification in place.

It was a pretty good show. I went with my son and we had a great time, but neither of us carried.

Well, possibly; I was there bright and early on Saturday and I looked pretty hard for 30.06 (trying to get in the habit ) and didn't see anything (looked around the doors, above and around the checking table, etc. - the logical places).

Anyway, my question has been answered; if it's unloaded, no mag, I can carry it pretty much however I want when going between my car and a gun show as long as my carry mode does not constitute "a manner calculated to alarm". With no 30.06 sign posted, if I had my CHL I could just walk in, and as long as I kept it concealed it's fine.

I would have been most confused about that if I'd walked in with a CC and a gun I wanted to test-fit or sell. I'd declare the gun I was OCing, they'd clear and zip-tie it, then ask if I was carrying any ammo. Any answer other than "no" and I wouldn't be allowed in as they would assume "yes" if I said something like "that's not your concern" or "nothing you need to worry about". But "no" is a lie

This is all just academic ATM; the show's over, I didn't CC, and the gun I brought in was empty.

I have another thread about my trip to the Mesquite Gun Show and what I got there, but there was a question I had that I wanted to ask seperately. When walking into the show, the first thing you saw was a big ol' sign out on the sidewalk saying "No Loaded Guns Allowed Inside. This Includes CHLS". When you get inside, you are required to declare any guns you are bringing in and have them cleared and zip-tied. At no point during the approach or inspection process is a valid 30.06 sign ever displayed.

The question is, if I had been carrying a concealed loaded handgun with plastic, would I have broken any law by not declaring it and just walking in? I was not frisked; it was all "honor system", and it was really a non-issue for me as I was just bringing the pistol in to size it for a CC holster. Of course if I were found out they could have gotten me thrown out, but could I have been convicted of 30.05 or 30.06 trespass if I ignored the invalid signage, because of the gun check table and the question asked regarding whether I had ammo?

Another question; as OC is still currently banned in Texas and I do not yet have plastic in-hand, assume I didn't think to bring a case, and tell me what the proper mode of carry should have been. I just stuck it in my back pocket and it ended up concealed under an untucked shirt. I could also have taken the spare mag out of the holster I use to conceal it under the driver's seat and OCed. On the way out it was in the bag they gave me for the holster, and I think the smartest move would have been to carry it in some sort of bag coming in as it would have made for the most plausible explanation that I wasn't trying to OC or CC. Any of these ways, though, I think I could have gotten hassled if it turned out anyone cared.