• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

New member here. Please bear with me.

Don Kauffman

New member
Joined
Aug 6, 2013
Messages
2
Location
New Castle, Delaware, United States
Hello Fellow Delawareans. I am pulling the trigger ( pun intended ) on getting a holster for my revolver so I can 'open Carry'. I went to Millers on DuPont hwy. in New Castle and the fellow had asked me if I had brought it with me. I did not but I had asked him " How can I legally do so" and his response was "To unload it and put it in a box and put it in the trunk" of my car.

Talk about lending confusion to this subject. I was under the impression that I could have it on my car's dash or on the front seat. I also thought that it could be loaded. I will let you knowledgeable members educate me if you will. Thanks.
 

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
I'll admit right off the bat to being ignorant of Delaware's laws on the subject.

However, many gun stores have a policy (or at least prefer) that customers who bring guns in to be handled bring them unloaded and cased. Furthermore, the issue of bringing the gun from your car to the store may be distinct from the issue of having it in your car. There is some concern that a gun held in hand might be construed as "brandishing", and if there's no holster the alternative is either a case, or concealed carry, which is illegal without a permit in Delaware.

I'm sure they tell all their customers the same thing. It's not intended to be construed as an opinion of the law, but rather to be a safe suggestion that will never get their customers in legal trouble.

Also, gun store personnel are frequently surprisingly ignorant of the laws not directly pertaining to operating an FFL.

I'm sure other members will chime in about what the laws actually are. :)
 
Last edited:

Tackett

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2013
Messages
54
Location
Charleston, wv
I am also ignorant of Delaware law. But here in WV if you do not have a CCL, you must disarm, unload and place the gun in plain sight when entering a vehicle.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Finding Delaware's state laws is really not difficult. Even for someone from somwhere else who still, after all these years, has no real understanding of what a Prothonotary is.

Here is a good starting place: http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/delaware.pdf Go to Page 5 for a brief explanation of car carry without a license/permit.

Forget "insight" about anything unless the person giving it can back it up with a citation to some form of authority. And "how/why gun shops do ___" is the worst form of authority of all - gunshop employees, gunshop customers, and people who know how to spell "gun shop" are among the most likely to say the exact opposite of what the law (statute and/or case law) actually is. Marshaul is not quite that bad, but on occassion even he falls into that trap.

stay safe.
 

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
Finding Delaware's state laws is really not difficult. Even for someone from somwhere else who still, after all these years, has no real understanding of what a Prothonotary is.

Here is a good starting place: http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/delaware.pdf Go to Page 5 for a brief explanation of car carry without a license/permit.

Forget "insight" about anything unless the person giving it can back it up with a citation to some form of authority. And "how/why gun shops do ___" is the worst form of authority of all - gunshop employees, gunshop customers, and people who know how to spell "gun shop" are among the most likely to say the exact opposite of what the law (statute and/or case law) actually is. Marshaul is not quite that bad, but on occassion even he falls into that trap.

stay safe.

Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed! :p

Pretty much all I said was that gun shop employees frequently don't know the law, and anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt.

Perhaps I could have taken the time to research the laws in Delaware, but then I'd deprive you the opportunity. :)
 

mdak06

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
59
Location
Manchester, New Hampshire
Hi Don! I live in Sussex County, DE. A few comments:

First off, I can tell you that nearly everything I have heard about Miller's shop is bad. I would not recommend going there.

Second, there is a site specifically dedicated to open carry in Delaware -- http://www.deloc.org -- that you may be interested in visiting. There's information about DE laws, experiences, etc. It's definitely worth a visit.

As far as your specific question, from what I've read, the proper thing to do is to carry it displayed (as you said) on the car's dashboard or in the front passenger seat. It should NOT be holstered on your side while you're in the car unless you have a concealed carry permit, because it's not in plain view there.

My suggestion would be to secure it some way either on the passenger's seat or on the dashboard so that if you have to brake hard for any reason it doesn't go sliding around. Do NOT secure it under the dash or under the steering wheel, since that would essentially be concealed.

You could possibly have an additional holster that is attached to a seat belt, and that might work. Whatever you do, if you have it with you in the front of the car it should be easy to see.

Also, FYI, handguns can be loaded in the car. Rifles/shotguns cannot.

Hope this helps!
 
Top