doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Guns In Chicago

I'll be spending two weeks in Chicago on business very soon. On these trips I normally take a shotgun and shoot some clays. There are some courses around the Chicago area I would like to try. BUT.Reading through my copy of "Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States" I find under Illinois the last sentance says " All other firearms must be registered with the Chicago police before entering the city". Now as I'll be staying downtown and not passing through could this be a problem? The passing through laws are not necessarily the ones to worry about if you are spending time somewhere. I'd hate to have one of my guns grabbed and me have legal trouble. I'd like some opinions if you could offer them.
Thanks,
Frank

Chicago, like some other anti-gun cities has a bit of a reputation for harrassing lawful gun owners passing through their jurisdiction. The Firearm Owner's Protection Act 1986 allows anyone to transport a firearm through any jurisdiction in the nation as long as they lawfully own the gun according to the laws of their home jurisdiction. The gun typically must be unloaded, locked in a case, and separate from the ammunition. HOWEVER, staying within the jurisdiction of Chicago, rather than just passing through, I can not say for certain. There will likely be a time limit before one must declare it or comply with the laws of the jurisdiction.

The folks at Illinois State Rifle and Pistol Association might be able to give you accurate information:
http://www.isra.org/

Even when in full compliance with the laws, some gun owners have been harrassed.

IMO, I would studiously avoid going to Chicago and northern Illinois if at all possible, just as I refuse to go to MA, CA and NJ. -- Ed

My worst gun buying experience was at an old CADA show in Villa Park[?]
The Chicagoland cops are gun grabbers!

I drive from the suburbs of Chicago to the West- side, or South-Side or Downtown every day and rarely without at least a couple guns.While things could obviously be better, most of the stories you hear are stories. I've heard for years about CPD taking guns from law-abiders, but have never heard a first hand account.


You cannot wear a pistol on your hip in Illinois (it sucks, I know)If you live in Chicago City Limits you can't have a handgun, if you don't and you're driving through you can. If they ask you if you have one, you can say no. They cannot detain you, or search you, it's still part of the U.S.A.

If you're staying at a hotel in Chicago, you are "travelling through" residents need to register.

If your gun is unloaded, and cased NO ONE in Illinois can bother you, it's the law. It's even printed on the ISP website that the gun does NOT have to be in the trunk.
Illinois residents need a FOID card, NO ONE else does.

I have exchanged cased shotguns with friends on Clark and Washington and no one gave it a second look. I have carried cased guns or all kinds into O/Hare Airport in front of dozens of CPD and no one gave it a second look. I've been pulled over speeding by CPD in my truck with buckets of hulls in the back and the cop said "Do you have any guns?" I said "of course I do" and we proceeded to have a curbside gunshow, He really liked my "Pedro"

The CADA show is held in Saint Charles Illinois, in Du Page County (a county that thought Goldwater was a commie) I don't know anyone in DuPage that doesn't have a gun, so I doubt they took your guns Mr.G

So you don't have to guess or take advice from people 1000 miles away here's link to ISP gun regs page:
http://www.isp.state.il.us/foid/firearmsfaq.cfm

Most importantly,
If you want to shoot at Northbrook Sports Club send me a PM. I'll get you set up.

Frank,

Despite all the bashing and rumors you will not have a problem.


O'Hare airport is officially under the jurisdiction of the City of Chicago. I have flown in and out of O'Hare many times with my firearms.

Just use common sense. Keep the shotgun in a locked case. Keep the shotgun in the trunk. (You would do this in any large city.) The CPD is not stopping every car on the street and doing a search for firearms, despite what some would have you believe. The registration applies to residents of Chicago, not some one on a business trip. If you need to purchase ammunition here, all you need is an out of state drivers license or if a resident an FOID (which is not a big deal).

For an interesting take on the situation:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_n4_v26/ai_15630195

The state of Illinois has spent millions on a state of the art shooting center in downstate Sparta. http://dnr.state.il.us/worldshooting/default.html

By the way, if you are looking for sporting clays or trap, let me know. I don't shoot trap, but have a friend that can help you. (At a club just outside the Chicago city limits by the way.) The sporting clays courses here are numerous, but require some drive time. I belong to a club that has both 5 stand and a 10 stand walking course. Just let me know.

If you want to look over some guns, there is good variety at Gander Mountain in St. Charles. Also, Cabelas is breaking ground for a new store here. It is supposed to be operational by the fall and will have a gun library...

If you have time one Saturday, you may want to drive down to Beecher, Il and visit with John Griffin of Classic Guns. He does some wonderful restoration of Case Coloring. You can never tell what John will have in the shop that he is working on.

Pete

The CADA show was in Villa Park/Elmhurst or some such place, and the cops were thugs. Lucky I could prove I was from Missouri, as they had their mitts wraped around my antique gun.

According to the website you have linked to Illinois Law does not preempt local law



So apparently it is not the Illinois State Police website that you should be looking at for questions about Chicago - they have their own rules. No?

You're repeating yourself.



No doubt it was about appearances. These big city cops just aren't used to seeing a plain ole country squire.

Frank, take the invite form concguy. Northbrook has a lot of shooting venues. If you trip is in May, Northbrook is hosting a shooting festival of some kind