Washington State has some strange gun laws that have been left to interpretation by law enforcement and gun owners. There has been a growing movement towards “Open Carry” in Washington which means that you can openly display your firearm in a holster just like an old western. The law in particular is RCW 9.41.270 which states:
It shall be unlawful for any person to carry, exhibit, display, or draw any firearm, dagger, sword, knife or other cutting or stabbing instrument, club, or any other weapon apparently capable of producing bodily harm, in a manner, under circumstances, and at a time and place that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.
As a general rule, a person may legally open-carry in Washington State in any place it is legal to possess a loaded handgun. To open-carry in a vehicle (i.e., car, bus, etc…) a person must have a valid concealed pistol license. Some police agencies can be unfriendly towards open-carry, so it is important that before you decide to exercise this right to bear arms in this fashion you acquaint yourself with relevant laws.
There was a guy named Randolph Spencer that was arrested by a Federal Way police officer for carrying a fully-loaded AK-47 rifle over his shoulder one night while walking his dog. At the time, Spencer also was carrying a legally-concealed .45-caliber pistol as well. Spencer was convicted, and his conviction was upheld by the state Court of Appeals in 1994. The state Supreme Court declined to take the case, allowing the conviction to stand.
Another strange gun law I found in Washington was that the state allows ownership of a firearm silencer, but using one is prohibited by RCW 9.41.250(3) which makes it a gross misdemeanor to “Use[s] any contrivance or device for suppressing the noise of any firearm.” What? You can go to Wade’s Gun Shop in Bellevue and buy a silencer or noise suppressor for your gun but it is illegal to use it. I don’t get it.
Approximately 240,0000 Washingtonians are licensed to carry concealed, making the state about fifth from the top in the per capita number of armed citizens in the US. I have a concealed weapons permit and you can get one downtown at: Records Unit, King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room W-150, Seattle, WA 98104. Questions call: (206) 296-4190. Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays of course. Web Info on Washington State Concealed Pistol License.
One last interesting Washington gun fact is that it is a “Stand Your Ground” state, which basically means there is “no duty” or you are not required to retreat in the face of what would be perceived by an ordinary person to be a threat to yourself or others by another person that is likely to cause serious injury or death. Basically if someone is a threat to you or others then you can “Stand Your Ground” and bust a cap in them. Are you sure this isn’t the state of Texas we live in? My bad, if we were in Texas you can shoot someone for just being on your property. Seriously.
Posted on January 27th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Politics
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