So I Was Shooting Some Guns.....

[Hosakawa Tito]

You were in Texas, you immediately announced there were weapons in the car, and you had your hands on your head.

For any traffic stop, whether firearms are suspected to be present or not, police like to see your hands visible. Putting your hands on your head is a bit dramatic, and I'm sure the cop had a chuckle when he told the story back at the station. However, reaching/rifling around under the seat or the like will definitely put the cop on high alert. Complacency can get a traffic cop dead.

Telling the officer right off the bat was definitely the right thing to do, it lets him know the situation, lets him know you aren't bushwhacking him, and keeps him from jumping to conclusions if he spots the pistols during the stop. He probably saw the long guns in the bed anyway, and put 2 and 2 together.

Without a CCP in Virginia, you have to have the firearm in a locked closed container (usually the trunk) and unloaded. Never really thought about it before, but a pickup is not ideal for this. Many people get the CCP just so they don't have to worry about this. Not sure what the rules are in the Republic.

I agree, announcing there were handguns in the seat pouches out of sight was the right thing to do. State laws vary for transporting firearms but no state allows transporting of loaded firearms that I'm aware of. States that require pistol permits would have definitely had the cop checking for that, but Texas doesn't require a pistol permit. If it was hunting season they might check to see if the guns are loaded, but I think the cop read the situation correctly, 4 young men out target shooting.

I never shot an AK, that must have been fun. Notice the recoil difference between that and the AR15 ?