January 04, 2026

Funny Gun Laws Past and Present: When Logic Took a Day Off

Photo: Some of history’s strangest laws were born in rooms like this.

Firearms laws are often written in moments of urgency, fear, or confusion. Most are well intentioned. Some, however, make you wonder if anyone in the room had ever handled a firearm at all.

Looking back, a few of these laws are not just questionable. They are downright strange.

Here are five of the most head scratching gun laws from the past and present, and the lessons they left behind.

1. Kentucky's Church Carry Confusion
For years, Kentucky allowed concealed carry in many public places, but not in churches unless special permission was granted. That meant a legally armed citizen could be lawful on the sidewalk, illegal in the pew, and lawful again in the parking lot.

The firearm never changed. Only the building did.

2. California's Cosmetic Feature Rules
In California, firearms were often regulated based on how they looked rather than how they functioned. Features like pistol grips, adjustable stocks, or flash hiders determined legality.

Two rifles could operate exactly the same, yet one was legal and the other banned. The result was a wave of awkward looking modifications that complied with the letter of the law while missing the point entirely.

3. Chicago's Handgun Ban
Before 2010, Chicago banned handguns while allowing residents to own shotguns and long guns.

The smaller, easier to store firearm was illegal. The larger, more powerful options were not. The policy confused residents and law enforcement alike and was eventually overturned.

4. New Jersey's Hollow Point Restrictions
Hollow point ammunition is commonly used to reduce over penetration and improve safety. Yet New Jersey treated it as especially dangerous.

Residents could legally own hollow points, but transporting them incorrectly could lead to serious legal trouble. Ammunition designed for safer use faced stricter rules than standard rounds.

5. Washington DC's Unusable Firearm Law
For years, Washington DC required firearms in the home to be unloaded and either disassembled or secured with a trigger lock.

Ownership was allowed in theory, but use was impossible in practice. Courts later stepped in, asking how a firearm could defend a home if it could not function.

Fun Fact: Several of the strangest gun laws in US history were repealed only after judges demanded lawmakers explain how the firearm actually worked.

The Takeaway

These laws were not written to be funny. They were written quickly, emotionally, or without full understanding.

Time exposed their flaws. And in doing so, history left behind a reminder that good laws require knowledge, clarity, and common sense.

Until next time, stay locked and loaded.
- Randy, Locked N Loaded

Please add randy@gophercentral.com to your address book or visit here.

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