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When the question "Is there a weapon in the car" is met with stony silence, that doesn't raise suspicions at all. Dude, just tell the truth. You're not doing anything illegal (the caveat to this is to know the local law and know you're not doing anything illegal).
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It's probably pointless to argue with a cop, but my law firm does some work for a fairly well known second amendment group (providing legal advice and assistance). And I can tell you that whether or not you are obeying the law makes not one iota of difference.
I have seen quite a few examples of times where people have KNOWN the law, OBEYED the law (bad law though it is), and been arrested by LEO's who KNEW the person was obeying the law. And then these people have been charged by prosecutors who KNOW that no crime or "crime" was committed. It doesn't come down to what is legal and what is illegal. It comes down to what our rulers (and you, their jackbooted thugs) want the law to be. And the point is not to convict; the point is to harrass and to intimidate.
In most of these sorts of cases, innocent people are tied up in court for months facing vague charges like "misuse of a firearm," and end up spending tens of thousands of dollars they don't have defending themselves and clearing their name.
At that point, there isn't a whole lot of money left over to go after the cops and the state, chasing the relatively small odds that anything will come of a civil suit. So another peaceful person is out $50,000, and is thinking twice before again exercising his most innate, God given rights, scared that he will be persecuted by the "law."
If asked if there is a weapon in the car, the response should either involve telling the officer where to go and what to do to himself when he gets there (protected speech says the SC, but which probably just invites further violation of rights)...or it preferably should involve silence and the handing of a lawyer's card to the officer. There is absolutely NO justification for such a question unless the person is under arrest and, if that is the case, he shouldn't be answering ANY questions to begin with.
But I do think it is perfectly legal to lie to a state or local LEO, so long as not under oath or being questioned for a crime (and maybe even then). Lying to a federal official or officer, though, is a felony "crime" in these United States. (This is not legal advice, though.
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