In an act described as "extremely dangerous" by a magistrate, Patrick Meizys went to Craig's Royal Hotel on October 23, 2018 carrying a laptop bag containing a firearm with two bullets in a magazine and another bullet in the chamber.

Meizys handed the bag to hotel staff due to hotel policy that he could not take it into the gaming room.

Staff noticed something sticking outside of the bag with a sports sock over it, took off the sock and saw the wooden handle of the firearm.

Meizys, 26, pleaded guilty to carrying the loaded firearm, as well as 0.31 grams of the drug ice, at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Steve Kent said police responded to the call by hotel staff about 1.30am and Meizys ran out the back door of the hotel.

Officers caught up to Meizys, but he resisted arrest and had to be sprayed and restrained.

Police found the barrel of the gun had been shortened and the serial number removed.

Meizys told police it was the first time he had been stupid enough to have the gun in public.

He said he was homeless and there were 'not many places to leave stuff'.

Defence lawyer Matt McLellan said Meizys was homeless because of a relationship breakdown and he had the gun with him because he was getting picked up to stay at a friend's place.

He said Meizys had been given the gun and had previously stored it where he was living with his girlfriend.

The court heard Meizys had been in custody since 2018 and had served another sentence imposed in the County Court for aggravated burglary and recklessly causing injury committed around the same time in 2018.

Mr McLellan said he conceded the offending was aggravated because the gun was loaded, but there was no violence involved.

He said it was noteworthy Meizys handed the bag over to hotel staff.

"In my submission it is not a serious example of the charge of a prohibited person possessing a firearm," he said.

The court heard Meizys had spent the majority of his adult life in custody, but he had made 'pleasing progress' during this period of incarceration.

"He seems to have embarked on a period of maturation. He seems committed to putting his offending behind him," Mr McLellan said.

The court heard Meizys had a tough upbringing after his mother and grandmother died and was cared for by someone who introduced him to criminality and drug use.

Magistrate Letizia Torres said the offending was 'extremely dangerous'.

"I am sure you know after having spent more than two years in jail how serious this offending is," she said.

"You shouldn't have had it at all. The fact you had it loaded in public at the time you were a drug user and living a chaotic lifestyle, that is extremely dangerous.

"Had you have been in an argument with someone in the community you would have had access to a loaded firearm."

Meizys was sentenced to a term of seven months imprisonment.

He will remain in prison as he is charged with other offences that are to be heard in the County Court.

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