Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

I was hoping I could get some advice on the best way to transport firearms cross-country in a vehicle. I will be moving next year and we plan on driving cross country with our belongings. We'll be in a sedan, no uhaul or trailer.

I have 3 pistols and 2 long guns (not an EBR) to transport. I was thinking of using cylinder locks and trigger locks and I already have a small locking case for ammo/magazines. I also have the paperwork/receipts from all my guns. Is that enough? I want to do this as safely and lawfully as possible.

I'll be driving from the Southwest to the Northeast, anyone have any experience in this?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your help.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

It would be good to keep the ammo and guns
separate from each other.

Say the ammo in the trunk and guns in a trailer.
Or something like that..

It would not hurt..

IMHO

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm...Protection_Act

Take a look at the safe passage law. If you are traveling in "non-gun friendly" states You've got to keep the guns in the trunk and seperated from the ammo.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Moving $ucks.
Perhaps you could ship them (Fed-Ex,DHL etc.)It might free up some space & you'll have one less thing worry about.
I see your heading for the North East,
Hopefully your moving to New Hampshire its a beautiful & "Free" state.
good luck w/your move.~ Fin

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Keep em seperated. So sad to see you move from free America to the north east.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Stay out of Illinois. Even if stored "properly" you risk a delay of several hours if they find a handgun.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Keep large capacity magazines hidden and away from guns.

If you can take the spring out and the follower out put them in a bag in the glove box and have the magazine case in the trunk.

Don't get busted on stupid stuff.

Locked case inoperable condition seperated from ammo and out of passanger compartment is about the beat you can do.

Probebly no problem.

E-A

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

DO NOT SPEED or break traffic laws. Don't get caught (stopped) is your best defense, no matter if you follow the letter of their law in each state you pass through.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Kinda ironic that traveling by car cross country is one of those times when having a handy loaded gun might be useful.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

I have just done this, with a lot more at stake than the firearms.

If you can move in the space of your vehicle, well, you don't have many possessions to hide your shit in. I moved and some things went in this container and some in that.

I would agree with prev. posts. Put the stuff in the trunk or if it's a truck bed or whatever, behind all the heaviest, most obnoxious stuff to move. Make sure it's all separated from it's ammo friends. Make sure locks on boxes and/or locks on all guns.

Be very careful. Don't get pulled over.

If you have some reason where you are pulled over, the next thing after trying to DUI you will be anything else in the vehicle. Don't get pulled over. If you have a fully legal armament for the bumpy times in your truck, and they find it, you are ****ed, legal or not.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

since this stuff will be in the trunk, just put the ammo and mags in a your suitcase, and the handguns in another suitcase. the long guns id just put in regular soft gun cases, most cops dont give them a second look. also most states cant go rummaging through your shit without your ok. The poster that said "Stay out of Illinois" is being paranoid, stay out of big cities in Illinois,i would agree. and by that same rule, avoid traveling large cities at night in any state, thats when the jerks are out at their fullest.they dont pull their Gestapo BS so much in daylight on Interstates. Stay on the Interstates as well, most states have seperate "Highway Patrol" which have the same authority as a State cop, but are more revenue oriented than crime fighting. also ditch any political bumper stickers like Ron Paul 2012!
or" NRA Proud!"

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Thanks for the help everyone, greatly appreciated.

We have a few side trips planned and our route will take us through Chicago and a few hundred miles of upstate NY. I'm starting to think about forking over the cash to ship them instead. I hate the idea of paying for guns I already own but it seems like less of a headache in the long run.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Exactly. We planned on camping a few nights of our trip. Would be nice to have something in bear country.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

The poster that said stay out of Ill. is from Missouri and they've shown him what they are made of. You are right though, E. St. Louis, off the interstate.

For business reasons I traveled buy car all over the country representing a pharmaceutical company. I did so in a nondescript Saturn wagon and called ahead to all states that did not reciprocate MO CCW. For that reason I had installed a lock box in the rear most area where I would put my Makarov with the slide removed, the two magazines would go in the (locked) glove box. At 7:30AM I was setting in front of the pharmacy waiting for them to open and doing yesterdays paperwork when I was approached by LE. As I "obviously didn't belong" in that neighborhood they asked to search the car. Upon finding the magazines they asked to unlock the box. Before they got the key in the padlock three more squad cars were on the scene. The last car pulled out of the parking lot five and a half hours later having accomplished not one thing. They were pleasant, courteous, professional and trashed the rest of my trip.

But I'm not bitter or anything... :sarc:

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Don't even think about a handgun in Chi-town. Handguns *must* ship Next Day or equivalent but if you've got someone to receive, it would make this entire thread moot and well worth the shipping charge.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

If some of the arms are of no particular sentimental value, could they be sold and the funds used to purchase the same or same caliber new ones in the new location if possible? Just a thought...
R.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

NEVER STEP OUT OF YOUR CAR.......

ONCE YOU DO SO YOU LEAVE YOUR WORLD AND ENTER THEIRS. THEY CAN SAY YOU DID ANYTHING AND THE CHARGES WILL STICK LIKE CRAZY GLUE.

ALL DOCUMENTS ARE PASSED THROUGH THE WINDOW (Slight Crack)

REMAIN PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS.

A BRIEF EXPLAINATION MAY BE WARRANTED TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR YOUR APPERENCE AT SAID LOCATION.

COMPLIANT WITH THE LETTER OF THE LAW OR NOT YOU WERE LUCKY.

4 SQUAD CARS IS A VIRTUAL GURANTEE THAT YOUR @$$ IS TAKING A RIDE.

GLAD YOU WERE SAFE BUT LIGHTING LIKE THAT RARELY "STRIKES TWICE".

COULD HAVE RAN INTO THESE "FINE FOLKS".

You Tube

You Tube

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

Unless you are leaving something out of the story, this is where it went wrong. If I get stopped for speeding or otherwise come in contact with LEO's, any "request to search my vehicle" will be met with a polite refusal. It's just a fishing expedition. They ask, you say no. If there is no probable cause, they can't force the issue. They can bring in a dog if they think there are drugs but the dog stays outside the car. If you don't have drugs, it won't hit, they will fuss and mill around but you will end up driving away.

Sometimes the cops are so polite and reasonable sounding that you just automatically say yes. They are counting on that. A person also says yes because they figure they have nothing to hide and they aren't breaking any laws. Nothing good can come of letting them search your car!!! Be polite but firm. "Am I being charged with a crime? Am I suspected of a crime?"

They ask. You say no.

Gregg

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

DO NOT enter New York City, under any circumstances. They have a well-earned reputation for pissing all over the federal interstate travel-with-a-firearm laws, and they WILL arrest you.

Re: Safely Transporting Firearms Coast to Coast in a Vehicle
 

This was before CCW had passed in MO, I was deputized and bonded. As a pharmaceutical rep I was required to submit to a search and full inventory at the request of any duly identified LEO. Drug dogs would have gone apesh!t, that's why I didn't fly. Most were reasonable and saw that I provided a service to some not-so-desirable markets. Others were Officer Killer Redneck and God help me if I had just left a doctors office and my log wasn't up to date.