Moving Cross Country with Firearms

[mattiooo]

So....when I get the job offer, I'll have about 3 weeks to sort everything out.

What is the best way to take my firearms with me?

Anyone have some links or ideas?

I have 5 long guns and 4 hand guns to take, plus lots of ammo.

The route we are planning is from New Jersey to Colorado mostly via route 80.

It will take us through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska before we get to Colorado.

Thank you,

Matt

[JohnTRourke]

put them in good bags/carriers/whatever way you use to transport them
put them in your car where they can't be easily seen or stolen.
move

[Merl]

make sure they are not accessable. lock them in the trunk? somewhere, anywhere. if you stop for the night, take them inside with you. (preferably without people seeing them)

keep ammo in back seat or somewhere well away from the guns, no loaded mags anywhere.

[KarlPMann]

Yeah, what they said. Under federal law you can transport them yourself as long as they remain unloaded and inaccessible (easily accessible). You can have them in your hotel room at night, but must comply with local laws if you take them out of cases/etc. When hitting the Colorado State Line, stop, get out, stretch, grab a gun and put it in cab with you, load it, enjoy the freedom, finish trip. :twisted: Karl.

[newracer]

When hitting the Colorado State Line, stop, get out, stretch, grab a gun and put it in cab with you, load it, enjoy the freedom, finish trip. :twisted: Karl.

As long as it is not a rifle.

[HunterCO]

When hitting the Colorado State Line, stop, get out, stretch, grab a gun and put it in cab with you, load it, enjoy the freedom, finish trip. :twisted: Karl.

As long as it is not a rifle.

Rifle can be loaded just cant have one in the chamber. [wink]

[MuzzleFlash]

18 USC § 926A. Interstate transportation of firearms

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

[MPfiveengineer]

When I moved from Texas I put all my guns in a case or a gun sock, put the cases in my safe, packed any open spaces in the safe with blankets, and put the safe in the moving truck first. That way they had my safe protecting them and 24 feet of all my crap if someone broke into the truck. I did keep one pistol accessible; never know what you are going to run into on the road.

[mattiooo]

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof

I read that first. The question is, what does this quoted bit legally mean?

That I do not have to worry about state/local regulations regarding possession if I am moving through from one place to the other and store them as indicated?

How does this relate to stopping for the night at a motel? Am I still considered moving them from one location to the other?

Thanks,

Matt

[samuraii]

As I understand it you must store them as indicated. While you are traveling it is legal to drive/pass through the state or subdivision (i.e. Chicago) but you Can not stop there if it is illegal to posses the firearms in that area. When stopping for the night you may bring them into the hotel as long as they stay stored in the same manner that they were in the vehicle. If you take them out of the case/locked container for the evening then it is no longer considered in transport and you must abide by local laws.

If anyone else understands the law better please feel free to correct me.