[Bill]

If you want to be legal carry a short shotgun in the coach. States such as NY will put you in jail if you are found to have a pistol.

I assume you do not intend to carry, but wish to have access to a weapon while in the coach.

[Archived]

Bonz,

I’m armed to the teeth, 10 years as a Deputy and I think you’ll find most states are shotgun friendly. Won’t do you much good if you want to carry it, but at least you have protection in the bus. I went through Canada 2 years ago and left everything home except the shotgun, declared it with the proper paperwork and no issue.

[Archived]

Shotguns I have, but I don’t know about short. What constitutes “short”?

And Tom, what paperwork? I don’t suppose any is required in the States? I’d love a reference to anything I can source that says long guns are good to go without a state-specific permit or such.

[Greg]

Nothing less than 18″ barrel 26 ” overall in the goog ole USA!

[Archived]

Karl when I travel in the US I usually have several guns with me, 2-3 revolvers and a couple shotguns, but I like to shoot skeet so I always have my side by sides with me and ammo. I avoid New Jersey like the plauge, also hold my breath while in New York and Mass, When I go to Canada I carry no weapons at all, it is tough enough to put up with the harasment, just do not want to spend time in the slammer, Word of caution, I recently was in Canada last year went through customs on both sides when I got home and was cleaning out the bays I found two bricks of 22LR 1,000 rounds you imagine what would have happened if they found that? I am cautious even though I have a Federal Firearms License, Gary

[Archived]

Try this website, it gives state by state carry laws.

http://www.handgunlaw.us

[Archived]

If memory serves me correctly, you can pretty much “transport” a firearm through every state as long as you can legally own that firearm in your home state and you can legally possess that firearm in your destination state. Federal law outlines the basis of this with each state providing additional requirements.

The common requirement is to transport the firearm unloaded and in a locked case or in a compartment that is not accessible from the passenger compartment.

Here is a good collection of laws for all states

http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf

As for if you get stopped, the police would need to have some pretty serious burden of proof to allow them to search in a locked safe without a warrant. Of course it doesn’t matter what state you are in and what reciprocity you have based on your Florida carry permit, you should really never confirm or deny possession of a firearm to law enforcement for a basic traffic infraction.

[Archived]

Just a moment Mr. Assailant. Please excuse me while I lift the bed, open the safe, get the gun, and then load it.

No problem there, Mr. Victim. I’ll wait.

[Archived]

There is a federal law covering the interstate
transportation of personally owned firearms.
Basically, the interstate transportation of firearms is legal as long as
you and the firearm are legal where you begin and end your travel, the firearm
is unloaded and in a locked case or compartment.

The problem people have run into in NJ & NY is unplanned
stops. Unplanned stops in NJ & NY
have resulted in jail time and firearm confiscation when the authorities
discovered the hapless traveler and their firearm.

MA actively scans license plates of vehicles entering the
state and then queries the home state about weapons permits. This is done without human request or
intervention. MA State Police have made
traffic stops based solely on this information. There are lawsuits pending over this practice.

Today, all states have the technology to quickly determine
the registered owner of any vehicle operating within their boundaries without
human request or intervention. I don’t
know how many states make use of this technology, but they all have it, even
Wyoming.

As others have posted, http://www.handgunlaw.us/ is about the most up to date website for firearm laws.

Also, avoid Washington DC if you have any firearms, ammunition,
high capacity magazines, or even spent cartridges. Mere possession of any of the aforementioned items is a felony.

[Sid]

“Also, avoid Washington DC if you have any firearms,
ammunition, high capacity magazines, or even spent cartridges. Mere
possession of any of the aforementioned items is a felony.”

I try to avoid Washington DC if I have a pulse 🙂

As for the “unplanned stop” will traveling through
certain states. Yes, that can be an issue, but there is plenty of case law on
the books that do cover that.

Being able to legally possess a firearm does not
mean having a carry permit in the majority of the states. That and
a lot of the gun-friendly states (read conservative/Southern) are not
publishing their carry permit DB’s for other non-gun friendly (as in them
northern liberal and left coast hippy states) to search through.

Now from my growing up in Massachusetts, I recall I had to have
a “license” from the local police that I would use to go buy a gun.
That license didn’t mean I owned a gun, just that I was allowed to go buy
one. From my 16 years in California, at first there was simple a waiting
period, then you had to take a “test” (well since I was certified law
enforcement, I just needed to show my proper paper work and didn’t need to take
the “test”) then the waiting period. That makes you legal to
possess the firearm. Georgia is the easiest, without a carry permit
you simple go buy a gun and they do a standard background check on you. With
the permit, they sell you the gun with no background check. So with that said
in any of those three states, there is still no database that says I “own” a
gun, just that I am legal to possess a gun.

It would take someone doing something seriously wrong to have a
police officer want to go through a locked safe. Well that or having Florida
license plates in Maryland or Delaware 🙂

[glen]

It’s this hodge-podge of laws that is of most concern to me. And the nuances are impossible.

My current route has us avoiding NJ (I think) and DC, but we are still going through NY and are stopping in Mass.

Not that I want to be the test case, but there is also the argument that the bus is our home and not merely transportation…..

[Chas]

I conceal carry a compact Colt 45 everywhere with a license issued in Texas. If a state doesn’t agree with the requirements, I don’t go there. A lot of states comply. Also have a defense 12 gauge to left of drivers seat just in case of Zombies. I’m a 6′ 2″ 220 pound chicken.

[Archived]

karl,

the castle doctrine is covered in pretty much all the states you are looking at with exception of vermont, which has no law or a weak law. it has also been succesfully defended in regards to automobile and motorhomes in the past. there is no state that does not allow you to dedend yourself or family with equal or necessary force to stop the threat. however, there are some that do require you to retreat, but you can search for stand your ground laws for each of the states you are traveling through.

[Davy]

“you should really never confirm or deny possession of a firearm to law enforcement for a basic traffic infraction.”

Except in states where it is the law that you MUST inform the officer with your first words that you have a Concealed Carry License and that you are armed. My home state of Ohio just happens to be one of those states. Bad law but it is a law they actively enforce.

Davy

[Archived]

In my experience once I got rid of my CA plates I stopped getting pulled over, but the few times I did it was clear they were looking for drugs…and probably more so $.

IME if you decline a search they will just come up with probable cause, at least that is what happened to me where the dog “hit” on drugs…ofcourse there was no drugs but cops are not just going to say ok have a nice day when you deny consent to search.

It really opened my eyes to a lot of things…..I usually do not carry anymore even though I am 100% legal in my state.