Transporting guns across country?
 

We are going to be moving from WA to OH this summer. I've got 7 guns that I will need to get across country (3 hand, 4 long).

I know I could simply ship them through an FFL, but that would get pretty $. Any other thoughts on how to safely move them?

At some point we will be driving across country, but we plan on expanding that into some vacation time, and having seven guns with me on a family vacation does not sound good.....

"Is there anything in the vehicle I should know about sir?"

"You mean anything other than the 7 guns?" :D

I would check each state you will be going through to see what their rules are. The NRA has a listing of laws/rules by state, or they used to. I would NOT guess or even take anyone's advice about it.

I would imagine that open breach, unloaded and locked and out of reach and you are fine in 99% of the places you will be traveling....

What part of Ohio?

Columbus.

My BIL is a cop in Florida and routinely brings large amounts of guns and ammo with him by car to shoot on my property where I have a marked off gun range. My BIL, my FIL, and I end up shooting 20-30 different guns and hundreds of rounds.

Maybe he feels safer/jutified doing this because he is in law enforcement, but I think if the weapons and ammo are kept separate, it would play out about like Porsche4life says.

I have it that as long as they are legal to posess where you start your trip and legal where you end that the 'tweener' is ok. But this supposes you're making a direct trip.
I wouldn't hang out in Illinois with my firearms if possible.
Jim

I believe you can ship them to yourself using FEDEX. FFL can use the post office, which can be cheaper. You certainly can drive with them. MAKE SURE they are locked. And if I were you, I would drive around Illinois.

Moving with Firearms - Schroeder Moving Systems, Inc. WI

This shipping company says that the moving company can move them as part of your household goods. They will not transport ammo.

This is a pretty handy link: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf

I have traveled extensively with guns in years past (moves, etc.). P4L is right: Unloaded guns in a secure, locked container are simply not an issue as long as they are separate from the ammo.

If you need a driver to ferry out the second car and the guns, I could be persuaded:cool:

I put my rifles in the trunk when Seahawk drove my E46 from MD to AZ. I think I removed the bolts or disassembled a few. I took the hendguns in the 993 and was legal the whole way. You can also ship to yourself via common carrier without going through an FFL.

I know for certain that an otherwise legal gun (i.e., not crossing California with a gun legal in Nevada but not California) can be transported across the 50 states as long as it is unloaded, cased, and not transported in the passenger compartment.

Many states have less restrictive transportation laws, but no state is more restrictive than unloaded, cased, and not accesible in the passenger compartment. If you follow this common sense rule, you'll be OK.

Fed law says unloaded, cased, etc. and as long as it is legal on both ends.

But... folks in New Jersey have gotten screwed when missing connecting flights, etc. I'm sure that should you take a AR thru Cali or whatever then you may be right and legal, but it will take some $$ to prove it.

If you have a trusted friend/family at your destination, you can ship them to yourself c/o them, at their address. They just can't open anything until you arrive.

The problem with the people in New Jersey was they spent OVERNIGHT in New Jersey. If they took the firearm to Pennsylvania, spent overnight, THEN went back to New Jersey for the flight, they would have been fine.

Does anyone else find this conversation utterly pathetic in a free country with a Constitution that supposedly protects it's citizens from government? Every post above contains one infringement after another. You're a free man, with legal firearms, take 'em wherever the hell you like. Sad indeed.

Sorry, end of rant.

+1

Don't get me started.

Just ship them to yourself at your new address via FedEx, recipient signature required and held at the station. Perfectly legal and easy.

Maybe this would help:
http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf

Watch out for Illinois. They will pull people over from out of state and dream up a reason to search because of false hits from the drug dog. This happened in Alton some time back.

By Federal Law, you are 100%. The problem is some of the local & state police agencies don't see it this way.

I would also avoid NY and Massachusetts, specifically New York City.

Personally, I would never risk such a fool stunt as transporting firearms across country. The list of things that could go wrong is mond-boggling. I would be worried sick about you from the day you left. No, it's just far better you leave them with me - I'll look after them for you, making sure they get exercised regularly.