Transporting firearms

F

Fuzzy Dice

Inactive
Hi folks,

My plans to leave NYC for TN (Knoxville) in the next year or two involve getting my firearms (some pistols and a few rimfire rifles) over there.

I have the book "Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Law of the Fifty States" and have reviewed it.

The states involved would be:
NYS (NYC) (origin), I have permits so I'm ok here for starters.
NJ, MD, WV, VA
TN (Knoxville - new home, yay!)

On paper I'm good to go as long as I follow proper transport guidelines but I still get the willies thinking I might get in trouble during a stop.

Would I be better off taking the hit of multiples FFL transfer charges at point of origin, FFL destination charges at point of destination, and associated shipping charges?

And an additional thought, any suggestions on FFLs in Knoxville I can check into that might give a deal on handling multiple FFL transfers?

Thanks in advance,

Fuzzy
 
You're over thinking this. Load guns in car, drive south. I probably wouldn't make any stops in NJ. And it would be advisable to have them stored so they aren't readily accessible. But after you hit VA you're going to be in a different world where no one cares about you having guns.
 
He is most definitely -NOT- "over thinking" this.

I like the idea of a boat south to Virginia Beach! ;)
New York State, New Jersey and Maryland are three places that I would never want to drive through with things important to me such as my prized handguns, my freedom, my clean record and my sanity.

NYS is not a threat for you but the others absolutely are. I hope someone well versed in each of those state's codes can offer help. If I were you, I would seek out state-based grass roots organizations and hopefully, their discussion forums.

If you are literally talking 2-4 guns, shipping them might be a very good idea for a couple reasons. If you are talking more... probably not.
 
If you look hard, you should find on the NJ State Police web site a NJ version of the FOPA. The only discrepancy is that where the FOPA says that the firearm(s) "or" the ammunition must be in a locked case (if not in a compartment separate from the passenger compartment), NJ says "and." So if you stay on the NJ Turnpike through NJ you should be good to go there.

For Maryland, the Travelers Guide to which you referred doesn't use the word "FOPA" but it does say those traveling through the state are okay if they follow the rules laid out in the FOPA.

VA and WV shouldn't be a problem.

However, if you prefer to ship, remember that you can ship firearms to yourself without going through an FFL. All you need is an address on the TN end. The person at that address has to understand that he/she may NOT open the package(s) upon arrival. YOU are shipping to YOU, so only you can open the package(s) in TN.
 
FOPA is a neat crumb tossed at us regular folks of little power, influence and wealth but my understanding is that FOPA is an affirmative defense. So FOPA is the way you or counsel might argue to dismiss charges but not a great method for getting off the side of the road and continuing your trip.
 
Thanks for the input so far. So obviously NJ and MD are the potential tricky parts of the route. Seems NJ is viewed worse than MD in terms of transporting and passing through.
 
Sounds like your moving your residence.
If so. I would and have simply pack them well and load them with my belongings in the UHaul truck unloaded and seperated from ammo and drive to TN with no worries.

Moved from Vermont To Texas doing just that.

Id never trust a moving company with my guns even if I was to hire one.



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Or, you could avoid MD and similar and go West to PA and then turn South. You would have minimum time in NJ.

I did a New England road trip a few years ago and went through ALL of the anti-gun states with out of state plates (from down South). NEVER had an issue or even remotely a stop. Stay in the right or middle lane and let everyone exceeding the speed limit do so and pass you - no problem. Just remember if you run a radar detector like I do, they are illegal in VA and they run radar detector detectors to find them -THAT will get you stopped. Otherwise, enjoy your trip.
 
Your chance of getting stopped in any of these states, short of DUI, speeding or texting, is minimal.
I wouldn't publish your plate number here or provide trip details :) but this isn't rocket science. From a different perspective 90+% of bulk drugs get through in the states mentioned so I wouldn't expect North Korean / Soviet style surveillance/ stops.

FITASC made good points.

Separate the guns and ammo, use common sense and don't sweat it.

Enjoy the trip!
 
I have to add that NY State and NY City are two different places !! Never trust NYC.
Lots of gun hysteria these days so drive carefully, no speeding etc.
 
mete said:
I have to add that NY State and NY City are two different places !! Never trust NYC.
Click to expand...
The original poster claims to have the appropriate NYS and NYC permits for all firearms, so NY is the least of his problems. :)
 
Pistols are the most troublesome in your travels. Leave them home or with some other trusted. Long guns. Pull the clips and put them in a suitcase or zipped travel bag make sure everything is unloaded. Buy good padded cloth cases which zippers operate as they should > fully closing. Tip: Put a Stainless key ring on the zipper slide if possible and paddle lock its accidental opening. Pack em out of sight. And don't break the speeding Laws in those Up Tight Pain in the Butt gun hating States. Stopping to get gas or a Rest stop on the Interstate Don't dig around in the trunk or where your guns are stored. Someone may be observing you. (camera likely) Bad deal advertising your toting guns through someone else's State.
 
Its better to be safe then sorry. Make sure everything is in locked cases. Place those cases in the trunk and see if you can further lock the cases in a duffel bag or other lockable container. Divert through Pennsylvania, dont bother with NJ. Dont stop until you are in friendly territory. Make sure the tank is full and make your journey late at night.

I read a news article where one guy consulted the NJ state police on transporting firearms, he followed their instructions and still got arrested in NJ. So dont trust any advice and dont go through NJ.

NJ absolutely cannot be trusted.
 
johnelmore said:
...make your journey late at night.
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While I can understand this idea with regards to minimizing your time on the road, IMHO this may be taking things too far, and may actually be counterproductive. Consider that law-abiding folks with full-time jobs seldom have a legitimate reason to be driving cross-country on the interstate after 10 PM; it's the sketchy characters, the drunks, and the junkies who are on the roads then, and the police know it.

I used to listen to police scanners for entertainment, and trust me—this time of night is when they're most likely to use thin pretenses (e.g. failure to signal during a lane change) as an excuse to pull a motorist over and search the vehicle. :rolleyes:

You're better off blending into a sea of traffic during rush hour, even if it moves slower. Police are unlikely to single you out unless you do something blatantly reckless or illegal.
 
...make your journey late at night.
Click to expand...

That is exactly the wrong thing to do. Drive when there is a lot of traffic and blend in with the traffic flow. When traffic is heavy, they don't have time to fool with law abiding drivers. The traffic late at night is lighter and the odds of getting stopped is far greater as that is the time the less than legitimate drivers tend to be on the road and law enforcement knows it.
 
The suggestion to avoid NJ by I78 to PA and then I81 is a good one. It's been a while but IIRC you will only be in MD for a little under an hour. If you have a radar detector, unplug it and store it out of sight the entire time you are in VA.




Congratulations on your move to free country. You'll find it's a whole other world down here.

It's legal to carry loaded firearms in your car in TN as part of the expanded Castle Doctrine, but you can only carry on your person if you have a permit.

Automatic knives are now legal to carry in TN.

As for Knoxville gun stores, I haven't found any I care to do business with other than WD Sporting Goods on Alcoa Hwy. Bill's Outpost in Alcoa (20 mi. south) is another good one, as is J. Floyds Golf and Guns in Sevierville (25 mi. east).
 
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