Transporting gun from CA to MA

C

caseyrose

Inactive
I inherited a revolver that is in CA and I live in MA. I don't have a but an FID but according to MA law the laws are waived for 180 if you inherit a gun. (In other words I would have 180 days to get an FID from the time I brought it into the state.

I'm in CA now. My options seem to be 1) check it in my luggage(I'm flying Jet Blue) or 2) ship it to an FFL in MA via UPS. MA has really strict gun laws and I am a little paranoid about this.

Any advice?

Thanks,

Jennifer
 
You're traveling from one communist country to another?:eek: What's up with that?;)

I think you are wise to be paranoid about this. The laws can be a little tricky and an innocent person can get snared in them if they are not careful.

Did you check out this website on handgun laws yet? It's a real help.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/

Normally, you can transport the handgun in your checked baggage, provided it is unloaded and locked in a hard case for which only you have the key or combination and you declare it at check in. Check to make sure with the specific airline before you do decide to do that.

Here's a NRA-ILA link pertaining to it:

http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/Federal/Read.aspx?id=70

However, I found this note on the NRA-ILA website:

"Travelers should be aware that New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts do not follow the regulations established for interstate transport."

That sounds ominous, I'm not sure what they mean by that.
 
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Thanks for the advice--I don't want to risk losing it; it has sentimental and collectible value. And I don't want to spend time in jail. The gun is actually from my father to my son, but I'm dealing with my father's stuff. My son is in D.C. and will be moving to NY. So between us, we're dealing with the 4 toughest gun-law states--CA, MA, NY, and D.C.
 
My son is in D.C. and will be moving to NY. So between us, we're dealing with the 4 toughest gun-law states--CA, MA, NY, and D.C.
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Ouch! I feel for you. I've never had to fly or ship a gun across state lines so I'm not experienced. I got confused reading the rules that shipping companies have for shipping handguns. I'm surprised none of the law heavyweights have posted any advice yet. Everybody's interested in what's going on in the Supreme Court right now.:D
 
Well living in IL. yet another one of the "toughest gun-law states".

I have to follow these rules to drive my guns to a range or anywhere else.

1. Unloaded,
2. Enclosed in a case and,
3. By persons who have a valid FOID card.

A Non-Resident is a bit different.

Non- residents must be legally eligible to possess or acquire firearms and ammunition in their state of residence. It is recommended that, in order to be in compliance with all statutes, non-residents transport all firearms:

1. Unloaded, and
2. Enclosed in a case, and
3. Not immediately accessible or broken down in a non functioning state.
 
I would do a transfer, worst case the transfer doesn't go through in MA, and you got a chance to transfer to your son in DC or NY. You arrive at the airport with the gun in a box, state trooper confiscates it and you fight an uphill battle to get it back.
 
You will have to transfer the gun to your son via an FFL in your son's current state of residence once you obtain the gun. The only exception to the Federal requirement to use an FFL for an interstate transfer of ownership is for an inheritance, and once you take possession of the gun, the inheritance is done.

To fly with the gun in baggage is no big deal at all. Get a locking gun case from a sporting goods store for less than $10. Get a lock for it (not a TSA lock). Put the gun, unloaded, in the case, lock the case, put the case in your luggage, and put a TSA approved lock on your luggage.

When you get to the airport, tell the counter person that you have an unloaded gun in your checked bags to declare. They will have you sign a form that the gun is unloaded, they may want to see the gun to verify it is unloaded. You will put the tag in your luggage near the locked gun case. Someone will come to take you away - but don't worry about that, they are just going to escort you to the TSA screening area.

TSA will do whatever - probably just xray your bag, give you a thumbs up and you're on your way. When you get to where you are going, your bag should end up on the normal carousel with all the other bags.
 
Someone will come to take you away - but don't worry about that
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Oh sure, no worries. Have you ever seen the movie "Rendition"?:p

I was thinking about transporting like this in the fall when I fly to Texas. So I'm glad to hear it doesn't sound so bad, thanks LT.
 
If you want to carry ammo, the easiest way is in factory packaging in the gun case with the gun. I would not take more than one box of your self defense ammo, though. If you are going to shoot at your destination, just hope you can buy range ammo there.

I had the slide of my gun locked back on the slide stop in the case, the magazine right next to the gun, and a 20 round box of ammo in the corner of the gun case. That way it was easy to tell on xray it was unloaded.
 
I would suggest you contact 3 different MA FFL/gun shops and ask them if they will accept the pistol shipped to them pending you getting the necessary FID. If you get a good answer, send it to the one who sounds the most confident.
 
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