Travel with Firearms

DavidMS

Amateur
In October, I will be traveling to just outside of Vegas with firearms to go shooting with friends. I plan to keep the firearms in locked cases with ammunition separated to take advantage of FOPA's interstate travel protections. I will be stopping for about a day and a half in Albuquerque. I have a few questions about staying in hotels. I plan to drive (never driven cross country but have always wanted to) so will be staying in motels for most of the trip except for the two nights in Albuquerque where I will be staying in an Air B&B. How do people handle staying in motels and Air B&Bs when traveling with firearms? Is it better to leave them in the car or bring them in? Should I use discrete cases (there is an entire discusison on low profile vs discrete vs disguised cases)? Are there questions that I haven't asked that I should?

Though I have a VA CHL, I don't carry (yet) as my skills are not where I believe they should be.
 

Smith

Regular Member
Boulder City?

I've always brought them in. Not sure if it's statistically less likely that someone will break into my motel room than my car, but who knows. I tried being discreet, but nobody seemed to mind range bags, so..

Have a great drive!
 

Barry B

Regular Member
NOT and expert. I’d bring them in 100%. They are safer In the room than in a car, and you can defend yourself in the room if they are in the room. Otherwise, obey local laws, etc. etc.
 

Stanislao

Regular Member
Cars are not safes, those locked doors are made of glass. Additionally since you're in an area known to have travelers those cars are targets. Keep all luggage with you.

Depending on your area it might be best to use luggage that is not obviously a gun case. Regarding safe passage, you can look up reciprocity and AWB laws easily enough, plus FOPA as you mentioned. Even where legal, it's best not to have weapons visible lest some Karen panic and call you in as dangerous.
 

Oak City Tactics

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
They go generally where you go. Does your car have a trunk? SUV with glass? If I went to dinner and wasn't carrying it, I'd consider the security of my vehicle vs the room. Which is worse for it to be out of your sight? I've carried in VA then parked in a parking deck in Springfield to ride into DC on the train before. I knew some places were going to be more hassle than they were worth and were going to slow me down in my travels that day so I elected to leave my pistol in the car. Crazy you might say but my choice was to use a significan cable and lock run through the ejection port down the magwell and then pad lock it to the underseat framework of the vehicle. Locked, hidden, alarmed, chained was more than reasonable for the circumstances. I attended NTOA and had to leave live guns and sims guns in the hotel. I used the same double locked pelican case I flew with and brought another section of steel cable. Once locked the case was placed out of sight in the closet, the cable was locked to the padlocks on the case, and the cable itself was locked to the most substantial infrastructure I could find in this case a steel pipe in the closet. Think about fire stand pipes, significant closet rods, support bracing etc that can be found in rooms. Nothing is fool proof it just has to be good enough. If I had a trunk, it would be better than an SUV cargo area etc. Lower profile bags should be the norm if you are transiting alot back and forth with them from your room to the parking lot. You can do alot with a thick cable and padlock to deter theft.
 

DavidMS

Amateur
They go generally where you go. Does your car have a trunk? SUV with glass? If I went to dinner and wasn't carrying it, I'd consider the security of my vehicle vs the room. Which is worse for it to be out of your sight? I've carried in VA then parked in a parking deck in Springfield to ride into DC on the train before. I knew some places were going to be more hassle than they were worth and were going to slow me down in my travels that day so I elected to leave my pistol in the car. Crazy you might say but my choice was to use a significan cable and lock run through the ejection port down the magwell and then pad lock it to the underseat framework of the vehicle. Locked, hidden, alarmed, chained was more than reasonable for the circumstances. I attended NTOA and had to leave live guns and sims guns in the hotel. I used the same double locked pelican case I flew with and brought another section of steel cable. Once locked the case was placed out of sight in the closet, the cable was locked to the padlocks on the case, and the cable itself was locked to the most substantial infrastructure I could find in this case a steel pipe in the closet. Think about fire stand pipes, significant closet rods, support bracing etc that can be found in rooms. Nothing is fool proof it just has to be good enough. If I had a trunk, it would be better than an SUV cargo area etc. Lower profile bags should be the norm if you are transiting alot back and forth with them from your room to the parking lot. You can do alot with a thick cable and padlock to deter theft.
My car is an SUV so plan is to transport them in the rear (under other bags to hide them). I plan to use locking soft cases that don't scream gun. I like the idea to stowing them in the room's closet and having steel cable locks to deter casual theft. Goal is to prevent theft and freakouts from the mentaly unwell.
 

Barry B

Regular Member
Stupid question. I have a carry permit from my state, it is accepted as valid in other states… beyond that what documents would confirm your right to keep weapons outside your home state or where there is a reciprocal agreement and your permit is valid?
 

DavidMS

Amateur
@QuinnBradshaw. Trip was totally uneventful in the best way possible. Pistols were stowed in a pistol case stuffed into a duffelbag. Dufflebag was treated like any other semi-sensitive luggage (for example a laptop). I kept the luggage with to the greatest extent possible me except when out and about from the AirB&B in Albuquerque because the risk was much lower to keep them in the AB&B than in my car in a parking lot a day.
 

Stanislao

Regular Member
Stupid question. I have a carry permit from my state, it is accepted as valid in other states… beyond that what documents would confirm your right to keep weapons outside your home state or where there is a reciprocal agreement and your permit is valid?
I'm not sure there are any such documents? Maybe the receipts and copies of the 4473 as proof of ownership? If you're in some privileged class that is mentioned as being exempt from local gun control laws, proof of membership in that class might be useful.

If a state objects to you possessing a firearm, you are probably safer avoiding the issue.
 

Barry B

Regular Member
I'm not sure there are any such documents? Maybe the receipts and copies of the 4473 as proof of ownership? If you're in some privileged class that is mentioned as being exempt from local gun control laws, proof of membership in that class might be useful.

If a state objects to you possessing a firearm, you are probably safer avoiding the issue.

I ask because of the post several above mine that referenced such documents…. And I wasn’t tracking.

-B
 

HeidWolfe

Newbie
I know this post is a bit old, but I thought I'd chime in with my two cents. It sounds like you have a solid plan for transporting your firearms and taking advantage of FOPA's protections. When it comes to staying in motels and Air B&Bs, I would recommend bringing your firearms in with you and keeping them in your locked cases. As for the type of case, I think it's a personal preference.
 
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