Interstate transportation of a handgun ( at least where it would provide you any "self defense") is for the most part ILLEGAL !!
This is flat out incorrect.
39 states have "shall issue" laws for issuing concealed carry permits.
9 states have "may issue" policies.
Only 2 states (WI and IL) and the District of Columbia have no provisions for issuing concealed carry permits.
Of the 48 states that allow concealed carry, 30 have reciprocity with North Carolina, where my permit is issued.
Using "self defense" as an excuse for transporting through a state like MD (which for all intents and purposes DOES NOT issue CHP's, unless you are one of the "elite".) will get you in the BAD GRACES of any LEO you are dealing with. MD doesn't recognize my permit, so while I'm in MD, I will have it locked in a case, inaccessible to the driver or passengers, and I am transporting it to PA and WV, where I will be camping and visiting my father, and target shooting with him on his farm in Tyler County.
Now, in states like PA and WV, which recognize my CHP, I don't need a "reason" for transporting a firearm through their state. I just inform the LEO, if he approaches me in an official manner, that I have a valid NC-CHP, and I am carrying, and tell him what I have and where it is. Then I wait for further instruction, which usually involved him asking to see my DL and CHP, and whatever vehicular paperwork he may require. 'Nuff sed...
It's only in "nanny states" that you need a "reason" for what is otherwise a federally-protected activity, and a Constitutionally protected Right...
According to Federal law, interstate transportation of a firearm (including handguns) is perfectly legal for private individuals who may legally own such firearms, providing they are transporting them from and to states where they are legal, and they are unloaded and secured in a manner rendering them "inaccessible to the driver or passengers", as long as you are transporting them for legitimate means, such as going on a hunting trip, or traveling to or from a repair shop or competition event, or a formal or informal target practice. And all this is legal without any sorts of permits or licenses. Of course, states and localities may augment this law, for the purpose of revenue enhancement or keeping firearms out of the hands of the "wrong sorts of people"...
Here is a link to the official MD State Assembly code that outlines this law:
http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/statutes_respond.asp?article=gcr§ion=4-203&Extension=HTML
Now, the fact that I have a NC concealed carry permit, which is recognized as valid in 30 other states, including VA, PA, WV, and OH, makes interstate transport MUCH simpler in and through these more reasonable states. In fact, it's good in most of the eastern states, with the exceptions of the People's Republics of MD and NJ, the Elite Kingdoms of NY and CT, and DC. And to be honest, I can easily (and happily) avoid those states...
And even in states where my CCP isn't recognized (with the exception of DC, NY, CT, and NJ, on the east coast) if I've got it locked in a secure case, unloaded, and in the trunk, it's perfectly legal to transport.
It's taken me nearly a month of web searches of State Police websites, and phone calls to State AG's council to get it all sussed out. The variations in carry and transport laws from state-to-state are mind boggling. For instance, in VA it's illegal to carry concealed in any establishment that serves alcohol for consumption on premise, HOWEVER, in most municipalities, it is perfectly legal to "open carry" in such an establishment. How f-ed up is THAT? In WV and PA, "CC" is legal in such establishments. In all locations, if you are carrying, it's illegal to consume alcohol. In my home state of NC, it's illegal to carry, in ANY WAY, into an establishment that serves for consumption--and YES that even includes places like Ruby Tuesdays or Texas Steakhouses. But it's perfectly legal to CC in a Taco Bell or McDonalds.
Private interstate SALE of handguns is not permitted, unless you go through an FFL dealer. And if you use a licensed FFL to facilitate the sale, handle the physical transfer, and file all the appropriate paperwork and background checks, you can even buy a handgun over the Internet from anywhere in the US, like through a site like
www.Gunbroker.com
I, too have been a member of the NRA for most of my life, and was for a time (when I was much younger) a competitive shooter (IPSC), and have never had any difficulties transporting legally-owned firearms from state to state, as long as they are properly stowed, and declared, if questioned. The fact that I always displayed a relaxed and polite attitude, had an NRA Range Instructor badge hanging from the mirror, and a couple access badges for DOJ facilities on the dashboard never hurt either. Of course, these days I don't work for DOJ contractors so those credentials are gone, but a clean vehicle, an obsessive adherance to speed limits, and a "light check" before every trip go a long way toward staying in the good graces of the "boys in blue". And a near-OCD-level of research as to state and local laws doesn't hurt either. Among my other "travel gear", I have a folder on the front seat that contains printouts of firearms laws for each state I'll be travelling in, printed directly from each state's Attorney's General websites--not for "arguments sake" but for refreshing my memory when I stop for fuel or food breaks.
The thought of one 'needing' a gun for safe travel is completly nuts !! ....and this is coming from a life long member of the NRA and one who has probably fired more rounds of amunition from various firearms than the greater majority on this forum !!
We're going to have to compare notes someday...
But anyway, something like 76% of the world's serial killers are in the US. Of the nearly 5000 unsolved homicides currently on the books in the US, some studies postulate that more than half of them are the work of serial killers. And a recently published study says that many of these freaks work primarily from rest areas on Interstates and in truck stops.
I'm going to be spending a LOT of time over the next two weeks on major Interstates, stopping in truckstops and rest areas, and I'm caravaning with 2 single women, who are riding in a Toyota Tundra pulling a small trailor. That's a LOT of tires that could blow out on some desolate stretch of highway, and a LOT of roadway that has REAL spotty cell coverage...
I feel perfectly safe traveling without a firearm. However, in many states, it is STILL my right to defend myself or my loved ones should the need arise. And out on the lonely stretches of I-68 in the isolated hills of WV, or I-79 in PA, it can be a LONG hike to the next service station if your vehicle breaks down.
Remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away...
Law enforcement officers are not anyone's personal bodyguards. The Supreme Court has ruled on that. They are there primarily to apprehend criminals AFTER crimes have been committed.
As long as I inform an LEO immediately, if approached, that I possess a NC-CHP, tell him what I'm carrying and where it is, and keep my hands in plain sight, I am perfectly withing the bounds of the law in EVERY state I'll be travelling through on this trip, with the exception of MD. And before I enter the state of MD, I'll be sure to stow my firearm in a manner according to MD state law for safe and legal transport. Since I will be engaged in target shooting on my father's farm during my vacation, transportation through MD is legal, as long as it is locked in a case, unloaded, and inaccessible to the driver or passengers.
And believe me, my HHR is going to be packed so tight with camping gear, that even the most imaginative LEO will have to admit that it won't be "readily accessible". It's going to be in a locked hard case, and THAT is going to be inside a locked footlocker, which is going to be in the back of my vehicle, wedged in between and under about 200 pounds of tent canvas, bedrolls, and misc camping gear, not to mention 2 large coolers, and a second footlocker full of clothing. It's going to take me 20 minutes to pack and unpack this thing for entrance and after egress from MD...
It is our right and DUTY as citizens to ensure our own safety and security. I've gone through considerable training, research, background checks, and expense to ensure that my actions are within the legal bounds of most of the states I routinely travel, and where my permit is not recognized, I will comply with their laws by securing my firearms appropriately. States which have laws that prevent me from doing even this, I can gladly avoid.
