Posted on 08/17/2012 7:29:14 PM PDT by America_Right
Question for fellow gun nuts:
I have a lot of guns at my dad's place in Ohio. Rifles (.22, 30/30), shotguns(410, 12ga, 20ga), and pistols (.38, .44). No assault weapons. Here's the thing. I want to drive them back to Idaho at some point, but I just heard a news story about a guy that is being charged with "Transportation of Firearms Across State Lines". If I get pulled over, am I going to prison? I know, this sounds like a stupid question, but I would hate to go to prison for driving legal firearms across the country.
Unless he’s taking a very long way home he will not be going through Kansas, and nowhere near Denver for sure. 80 goes through Nebraska, and 90 is even faster and a lot prettier once you get to Wisconsin.
Very good advice.
My suggestion: find an FFL gun dealer at both ends of the trip. Have to one in OH ship them to the one in Idaho. They’ll add a nominal charge.
“Research FOPA. Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986. Print the text of the law off and carry it with you. Abide by the text of the law to the letter.
If you are stopped and a cop tries to arrest you or take your guns, make sure you say loud and clear that he is in violation of FOPA 1986 and you are complying with that law. He can be charged for false arrest and violating FOPA. Make sure that his dash cam gets the comment too...”
What are you smoking and why didn’t you bring enough for everyone..... While the OP is entirely legal in transporting his firearms from point A to point B while
following the rule of law that means nothing when he has
been pulled over by a badgemonkey who neither knows nor cares about the law.
To the OP....if you are risk averse have the weapons shipped via FedEx to a dealer. It will cost you a little
but compared to the cost and grief you will face if you
get pulled over by a JBT with an attitude ( and that is most of them these days) it will be a small price to pay to insure you property remains your property and your heinie
remainds virginal.
If you’re not driving a truck, stay on I-70 over the Front Range until you get about 100 miles past Grand Junction and follow US-191 to I-15. Depending on where you’re going in Idaho, either stay on I-15 or fork off via I-84. Way prettier than Kansas, Eastern Colorado, and Eastern Wyoming, but a bit hairy for trailers at some points.
Yep, it does pretty much depend on where in Idaho he’s going to end up. Mine was a south-to-north route; his may well be a north-to-south. I nearly ended up routing through New Mexico on that run. It’s a really, really big country.
That is a fun way. Probably not good for Ohio-Utah, unless far Southern Utah is the destination.
Spend your money on some good cases and locks, avoid Illinois and Denver, and keep a low profile.
If one is not familiar with the route, going Westbound, one can end up getting off of I-80, and onto the Skyway. Toll roads to deal with there, too. No big deal for the junk in the trunk as long as nothing accidental happens, but still a consideration. Heavy traffic around Chicago. Main travel hours are murder. Can stretch until late in the evening, too.
There are other ways across from Central Ohio that can miss Chicago. Get a good, large book type Atlas. In truck stops the paperback binding kind can usually be had for less than ten dollars. I always used the ring binder type. More expensive, but I was driving without any electronic nav aids. All old fashioned maps.
Oh, wait. Some backroad areas in Ohio, also watch for Amish buggys going real slow. Those small towns can be loaded with traffic cops too. Be smart, and not in a big rush.
Some cell phones can give one maps and direction, but there isn't quite anything like having a map one can hold in their hands, even if also using the electronic stuff of any type (smart phone, or gps).
For long range driving, we would always figure 50 mph average. One can beat that with an automobile, particularly in States which may have varying speed limits for trucks and passenger cars. Yet to maintain that average over available working hours, one would still need to keep their butt in the seat, and their hands upon the wheel.
You'll be on I-80 most of the way? There shouldn't be much trouble. Don't be paranoid of course, but consider "rush hours" when transiting any metropolitan area. Rush hours it can be a little crowded around places not real big, like Davenport Iowa, Des Moines, Omaha Lincoln, Nebraska, but not too bad. There's a real beauty of a truckstop near Grand Island, Nebraska. Exit 312. Has some sections salvaged from the World Trade Center on display. Near Davenport, but a bit West there is "The Largest Truckstop in the World". It's not a big deal to me... I don't think the food is all that good. Hell, I'd park at the Pilot on the South side of the Interstate if I had a delivery the following morning in the Davenport area, just to save the time getting in and out of the joint, and crossing over the highway.
Avoid Indianapolis if possible and practical too, that is if your Ohio location is in the Southern part, which could well lead you through Indy. Heavy traffic...a few cops on the side of the road here and there, both East and West...they will nail drivers for little over in "town".
Haven't been driving OTR for about ten months, but would expect there still to be some construction around Indy, and maybe on the West side I-70 too, out some miles. Someone else could weigh in with more specifics.
Avoid Illinois at all costs. Take the ferry from Michigan to Wisconsin - well worth the $150 the thugs in Obamaland.
http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx
Ya better stay put. In fact you should just turn yourself in now and beg for mercy.
There may be restrictions that are different for each state. Some may require residency to transport rifles. You might be able to present them as "gifts" to transfer ownership, but there may be a charge to bring them into the state including filing paperwork.
Be very, very careful. You are correct. You could get into serious trouble under the wrong circumstances. Best to work it out with locals who are sympathetic and want to support your God given rights.
Or...according to the leftists: Ak-47 assault weapons...please see media guide below:
If you are concerned, and I might be due to many LEOs overstepping their bounds and arresting folks for things that aren’t illegal, then take them to a gun shop in Ohio and have them shipped to a Gun Shop near where you live - you can bet they know al the rules and will abide by them so it will be legal. I had some of my Dad’s guns shipped from New York to Mississippi after he died and his wife said he wanted me to have them.
However, there are a number of cities and states that have shown they don't give a damn, and will ignore the federal law and lock you up anyway. I believe this has been the case in both Illinois and New Jersey.
One reason for the law was to ensure that competitors at Camp Perry were allowed to legally transport their weapons to the competition.
Mark
That's a pretty long detour, plus the drive lacks scenery. Plus, where do they find people to staff the gas stations along the way? They have a long commute.
“I mean, where else would you see people turn into sniveling crybabies at the mere mention of Illinois? “
About a year ago, there was an article about a guy who kindly let a policeman in Michigan search his vehicle, figuring he had nothing to hide. He had no drugs, no guns, his kids were in gurneys (i.e., car seats), so he figured it was fine and that his day would have been a lot longer if he pushed back.
Well, his life changed a lot because he didn’t push back. What he had was a can of mace from his home state. The police officer kindly told him to hold on while he radioed in to see if it was ok (he actually wasn’t sure). Well, it didn’t comply with Michigan labeling standards, and he had felony charges on him. I’ve been to Michigan a number of times, usually with mace (rather than gun) to protect me - I had no idea I was committing a felony - luckily I was never searched.
My point is that unless you KNOW the laws inside and out for a particular state regarding guns, you take a HUGE RISK if that state is already anti-gun. They likely will get you on something, once the find the weapons - maybe being within 1000 feet of a school, if there’s one on the other side of a highway - who they hell knows, so why risk it? And like I said, his plates stand out like a beacon - if they were Ohio, then yes, his odds of being left alone would be 10 times higher - but there are not too many people in Idaho to begin with, and very few of them hang out in Illinois.
So, go around IL, and a flat tire or an accident, or a ticket, has a zero percent chance of blowing up - or go through IL, and it becomes a 10% chance (maybe higher).
But I would agree with you, if he tries driving through IL, he probably won’t be bothered, just as I’ve never been bothered in that state, or MI, but he has a lot to lose if he is bothered.
At the mere sight of Idaho plates in Chicago, you get pulled over. Ostensibly to check for your arsenal. ROTFLMAO”
Easy to say that crap when it’s not your ass on the line...
I was talking about your dilemma to my kids and we looked at a map. One of them suggested going through Northern Michigan as a way of avoiding Obama-land. Not a bad idea, nice empty roads. Only drawback is that there’s no freeway in Northern Wisconsin, so you’ll slow down a bit there. I’d probably take that route if it were up to me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.