Truck Gun

[Uppercase]

Now I know your not allowed to transport a handgun unless its being transported to appropriate places (range, shop, residence) but I was wondering about having a rifle as a truck gun. I was thinking about keeping a cheapo WASR or AKMS in a hidden compartment or something. Idk, just an idea.

The questions I have are:

Does it matter if its regulated (AK, AR, ect.)?

If transporting the only thing you need to do is keep the ammo/magazines in a locked separate container?

Can the magazines be loaded while being in the locked separate container?

Any other points or information I would need to know would be awesome.

 

[jawn]

You do realize that the locked separate compartment thing for mags is a FOPA thing, not a MD thing, right?

That said, the only MD statute regarding long gun carry is that the rifle cannot be loaded in a vehicle.

 

[Uppercase]

No I didn't realize that, why I'm asking .

So does the "Safe Passage" provision of FOPA in Maryland only apply to handguns then?

 

[jonnyl]

I believe that you can't use FOPA if the start and finish of your trip are both in MD, but I don't think FOPA is handgun specific.

I think technically you could drive down the street with an AK leaning on the seat next to you and a bunch of loaded mags sitting loose on the passenger seat.

There was a lot of discussion on this this after the Attorney General basically said that Marylanders didn't "need" to get permits to carry handguns, because if they were interested in self-defense they could carry long guns basically anywhere someone with a permit can carry a handgun.

Although noone seems anxious to be the test case

I'm not a lawyer, and my memory isn't even that good! So beware!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[ADR]

Remeber when these were everywhere and nobody thought twice about them?

 

[mikec]

Agree, FOPA can't be used since it is meant for interstate transport not intrastate.

One thing to keep in mind, do you ever go to DC? What about any of the no gun areas? US military bases? Post Offices? Schools and universities?

 

[Uppercase]

Alright gotcha, that would make sense after a second glance at FOPA.

And nah i'm pretty much free from any no firearm zones, and if I did have to I'd know well in advance enough to remove.

 

[steves1911]

I got pulled over once for speeding on the way back from shooting over a relatives. I had over 20 long guns in the vehicle and only half of them were cased. The officer had me and the friend i had with me stand in front of his vehicle while he made sure they were all clear and he checked to make sure none were stolen. After that we all had a laugh and he sent me on my way with a warning for my lead foot.

 

[Fester60]

I thought in MD if you had a regulated (handgun, AK, AR) firearm in the car you had to be going to or from a range or gunshop. Maybe if you were a designated collector you could argue that you were transporting some or all of you collection for a private viewing.

When I was younger (21-23) I used to drive to and from the range with an AK in the gun rack of my truck. I might still do that since my truck is a regular cab and I don't really know where else it would go if I took the truck shooting.

 

[2ndCharter]

Remeber when these were everywhere and nobody thought twice about them?

Gosh yes. When I was in high school, if you had a pickup (about half the guys) you had a gun rack. Nobody worried about theft, nobody ever broke into your truck. If someone had, people would have figured it out and justice would have been a major beat down.

 

[damifinowfish]

Now I know your not allowed to transport a handgun unless its being transported to appropriate places (range, shop, residence) but I was wondering about having a rifle as a truck gun. I was thinking about keeping a cheapo WASR or AKMS in a hidden compartment or something. Idk, just an idea.

The questions I have are:

Does it matter if its regulated (AK, AR, ect.)?

If transporting the only thing you need to do is keep the ammo/magazines in a locked separate container?

Can the magazines be loaded while being in the locked separate container?

Any other points or information I would need to know would be awesome.

Why?

Why do you want to drive around with a gun in your truck?
From your other post I believe you live in the metropolitan Baltimore area. It is illegal to discharge a firearm in this area unless you are hunting or on a gun range. So why do you want to bring extra trouble to yourself? Or put another firearm into a criminal's hands when a crack head brakes into you truck looking for chump change to buy more crack?

This is a bad Idea!

 

[HardHatMan]

My dream truck gun is an SBR'd Krink under folder.

 

[mvee]

I thought in MD if you had a regulated (handgun, AK, AR) firearm in the car you had to be going to or from a range or gunshop. Maybe if you were a designated collector you could argue that you were transporting some or all of you collection for a private viewing.

When I was younger (21-23) I used to drive to and from the range with an AK in the gun rack of my truck. I might still do that since my truck is a regular cab and I don't really know where else it would go if I took the truck shooting.

Close, but I dont believe all regulated firearms have those requirements for transportation, only handguns and SBR/SBS

http://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/criminal-law/title-4/subtitle-2/4-203/
4-203 governs transportation of handguns, SBS and SBR are defined as handguns under this law.

PUBLIC SAFETY
http://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/public-safety/title-5/subtitle-1/5-101/
TITLE 5 - FIREARMS
Subtitle 1 - Regulated Firearms
Section 5-101 - Definitions


defines regulated firearms as a handgun or one of the listed "assault weapons"

 

[browning guy]

When I was in Wyoming this year every pick up had a gun or two in the back window and I think it was a requirment to have a ruger red hawk or black hawk 44 under the seat! It must be nice to live in a free state!!

 

[A. Wayne]

Why?

Why do you want to drive around with a gun in your truck?
From your other post I believe you live in the metropolitan Baltimore area. It is illegal to discharge a firearm in this area unless you are hunting or on a gun range. So why do you want to bring extra trouble to yourself? Or put another firearm into a criminal's hands when a crack head brakes into you truck looking for chump change to buy more crack?

This is a bad Idea!

because it would just be so cool!!
bad idea all around, and it won't be there long anyway...

 

[HomerSimpson]

Why?

Why do you want to drive around with a gun in your truck?
From your other post I believe you live in the metropolitan Baltimore area. It is illegal to discharge a firearm in this area unless you are hunting or on a gun range. So why do you want to bring extra trouble to yourself? Or put another firearm into a criminal's hands when a crack head brakes into you truck looking for chump change to buy more crack?

This is a bad Idea!

Never know when you'll need one. If you could get a carry permit in MD, would you not get one just because your gun could be stolen if you had to leave it in your vehicle for some reason?

 

[aberforth]

OP,

To answer at least one of your questions, yes, mags can be loaded in the vehicle as long as they are not inserted into the gun. The Maryland AG has issued an opinion on this in writing, stating that it is legal. I'm sure someone will float it into this thread eventually, if not I'll see if I can dig it up and post it.

I can't really answer any to your other questions, but I do carry a rifle in my car constantly. It's a bolt action .30-30. I keep the mag loaded, but locked in the glove compartment, and I keep the rifle in a bag (to avoid the Baltimore City weapons must be cased BS) locked under the third seat row folded down (this is a station wagon). On the rare occasion that I have the third row up, the gun goes between the second and third row (case covered) and the bolt gets locked in the emergency toolbox at the back of the car (away from the mag). The removal of the bolt is not required, but it makes me feel better.

Now that I think about it (although I always take the rifle out of the car before going anywhere legally hostile) the only thing I'd need to do to be FOPA compliant would be to move the mag to the toolbox (and possibly unload it just to prevent any appearance of impropriety) and as long as the gun is under the third row I'm GTG.

And to answer damifinowfish's question of "WHY?":

Many reasons, but perhaps most simply and all encompassing: Dieu et mon droit

 

[Silverlode]

Never know when you'll need one. If you could get a carry permit in MD, would you not get one just because your gun could be stolen if you had to leave it in your vehicle for some reason?

Exactly.

 

[shawn]

OP,

I called the MSP licensing division back in 2008 and asked them a few questions regarding transport.

Now some of what they told me was blatantly wrong (loaded mag) but at least you can know what licensing division (and probably most of the troopers on the road) think about it.

But the silver lining in all of the info they gave me was that if you keep a non-regulated rifle or shotgun in your car or truck without it being loaded you would probably not be arrested at the roadside.

Additionally to avoid arrest they said ammo can be in the same bag or case but ammo must be in a separate compartment like an outside pocket of a rifle case. Also they said some BS about "lunging distance".

Just some things to keep in mind.

I am not saying that what they said is right or legal. But I think it is important to have an idea of what the officers on the road think.



(Note: this is an old closed thread and i am only including it here for informational purposes)
http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=7050

 

[alucard0822]

It's legal, transport of long guns including regulated long guns are not subject to the BS that handguns are by state law. There is some question as to having loaded mags according to MD hunting statutes (no loaded mags or loaded firearms in on or leaning aggainst a vehicle) these may or may not be accliable. For those that don't see the point of a truck gun, the old saying "for some no explanation is possible, for others no explanation is neccesary" holds true, the fear of harassment or "looking bad" when doing something completely legal is a valid one, although having the law on your side, a copy of the law, and phone number to a good lawyer are adequate protection from that, excercising rights isn't always easy or popular, it isn't for everyone. The fear of breaking the law while discharging a firearm to save your life is kinda stupid IMO, the alternative is putting your life at the mercy of a criminal, might suck but even in the extremely rare circumstance that you are convicted of violating some asanine law, it still beats being murdered. Having a truck gun, especially with the discriminatory CCW policy in MD could be at least one way to be armed in some degree.