Locking handgun in vehicle with CCW Permit

[gmoney_downtown]

Greetings all! Long time lurker, first time poster. Have seen mixed information and can't find any actual sources.

My question: With a MD wear and carry permit, am I legally able to lock a handgun in my vehicle (with lockbox/glovebox/etc.) and leave it unattended?

Examples: 1) I want to carry on my way to/from work, but not at work. Can I leave my handgun in my vehicle all day while I'm at work?

2) I'm out running errands during the day. Can I leave my handgun in my vehicle while I run into the Post Office?

Thanks for your responses, with cited sources!! You're all the best!

 

[joppaj]

https://www.usacarry.com/carrying-concealed-post-office/

Avoid the post office.

 

[gmoney_downtown]

Ya, I've heard that before. Thanks for the response. The heart of the question is about locking it in a vehicle. Say I park off Post Office property, am I good to lock it in the vehicle?

 

[Bob A]

Unless it was unloaded there might be a problem.

Constant loading/unloading brings problems as well; increased potential for AD, and re-chambering a round more than a few times can drive the bullet deeper in the case, creating overpressure on firing - or so I've heard.

 

[eruby]

May vs. Can.

Note: I advocate the breaking of NO laws

 

[gmoney_downtown]

Unless it was unloaded there might be a problem.

Constant loading/unloading brings problems as well; increased potential for AD, and re-chambering a round more than a few times can drive the bullet deeper in the case, creating overpressure on firing - or so I've heard.

Definitely valid concerns. My plan would be to just remove the holster and lock the gun/holster in my lockbox, so those would be a concern for me personally. But that's good to keep in mind.

 

[Blaster229]

Unless it was unloaded there might be a problem.

Constant loading/unloading brings problems as well; increased potential for AD, and re-chambering a round more than a few times can drive the bullet deeper in the case, creating overpressure on firing - or so I've heard.

I am not sure that this is a real thing. I have never had an issue. Regardless, what I have done over the years is just take some other rounds off the top of the mag and bury the extracted round 4 or 5 rounds deep.

With work, we shot enough that it wasn't a problem because I would just shoot those mags.

 

[Occam]

This is one of those topics (in MD) about which it is amazingly impossible to get a clear, consistent, cited answer. But it’s MD, so the whole point is to make wearing/carrying as ominous as possible so as to discourage it entirely.

 

[joppaj]

I am not sure that this is a real thing. I have never had an issue. Regardless, what I have done over the years is just take some other rounds off the top of the mag and bury the extracted round 4 or 5 rounds deep.

With work, we shot enough that it wasn't a problem because I would just shoot those mags.

I've witnessed this with 5.56 rounds in armory issued mags. We had no way of knowing though how many times some of those rounds may have been chambered. I've never seen it actually proven in person with handgun rounds.

 

[gmoney_downtown]

This is one of those topics (in MD) about which it is amazingly impossible to get a clear, consistent, cited answer. But it’s MD, so the whole point is to make wearing/carrying as ominous as possible so as to discourage it entirely.

That's exactly what I was afraid of. I guess my next stop is to call the State Police 3 separate times and get 4 different answers.

 

[Moonlighter]

This is one of those topics (in MD) about which it is amazingly impossible to get a clear, consistent, cited answer.

Agreed. It would be nice if we could get all 9 MD residents that actually have their W&C Permits to chime in.

 

[Occam]

FWIW, I don’t patronize the USPS (or its parking lot) with mine on me or in the car. Luckily my go-to PO has a commercial strip mall lot next to it. If for some reason I’m going to disarm, I just remove my clipped-on IWB and spare mag, and they go into the vehicle console, and then I lock the entire container ... which happens to be the vehicle itself.

If I’m worried about theft, it goes in a padlocked Peli case cabled to the frame, out of sight. I used to think I’d be disarming more often than I actually do. A couple of client sites are absolutely weapons prohibited, so I need to be thoughtful there.

On your employer’s parking lot, make sure you’re not subject to vehicle searches and a for-cause dismissal. Depends on their rules and the terms of your employment.

 

[fred55]

May vs. Can.

Note: I advocate the breaking of NO laws

This. See no evil speak no evil. fred55

 

[silverwolf]

I know a firearms instructor who did his best to pin down the MSP on this issue. The final answer he got was something to the effect of "Use your best judgement and do whatever is in the best interest of public safety". And no, that would most likely not be MSP's official stance in a court of law.

 

[Pinecone]

I've witnessed this with 5.56 rounds in armory issued mags. We had no way of knowing though how many times some of those rounds may have been chambered. I've never seen it actually proven in person with handgun rounds.

I have had it happen with a .45ACP round.

It was the chambered round for my 1911, for HD. I would unload that round and put it back in the mag, and leave the mag at home when going shooting.

After a while, when I unchambered that round, the bullet was noticeably driven back in the case.

 

[gmoney_downtown]

I know a firearms instructor who did his best to pin down the MSP on this issue. The final answer he got was something to the effect of "Use your best judgement and do whatever is in the best interest of public safety". And no, that would most likely not be MSP's official stance in a court of law.

Of course! I think keeping it in a lockbox in my locked car is in the interest of public safety. But I wouldn't doubt if it ever went to court somehow, say my car gets stolen and then someone uses the gun in a crime, MD would find a way to make me partly responsible.

 

[teratos]

I have had it happen with a .45ACP round.

It was the chambered round for my 1911, for HD. I would unload that round and put it back in the mag, and leave the mag at home when going shooting.

After a while, when I unchambered that round, the bullet was noticeably driven back in the case.

So....when I reload my HD rounds after shooting target ammo, I don’t load it from the mag. I drop it in the chamber by hand. I’d imagine the feed ramps exert pressure.

 

[ironpony]

I had a thread on this topic months ago. Consensus seemed to be that there is a law against this practice but there has not been any charges or cases regarding it so ... it’s MD ... be careful. The laws here are written in such a way to make them difficult for citizens to understand.

 

[travistheone]

my buddy had a gun locked in glovebox, gave wrong key to a valet. gun gone.

obviously no charges.

if you leave your car running and someone takes it and hits a pedestrian, you are in no way at fault.

 

[teratos]

my buddy had a gun locked in glovebox, gave wrong key to a valet. gun gone.

obviously no charges.

if you leave your car running and someone takes it and hits a pedestrian, you are in no way at fault.

However, if you leave your gun in a car and someone kills someone with it, you are going down. These are the people suing the manufacturers of firearms for what people do with them.