The firearm and ammo ( whether loose or preloaded into magazines) must be in separate cases and should be in separate areas of the vehicle-- not readily accessible to either... Firearms should be in cases, but locks are not necessary, but a good idea... Preloaded mags are fine as long as they are not with the gun....
The firearm and ammo ( whether loose or preloaded into magazines) must be in separate cases and should be in separate areas of the vehicle-- not readily accessible to either... Firearms should be in cases, but locks are not necessary, but a good idea... Preloaded mags are fine as long as they are not with the gun....
The DC area has a very high federal police presence. Park police, Secret Service, ATF, (and yes, NCIS) etc. And given the number of borders in the metropolitan area, even if you're not planning to leave the state, it's probably safest to develop a habit of throwing your range bag in the trunk. The MD AG may not be all that worried about your violating FOPA, but any federal officer who pulls you over and sees your range bag inside the car might have grounds to arrest you assuming you crossed a VA/MD/DC border before he pulls you over. All it might take is giving a truthful answer to the question "Where are you coming from?"If you stay in MD, you comply with MD 4-203 statute, not FOPA. That is unloaded and holstered. MD AG has stated FOPA doesn't even apply if you are going out of state because his opinion for now anyway is you cannot "posess and carry" in MD, thereby negating FOPA.
Yes officer, I often buy groceries before going to the range. Why?If you go OOS tell anyone who asks you are going to the range. You are then at least for that moment in the eyes of the AG, legal.
That thread or the OP's post is pure BS.
I glanced over the thread.
There's one thread on this entire forum about what happened to one member over a range badge.
And it's spewed as fact that in MOCO if you have a range badge all your guns belong to them.
Meh.
Enjoy.
I know you're banned, but how long did this take you to think up? I won't hold my breath for the answer.When I transport a gun to the range I like to use a little common sense. How can I make it seem like a lot of work while driving to be able to get my gun, get my magazines, get my ammo, load the magazines, and insert that magazine into the gun while seatbelted ready to fire. If you can't do all of this while seatbelted and driving you are doing it correctly. If it's easy to do all of this while seatbelted you are doing it wrong. I purposely separate the gun which is in the factory carrying case from the ammo which is in the original boxes.
First off, who wears a 'Range Badge'? Second if I saw one I would be amused and laugh. Don't think PC was an issue since the OP had the choice to consent. Now the facts, wearing that silly badge has not merit to cause PC.Over a year ago if the OP was to be beleived, a member here did have his weapon confiscated by an over zealous, and nervous Mo Co LEO. That is a fact. I don't know the final disposition. His error was allowing a search of his vehicle. IIRC he may have had a long gun on the back seat but not sure. He was wearing a range badge. That certainly doesn't even come close to PC or even reasonable articulable suspicion of a crime (RAS) IMO
First off, who wears a 'Range Badge'? Second if I saw one I would be amused and laugh. Don't think PC was an issue since the OP had the choice to consent. Now the facts, wearing that silly badge has not merit to cause PC.
If you are in MD, the ONLY requirement is unloaded and holstered or in a case.
Period.
If you are in MD, the ONLY requirement is unloaded and holstered or in a case.
Period.
Over a year ago if the OP was to be beleived, a member here did have his weapon confiscated by an over zealous, and nervous Mo Co LEO. That is a fact. I don't know the final disposition. His error was allowing a search of his vehicle. IIRC he may have had a long gun on the back seat but not sure. He was wearing a range badge. That certainly doesn't even come close to PC or even reasonable articulable suspicion of a crime (RAS) IMO
If you stay in MD, you comply with MD 4-203 statute, not FOPA. That is unloaded and holstered. MD AG has stated FOPA doesn't even apply if you are going out of state because his opinion for now anyway is you cannot "posess and carry" in MD, thereby negating FOPA.
If you go OOS tell anyone who asks you are going to the range. You are then at least for that moment in the eyes of the AG, legal.
Opinions attached.
For example, if the MD resident has a CCW permit from Virginia then it would seem to follow that FOPA would apply if you are transporting the firearm from your home, a "place" where you are allowed to "possess and carry,"
This is how I read this law too. I don't understand why the advice on this board is consistently "if you're going out of state and intend to CCW, always tell the cops you're going to a range". I feel like the cop would look at my lack of targets and two mags of hollow points and see right through that BS
I also wondered more than once about the AG's opinion because in the same opinion, he states FOPA would have "no bearing on a trip where the origin and destination are both in MD," leading one to conclude that if only one was in MD,(origin or destination) that FOPA would apply. But then he states that MD 4-203 has no bearing on travel THROUGH the state.
So which is it? Or is both?
He muddied the waters instead of clearing them IMO.
The AG opinion on FOPA would make me think that he thinks "possess and carry" doesn't apply to your home. Except it doesn't say that. That's why the advice here is to be engaged in a 4-203 permissable activity. We aren't lawyers and there is no case law I can find. Better safe than sorry.
Are all you lawyers like this?