I recently moved pulling a u haul trailer from CA to FL via AZ, NM, TX, LA,MS and AL. I kept my CCW gun handy in the car and in the 3 hotel rooms we used. I was mostly worried about my trailer where all my guns were at the front of the trailer packed under 12 feet of other stuff. Thankfully no issues.

I’d keep it in a safe place while travelling through less free states. Padlocked box unloaded etc.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

Would I have felt better in c-store if I had a little friend on my hip? Hell yes!

On the return trip from Jeff Yarchin's open house several years ago, we landed at a small airport in the Florida panhandle to drop the monkey off.

Weather was really crappy, so the three of us who were continuing toward Orlando grabbed a nap in the airport lounge.

Daybreak, and we decided to get coffee at the convenience store across the road from the airport. We walked up and my friend, who was a Lieutenant in the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff department, took one look in the window, said "I'm not going in there unarmed," went back to the airplane and got his Glock 30.

Turned out that none of us needed to be armed, but all three of us were getting weird vibes from the store, so we were glad to have the option.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I planned the route using the S.S. Badger ferry across Lake Michigan.

Unless one's doing it for the experience of taking the ferry, it's an unnecessary detour, in my view. Simply do in Illinois what you must in Pennsylvania: Disarm, unload, store pistol and ammo in separate secured cases.

Personally, I'd prefer not to drive across the country unarmed. (Diving across the country, armed or not, is out of the question. I'm not Superman .)

Hell, I've taken to carrying even when I'm outside doing yard work. Some may regard my position as too vigilant--perhaps even paranoid, but the world, ISTM, has become more than a little >< crazy.

I think I'd try to find an FFL in PA that wouldn't be too far off your route who can safely hold the firearm for you. Either overnight it to the FFL just before leaving or fly into PA, rent a car for the remainder of the trip to NY, and drop it off.

I've driven numerous times over the years between Colorado and Florida and from Florida to Nebraska and some other long distance trips on motorcycles. While I always had something with me I've never run into a problem. Be aware of where your at,don't get yourself into a road rage situation and be careful of the location your staying at for the motel.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

I think I'd try to find an FFL in PA that wouldn't be too far off your route who can safely hold the firearm for you. Either overnight it to the FFL just before leaving or fly into PA, rent a car for the remainder of the trip to NY, and drop it off.

Can this be done legally? I was under the impression that in order to take possession of a handgun from an FFL holder, the transfer must take place in the recipient's state of residence. Does that apply in this scenario?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

I think I'd try to find an FFL in PA that wouldn't be too far off your route who can safely hold the firearm for you. Either overnight it to the FFL just before leaving or fly into PA, rent a car for the remainder of the trip to NY, and drop it off.

Can this be done legally? I was under the impression that in order to take possession of a handgun from an FFL holder, the transfer must take place in the recipient's state of residence. Does that apply in this scenario?

Everything I read when weighing my options says it is indeed legal to ship a firearm to yourself. I could not however determine HOW you could receive it without doing a new 4473 if shipping to an FFL. They can't accept it without putting it on the books was my recollection of my time as an FFL.

No I wouldn't

You could buy a tactical shotgun on your way back home.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9.41.122

I would prefer not to, but if I had to, I wouldn't panic. I have managed 59 years without getting into a gunfight, so I think that with a little prudence, I could manage a long drive without needing a pistol.

quote:

Would you dive cross-country unarmed?

Hell NO.

Instead of looking at it as:

Would you willfully just choose to do it unarmed?

Instead, look at it as:

Your mom needs your help and unfortunately trying to do it being armed sounds like its gonna add stress to an already stressful situation so given the circumstances, go pick up your mom, drive ya ass home.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I think I'd try to find an FFL in PA that wouldn't be too far off your route who can safely hold the firearm for you. Either overnight it to the FFL just before leaving or fly into PA, rent a car for the remainder of the trip to NY, and drop it off.

Can this be done legally? I was under the impression that in order to take possession of a handgun from an FFL holder, the transfer must take place in the recipient's state of residence. Does that apply in this scenario?

Everything I read when weighing my options says it is indeed legal to ship a firearm to yourself. I could not however determine HOW you could receive it without doing a new 4473 if shipping to an FFL. They can't accept it without putting it on the books was my recollection of my time as an FFL.

Ah, good point. Yeah, that probably would not work. Brane phart on my part

10 years ago, hell maybe 5 years ago I would have but things are radically different today. You don’t have to go to a bad neighborhood or seedy part of town to find someone who has nefarious thoughts and no problem executing them. You can be anywhere. But state laws make it difficult to travel easily across country while carrying. My thought is you are more likely to get caught breaking a states gun law then you are going to need you’re gun to stop a threat.

So that being said I would not carry across country in you’re situation. I would carry a fixed blade knife automatics are illegal in some states as well as other instruments of self defense. A baton might be a good choice. I don’t know if they are legal everywhere either.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Decker:

Would I rather have a firearm on me? Of course.

Is it NECESSARY? No. As Aeteocles said, this is America, not Afghanistan. Stick to the interstates

I am really uncomfortable at the notion of being unarmed at a rest stop on the interstate.

While I can understand this concern in concept, in practice (and I have a LOT of practice), this is not really a problem.

…

Until it is a problem.

The interstates and rest stops “out west” are far different from those in the mid-west and east. No, there are not little mini-malls catering to the travelers, no there are not cameras (which I’ve yet to understand how a camera would stop a crime), and you may have 1 state trooper and 1-2 county Sheriff Deputies covering HUNDREDS of square miles.

Much higher concentration of ne’er do els in some of these areas for just that reason. Is it likely you’ll have a problem? No, but it is absolutely possible.

29 years of 911 and I can tell you pretty much every crime victim didn’t think it was going to happen to them.


While there aren’t a lot of states that honor WA carry permit, that really isn’t the issue. The issue is what states is it absolutely forbidden to travel with a firearm. NY is an obvious problem, but if you can figure a way to get your gat once you leave NY it is a matter of switching between carry and “transport” when you go from state to state depending on their laws.

quote:

Originally posted by synthplayer:
...
I don't care how many times you've driven cross country unarmed and been just fine. Anything is possible in this country today. I'd carry.

Anything is possible, but how probable? Why does it paralyze us so to take a little NECESSARY risk sometimes? It's possible you could get run down crossing the street. Does that stop you? Just take reasonable precautions.

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog7972:
I’ve never had a flat tire yet I would never leave home without a spare tire in the trunk.

I've never been immolated by fire yet from an exploding vehicle (or other reason). And yet I don't wear a fireproof suit. Could it happen? Absolutely. Will it? Not likely. Again, reasonable precautions. It's not illegal to have a spare tire, but you don't NEED one. (Many cars don't even have one; another discussion, I know.)

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I would prefer not to, but if I had to, I wouldn't panic. I have managed 59 years without getting into a gunfight, so I think that with a little prudence, I could manage a long drive without needing a pistol.

63 here and no gunfights yet either. And I've done a LOT of traveling (see my user name). I've driven cross-country, or across a large part of it, or across medium parts of it, or across short parts of it, on all parts. I've owned probably close to 30 cars in my 63 years, and every one of them have been high miles. I've NEVER been in a situation where I've NEEDED a firearm.

I'm not saying it isn't wise to be prepared if at all possible or practical. I carry when I travel when I can. What I'm saying is that it's only a 0.000001% chance that it will be required if you're careful.

Don't let fear paralyze you. See the last line in my signature.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
According to this web site
It's 3117 miles and would take about 6 days.


flashguy

I want to acknowledge your effort in going through the trouble of mapping this out.

I'm with the others that say you don't really need to be armed to drive cross country. My wife and I have done it twice.

Be aware. It's not like you're a naive innocent teen-age girl, right? Avoid bad places and high crime areas. Download waze and aim for the next major gas station on your way (usually truck stops).

You may be different but on our first cross country drive, I would drive until I'm tired and if it was too late to get a hotel room, we would sleep in the car at a gas station.

On our second cross-country drive, my wife insisted on making sure we got a hotel room before dark. One of the things we avoided doing it this way was to avoid driving in total darkness with just the headlights on the car.

Short answer is "no".

Previously I'd posted about a trip from St Louis to Richmond and on the return leg I had a tire blow out near Charleston, West Virginia.

Note my car has "run flats", the run flat was destroyed, and there is not a spare tire on my BMW.

While my spouse and I were waiting on the side of the highway for AAA's tow truck, we were approached by 2 "very seedy" guys who feigned to want to help. It was a very scary situation and my spouse was very glad my 1911 was on my side. After some strong encouragement on my part, plus their realization my car was undriveable, they left.

Thereafter the AAA driver asked me if I carried a gun. The janitor at the car dealership where I had to buy a new tire, also asked me if I carried a gun.

Both said the area was full of meth heads who would kill you for a $1. Both said we were about to get car jacked and the only thing that stopped them was they realized they could not drive my car away.

We never expected such a potentially dangerous situation and thus I won't travel without being armed. Did I need to pull my gun, no, but we were damn sure I had it just in case.

On a different trip I flew out to DC and shipped my gun to myself so I had it on the return leg with my daughters truck.

quote:

Originally posted by IntrepidTraveler:

I've NEVER been in a situation where I've NEEDED a firearm.

Need? I truly don't know whether I NEEDED a firearm, but there have been a couple of occasions where it might have made a difference. I can't really know, judge for yourself:

• I don't use walk-up ATMs any more. The last time I used one, three young men were starting to crowd me. I asked them to back off and give me some room, and I received the "No habla" response. When I reached into my pocket for my wallet, to get my ATM card, I might have accidentally exposed the grip of a holstered SIG. The homies appeared to suddenly remember that they had a very important appointment elsewhere.
  
  
• My dog was in the car with me. She shed enough every day to create a new dog, so I had the passenger seat covered with an old sheet. I pulled into a parking slot that somebody else thought was his (he was in the wrong lane, no turn signal, no indication that he intended to park there). He got out of his car, red-faced and angry, and started toward my car. I slipped my SIG out of my belt holster and hid it under the sheet on the dog's seat, so that I would have easier access to it if needed. Road Rage (Parking Lot Rage?) guy started to bang on my driver's door window, then noticed that I had not covered the grip of my pistol completely, with the sheet (my fault, I rally intended to hide it, not to brandish it). He spotted it, and quickly left.

Did I really NEED to be armed in either of these instances? I don't know, but I'm glad that I was.

Shot if you drove through Columbus Ohio I would sell you a P228 for 1 dollar. I am sure when you got home you would hate it and I would gladly love a right of first refusal.

quote:

Originally posted by h2oys:
We never expected such a potentially dangerous situation ...

And there's the rub: Nobody ever expects to end up in a bad situation.

Many moons ago, way pre-GPS, a colleague and I were headed back from the G.M. Lordstown Assembly plant and took a Seriously Wrong Turn. We're driving around, trying to find some kind of main road, so we can find our way out of there. Finally pull into a boarded-up gas station lot. We're sitting there, looking at a paper map, when a two-man cop car pulls up next to us.

The conversation went something like:

"What are you doing here?"
"We took a wrong turn. We're lost and trying to find our way out."
"You're stopped, in the dark, in the neighborhood with the highest murder rate in the country."
"Oh."
"Get out of here. Go that way." <points> "I don't want to see you here again."

In retrospect, I imagine they tagged us as suburbanites looking to score drugs or whatever.