Full Timing With Weapons
As a fulltime RV’er traveling from State to State what is your general understanding of carrying weapons from one State to another?
I do not have a concealed carry permit but I do keep a .45 cal in my 5th wheel. I also have a 19-million volt Stun Gun, and realize that different States have laws regarding stun guns. I also have some Alaska Bear Spray, which I don’t think is governed by any laws but I would be interested in hearing what others think of bear spray as an effective deterrent against bears?
Now I know I can just do a search of State laws before entering a State but I was just wondering if such laws generally make exceptions for visitors who may only be in a State 90-days or less? As a U.S. Army veteran I know that if I stay at a campground on a military base I have to let the Provost Marshall (Military Police) know that I have a firearm within 24-hours of entering that base.
A few years ago I was camping at a California State Park, and was getting ready to leave that campground after a 14-day stay; I put my unloaded .45 in my tow vehicle and left the ammo in the 5th wheel, which is the legal way to travel with a firearm in your vehicle in many States.
Another camper, who was evidently afraid of guns, saw me put my .45 in my tow vehicle and informed the park ranger that I had a gun. Within minutes 3- park law enforcement vehicles pulled up to my campsite, where I was getting ready to leave, and the park police, with their guns drawn, yelled out for me to get face down on the ground.
I didn’t hesitate because there were 5-of them with guns drawn pointed at me. They asked me if I had a gun; I replied that I did, and the bottom-line is that they gave me a citation for having a lethal weapon on State property. California law says that you can have a gun while camping but it excludes State property.
The citation was a misdemeanor and because I do not have a criminal record I ended up with a $1000.00 fine and 1-year unsupervised probation. Again, I do not have a concealed carry permit and the California Attorney General’s website says that you can have a firearm with you while you are camping, but the park police told me that this did not include State property.
So this is my long story as to why I am asking about generally traveling with a firearm between different States? It is very hard, dependant on the county of your residence, to get a concealed carry in California.
I do not have a concealed carry permit but I do keep a .45 cal in my 5th wheel. I also have a 19-million volt Stun Gun, and realize that different States have laws regarding stun guns. I also have some Alaska Bear Spray, which I don’t think is governed by any laws but I would be interested in hearing what others think of bear spray as an effective deterrent against bears?
Now I know I can just do a search of State laws before entering a State but I was just wondering if such laws generally make exceptions for visitors who may only be in a State 90-days or less? As a U.S. Army veteran I know that if I stay at a campground on a military base I have to let the Provost Marshall (Military Police) know that I have a firearm within 24-hours of entering that base.
A few years ago I was camping at a California State Park, and was getting ready to leave that campground after a 14-day stay; I put my unloaded .45 in my tow vehicle and left the ammo in the 5th wheel, which is the legal way to travel with a firearm in your vehicle in many States.
Another camper, who was evidently afraid of guns, saw me put my .45 in my tow vehicle and informed the park ranger that I had a gun. Within minutes 3- park law enforcement vehicles pulled up to my campsite, where I was getting ready to leave, and the park police, with their guns drawn, yelled out for me to get face down on the ground.
I didn’t hesitate because there were 5-of them with guns drawn pointed at me. They asked me if I had a gun; I replied that I did, and the bottom-line is that they gave me a citation for having a lethal weapon on State property. California law says that you can have a gun while camping but it excludes State property.
The citation was a misdemeanor and because I do not have a criminal record I ended up with a $1000.00 fine and 1-year unsupervised probation. Again, I do not have a concealed carry permit and the California Attorney General’s website says that you can have a firearm with you while you are camping, but the park police told me that this did not include State property.
So this is my long story as to why I am asking about generally traveling with a firearm between different States? It is very hard, dependant on the county of your residence, to get a concealed carry in California.
