Coast to coast by motorcycle. What gun?

[sigp220.45]

Hi Roundgunner - I agree with those who say the best way is the legal way. It may mean stopping at each border and rearranging your gear, but getting charged with a felony in the wake of an accident or even a legitimate self defense situation is a no-go in my book.

I would think a J frame or similar sized revolver would be the way to go. You could easily conceal it on your person where it was legal to do so, and in more restrictive states I would put it unloaded into a locked case in one locked saddlebag, and put the ammo in a case in the other locked saddlebag. I would think (I may be wrong, and you should research it to be sure) that even in the most restrictive state you would be good to go with that set up.

At any rate, I envy you for your upcoming adventure.

 

[m657]

1) AFAIK having researched for my own travels, all but the Triangle of Evil states allow for legal carry out-of-state residents to travel through.

2) Several CCW permits can add up to 'most states' as a legal CCW. For instance, the combination of Oregon AND non-resident Utah gives 35 state reciprocity.

3) Check with the web site (forget the name now--used to be "packing.org") that has updated pretty much laws.

4) Consider such as "Thunderwear" as an option.

My bet is your trailer could be arguable as a 'non-accessible' locked storage even while in Cali. Check it out and keep us posted!!!

Great plans and wonderful idea for seeing the country and recalling your old friend.

 

[SWID]

I think it is illegal to bring ANY gun into California without some sort of permission from a state agency.

The problem you have (or the risk you run) is that if you are involved in an accident and go to the hospital the HP is going to inventory your vehicle before they store it. If the find a gun not in their system you are a felon.

I left five years ago, partly because I couldn't take it anymore. I'm not a lawyer (God help us) and even the state sometimes can't figure out the mismash mess of their own gun laws. But if you want to be legal you need to find somebody that knows what's what.

I assume your daughter is going to U of M. Missoula is a beautiful town if you don't mind 15 below F.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I think it is illegal to bring ANY gun into California without some sort of permission from a state agency.

The problem you have (or the risk you run) is that if you are involved in an accident and go to the hospital the HP is going to inventory your vehicle before they store it. If the find a gun not in their system you are a felon.

There's no long gun registration in California, save for "assault weapons" that were grandfathered in. Long guns wouldn't be in the system, since there isn't one.

 

[feralmerril]

I no doubt told this story before but it pertains. In 1970 or 1971 I had bought another harley dresser. I owned another, but a good deal came. It was winter and I had the newer harley just sitting as the weather was cold. It definetly wasnt a novelity as I had been rideing harleys for years. A nice warm day a buddy and his wife wanted to meet me near magic mountain california. We toured for awhile and now it was night. I think that was hy 128 that goes past magic mountain to santa paula/ventura. Buddy got ahead on the narrow winedy highway. I was boxed in. Finaly I seen a opening and poured it on. The prior day I had just got eyeglass`s for the first time in my life and it made everything look different like steping a foot over a garden hose etc. I started around a car and the devil speeded up! Now I got a high speed wobble I hadnt experianced on that bike before! When that happens usualy you can speed up and power through them. I sure needed to speed up! I opened her wide as I could, went around the car and came into a curve with a 45 MPH sign. Normaly I could make that curve at any speed even so. The glass`s made the curve look even more serious than it was. I paniced! I hit the brakes and that raised me vertical as I was trying to lay it down! I left the road at about 100 mph. There was a cliff and I went end over end down to a abanded rail road track at the bottom. I was busted up pretty bad, broken leg etc. I dont think I lost conciousness except maybe for a few secounds. Soon there was a bunch of people that got down to me.
Finaly my buddy showed up as I had also passed another line of cyclelists, and one of them had went ahead and chased my buddy bill down and told him I got killed! He showed up and it dawned on me I was going to the hospital and that I had a snub in my vest. I asked the people would ya all step back? I want a private word with my partner. They did, bill knew what was up and nodded as I palmed him my S&W model 60.
They had to pull the stretcher up the cliff with a rope. They took me to the hospital in newhall.
Then here again came the CHP, ran the nurses off, then said : What did you hand yer buddy? I dunno, probley my keys. Thats not what someone there told me. They said you handed him a plastic envelope!
Then it dawned on me what he was talking about. Nope it wasnt a plastic envelope, it was my stainless steel snub! Was it loaded? No, I lied. Ya gonna write me up? Naw, your suffering enough!
You boys are giveing california LEOs a bad rap as far as I am concerned!

 

[Bruce51]

If you really want to get the facts for California regarding transportation of firearms PM me your email address.
I will scan and send you the pertainent pages from my CRPA handbook.
Three pages cover all you need to know and the penal code sections are referenced if you want to check the law exactly as it is written.
Bruce

Also let us not forget that there is a federal law S 178.38 Transportation of Firearms that preempts state law allowing interstate transportation of firearms which are unloaded and locked in a trunk.
I would obtain a copy of that law and carry it along just in case.

 

[crsides]

feralmerril

I was on a yamaha 350 & hit a stopped mustang on HWY 49 in Charlotte in 1975. Had a bauer 25 in the pocket. On the way to the hospital, I asked the ambulance attendant to take the 25 and keep it for me. There was NO concealed carry in NC back then. He said he couldn't take anything, or risked being fired.

Had to pass it to my wife while laying on the stretcher in the emergency room. 2 minutes later, Hiway patrol showed up wanted to see superman. Superman? Yeah, the lady in the mustang said you flew plumb over the top of her car.

Be safe.

Charlie

 

[cowart]

You boys are giveing california LEOs a bad rap as far as I am concerned!

Based on an experience that happened 40 years ago... things may have changed since then!

 

[feralmerril]

Gawd! It has been 40 years! I feel old as mose`s. You are right though. Lots of things have changed. To tell the truth leo back in those years let me slide a bunch of times that I wouldnt want to try now. I did have a few things going for me back then, still it didnt make me more legal away from my job. It just probley showed that I didnt have a record. I was a guard for lockheed where we carried a gun with secret goverment clearances, a state OPEN CARRY gun and guard cards. Legaly, it meant no extra brownie points, however in the real world it meant a lot. Demeaner is usualy every thing in those instances.

 

[zoom6zoom]

How about something discrete like this...

 

[venomballistics]

How about something discrete like this...

that'll do

 

[m657]

My best buddy was involved in a fatal accident decades ago on his bike. A small cadre of friends went to the site, all still in shock. It was a quite rural area, and we mutely gathered up a small pile of rocks, broken fiberglass & other debris. One of us found laying in the barrow pit his old m10. I didn't even know he had it, and the various responders overlooked it in their sweep picking up stuff a few days prior.

I'm convinced there is a legal way to carry per your intent as I researched a ton of state laws a mere 14 months ago for my own coast to coast journey.

 

[m657]

here's a couple links:

Handgunlaw.us

Welcome to CarryConcealed.net
this last one is new to me but reputed to have a trip planner in it.

 

[Beemer-mark]

Your saddle bags and cases are considered the same as a car trunk. For those states that do not reconize your concealed carry permit but the handgun in one of the saddlebags unloaded and you should have no problem. A LEO does not automatically have the right to search your bike. He needs probably cause, a search warrant or your permission.

 

[roundgunner]

This thread has gotten me thinking about some of the other members I haven't seen in years. I was looking thru an old photo album and came across this photo. I look like I'm 12 in that photo.

If anybody knows, or knows how to get a hold of Mr. Stewart (I can't remember his first name.) (he was HT-1) (UDT-SEAL) I would love to say hi. He was one of the most outrageous instructors ever! He had so many stories, but I think most were true. He told us a whopper about getting his photo on the cover of one of the news magizines, (Time or Newsweek or something) he said a photographer took his photo holding the head of a dead VC. We were all like "Yeah Yeah uh-huh" the next day he brought in the magazine!

It was a collage of photo's to go with the lead story something like "should the US troops be in Laos or maybe Cambodia" or something like that. There he was, face painted, grinning ear to ear holding a head by the hair, on the cover of the magazine! He said he just came across the line and was heading back when a photographer showed up so he did the most outrageous thing he could think of. I'm pretty sure he got in deep poo poo for letting him get that photo, but who would have thought they would run that?

My mom took this picture of us at some party, I never noticed the 1000 yard stare before. I wonder what he did after the war, I never saw him again, I have tried some UDT SEAL forums but never got a reply. This is a very large forum so maybe someone here knows him. I do know some of the guys with a couple tours were getting recruited by the government to do super secret spy stuff about that time.

If anyone has the cover of that magazine I would love a copy of that too.

Maybe I should start a oldtimers thread.

 

[patmarc45]

Bring all of them.....

 

[roundgunner]

Ok I will do one more OH MY GOD story.

I had a JG who was a skydiver before going to Coronado. He joined the Navy to be a fighter jocky but somehow got eliminated, the Navy wanted him to fly those big busses or something, he decided to go with us instead.

He was a physical fitness nut. He ran civilian marathons pretty often and was always running, we would be pounding beers and he would be running somewhere. He was also one of the smartest men I ever knew.

He joined a skydivers club that jumped out over the desert outside of San Diego. One day one of the guys asked if I heard what happened to Bauer?

He was jumping with the club and fouled his main chute, I guess he played around with it trying to get it to fully open a little too long, when he realized he was too low he didn't have time to cut away the main, so he pulled the reserve chute that quickly tangled with the main.

He hit the ground running, on the side of a steep hill, rolled to a stop and walked away!

After that I spent a little more time running myself.

I'm pretty sure he went to one of the 3 letter organizations in the mid 70s.

 

[Pete99004]

It ain't worth it carrying a weapon, in my opinion. I've taken pretty much the same trip by motorcycle no less than a dozen times, camping under the stars nightly, and never wanted the responsibility of securing a weapon while I was using a public shower or having a brewsky at a local bar. How would you secure your weapon, for example, when you're camped out and want to take a swim? Sagglebags are not as secure as a car trunk.
I suggest that you enjoy yourself unencumbered by this responsibility. What ever you decide, you are on the threshold of a wonderful experience, and I wish you godspeed!

'Tis true - I've done MN to WA a number of times without a carry - no problems. But should you decide to carry remember, you can't take a firearm into a bar in WA...keep that in mind and keep it up on two and enjoy!! PS...if you're looking for an overnight stay while in the Spokane, Cheney, WA area - let me know - got plenty of room out here and you are welcome.