Storing firearms in a locked room

[Broc]

I actually stopped doing that as I think it doesn’t comply with the transportation laws. I don’t have the time right now to find the law, but I can in a bit. I was under the impression that a trigger lock is NOT satisfactory for transporting guns. Instead you HAVE to put them in a locked case or trunk (assuming we’re not talking about pistols that are under your control).

If somebody proves me wrong on this before I have a chance to search for the law and post it, I’ll edit this post so as not to give out bad information in perpetuity.

Oooops. I will start using the hard case again.

 

[EJFudd]

+++

One thing I have seen since being a gun owner is that if Maura and her goon squad want to make a case out of it, they will. You could put ammo in a lock box, put the lock box in a safe and then put the entire safe in another safe and if the inner safe isn't locked, the goon squad will determine that to be a 'storage violation'. So just live your life the way you want to and leave it at that.

True. It's all in how Maura chooses to interpret the law.

 

[Mesatchornug]

You are correct; trigger locks are not sufficient for transportation. High-capacity firearms must be in a locked container, but you can toss your trap shotgun in the trunk and it's theoretically legal.

Technically, you could toss your Garand, unloaded, in a rack in your pickup and be good to go. Of course, I welcome someone else to go first because I'm not really a fan of talking to police in their official capacity.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

You are correct; trigger locks are not sufficient for transportation. High-capacity firearms must be in a locked container, but you can toss your trap shotgun in the trunk and it's theoretically legal.

You can also toss you high cap EBR in the trunk as well. Note the wording on Gun ownership in Massachusetts:

"Large-Capacity Rifles and Shotguns: All persons transporting large capacity rifles or shotguns under an LTC must transport them unloaded and in a locked case, locked trunk, or other secure container. Trigger locks do not meet the requirements of securing a large-capacity firearm during transport in a motor vehicle. Large-capacity firearms left unattended in a vehicle must be unloaded and in a locked case, locked trunk, or other secure container. "​

There is the usual caveat about the law "as written" vs "as applied", however, since this is a state document even a finding trunk storage is illegal would simply open the door to an entrapment by estoppel defense.

 

[LuvDog]

Oooops. I will start using the hard case again.

I mostly use hard cases that can lock, but when it's just a couple of pistols, they go in a soft case with a cable lock through the zipper pulls.

 

[Synyster]

Do I have a better chance of seeing God before any of these looney laws are gotten rid of?

 

[namedpipes]

Do I have a better chance of seeing God before any of these looney laws are gotten rid of?

Your great great grandchildren will be long dead before these issues are resolved.

 

[last ranger]

I had inquired of Ron Glidden if a second floor room with a solid wood door with a dead bolt lock would be considered satisfactory for the mass storage laws. His reply was that it should as it was the second floor. If it was the ground floor with a window then no.

 

[jasons]

I had inquired of Ron Glidden if a second floor room with a solid wood door with a dead bolt lock would be considered satisfactory for the mass storage laws. His reply was that it should as it was the second floor. If it was the ground floor with a window then no.

Lol, the legend of Ron Glidden. I wonder what he’s up to these days?

 

[dcmdon]

$3-400 for a simplex door lock on Amazon. I suppose that would bump it up a notch security wise. Hmmm... When it comes down to DA discretion & court opinion when interpreting whether the room is in fact a locked container then I guess the method of locking the door is an issue.

That is why the key question.

Kaba 900 Simplex locks are high quality and easy to install since they are surface mount. They cost about $130 to $150 depending on the version.

 

[DavidC77]

To the OP question (sorry I haven't read the whole 9 pages)...

But to your question about the key... I went down to my local True Value that has a Lock Smith Shop and I bought a Key Box that is designed to be put outdoors... It has a cover on it that you flip down and there's a keypad, you punch in your code and a door opens up and there's plenty of room for key's in it (or anything you want to put into it)...

You could buy one of those boxes and mount it on the wall outside of your Gunroom... That way you don't need to carry a key on you and the key you need to get into the room is always right there at the door (as long as you put it back into the box after opening the door )...

Just a thought...

.

 

[E.Stoner]

I use these on my exterior doors at home.

Schlage Touch Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt with Century trim

www.schlage.com

If the battery shits the bed you can use a 9 volt battery externally.

 

[Len-2A Training]

+++

True. It's all in how Maura chooses to interpret the law.

You are basically correct, except Maura usually doesn't prosecute individuals. ADAs do that and some little twerp ADA can indeed make your life miserable (and expensive) by chargng you with a non-crime. I've seen it happen to a guy and the ADA was a tenacious bulldog A-hole.

I mostly use hard cases that can lock, but when it's just a couple of pistols, they go in a soft case with a cable lock through the zipper pulls.

I use soft cases as hard cases take up too much room in the trunk and I'm usually transporting a fair number of guns if I'm teaching or going to the range.

I have a bunch of hard cases which I will eventually list for sale, since I never expect to use them again.

Lol, the legend of Ron Glidden. I wonder what he’s up to these days?

He's still teaching chiefs/LOs and publishing his book twice a year. He's now teaching a number of topics that aren't firearms related. He still has me on his advertising eLists . . . I need to ask him to drop me off of them as I have no need for them and my former department likely has an officer on the same eLists.

I use these on my exterior doors at home.

Schlage Touch Keyless Touchscreen Deadbolt with Century trim

www.schlage.com

View attachment 383326
If the battery shits the bed you can use a 9 volt battery externally.

And you'll find that all your 9V batteries are safely locked up in the house you can't access!

 

[AHM]

... you'll find that all your 9V batteries are safely locked up in the house you can't access!

We keep ours in the fridge.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

If "they" come looking to see how you store your guns, you're already in deep shit for some other reason. Jack.

 

[Tallahassee]

If "they" come looking to see how you store your guns, you're already in deep shit for some other reason. Jack.

Don't ask me how I know, but those are some wise words right there.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Many years ago my sons had a friend who always said that he wanted to be buried with his shotgun. Well, one day he ran his MC into a tree and the tree won. He was buried with the gun. They would have a problem finding that one. Jack.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

If "they" come looking to see how you store your guns, you're already in deep shit for some other reason. Jack.

True, but if they are out in the open expect to be reported by EMTs or other first responders.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

True, but if they are out in the open expect to be reported by EMTs or other first responders.

True. Out in the open is kinda dumb. Jack.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

True, but if they are out in the open expect to be reported by EMTs or other first responders.

YES, take it from me, my son went into shock and we called 911 (I wasn't home) and the EMT's seeing the Civil War musket and original 1860 revolver (missing pieces) both non shooters and are also blackpowder, on the wall. They called the cops and as they were loading Sean into the ambulance the cop started quizzing my son how do you store your guns. He was alert enough to say in gun safes, but that shows how they go nuts over guns in the open. These are antiques EVEN by Mass standards and don't need to be locked!!

 

[308rifleman]

You are basically correct, except Maura usually doesn't prosecute individuals. ADAs do that and some little twerp ADA can indeed make your life miserable (and expensive) by chargng you with a non-crime. I've seen it happen to a guy and the ADA was a tenacious bulldog A-hole.


I use soft cases as hard cases take up too much room in the trunk and I'm usually transporting a fair number of guns if I'm teaching or going to the range.

I have a bunch of hard cases which I will eventually list for sale, since I never expect to use them again.


He's still teaching chiefs/LOs and publishing his book twice a year. He's now teaching a number of topics that aren't firearms related. He still has me on his advertising eLists . . . I need to ask him to drop me off of them as I have no need for them and my former department likely has an officer on the same eLists.


And you'll find that all your 9V batteries are safely locked up in the house you can't access!

We use hard rifle cases to transport our rifles and shotguns. I put them in the locking truck toolbox that I mounted behind the cab of my Tacoma. Jill uses a padlock on the cases when transporting them in her RAV4 because it does not have a trunk. She covers them with an inexpensive Blue Hawk tarp that she got at Lowe's.