If I were going to the range and I had my 2 handguns in my locked range bag in there cases UNLOADED with ammo in the bag as well is it legal for me to make a stop at the gym and leave the Bag in my locked SUV. "NO Trunk" ??? Thanks
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Transporting Handguns in my SUV ??? Help
- Thread starter tooomey
- Start date
Yes, it is legal. That said, if your SUV gets broken into, your guns stolen, and your chief is a jerk, he might decide that you are no longer suitable. There tend to be a lot of thefts at gyms, both from lockers and from vehicles. I try to avoid leaving a gun locked up in an unattended vehicle.
The late Darius Arbabi defended a client who had a gun stolen from his truck. He got the client off, but the client still had his LTC revoked.
The late Darius Arbabi defended a client who had a gun stolen from his truck. He got the client off, but the client still had his LTC revoked.
beaker
NES Member
I think as long as the bag is locked you are fine. If they get stolen you may get some grief in this ma**h*** of a state...
Sent from my Droid which is going to be replaced with a Galaxy Nexus very soon!
Sent from my Droid which is going to be replaced with a Galaxy Nexus very soon!
I will be at the YMCA at my daughters swim class for only about a half hour which is in a very nice town and I will park in a very open spot. As long as its legal I am comfortable. Thanks for the heads up on the loss of the LTC though.
Why not just skip the range that day? That's what I'd do. Why take the chance and risk your LTC?
I live in Wayland. The health club in Wayland and a very, very swanky health club in Sudbury have both had break-ins.
If at all possible, keep the bag out of sight when leaving it in the vehicle. Better yet would be a lockbox that is cabled to the vehicle. Four Seasons carries one.
xtry51
NES Member
Nope you can't do it and you'll have to go buy a car with a trunk. See gun laws help stimulate the economy and save the Earth from your coal burning SUV and polluting way of life. Remember it's for the children... [/sarcasm]
Seriously, you're fine, unless your car gets robbed, in which case by living in MA you're completely screwed and will probably end up in jail.
Seriously, you're fine, unless your car gets robbed, in which case by living in MA you're completely screwed and will probably end up in jail.
... and you're fine leaving your guns and ammo lying around your house, unless someone breaks in and takes one or your kids get hold of one and take it to school or worse. If I rob a bank I'm fine unless I get caught. The problem is IF someone breaks in, you are screwed... that's the point. The LEO's will say "was it locked up in your trunk?" and you will say "no, but I hid the bag really well in the back". They will say "you have the right to remain silent, anything you say...."
There may be some grayness that can be exploited, but would you like to defend your case in court or "down at the station". Would you like to have to fight to get your LTC back once Yosemite Sam confiscates it? When in MA, don't take it in the ass.... take a conservative approach to this sort of thing and assume the worst. IMO, it's just not worth it. Leave the gun home that day.
Night_solstice
NES Member
I have several friends with SUV lock boxes (they're contractors so keep tools with them during the day on job sites). They sits in the back area and are a pretty good size as they keep a number of tools in them, but is enclosed, has a seperate lock system then the car itself and mounts to the SUV to prevent easy theft (we've even put the same color carpeting over the top so if you look in from the window, you can't really see that there's even something worth your time. Some are hard plastic, other metal. About as close to installing a trunk as you'll probably get with an SUV
Of course, if they take the SUV itself.....
Of course, if they take the SUV itself.....
TruckVault makes great stuff. Not inexpensive, of course:
Full text here: http://www.truckvault.com/ProductsByVehicleType.aspx?CID=SO&VTID=SUV
At a much cheaper price point, Four Seasons has these:
Full text here: http://fsguns.com/safes.html
Full text here: http://www.truckvault.com/ProductsByVehicleType.aspx?CID=SO&VTID=SUV
At a much cheaper price point, Four Seasons has these:
Full text here: http://fsguns.com/safes.html
Get a nice heavy duty lockable case and a length of heavy duty cable lock/bolt it to the inside of the vehicle.
Try and make it as difficult as possible to remove,most B&E/car break ins are smash and grab so unless they are carrying a set of bolt cutters you should be good to go.
Try and make it as difficult as possible to remove,most B&E/car break ins are smash and grab so unless they are carrying a set of bolt cutters you should be good to go.
I have been told that if you have an SUV or truck you keep it as far away from the driving compartment as possible and insided. So an SUV that would be the very back and a truck with no extended cab, that would be behind the seat.
MisterHappy
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If it's in a locked container, location is irrelevant.
The point about the locked container being stolen was to poinnt out that even when you comply with the Mass laws, you can stil be screwed (see the story on the NES homepage about the guy from Lowell, and Comm2A.
When "[you]have been told that...."....it's time to get a legal citation or reference.
I've been told that switchblades are illegal, and that a knife has to be less than four fingers long, and that you can't carry in a bank, and that the FID that was issued in 1984 is still valid because it says, "Indefinite".....
The point about the locked container being stolen was to poinnt out that even when you comply with the Mass laws, you can stil be screwed (see the story on the NES homepage about the guy from Lowell, and Comm2A.
When "[you]have been told that...."....it's time to get a legal citation or reference.
I've been told that switchblades are illegal, and that a knife has to be less than four fingers long, and that you can't carry in a bank, and that the FID that was issued in 1984 is still valid because it says, "Indefinite".....
Exactly. MGL Chapter 140 Section 131c has language about a locked trunk, locked case, or other secure container. It doesn't say anything about the location of that locked case. See: http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section131c
Are you also swimming? If not, why not just take it in with you if you are just watching the class?
scuse my ignorance, but switchblades are illegal in MA, no? Or are they just like all the other knives on that giant list in that they are only illegal if used in a crime?
MisterHappy
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Ownership of a swithcblade, double-edged knife, sword, etc. is legal. Carrying upon one's person, or under one's direct control in a vehicle is unlawful.
You can keep all the cool sharp-pointies in your house, but if you toss one in your pocket and John Law should find it while you're on Main St., that's a bad thing.
One of the charges that the Manchester-by-the-Sea guy was hit with was "posession of a double-edged knife" , but since he was at home, it was dropped (I know, in the grand scheme of things he was hit with, it was a minor thing, but it shows how they charge first, check the law later),
You can keep all the cool sharp-pointies in your house, but if you toss one in your pocket and John Law should find it while you're on Main St., that's a bad thing.
One of the charges that the Manchester-by-the-Sea guy was hit with was "posession of a double-edged knife" , but since he was at home, it was dropped (I know, in the grand scheme of things he was hit with, it was a minor thing, but it shows how they charge first, check the law later),
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It is not uncommon for the police to file charges "from memory", not checking the exact wording of the law to make sure that the charge is actually applicable. I have seen court papers for cases in which the action, as described by the officer filing the complaint, was actually legal. Sometimes it's ignorance, but at other times, it's either intentional; bad training; or intentionally bad training.
