Sir,
What advice could you give for moving one’s store of firearms and ammo a considerable distance in a relocation within the continental Unites States? I am in one of the reasonably free northern New England states and figure that if I can make it through New York state without being stopped I can breathe a relative sigh of relief. Still, I envision a scenario where the vehicle with the supplies is never left unattended. And if I had to make this move alone I would consider doing so in a motor home so that I would only have to stop for gas. Shipping would be legal, but risky just the same, not to mention costly. Your thoughts on this matter would be appreciated. Thank You, – Scott S.
JWR Replies: You are correct that commercial movers cannot be trusted with firearms or ammunition. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can hide them in the bottom of a box that is marked “Packed By Owner” (“PBO”). They will very likely get pilfered. A good friend of mine lost a nice Series-70 Colt Model 1911 pistol that way. The moving company’s response when he tried to file a claim was that they would only reimburse him a pittance at their standard rate for “three pounds of household goods.” Not only is the temptation for theft too great for the individual employees, but companies often have liability restrictions. For example, most moving firms refuse to transport ammunition because they mistakenly consider it a fire hazard.
My advice is to rent a fully-enclosed U-Haul type truck with a roll-up door. Buy a top quality round padlock to secure the rear door. If your drive is lengthy so that you must make an overnight stay, then pick a motel where your room is on the ground floor, and where the truck will be within line-of-sight to your motel room window. The very best situation would be to back the truck in, so that the cargo door is directly outside your motel room, just a few feet from your window. (This, however, is rarely possible if you are driving a big truck.)
You can legally use a common carrier such as UPS or FedEx to ship a gun “from yourself to yourself”, without having to do a transfer through a Federal Firearms license holder. This might be practicable if you need to move just a couple of guns. Or if you are doing a cross-country move and either flying or traveling by train while your household goods are simultaneously shipped via truck, then you can check your firearms with your baggage, in a locking airline-approved case. I recommend Pelican brand and Starlight brand cases that have large locking flanges for padlocks. Make sure that you put padlocks at both ends of the case, so that it cannot be pried open.