Skip, a fellow I know, went gun shopping yesterday and bought a 9mm handgun. He’d always wanted one. A 9mm is the size used by many police officers. Is this a good idea for an RVer?
Shortly after we began full-time RVing, my late husband, Bill, and I bought a sawed-off shotgun from another RVer (an inch longer than needed to be legal) after trying it out while Workamping® at the Grand Tetons. Bill added two clips in the bedroom to hold it secure while we traveled. The shells were hidden behind a drawer. Heading to Alaska to Workamp®, we declared it twice going through Canada (for hunting). The second time, the border official said we should get rid of it. While in Skagway, we gave it to the police department without ever having fired it again in the six years we had it. By now it was rusty. Between two summers in a rainforest in Alaska and the fact it was never cleaned or fired made it useless. Neither of us were gun people.
Is it legal?
Laws vary by state. You can carry a gun without a permit or license in some states. An article, Carrying firearms in your car or RV, summarizes state laws about carrying firearms in a car or RV. Unless you have a permit/license in a state or follow the requirements outlined in the article in others, the firearm must be unloaded and not accessible to anyone in the vehicle.”
The article goes on to state, “... be aware that every state has different laws even when you have a permit/license issued or honored by any state. It is your responsibility to know and obey the laws for each state.” For example, according to Frank Gummersall in an article at RversOnLine.org, “An unloaded hand gun stored in a drawer in the RV with the ammunition, is against the law in California.”
Safe use
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if there are children around your home (or ever in your RV), the safest thing is to not have a gun. However, if you do, your gun must be safely stored. Proper storage of a gun includes keeping the gun in a gun safe, lock box, or a locked cabinet or drawer. The gun should also be stored unloaded with the bullets locked separately. In addition, you can also use a gun lock or trigger lock, plus make sure that your children or grandchildren do not have access to the keys used to lock your guns and bullets.
Then the question is, if your gun is locked up will you have access to it if you need it?
I don’t know Skip feels any safer now. Personally, I’d be more nervous having a gun in my house or rig than not. Would you feel safer?
Do you carry a gun in your RV or tow vehicle? Participate in our poll at RVHometown.com
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