Trip with firearm

coastalcop

Active member
The below comments are for TEXAS only (aside from recommendations when stopped, those are pretty universal, having been stopped in most states in the union myself ;)

As others have said, be sure to check each state, at least until your LTC gets here. Couple of quick Texas specific items. One, open carry of handguns in TEXAS is With the LTC ONLY, its not constitutional carry like rifles or shotguns which DO NOT require a LTC.

Travel (ie gun in the car) DOES NOT require a LTC , and the firearm may be loaded, BUT it must be concealed from view (sticking it between the seats and throwing a hand towel over it qualifies). In truth the rifle / shotgun rules for vehicles are more restrictive via parks and wildlife codes to deter road hunting and most cops (myself included) tend to leave the rifle/shotgun questions to the game wardens and just treat them as OK.

On courtesy, in Texas (and most other places on your list) we are accustomed to guns, highly restricted areas are likely to be a bit touchier.

If stopped by the POPO, this is my recommendation (and what I do, Cops get stopped too, we tend to have heavy right feet).

Windows down... all of them (we might be making a passenger approach). Palms up on the steering wheel (shows nothing in hands and both in sight). DONT go fishing around for your wallet on your way to the shoulder (from our view it looks like you are hiding or accessing something, something that might hurt us) , or after you came to a stop (for the same reason) , wait for us to say hello first. You might not need the stuff in the first place (we put you on the curb to tell you your gas cap was off as an example). Be polite as we should be doing the same, and the stop will be over quickly.


Now if you have the heater in the car or on your person (post getting your LTC) ..If your particular heater is within reach of you when you get stopped, my advice is Advise the officer that you are armed and where it is (your drivers license is going to tell us if you have an LTC anyway) . When I worked patrol I always appreciated the update and usually said a variation of what was posted earler "You dont go for yours and I wont go for mine" with a smile.

If your gun is where you need to access TELL us "My gun is in the glovebox where my insurance card is, what do you want me to do?" we will be clear on what we want to happen. In Texas the registration system may tell me you have insurance anyway (its getting better but not anywhere near 100% accuracy yet)

At the end of the day, its another uhh oh tool , like a spare tire or a fire extinguisher , all of which you hope you dont have to use, but really nice to have if you need them.

Lastly, remember that motion is life, you are driving a 3000+ pound bullet or battering ram to get out of a situation. You arent bound by oath to stick around and deal with a problem, and oftentimes driving away (over curbs, through yards if needed) is a viable option.


Travel safely friend !
 

MTVR

Well-known member
The below comments are for TEXAS only (aside from recommendations when stopped, those are pretty universal, having been stopped in most states in the union myself ;)

As others have said, be sure to check each state, at least until your LTC gets here. Couple of quick Texas specific items. One, open carry of handguns in TEXAS is With the LTC ONLY, its not constitutional carry like rifles or shotguns which DO NOT require a LTC.

Travel (ie gun in the car) DOES NOT require a LTC , and the firearm may be loaded, BUT it must be concealed from view (sticking it between the seats and throwing a hand towel over it qualifies). In truth the rifle / shotgun rules for vehicles are more restrictive via parks and wildlife codes to deter road hunting and most cops (myself included) tend to leave the rifle/shotgun questions to the game wardens and just treat them as OK.

On courtesy, in Texas (and most other places on your list) we are accustomed to guns, highly restricted areas are likely to be a bit touchier.

If stopped by the POPO, this is my recommendation (and what I do, Cops get stopped too, we tend to have heavy right feet).

Windows down... all of them (we might be making a passenger approach). Palms up on the steering wheel (shows nothing in hands and both in sight). DONT go fishing around for your wallet on your way to the shoulder (from our view it looks like you are hiding or accessing something, something that might hurt us) , or after you came to a stop (for the same reason) , wait for us to say hello first. You might not need the stuff in the first place (we put you on the curb to tell you your gas cap was off as an example). Be polite as we should be doing the same, and the stop will be over quickly.


Now if you have the heater in the car or on your person (post getting your LTC) ..If your particular heater is within reach of you when you get stopped, my advice is Advise the officer that you are armed and where it is (your drivers license is going to tell us if you have an LTC anyway) . When I worked patrol I always appreciated the update and usually said a variation of what was posted earler "You dont go for yours and I wont go for mine" with a smile.

If your gun is where you need to access TELL us "My gun is in the glovebox where my insurance card is, what do you want me to do?" we will be clear on what we want to happen. In Texas the registration system may tell me you have insurance anyway (its getting better but not anywhere near 100% accuracy yet)

At the end of the day, its another uhh oh tool , like a spare tire or a fire extinguisher , all of which you hope you dont have to use, but really nice to have if you need them.

Lastly, remember that motion is life, you are driving a 3000+ pound bullet or battering ram to get out of a situation. You arent bound by oath to stick around and deal with a problem, and oftentimes driving away (over curbs, through yards if needed) is a viable option.


Travel safely friend !

Excellent post, brother- that saved me a bunch of typing this morning.

BTW, I don't know how many years you have on the job, or how soon you're planning to retire, but I retired recently, and it is wonderful.

Either way, be safe...
 

coastalcop

Active member
Not to highjack the thread, but over two decades. Eligible to retire next year, but still love the job (even with the trends lately) . Im not sure when Im going to pull the pin. Ive probably still got another few years on the teams before age and injury catches up with me to the point that I can no longer do the physical quals. I think that will be a deciding factor, however the more I build travel rigs , the more I think about it ;)
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Not to highjack the thread, but over two decades. Eligible to retire next year, but still love the job (even with the trends lately) . Im not sure when Im going to pull the pin. Ive probably still got another few years on the teams before age and injury catches up with me to the point that I can no longer do the physical quals. I think that will be a deciding factor, however the more I build travel rigs , the more I think about it ;)

Retirement is where its at! 30 years on the job, best job in the world.....I still miss my people, my community, just not the job. Have a solid retirement plan and live it. Make sure to do your pre-retirement medical and get everything done otherwise all those little bumps and bruises now will catch up with you down the road and gets more complicated/expensive.........lots of great life after the badge! Be safe!
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Not to highjack the thread, but over two decades. Eligible to retire next year, but still love the job (even with the trends lately) . Im not sure when Im going to pull the pin. Ive probably still got another few years on the teams before age and injury catches up with me to the point that I can no longer do the physical quals. I think that will be a deciding factor, however the more I build travel rigs , the more I think about it ;)

Sounds like you don't work in Austin, lol.

My wife and I have considered retiring to the Gulf Coast. We visited Corpus (and the surrounding area) years ago. It's too bad the ocean isn't prettier.

The Emerald Coast area in Florida looks interesting too. A buddy of mine from the Porsche club lives in Destin, and he says it's a good place to live.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Yes, best job in the world.

I'm thankful that I survived it, I'm thankful that I don't have to do it anymore, and I'm thankful for my retirement pension and free medical for life.

I do miss "choir practice" at sunrise in the back parking lot with my brothers and sisters, but I guess can just set my alarm clock if I want to... :)
 
Last edited:

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
Sounds like you don't work in Austin, lol.

My wife and I have considered retiring to the Gulf Coast. We visited Corpus (and the surrounding area) years ago. It's too bad the ocean isn't prettier.

The Emerald Coast area in Florida looks interesting too. A buddy of mine from the Porsche club lives in Destin, and he says it's a good place to live.

LOL. We just did this last year looking for a coastal winter place to buy since the Rocky Mountains winters can get a little long. We started in New Orleans (love that town!) and roadtripped along the coast to Florida. Had lunch and dinner with a couple of N/A classmates in Long Beach and Ocean Springs and liked those areas. Also liked Bay St. Louis/Pass Christian. Due to recent storms property values were down but, insurance prices were up......so, you either buy for cash and self insure or pay crazy expensive insurance. Still looking in the south since my wife loves the culture and history. (I like the food!)
 

rgallant

Adventurer
Thank you. I wonder if know if these rules are the same when you are actually going to Canada for a hunt? It might be different when one is just crossing Canada.

No that is a lot more complicated, and varies from province to province.

You will need a hunting license - costs more for non citizens
You may require a guide
And there is considerably more paper work involved
As well we have very different rules as far as in vehicle storage goes - not terrible just different
You have a limited selection of firearms available to hunt with the - AR platform and handguns are not allowed
 

MTVR

Well-known member
Austin.....Did you know Chris Malanka? A former Lt. I think.

No. I just know the old joke about how Austin is not really part of Texas. ;)

And speaking of jokes...and Lieutenants, have you ever heard the one about the three police monkeys?
 

BritKLR

Kapitis Indagatoris
No. I just know the old joke about how Austin is not really part of Texas. ;)

And speaking of jokes...and Lieutenants, have you ever heard the one about the three police monkeys?

No, haven't hear that one. But, was told by several FTO's, Corporals, Sergeants over the years too...."Get it f#$&ing right, a trained monkey could do that!"......Lol...
 

Sating54

New member
While carrying a gun is not a must since you do not have your permit yet, you could still look up firearm laws. And if you get pulled over, full disclosure should be your major strategy. Don't get all buzzed up about it. Tell them ahead and remain respectful of their authority. More often than not, you will be let off easily.
 

MTVR

Well-known member
No, haven't hear that one. But, was told by several FTO's, Corporals, Sergeants over the years too...."Get it f#$&ing right, a trained monkey could do that!"......Lol...

A guy walks into a pet store, and sees three cages with three monkeys, and each monkey is wearing a police uniform. The prices are $500 for the first one, $1,000 for the second one, and $5,000 for the third one.

The guy asks the proprietor what the deal is with the police monkeys. The proprietor starts with the $500 basic patrol officer police monkey, explaining that he shows up for work on time, sober, in a clean uniform, knows all the state statutes, writes excellent reports, has good Gerbil Voodoo, and can qualify with the Glock, Remington 870, and AR. He also will hold over to cover additional shifts if you ask him nicely.

So the guy asks about the $1,000 police monkey. The proprietor explains that this is the Sergeant model police monkey. He can supervise up to five basic patrol monkeys, is a Glock factory-trained armorer, teaches EVOC and Gerbil Voodoo, and can occasionally be found outside of his office.

So the guy asks about the $5,000 police monkey. The proprietor explains that this is the Lieutenant model police monkey. So the guy asks him what the Lieutenant police monkey does, to which the proprietor replies "Well sir, we've never actually seen him do anything."
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,535
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top