Right to carry in Maryland

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twenty711

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I know the odds are against us. But I would really like to have right to carry in Maryland. Maybe we can organize an effort to accomplish this. At the least if we push for this maybe we will be less likely to have more rights taken away.
 
I Travel To Maryland

My wife's family lives on the Eastern Shore around St Michaels and Easton. I would like to take a few pistols with me so my brother in law and I can go shooting when we visit. I've heard Maryland is a tough state as far as guns are concerned. What's the best way to travel through that state with guns and ammo?
 
Glassman....in a nutshell DON'T....you can travel THROUGH the state according to Fed Law but you cannot legally bring any Regulated Firearm (Pistols or SCAW's) into the state unless it is for an organized competition IIRC.

There is NO NR CCW in this state...its virtually impossible to get a Resident CCW without having official documentation of 3 assualts/threats or if you can prove that you regularly carry a lot of cash as part of your job.

You cannot legally transport your handgun anywhere except from Legal Residence to Range or Legal Residence to Gunshop/Smith....if you stop to piss/get coffee you can be charged with a serious misdemeanor.

We continue to work to improve the laws and if you guys want to help out please visit the following:

http://www.marylandshallissue.org/

http://www.mdshooters.com
 
Let Me Get This Straight

I don't want to carry. I just want to be able to go to a range and do some recreational shooting. If I put locks on all the guns and ammo boxes and then lock them in the trunk of my car, am I still breaking the law?? :confused: If so, I guess I'll just have to leave the guns at home and settle for sailing and drinking beer. Oh, what a shame!! :rolleyes:
 
The Democratik Peoples Republik of Nary-a-Land is not gun friendly. Oddly enuff... bordered by two 'open carry' states (VA & PA) but unfortunately still tied by it's umbilical to Washington DC which was retrofitted at the beginning of the War of Northern Aggression. The Nary-a-Land Stattes Polizie carry out their 'orders' w/o question. Pure Socialism in action. Leave your weapons home. They LOVE stoppin' out of state vehicles. I still have friends there... None of them happy.
 
Glassman - Indeed you are. Chances are, unless they have a reason to pull you over anyway there'd be nobody the wiser, but it's not worth it.

Welcome to Maryland, huh?

The Nary-a-Land Stattes Polizie carry out their 'orders' w/o question. Pure Socialism in action.

Not true. Sure, we have some "crusaders" on the police force here, but by no means are they all chomping at the bit to "carry out orders without question". Just like any other area, some are more understanding of the situations that dumb laws put good people in, while some crave the respect of their "authority". The problem, as I see it - is the laws they're given to enforce. THEY'RE the issue.
 
KINGPIN..Thanks for the heads up. I heard that Maryland was hard but that's rediculous. Guess I'll have to settle for sailing and beer when we go to visit. My wife and I were thinking about retirement close to her family but if the gun laws are that harsh, maybe we'll stay right here in Pa.
 
carry

i was working as a jeweler, carrying anywhere from 25k to 75k worth of jewelry everywhere I went. it was a major pain just to get an application to carry, which i was assured would be denied, unless i could prove an ongoing threat to my life. they also said that if i had been robbed or seriously assulted, it would not matter unless i could prove it related to the ongoing threat.
it took months to get an application.
 
26th Edition - State Laws & Ordinances - Firearms

Maryland Code
Title 4 Weapons Crimes
Subtitle 2 Handguns
4-203 Wearing,....or transporting handgun.
(a)Prohibited.
(1)(ii) Wear, carry or knowingly transport a handgun...in a vehicle traveling on a (public road).

(b) Exceptions. This section does not prohibit:
.
(3) The carrying of a handgun on the person or in the vehicle while the person is transporting the handgun...between bona fide residences of the person, ...
(4) The wearing, carrying, or transporting by a person of a handgun used in connection with an organized military activity, a target shoot, formal or informal target practice, a sporting event, .....while the person is engaged in, on the way to, or returning from that activity if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or enclosed holster;

I am not a lawyer, but this looks to me like if you want to bring your pistols and take your BIL to the range for some "informal target practice", and once you cross the Mason-Dixon you go straight away to your Brother-in-laws house, and keep everything unloaded (including the magazines) and go to and from the range with no stops, easy-as-cake! I would not do anything stupid while I was on the road, you know, both hands on the wheel, look straight ahead, use your turn signals, say baaaaaa!
YMMV
 
Glassman - No problem. As far as your retirement - I'm a Maryland native, been here all of my 25 years - and I'll say this - I LOVE my home state. We have some amazing places and people here, and in that respect I am proud as hell to be a Marylander. However, that being said - my fiancee and I will be vacating this state as soon as we're able to, in search of friendlier surroundings. Not just for gunnies, but other aspects of our lives as well. (which, while I don't mind discussing, aren't gun-related in the slightest, heh)


I know certain parts of PA *cough*PHILADELPHIA*cough* aren't the best for gunnies either, but as a whole, life seems better for our type around your way than it does here.
 
I am not a lawyer, but this looks to me like if you want to bring your pistols and take your BIL to the range for some "informal target practice", and once you cross the Mason-Dixon you go straight away to your Brother-in-laws house, and keep everything unloaded (including the magazines) and go to and from the range with no stops, easy-as-cake! I would not do anything stupid while I was on the road, you know, both hands on the wheel, look straight ahead, use your turn signals, say baaaaaa!

That's true, but the problem with that, as stated above by JPK, is that the second he stops for gas, or to take a piss, or to grab a cup of coffee, he's in violation, and could be slapped with some serious charges. That's the problem. He'd have to meet his BIL at the range, since his BIL doesn't have a range on his property, if he's going there first he's still in violation. He'd have to meet his BIL there, shoot, and head straight home with no stops for gas, food, sleep, etc if he wanted to be 100% legal. Stopping at his BIL's house before or after is a violation. Huge hassle, and pretty much not worth it.
 
Only if the BILs house...

..is not considered a "bona fide residence" while he is staying there. I would not volunteer to be the test case, but it would be interesting to know. Seems to me there was a THR get together a few months back to loosen the dirt in your barrels over on the Eastern shore. After the shoot, did everyone scoot for home? Nobody stopped for a sandwich? If I go shoot a 2 day 3-gun in Pax River and I take my AR, my shotti & my CZ and stay in a motel I'm in violation? I think not. Maybe I'm just a desperado at heart!
 
Likewise...

No where in the code does it mention "non-stop" or "without stopping" or "directly between", or any of the other nonsense that is taken for gospel. I believe that the intent of this statute is to encourage folks to not throw the favorite S&W .38 & a box of shells in a gym bag in the back and leave it there. I would find it hard to believe that I would get convicted under this rule because I stopped to fill my gas tank, shake the dew off the lily and get a cuppa' joe.
YMMV
 
Jrhines - I'm not disagreeing with you, but the facts are that the law is written as it is, and we're not exactly in a gun-friendly state. While it may come down to individual cases and officers "discretion", I think that the potential legal trouble is worth the caution.
 
I know certain parts of PA *cough*PHILADELPHIA*cough* aren't the best for gunnies either, but as a whole, life seems better for our type around your way than it does here.

I live in the suburbs about 13 miles southwest of Philly. I asked a Philly cop about concealed carry in the city and he said that as long as you have a valid permit, he would 'recommend it'.
While the big cities like Philly and P'burg have their problems, there are a lot of places that are quiet and peaceful and great places to live. Lots of ranges and good hunting and fishing as well. If you're ever coming up this way, send me an instant message. Maybe meet up for an afternoon at the range.
 
Glassman - I'll do that. Admittedly I rarely stray far from home base, but if I ever get the urge to take a road-trip I'll keep ya in mind.

Never been hunting before, I've always wanted to go sometime though. I'm not big on the idea of "sport' hunting, but I've had venison and it's damn tasty, heh.
 
KP008 - and I am not disagreeing with you...

and full caution is shurly in order...but my point is that many people tend to read in to the law a lot of draconian features that are simply not there. The facts are that I have quoted the law almost verbatim where it pertains to the transporting of a handgun on a public road in Maryland. The assumption that there are restrictions beyond what is written is just not warranted. How many prosecutions have there been in Maryland for illegal transport of a handgun under the conditions we are discussing, someone stopping for gas on the way to a match, etc.. I don't know of any, maybe because everyone in Md is scared to death (or at least 3 yrs in the slammer) of doing it. I agree that we are in a gun unfriendly state, but we still do have a very big shooting community here and I would be cautious about the JBT tales we tell to folks coming to our state. They are not waiting at the border saying "Papers, get out of the car!", at least not yet. FYI, my wife and I are purchasing a home in VA shortly...
 
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I wonder if I can conceal my Mosin-Nagant..?
Hehehe...
But yeah, Maryland sucks. We're pretty fascist down here. My grandparent's complain about the Democratic Republic of Virginia, but they don't know how good they've got it. At least they can carry knives with more than 2" blades...
(No kidding, I've almost gotten in trouble for it. Well, I did, once, in school, but that doesn't really count.)
They won't even let us hunt with rifles. We have to use shotguns! It's actually become quite an art down here. I mean, I can understand not being able to use them in residential areas, but where I live (Southern Maryland, the lower boonies), there aren't many big residential areas, so that point is effectively moot and up to the responsibility of the gunman.
 
I love Maryland! Pretty state, interesting people (friendly, on average), many interesting places, pleasant if tiny stretch of shoreline, great seafood, etc. Plenty of history to steep in.

However, I moved out of the state at 18 to go to school, and have ended up many places in the intervening years, including one short stretch back at home, telecommuting from there. No desire to move back to Maryland's high taxes, expensive real estate, and awful gun laws; if they went to a system of sales-tax-only and rational gun rules, I'd be pretty happy to live there again. As for now, it's a good place to visit, so long as you *don't* want a gun along.

timothy
 
I cant wait until I leave this state. 3 more years and then Im going west, maybe midwest or New Hampshire. High crime, High taxes, No gun rights, High cost of living, low average wages in my industry, Toll's on commonly used routes all around Baltimore, Traffic is always within top 5 worst places in the nation on Baltimore Washington corridor every year, did I mention the pollution? I only like it when Im boating . Yeah the people are very nice but they have forgotten freedom. Im no longer concerned about changing MD. It wont happen, its too much like a communist state. The best thing to do is get out when I can and go to a free state. Im counting down the years.
 
Glockophilic - Not to sound rude, but that sort of attitude is one of the reasons those of us in anti-gun states fight so hard. We haven't given up, we won't give up, and we don't WANT to give up.

I've heard the words "just move out of state" so many times, in response to the situation in MD, and it makes me a little angry. If it was that easy, don't ya'll think we would? Not everyone has the luxury of just "packing up and getting outta dodge". Some of us have careers, families, school, etc and CAN'T leave. And even if it were, do you think that by giving up the fight in one place, it won't be able to follow you anywhere else you might go? States like Maryland, Massachussetts, Cali & New York are testing grounds for the anti's. If they can get them to work there, they know they have their foot in the door, as it were, for national laws.

I'm sorry to sound like I'm aiming this all at you, the best I can say is that I am not. I can assure you - not all of us have "forgotten freedom". In fact, there are still some of us who try to do what we can to PRESERVE what freedoms we have left in this state. If you're not concerned enough to keep trying for change, then you're right - it definetly won't happen.
 
(b) Exceptions. This section does not prohibit:
.
(3) The carrying of a handgun on the person or in the vehicle while the person is transporting the handgun...between bona fide residences of the person, ...
(4) The wearing, carrying, or transporting by a person of a handgun used in connection with an organized military activity, a target shoot, formal or informal target practice, a sporting event, .....while the person is engaged in, on the way to, or returning from that activity if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or enclosed holster;

Thanks JRHINES for the post. It does make me think I'd be ok going to his 'bona fide residence' and then being able to do some 'informal target practice'. I think I'll call the state police before hitting the road just to be sure.
 
One reason I care about Maryland: my brother lives there, has bought a house. He lives there because his young daughter lives there, and he managed to find and buy a nice little townhouse less than two miles from his daughter's home (long story!); he works several jobs to stay alive and solvent, and his wife has a local job, too. For tax and gun sanity, I wish they lived elsewhere, but I still have a sentimental attachment to Maryland (which historically was a very pro-liberty state), and both jobs and people are very sticky factors.

So while *I* have already had the luxury of deciding not to live there, my brother doesn't have that as an overall acceptable option at the moment. So I'm interested in better laws there both for his sake and mine (when I visit).

timothy
 
To answer the original post...

There is a very active organization committed to "shall issue" carry in Maryland; it's called "Maryland Shall Issue" http://www.marylandshallissue.org/
They're a great bunch of guys and you'd do well to get connected with them.

Yours for the Second Amendment,

Jeff Knox
The Firearms Coalition
 
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