Transporting Firearms: To Plug Or Not?

[Good Ol' Boy]

I always transport my firearms cased and unloaded (obviously) but I also use the chamber plugs. I've always just figured if I was ever stopped and it got to the point where the officer was checking the guns out the plug would give a little peace of mind that at least there wasn't a round in the chamber.

On the other hand I was in one of my LGS's a few weeks back and someone brought in a pistol to try and sell them. Guy behind the counter opens the case, gun is plugged, but he locks the slide back anyway so hard that the plug flew halfway across the store.

Would an officer in a stop do the same? Does it not make any sense to use plugs?

For me if I was safety checking a gun with a plug in it I'd just drop the mag. If I wanted to "check out" the gun beyond that just slowly lock the slide back and remove plug.


So what say ye, and what do YOU do?

 

[Red Wind]

Would an officer in a stop do the same? Does it not make any sense to use plugs?

None whatsoever. In almost 30 years of carrying I've never met a soul who did this. Totally irrelevant.
And I worked with cops everyday for 20 years. Never heard a mention of a "civilian" using plugs!

I always transport my firearms cased and unloaded

Why do you carry cased and unloaded? You are in Virginia. Might as well have them in the trunk.

 

[GBExpat]

Quite frankly, it sounds to me like an excellent solution to a non-existent problem.

 

[Red Wind]

From Handgunlaw.us

10. Any person who may lawfully possess a firearm and is carrying a handgun while in a personal, private
motor vehicle or vessel and such handgun is secured in a container or
compartment in the vehicle or vessel;
For purposes of this subsection, the term "compartment" includes a console, glove compartment, or any other
area within or on the vehicle or vessel that possesses the ability to be closed and the term "secured" means
that a container or compartment be closed but not necessarily locked
.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I'm familiar with VA gun laws Redwind. But if I'm going to the range they have to be cased and unloaded anyway so why would I leave them loaded, much less with a round in the chamber? It's not like they're accessible anyway if they're cased.

Unlike some on here I like LEO's, and I want to give them as much peace of mind during a stop as possible. Guess I'm an oddity.


I get it now, no one uses plugs during transport. Thanks for the info.

 

[Red Wind]

Unlike some on here I like LEO's, and I want to give them as much peace of mind during a stop as possible. Guess I'm an oddity.

That's fine. It's still America. Do what you want and go your own way.

 

[MrGiggles]

Locking the slide/bolt open is a better option IMO. It's an obvious giveaway that the gun isn't loaded.

If a bolt action rifle, remove the bolt.

 

[primalmu]

I recently got into the habit of using chamber flags only because my local range requires the use of them. I don't use them in the off chance I were to get pulled over however.

 

[CapnMac]

Interrogative: Chamber Plug?

I know what chamber flags are, even have a couple.
I have snap-caps in every caliber.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Since you're in VA, your only concern with respect to this is interstate travel, and then only with certain states.

Even so, certain states don't care about your rights, nor the federal law on transporting firearms legally, so it wouldn't matter to them if you carried the guns disassembled, the ammuntion was in unloaded components, and everything was encased in Carbonite.

 

[evan price]

Unlike some on here I like LEO's, and I want to give them as much peace of mind during a stop as possible. Guess I'm an oddity.

In that case leave your guns at home. If you're to the point in a traffic stop the leo us handling your guns it really doesn't matter anymore. Follow the law. Thats all you need to do.

 

[Warp]

I'm familiar with VA gun laws Redwind. But if I'm going to the range they have to be cased and unloaded anyway so why would I leave them loaded, much less with a round in the chamber? It's not like they're accessible anyway if they're cased.

Unlike some on here I like LEO's, and I want to give them as much peace of mind during a stop as possible. Guess I'm an oddity.


I get it now, no one uses plugs during transport. Thanks for the info.

You don't need chamber flags in your guns for this. At least I think you are asking about chamber flags, I don't have a clue what a plug is.

If the gun is unloaded and in a case that is out of your reach it really, truly, completely, totally does not matter if it has a chamber flag or not. Action locked open and/or chamber flag inserted is perfectly fine too if that's what floats your boat. Actually, even if it had a loaded magazine and was within reach, it still doesn't matter if there is a chamber flag or not lol.

 

[cmb3366]

I agree with Evan Price on this one, if a cop is handling your firearms during a traffic stop, things have already gone eight shades of wrong. Growing up in NY with must notify carry permit, and living in VA after college, I've had more than a few official encounters with LEO's while either carrying, or with a car literally full of guns going shooting or hunting. Never have I been asked to see a gun, much less inspect it. Usually they just want to know where my carry piece is on my body. More than once a traffic stop has turned into guns and shooting talk after notifying the officer.

 

[MEHavey]

Unlike some on here I like LEO's, and I want to give them as much peace of mind during a stop as possible.
Guess I'm an oddity...

You're not so odd that I don't totally AGREE with you.

With the rarest of rare exceptions, they are good people doing an
increasingly dangerous and even more increasingly thankless job.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I had no idea this would get so many negative responses. I apologize for the waste of bandwidth.

I haven't been stopped in over a decade but with the mindset of being prepared I thought this a worthwhile topic. Obviously it has been deemed not.


Any mods feel free to close this as I don't see the conversation going anywhere from here.

 

[Red Wind]

GOB, do not be discouraged by this thread. I have probably started more threads and run more polls than anyone on gun forums since 2003.

And some were total,abject failures. You have done well here in a short time with several interesting starters. Don't get down on one episode!

 

[bullseye308]

Personally I used to leave the chamber open in the case when traveling. Since I've gotten my carry permit everything is loaded in accordance with the law.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Personally I like extra layers of safety. Plugging sounds fine and doesn't cost mush to take extra time. I travel a fair bit with my shotgun in the trunk of car and keep it chamber open for similar reasons to what you want to do.

 

[GAF]

If you are comfortable using chamber flags by all means continue to do so.

 

[Tirod]

I drive to the range locked and loaded - with the spare mag in my pocket. It's a matter of being safe but also one of perspective.

If I take other long arms I was taught, and still practice, unloading them and putting them in the back of the vehicle cased. However, I also understand those laws were written in a different age. First, road hunting and poaching were the focus of this control measure, and second, children weren't restrained and clambered over the seats playing in the car. They could get into anything if the parents weren't attentive. That is difficult on a long road trip.

The reality - no disparagement meant - is the cased and unloaded law comes from an "Elmer Fudd" attitude that it was necessary in those days. Now? It's 180 degrees - if you can carry locked and loaded with a CCW. The guns in the back are simply being transported in a safe manner. Cased to protect them from knocks and dings, unloaded to prevent them shifting around and tripping triggers. It can and does happen, so we don't take the chance.

About the last thing considered is a stop when you are already carrying one loaded on a shoulder holster, and your LEO knows its already legal. See how the older law works at cross purposes to the new reality?

It also goes to attitude - I don't see cops as oppressors of local administrations looking to arrest anyone with firearms. But I don't live near New Jersey, either.

Going so far as to remove the bolts or insert flags is something I don't do. Fine control measure for transporting full auto weapons but then again, I flew to Egypt with an M16A2 under my feet for 24 hours and later back again. We were asked not to have any edged weapons but nobody searched us. Removing bolts or inserting flags is something I see as excessive and a measure of control that is imposed by those who have failed to impress shooters to be responsible. Which is why you see it on some ranges. Sorry for them, I won't ever shoot there. I shoot where I carry locked and loaded at all times because I carry locked and loaded at all times I CCW. Nobody says to unload and flag your chamber entering a bank or Federal building, they just say don't come armed at all, right?

You can take this stuff too far, and like the discussion on muzzle discipline, this is another example of overreach.

 

[1KPerDay]

You can take this stuff too far, and like the discussion on muzzle discipline, this is another example of overreach.

Kindly explain.

 

[herrwalther]

I don't see any problem with using chamber plugs or flags to designate an unloaded firearm. Normally I leave the action open on my firearms that are being transported and unloaded in the trunk. A chamber plug is just an added level of assurance in the rare event an officer wants to see what you have. Use them if you have them.