As we continue with our article, we cannot express this advice strongly  enough: If you plan to travel, and choose to do so with a weapon, always, ALWAYS check the laws of your destination, and the laws of various places that may become a pit stop along the way.
 
Air travel is the most common method of long distance transportation and the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) sets the guidelines for what you can travel with and how to pack what you’re allowed to travel with.  Specifically regarding firearms, here are the rules set by the TSA:
(This information may change at any time. Always go directly to the source for the most recent guidelines: https://www.tsa.gov/)

• When traveling, comply with the laws concerning possession of firearms as they vary by local, state and international governments.
• If you are traveling internationally with a firearm in checked baggage, please check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for information and requirements prior to travel.
• Declare each firearm each time you present it for transport as checked baggage. Ask your airline about limitations or fees that may apply.
• Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks.
  
• Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
• Replica firearms, including firearm replicas that are toys, may be transported in checked baggage only.
  
• Rifle scopes are permitted in carry-on and checked baggage.

With ammunition there is a separate set of guidelines:

• Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
• Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
• Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm.

Look at the very first rule: when traveling, comply with the laws concerning possession of firearms as they vary by local, state and international governments.  Abide by these rules, and follow local and state laws and you will be okay.  Check these rules relatively frequently, as sometimes laws may change.

We at SDTG follow the laws and trends related to firearms in the US. We do not provide legal advice or specifics, however we can provide you with a starting point for your research.  Follow this link to set up a Q and A session today!  

 Ref: TSA Firearm Guidelines:  https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

Recently we touched on the importance of checking the laws regulating firearms and weapons BEFORE you travel if it is your intent to arm yourself. 
 
Rules can vary by state, but they can also vary by county, districts and so on.  During our next few posts we’ll try to lay a foundation for best practices.
 
The current climate of the United States has altered in a manner that has made traveling with a weapon less and less of a consistent process. 
 
Your destination, how you plan to travel, and what weapon you plan to traveling with are all factors in determining the legality of bringing the weapon with you, on your vacation, as well as providing possible extenuating factors, if you need to defend yourself. 
 
There have been multiple instances of people being detained at their destination, or even along the way, on the journey, for possession of a weapon that was legal in their resident location.
So at what point can a weapon go from legal to illegal during your travels?  As stated it can be complicated and each step of the way should be researched beforehand.
 
Such was the instance of a man who was detained in New Jersey with an unloaded firearm he had legally checked into his baggage while at Salt Lake City.  His circumstance was unfortunate, he had legally checked his firearm with his baggage, but was stranded in New Jersey. He chose to go to a hotel to wait for the correct flight.  When he voluntarily disclosed to the TSA officer (Transportation Security Administration) that he was checking-in a firearm, the man was detained for “possession of a firearm in New Jersey without a New Jersey license.” 
 
The man was held for 10 days before posting bail. The police dropped the charges a few months later. The man attempted to sue the police for detaining him, by citing  a law that allows licensed gun owners to take their weapons through any state as long as the weapons are unloaded and not readily accessible.  Regardless of that law or the outcome of the suit, it’s plain that the man did not avoid his detention nor the inconvenience that comes with an arrest.

A woman was detained in New Jersey as well,  for traveling with a firearm that was legal and registered in Pennsylvania, her place of residence, but was not legal in New Jersey, where during her travel she was pulled over for a traffic infraction.  Again, she voluntarily disclosed to the officer that she was carrying a firearm in the vehicle, and this led to her arrest.  She was held for 40 days in Atlantic County before posting bail.
 
These examples are not put forth to discourage people from traveling to New Jersey, (even though NJ arguably has the strictest gun control laws in the country). We share this information as evidence that all precautions should be taken, (with carrying weapons)  whenever and where ever your travels may take you.
 
Just because various weapons might be legal in your resident location, does not mean they are legal at your destination, or even along points to your destination, or in the different modes of transportation you may be taking.
 
Travel/vacation season will soon be upon us and some people travel as a matter of lifestyle! If you’d like to discuss some to the ways you can intelligently research the travel guidelines related to firearms and other weapons, connect with us.  We at SDTG follow the laws and trends related to firearms in the US. We do not provide legal advice, however we can provide you with a starting point for your research.  Follow this link to set up a Q and A session today!  

 Ref: TSA Firearm Guidelines:  https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

When it comes to deciding to carry during the winter, one must first answer a series of questions. What body type do you have? Are you slender, or are you stocky? What is your climate? What clothes are you going to be wearing? Finally, do you plan on carrying inside the waistband (IWB) or outside the waistband (OWB)?

Answering the questions will enable you to decide which amongst the Glocks will be best suited for you. The Glock 17 is the largest glock and has a standard 17 round magazine, but is the hardest to conceal due to its size.
 
Those with larger body types will be more easily able to conceal it than those of a more slender frame. The Glock 19 is a solid halfway point between round capacity with 15 rounds, and ease of concealment. Finally, the 43 is the easiest to conceal, but does not offer a large round capacity with only 6 rounds in the standard magazine.

When you consider your climate, you need to determine the amount of clothes you will be wearing when outside. The more bulky and heavy the clothes are, the more easily you can conceal, but the harder the draw might be without significant practice. If you are just going to be wearing a hoodie and jacket, you will have an easier draw stroke but a harder time concealing a large firearm like the Glock 17.

The holster you choose pairs with this as well. Should you choose to carry OWB, be aware that the firearm will be a bulge in a place where one wouldn’t normally be.
 
Practice your draw stroke as well, the author has a full sized 9mm pistol in a level 2 OWB holster that required plenty of dry fire practice to achieve a fluid draw stroke.
 
The level of a holster tells you how many layers of retention it has. Level 1 is friction only, and standard for IWB holsters, an example includes the T-Rex Arms Raptor holster.
 
Level 2 has a thumb snap or button that must be defeated to draw the firearm such as found on the Blackhawk Serpa holsters.
 
Level 3 and higher include all of the above and a button of some sort that one must press in order to draw the firearm, you can find this on a Safariland ALS holster.

Connect with SDTG for the most useful information related to your safety and firearms training. 

Credits: Officer Douglas Preston - SDTG