Moving my collection to Texas, suggestions..

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • JHE1956

    Active Member
    Apr 16, 2013
    751
    Annapolis
    I have recently retired and plan to move to Texas sometime next year. Need ideas on moving the collection. It is too large to consider shipping FFL to FFL. The shipping and fees would easily pay for a 1941 Johnon, maybe with K-43 thrown in.

    My original plan was to tow a trailer with them packed in locked crates inside, but my SUV was recently totaled and I am looking for other options before springing for another SUV with a trailer hitch that will be rarely used. My handguns ammo and some carbine length long guns can go in the trunk of my other car when i drive it down ahead of the main move, but my alternative for the long guns (mostly WWI and WWII milsurps) appears to be letting the mover take them. Does anyone have any experience with sending guns in their home move?
     

    slsc98

    Ultimate Member
    May 24, 2012
    6,746
    Escaped MD-stan to WNC Smokies
    I never relinquish control over my collection. Have moved at least twice; there ARE ways “sometime next year” is plenty of time to devise a plan that does NOT involve the movers ...

    Oh yeah, CONGRATULATIONS! :party29:
     

    Jed195

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 19, 2011
    3,901
    MD.
    No experience with such a move but you could drive the crated up collection down in a rented box truck if you were so inclined. I moved my sister and a house full of stuff from Baltimore county to Long Island NY in an 18 foot ryder truck. Other than a few low bridges she wasn't aware of we got there pretty easy...loading and unloading sucked but it's what you do for family. If you're a handyman you can build coffin cases or crates to hold a liftable number of boomsticks and screw them closed or affix locks and stack em and hit the road.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,142
    When I moved twice, all my stuff fit in the trunk of a car and was covered with lots of other stuff on top. Basically buried.

    Never got stopped. One trip was non stop drive, 2nd move was an overnight with car right outside door. Didn’t sleep well, but it worked.

    The only BAD state involved was 2003 MD, but we didn’t stop except for gas and continued. All other states were 2a friendly.

    Id imagine if you rent a uhaul and strap the safes in place you could do it all nicely in one trip and get other stuff. Aside from Maryland, all the other states are 2a friendly. Just gotta make sure things are secure if you stop for the night.
     

    JHE1956

    Active Member
    Apr 16, 2013
    751
    Annapolis
    While the move may be next spring it could be sooner. House is on the market now. And I Need to buy a new vehicle next week. My Mustang is too small to manage wit my disabled wife, her mother, and two large dogs. So I need to decide quickly if trailer towing is a must have criteria in selecting a new car.

    The Texas Hill country is a 3 day car trip.
     

    BigT

    Large Member
    Dec 20, 2011
    285
    Hagerstown area
    minimal experience..

    When my son went on AD after commissioning we had his household goods picked up here and shipped to Cali. Included with that was his personal pistol. Required a bit more paperwork at both ends of the journey, but there was not a hitch. Very specific about serial number etc.. I was concerned about it, but it made it there fine. I don't recall if it was a Cali law or the mover's but they did not ship any ammo with it..

    Good Luck!
     

    Beancounter

    Active Member
    Jul 8, 2012
    145
    Federal law. You may ship what you own from YOURSELF to YOURSELF in another state. Including handguns. Gets expensive. Handguns have to go by Fedex or UPS. You MUST take possession in person.
    You may TRANSPORT (not carry, transport. read and understand federal law) from any place it is legal to own to any place it is legal to own.
    You may send long guns through the USPS from YOURSELF to YOURSELF with the proper paperwork (required by post office). You may send insured. You MUST take possession in person.
    Most is common sense (which isn't all that common). If your firearm is loaded, you aren't "transporting" it, you are "carrying" it.

    If you have a really large amount, look for a specialty bonded shipper of firearms.
     

    1841DNG

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 17, 2016
    1,143
    The Texas Hill country is a 3 day car trip.

    I have been to Texas Hill Country to visit friends and I like it quite a lot. I would like to live there at some point. And I am sure they could use some pro 2A reinforcements. I envy you, congratulations.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,142
    Maybe a 4 door pickup is in order? Or even extended cab, with cap? As long as it suits the mrs situation. It’ll be handy in Texas. You’ll blend in. ;)

    While the move may be next spring it could be sooner. House is on the market now. And I Need to buy a new vehicle next week. My Mustang is too small to manage wit my disabled wife, her mother, and two large dogs. So I need to decide quickly if trailer towing is a must have criteria in selecting a new car.

    The Texas Hill country is a 3 day car trip.
     

    h2u

    Village Idiot
    Jul 8, 2007
    6,693
    South County
    I’ve put much thought to my eventual cross country move. This is what I would do.
    Plan ahead to where you’re going to stop on each of the two nights of the trip. Choose a local hotel in each city. Call the local police dept and ask if you could hire an off-duty officer to park next to your truck in hotel parking lot overnight.
    Pack your collection in a truck and head to freedom :D
     

    Johnthetoolguy

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 4, 2009
    3,345
    Pasadena
    I love Texas. I have a sister in law that lives down there. Every time we go to visit, I don't want to come home. delaware_export is correct. You need a pick up to fit in down there. Im not a Ford guy but a King Ranch would be the coolest thing to drive around down there.
     

    Ammo Jon

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 3, 2008
    20,774
    I might be willing to take a road trip with my SUV if my gas was covered both ways :)

    With my CCW permits you would effectively have an armed guard the entire way down ;)
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Rent a U-Haul, Penske or other box truck and drive them down yourself.

    This. They have car trailers so you can trailer your car if spouse, relative or friend can’t drive your vehicle.

    Going to be cheaper than shipping it and it might reduce the cost of movers some by making whatever truck they need smaller also.

    I personally wouldn’t relinquish control of my collection to anyone I didn’t know well. One thing to ship a gun to myself, another to hand over everything to a moving company.

    Ensure you padlock the back of the truck. Consider if you’ve got some semi innocuous cases for the highest value items and take those in to the hotel room at night. Or get some comfy things to lay on and sleep in the moving truck at rest stops (in the cab). Preferably in a state where you could legally be sleeping with a loaded handgun on you.

    Out of curiosity, why a 3 day trip? I’ve never personally made the trip, but isn’t it only about 1300-1500 miles? I get it’s not a 1 day trip for a single driver, but 60mph average, that’s less than 24hrs of driving. Call it 2 days tops if you are sleeping on the road and not making great time and no backup driver.

    I am probably a lot younger, but I periodically make the 960 mile drive to FL in 13-14hrs and I am often the only driver (because my wife often promises to take the wheel for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and almost always refuses to be woken up/achieve sufficient consciousness. Of the 6 times we’ve done the overnight drive, she has taken a stint behind the wheel twice). Doing it daytime would suck less if starting with a full night’s sleep. Plus being a bit more leisurely with no young kids, easy to stop every 5-6hrs and take a short nap. No real need to stop for 8-10hrs or sleeping in there. Just 1-2hr naps. Tired when you get there, but fine.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    One other consideration, cars can tow things also. It might be low weight capacity, but they make small covered trailers. Uhaul charges (or used to) something like $99 to install a hitch.

    https://www.trailersuperstore.com/small-car-cargo-trailer/

    Chain and lock it to the vehicle and lock the cap. If stopping for the night, especially not sleeping in the vehicle I’d take your stuff in to the room at night.
     

    Ranchero50

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 15, 2012
    5,411
    Hagerstown MD
    I would start collecting boxes now, either ordering them or getting them from local FFL's. One rifle / pistol per box and get them organized.
     

    TexasBob

    Another day in Paradise
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 25, 2012
    2,485
    Space Coast
    Rent a U-Haul, Penske or other box truck and drive them down yourself.
    :thumbsup:

    Made that trip a few dozen times, family was in Central Texas I lived and worked in Maryland, moved to Florida in 2017, straight shot in a 26 ft uhaul in 1 day, 2 days in a 20 ft pulling my car with a two wheel trailer(sucked should have used a full size trailer). Hard to make time in a uhaul they are slow avg 50 at best gas mileage sucks 10 mpg down hill, northern route is hard, southern route is flatter but longer. You need two drivers, worst drive of your life with only 1 driver! :cool:
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,278
    HoCo
    What ever you do, you are going to pay for comfort.
    Driving a box truck all the way to Tx is not going to be comfortable.
    If you don't buy something, rent something that will do the job and be comfortable.
    I used to drive to Louisiana for college and that was a 2 day trip back then. I don't expect you to be hauling AR$ when pulling your collection.
    what ever you pack them in, bring them into hotel room at night.
     

    Sundazes

    My brain hurts
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 13, 2006
    21,287
    Arkham
    If the collection is that large, bringing it into the hotel room will not be feasible. I would say a trailer or pickup with a locking cap and only a rear window. Cover everything up with normal moving boxes and back up to the building so you can't open the back. Rig up some type of alarm. Or sleep in the truck....
    As I read this, I would think about moving any ammo as well.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,916
    Messages
    7,258,496
    Members
    33,348
    Latest member
    Eric_Hehl

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom