Trip to CO/Denver

[lazarus]

I have a trip to Denver this spring that I need to make. I plan to stay on long and visit some national parks in the state. I turn 40 a few days after the mandatory part of my trip is over and done with. Wife may or may not be traveling with me and in-laws watching the kids. I plan to camp as this will be late spring and not nearly so cold.

Ideally I'd like to take my DW44 with me to OC while camping and hiking. From what I can read, OC is legal in Colorado and I'd assume in national parks isn't going to raise too many eyebrows hiking and camping. Concealed carry is going to be a no go, because MD doesn't recognize CO's permit and CO doesn't recognize non-resident permits from any states.

So how the heck do I handle that? Especially since I am flying into Denver and from what I can see OC in Denver county is banned.

Would I be okay if I flew in with the revolver in a case, travel from airport to hotel and leave it locked up at the hotel for the couple of days I need to be there, and then transported in rental vehicle headed out to parks I am going to visit, and then just OC hiking and camping there? I do plan to try to get into the nitty gritty of CO transport and carry laws prior to visiting. But if anyone has ideas up front, that would be helpful (especially if it is "don't bother, it isn't going to be doable no matter what contortions you go through). Worse comes to worse, I'll just pickup bear spray. Not ideal. Anything else to be aware of, like carrying loaded in a vehicle is banned or anything like that? I am aware that most states, that aren't named Maryland, are fine with vehicle carry/transport and don't consider that Open or Concealed carrying at all.

 

[lazarus]

Oh, well maybe I answered my own question. It is messy.

Title 18: Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle if its use is for lawful protection of such person or another's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)] Colorado law also allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, when you carry the weapon into your home, business, hotel room, etc. it must be in plain view. Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon. [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6] The Act permits the nationwide carrying of concealed handguns by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers and amends the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 90-618, 82 Stat. 1213) to exempt qualified current and retired law enforcement officers from state and local laws prohibiting the carry of concealed firearms.

The bolded is what I am questioning too. I read that as meaning going into the hotel, it would need to be OC'd. Or does that simply mean you can't be concealed carrying it, but it could be transported in a case?

 

[davsco]

https://handgunlaw.us/states/colorado.pdf

just fyi, not sure if this helps you or not.

that sentence in your title 18 post is some ambiguous crap. are they talking about having it in a holster? i don't think they want you 'carrying' it in your hands. personally if you have it in a case i'd just leave it in the case.

 

[Blaster229]

I'm sure you'll figure it out, but when things seem this complicated and there are doubts, sometimes you just can't carry. Or you can.

I always hated leaving a pistol in the hotel room. The room safes are very very easy to get into. However, agency regs covered us if it got stolen because room safe or safe deposit box.
I would forget about the revolver idea, because that is a whole pistol that gets stolen. I would take a semi. This way you can break it down, leave the slide and barrel hidden in the room and take the frame with you. This way you aren't carrying a pistol and no one can steal a pistol.

 

[lazarus]

I'm sure you'll figure it out, but when things seem this complicated and there are doubts, sometimes you just can't carry. Or you can.

I always hated leaving a pistol in the hotel room. The room safes are very very easy to get into. However, agency regs covered us if it got stolen because room safe or safe deposit box.
I would forget about the revolver idea, because that is a whole pistol that gets stolen. I would take a semi. This way you can break it down, leave the slide and barrel hidden in the room and take the frame with you. This way you aren't carrying a pistol and no one can steal a pistol.

I might consider the G21 with 45 super hard cast.

One other thought I had, though it increases the cost, is I might just rent a car upon arriving and store it in the vehicle for the few days I have to be in Denver. Not sure that is particularly better from a getting stolen standpoint. But if it is in a hotel parking garage the entire time.

I might be able to get work to pay for the rental car or at least the parking. I'll need to figure out where I am staying and what that is going to cost. Unsure if work will pay for the rental and parking for the time I am there (just in Denver. The other stuff would be personal travel). Or maybe just the parking.

CO law seems to make it pretty clear that in a vehicle is fine, even in places like Denver that ban open carry.

 

[trickg]

I'd take a gun that isn't too valuable or sentimental. Years ago my cousin lost a 3rd gen Colt SAA (still an expensive revolver) because he took it into a national park - or something along those lines - because he was in a place where he wasn't allowed to have it.

Do exhaustive research on the laws for what you can and can't do, and then hedge on the side of caution.