Best Practices for CCW in the DC area?

[ChrisG]

I expect to move to the DC area next year. I plan to live in VA but will need to commute into DC 2-3 days per week, and make occasional trips into MD. I plan to CCW as much as legally possible, and am looking for advice and "best practices" those of you in the area may have developed to deal with crossing into the more restrictive jurisdictions. How do you handle planned commutes into DC? Do you leave the gun at home, or disarm and secure the gun in a lock box in your vehicle? What about situations where you are carrying in VA and unexpectedly have to cross into DC or MD? How have you altered your approach to CCW do deal with these types of issues? What other important considerations am I missing?

I'm NOT looking for advice on how to illegally carry without getting caught. I understand the various considerations for "NPE's", and respect those who make an informed choice to do so. However, for my personal situation the potential costs outweigh the benefits.

Background information: I come from a .mil combat arms background, but have very limited CCW experience. I am no where near the level of many of the posters here in terms of marksmanship and gunhandling, but I have established a decent baseline (advanced rating at AFHF as a point of reference).

Thanks in advance for your help.

[LittleLebowski]

If you can secure at your work (safe), do that. If you can park at mass transit and secure in a safe in your vehicle in VA, do that; preferably with the weapon disassembled and say, the barrel hidden in another part of the vehicle.

Try to stay out of DC and MD. Instead of going into DC, go out into the country in VA. There's tons of outdoors activities. The Appalachian Trail, kayaking, shooting, you name it.

[ToddG]

Bringing a pistol or ammunition into DC, whether on your body or locked in the trunk, is a crime.

Bringing a pistol into Maryland, whether on your body or locked in the trunk, is a crime unless you are going to some very specific places (home, gun shop, firing range, etc.).

[JConn]

Yeah I was going to say. I just avoid both and if I have to go I don't carry. It leads to weird conversations with friends when they want to go downtown and I have to go home first, but such is the life when carrying in nova. I believe in dc its a felony for the weapon and a felony for each round of ammunition, regardless of whether the weapon is carried or dissasembled and each part and round of ammo locked in a separate safe wrapped in a rug in the trunk of your car. Essentially, don't do it.

[fuse]

Bringing a pistol into Maryland, whether on your body or locked in the trunk, is a crime unless you are going to some very specific places (home, gun shop, firing range, etc.).

This seems misleading. Though I have a VA ccw, it would not be lawful for me to carry a pistol on my person into Maryland for any reason, correct?

[ToddG]

Carrying a concealed weapon without a license is a misdemeanor (first offense) in Maryland, unless the law changed recently. Having it in your car, even unloaded, or having it in a bag or otherwise on/near your person, even if unloaded, is still a crime unless you are transporting the pistol according to specific guidelines between enumerated authorized locations.

[JHC]

Crimony. I thought that DC baloney got struck down by SCOTUS. I haven't followed the details closely since then.

How bad are the knife laws of those places?

[JDM]

Carrying a concealed weapon without a license is a misdemeanor (first offense) in Maryland, unless the law changed recently. Having it in your car, even unloaded, or having it in a bag or otherwise on/near your person, even if unloaded, is still a crime unless you are transporting the pistol according to specific guidelines between enumerated authorized locations.

How hard is it to get a MD CHL?

[Dropkick]

As far as I'm concerned the laws in DC and MD pretty much preclude you from bringing firearms in from VA.

Hopefully I'm not pointing out the obvious when I say that self-defense doesn't begin and end with a gun.

[Chefdog]

How hard is it to get a MD CHL?

If you're leo or .mil, no problem. If you're Joe citizen, ridiculously difficult. Unless, you have documented threats against your life, or deposit large sums of cash as per job requirements, then you can get one. But even under those circumstances they restrict where and when you can lawfully carry. There have been right to carry bills presented for years but they are always defeated in the "free state!" :mad:

[TCinVA]

Crimony. I thought that DC baloney got struck down by SCOTUS.

Heller was about DC's ban on the ownership of a handgun. It overturned the ban...but did not overhaul all of DC's gun laws. It's now possible to get a permit to purchase a firearm as a DC resident. It does nothing, however, to address the laws prohibiting carry or possession by anyone else.



How bad are the knife laws of those places?

While I'm not an expert on DC law, I would imagine the laws on carrying a concealed knife are no friendlier than the laws on carrying a firearm. In general DC, like so many other crime-ridden cesspools, has decided that honest people shouldn't be able to defend themselves. Thus if you don't have to be in DC, I'd avoid it like the plague.

[JConn]

Thus if you don't have to be in DC, I'd avoid it like the plague.

This, a thousand times this.

[JHC]

Worse than I thought for sure. I thought that when the ban on possession was struck down, mere possession such as provided for unloaded and secured in the trunk etc would be possible. That is an outrage.

[MechEng]

Best practice for the DC area would be carry where you legally can and don't carry where you can't. It really depends on where you live in relation to what locations you choose to frequent or where you have to work. Like LittleLebowski said there are plenty of things to do in VA so you don’t have to go in to DC or MD. It’s all about your choices, what risks you feel comfortable making and questions only you can answer based on your daily routine.

Do you drive home and arm yourself before running errands after work or just go unarmed? Would it depend on whether your commute is 5 minutes or 45 minutes to and from work? Are you comfortable locking your handgun in your car, in some kind of lock box, while it’s parked at work? …or at a public parking garage? Some people aren’t comfortable doing that but it will be your only option if you want to be armed most of the time.

What do I do? I live in VA, work on a military base and my commute is about 45 minutes so NO carrying for me until I get home. I get up early, make it to work by 06:00 and get to leave work at 14:45 so I have time to run home, get my handgun and run errands. For those times when I may need to lock up the handgun in my truck, I’ve installed a heavy lock box like this one http://www.consolevault.us/tacoma-diversion-safe.php.
It’s pricy but built like the proverbial “Brick Shithouse” and would take a major effort to break into. The casual “break window and rummage through your car” type thief wouldn’t have the equipment necessary to crack it.

We all long for the day when/if concealed carry reciprocity goes nationwide. I don’t ever see it happening though.

[fuse]

If you're leo or .mil, no problem.

Really? LEO seems likely. But military?

I am active duty military, and if I could get an MD carry permit I would strongly consider moving to Maryland, what with the vastly cheaper home prices.

[Chefdog]

Really? LEO seems likely. But military?

I am active duty military, and if I could get an MD carry permit I would strongly consider moving to Maryland, what with the vastly cheaper home prices.

I could very well be wrong, it's been a while since I read over the pertinent information. And I'd rather have a smaller house in Virginia any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

[fuse]

I could very well be wrong, it's been a while since I read over the pertinent information. And I'd rather have a smaller house in Virginia any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Me too. But I would not care for the epic 2 hour commute to DC vs. 30 minutes via Maryland.

I currently live in Nova, well inside the beltway. My place is small and old.

[ChrisG]

Thanks all for the input. I didn't realize the laws were that restrictive. Somehow I assumed that having lived in California I had experienced the worst of US gun laws. Unfortunately, weekly commutes into DC are unavoidable for me. I guess I'll have to sterilize my truck for ammo lest a stray 22lr rolling around the floorboards turn me into a felon.

[JConn]

Constantly has me a little paranoid...