Best Firearm for RV?

[SantaLuz]

I posted a little while back that my family and I are in the final planning stages of taking a sabbattical year and travelling the US in an RV: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1650540/posts

Although I currently don't have a firearm at home I'm thinking about purchasing one to take on the RV. But I have some questions/concerns:

- Is is legal to carry a gun in an RV? What kind of permit would I need to cross state lines? - What would the best weapon be to use in an RV park where a missed shot could easily travel through other RVs in close proximity? Shotgun? - Is it legal to purchase a taser-gun?

I'd appreciate any recommendations.

[SantaLuz]

Thanks for the link. I'll do my homework.

[NCC-1701]

My personal favorite is a Phased Plasma Rifle in a 40 watt range.

[NonValueAdded]

Is there a local International Defensive Pistol Association near you? If not for the trip, then certainly for the long haul. IDPA might have some pointers for you short of membership. Of course kanawa, Man (Freeper kanawa) stabs bear to death, might counsel you to bring a knife instead. Check with kanawa and candor7, pinged to this post.

[tiger-one]

I am a gun guy, former LE etc. An unloaded gun is worthless for self defense. The RV may or may not be considered your home therefore state laws need to researched. Even OC is illegal in some states but if you have it, and use it the penalty is far less than using a gun. There is no license for carrying a hand gun from state to state, and in states like MA it is illegal to carry a HG, rifle or shotgun in your vehicle if you are from another state unless it is disassembled to some degree, is not accessible and you can show you are just passing through.

You need to look at the laws of every state you are going to visit. Good luck

[NonValueAdded]

PS, if the ads are correct, you will need a tactical flashlight for target illumination at night. From American Rifleman, Aug 2006, "A self-defense firearm should always be accompanied by a jury-defense flashlight." Time to learn the Surefire-Rogers technique or something similar.

PPS I also like the suggestion to get a dog. A bark can be as good as racking the ole shotgun to make a burglar think twice about continuing.

[SantaLuz]

It would be great if they had a toy gun that made the sound of a shotgun, and a another toy dog making growling noises. Good speaker system might work for the dog too. This might buy some time anyway...

[righthand man]

remington 870 , at close quarters hard to beet, some places you may have trouble with a hand-gun

[Khurkris]

Twin .50's mounted on a swivel base controlled by video cams at all 4 corners.

That should sort things out nicely...:)

[BARLF]

My husband & I traveled in a motorhome for 15 years. Guns were always on board, stored under our bed, unloaded except for one pistol,always loaded. We were never stopped and searched and never needed to use a gun except when we went bird hunting.

We never camped in the wilderness and always stayed in RV parks so danger of being bothered was almost nil. We considered the motorhome a home. I don't know what the law is on that. My guess is most Rvers have guns aboard.

Good luck and happy camping.

[Clinging Bitterly]

We just got our first trailer this year. We are getting old enough that we were finding it painful sleeping on the ground, plus we wanted to expand our options for enjoying the outdoors (and especially the beach) during the colder & wetter times of the year. We don't get out of Oregon much and here you can pack anything you want. As for the neighboring states I haven't had cause to be too concerned about what's allowed, but I need not test the water in California as I didn't lose a darn thing there.

I like a 870 pump gun at home but our trailer is too small to handle anything but a pistol, so inside I figure some kind of gut gun would be our best bet. Lacking one of those presently, the little 9MM auto is what I keep handy. It slides under the matress easy enough.

Outside I like a bigger bang. But I don't want to deal with extra baggage in my leisure time (indeed, we just go naked when it feels right) so when I do pack outside it's still usually the auto. In the more primitive areas where open carry doesn't make folks nervous, a shiny sidearm is standard jewelry and I'll show some bling with my favorite magnum revolver.

And that's the most I figure I need to keep handy. If there is someplace I wouldn't feel safe without more than that, I don't go there. I'm not real paranoid though, so that doesn't limit me all that much.

[Candor7]

Shotgun?

Definitely. A pump action 12 guage is the most economical, with a selection of ammo for different situations. rifled slugs, 00 buck, and "4 shot" should give you a nice spread. Make sure you buy a pump that will take 3.5 inch magnum shells, and ask about removing the plug so you can increase the magazine capacity. Get a sling for it.

My choice would be a Benelli Nova Pump Tactical with a mag extender kit, so the gun can carry 7 in the magazine and one chambered. You also would need a couple of shot shell belts so you can drape one over your shoulders quickly if needed.

http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/large/novaTacticalSynthetic12Ga.jpg

This shotgun can pump-cycle 8 rounds in 11 seconds and keep accurate fire, which is enough to destroy just about anything that you might encounter.

As far as crossing state lines, you have to look up the NRA summary of state gun laws, very few prohibit shot guns although you must be careful how the are stored while transporting, especially in states like NY, MA or CA.

http://nraila.org/GunLaws/

Good Luck

[litehaus]

You and LAZ went to the same gun-school?