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Next week, I plan to drive my family through New Mexico for five days and one of our stops is White Sands National Park. What do I do with my pistol, as a CHL person, while in the park? Do I declare my firearm at the front gate? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

Carlos

You cannot legally have a loaded firearm in a national park. Firearms must be unloaded and locked or in a case or trunk with the ammunition stored "separately," whatever that means.

The law does not explicitly say you cannot have charged magazines, but I think it would be better not to.

- Jim

Thanks Jim. I will get a lock box for the pistol and keep the magazines outside of the lock box. Thanks.

Carlos

One more question, does a lockable leather briefcase constitute a lock box? Would a briefcase be suitable for pistol storage in a federal park?

Here's a link to 36 C.F.R. 2.4, which prohibits having loaded weapons in National Parks:

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422 ... cfr2.4.pdf

I think the relevant text is

Traps, nets and unloaded weapons may be possessed within a temporary lodging or mechanical mode of conveyance when such implements are rendered temporarily inoperable or are packed, cased or stored in a manner that will prevent their ready use.

It seems to me that any type of trigger lock or case would be sufficient.

- Jim

I just talked to White Sands personel and thet said that I would have to disassemble my pistol and declare it at the front gate. At that time, local law enforcement would come in and decide what to do.

It sounds like they're overdoing it.

- Jim

Unfortunately, I will leave my weapon at home. If there is an issue of my weapon at the front gate and I am wrongfully detained, it doesn't matter to the law officer on the spot. His or her error could result in my having to "explain it to the judge", not to mention a blown spring break trip for the family.

I wonder if the person that you talked to gave you bad information. It sounds like something they would say in illinois or New Jersey.

There should be no problem with carrying weapons that are stored according to the regulations. It certainly is not illegal to have weapons in your car under Arizona state law.

- Jim

My son and I made a similar trip last year. I found a gun dealer that would hold my pistol for the day while we went to both the monument and the missile range. And I am sorry, but I don't remember the name. Getting old is not all its cracked up to be..

Don "Ho"

If you are going through Las Cruces on the way to the monument, give the guys at Custom Cartridge a call. They are pretty good and would probably hold it for you. http://www.customcartridgecompany.com/

And if you haven't gone to Carlsbad caverns that's a nice place to visit also. And of course while you are at White Sands take a run up to Cloudcroft. (and while in the monument watch for the rangers, they run instant on radar all the time).

Larry
Houston