# question of legality



## er6nrider (Jul 12, 2011)

So reading around online my question is, is it legal to carry the items in your bob ie knife, machete, axe...in your car. Also what about military bases if its in your car?


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

It will depend on what state you live in and personelly I would think the base would be happy to tell you what camping equipment they allow on base. Check your state laws.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

As far as I know, if the tools that could also be used as weapons are within _easy_ reach of the driver, then it _could_ be considered illegal. If the tools that could be considered weapons are stashed inside a case of some sort (backpack, duffle-bag, trunk, etc) then there is absolutly nothing that they can say about it.


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

Oh the land of the free with so many laws people don't even know whats legal anymore. I think you need to check with your state laws on the items you mention but I don't think they are illegal unless you use them in a form other that their original purpose. If the Axe was illegal to carry the hardware store would tell you or require a background check. If you are using it to cut wood then I would think it was ok, however if you are using it chop up people then it could be classified as a weapon. 

As for the Military base and what they allow, I have no clue there but I am sure you could ask their general information line. Sounds like one of those thing its better to keep it in your truck and not tell anyone than to ask and raise so many questions and suspicions.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

ive only worked on military bases, in one capacity or another, so the only advice i can offer is to declare everything you have. you might get it past a few times, but eventualy youll get caught, and its not worth the risk, thats federal time. if in doubt call ahead.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

sorry, also call it your camping bag, or your hicking bag, not your bob.... the latter might bring up red flags. active duty personell are trained to see threats where not exist


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## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

On a non federal level, if those items are in your BOB, in your trunk, it will look like camping gear and you should articulate it that way. If all you have in your bag is an axe, a shovel and a machette, then it will raise red flags. And that's only in a situation where you would given consent to search if stopped by a cop. What state? I can get that answer from a police and lawyer stand point, if that's what you are looking for.


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## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

FatTire said:


> sorry, also call it your camping bag, or your hicking bag, not your bob.... the latter might bring up red flags. active duty personell are trained to see threats where not exist


Yep, you are right. Saying you are anvide prepper waitng for the end of the world, then will think you are crazy and may be capable of illegal acts. Of course if you didn't do anything then nothing to be arrested for. That doesn't mean you name and info are not kept in record. (Non federal level).


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## fedorthedog (Apr 14, 2011)

Most of the time the issue with any weapon in a car is where it is. The trunk is the safe place and it is not considered a concealed weapon as it cannot be reached by the driver/passenger. On the same notion is some LEO asks to search your trunk the answer is NO. If they give you the BS about if you have nothing to hide the response is The constitution says I dont have to, or can I go to your house and search your wife's underwear Drawer. Why not if you have nothing to hide?

As to entering a military base, they have the right to refuse you entry, so access is conditional on a search. You consent or you leave.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

er6nrider said:


> So reading around online my question is, is it legal to carry the items in your bob ie knife, machete, axe...in your car. Also what about military bases if its in your car?


Let me tell you a little story. My Daughter was taking a friend home from work. The friend lived on base. My DD had to consent to having her car searched (yes, you have no option to refuse unless you want to be denied access). Well my DD had loaned a BLENDER, one of those Ninja/bullet ones, to my Sister and it was in her trunk. When they search the vehicle, they confiscated the blender because the blades could be unscrewed from the container. They kept it and her drivers license at the guard shack and returned it to her as she left the base.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

mdprepper said:


> Let me tell you a little story. My Daughter was taking a friend home from work. The friend lived on base. My DD had to consent to having her car searched (yes, you have no option to refuse unless you want to be denied access). Well my DD had loaned a BLENDER, one of those Ninja/bullet ones, to my Sister and it was in her trunk. When they search the vehicle, they confiscated the blender because the blades could be unscrewed from the container. They kept it and her drivers license at the guard shack and returned it to her as she left the base.


I got out in 91 and in all the time I served, I saw MP's do some weird, wild and crazy stuff but that definitely takes the cake. At least they gave it back to her when she left.

I wonder what the would they would have done if she had a lawn mower in the trunk?


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

Davarm said:


> At least they gave it back to her when she left.


That was the scary part of the night. The entrance and exit are side by side but with all of the barricades you really can't get from one to the other in your vehicle. DD drops off her friend, goes to leave and has to get her blender and her license back. She pull up and waits (there is no one guarding the exit side). She waited about 10 minutes. Finally she decides to walk over to the entrance side to get her stuff. Spot light shines on her, so she is blinded, she can hear the boots running towards her and they start talking to her over the PA system. "Get back in to your vehicle, do not approach the gates". They come over to her to find out what she is doing. Apparently there had been a shift change and no one told the guys coming on about her and her blender.

She said the only good thing about that night is it was raining so hard, they couldn't tell she peed herself a little imagining the guns and boots headed her way!:ignore:


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

Laws vary regarding the legality of carrying weapons in your vehicle from state to state.

The federal protection under the constitution remains constant if you use it.

Keep your firearm in the glove box or in the trunk.

Never answer probing questions from law enforcement that may incriminate you.

Do not lie. Just refuse to answer questions! This is your right under the Fifth Amendment.

Do not consent to a search of your vehicle. Just because you choose to exercise your constitutional rights, a Law Enforcement officer is not allowed to use that as probable cause to search or to obtain a warrant to search. This is your fourth amendment right.


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

I'm seriously scared of that situation. I'm not even a hardcore prepper. 

Years ago I was pulled over by a cop and he asked if I had any weapons. I answered truthfully; I have a knife, I have a box cutters, and possibly an old survival knife in here. Work tools and a shinny thing I bough on impulse. The horror. Guy put his hand on his gun and kept it there like he expected me to launch myself out of my car and attack him. 

I told him and he wasn't even bothering to ask if he could do a search.

I can just imagine if I got stopped today. 

Me: Hi officer something wrong?
Officer; Hello sir, lisence and registration?
Me; Here.
Officer; Any weapons, firearms, or explosives in the vehicle?
Me; Hell yeah, I got my knife and multitool, I have a couple box cutters in the cup holders, I have a spare knife in my counsel and you don't even want to know about my camping bag. 
Officer: Please sir, tell me.
Me; Oh sorry, I got my hatchet, a spare multitool, my survival knife, the parts for a spear, wire I think could be a good garrot, loads of rope, some bear spray, and oh yeah a mini tool on my key chain. It has a blade too. And the tire iron. 

Officer to dispatch; Shots fired, skip the ambo. Send the coroner.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

Here you go !

► 0:45► 0:45


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## chris88idaho (Apr 30, 2012)

Any firearm should be unloaded preferably locked in the trunk ammo locked in glove box(separate). If a cop pulls you over, you are legally required to tell them you have a fire arm as soon as he approaches. Axe, machete, ect should all be fine. Drove on and off post every day with pack and machete. Taking fire arms on and off post can be a mess. Especially if the mp unit is deployed and national guard is filling in(or worse fed. Contractors). I always just tucked my .45 back behind the dash console never had a problem. Wouldn't try that if you are not active duty and assigned to that post. Also if you are, make sure you register your firearm in that state and make your chain of command aware you have it. If you deploy, request to have your personal weapons locked in the company arms room so they don't walk off on you.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Military posts*



chris88idaho said:


> Any firearm should be unloaded preferably locked in the trunk ammo locked in glove box(separate). If a cop pulls you over, you are legally required to tell them you have a fire arm as soon as he approaches. Axe, machete, ect should all be fine. Drove on and off post every day with pack and machete. Taking fire arms on and off post can be a mess. Especially if the mp unit is deployed and national guard is filling in(or worse fed. Contractors). I always just tucked my .45 back behind the dash console never had a problem. Wouldn't try that if you are not active duty and assigned to that post. Also if you are, make sure you register your firearm in that state and make your chain of command aware you have it. If you deploy, request to have your personal weapons locked in the company arms room so they don't walk off on you.


Military Posts have different rules.

IL and New York City have registration of firearms . Here in KY there is no firearms registration. The U S Goverment does not register firearms either. 
When I was a licensed firearms dealer, I used to have customers ask me about their firearm registeration and they were always suprised to hear that there was no such animal.


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## torquemada (May 6, 2012)

Was at a training base early on in my career well several of my friends and I decided to go on a pig hunt. After the hunt we butchered the pig to get it on base. While butchering we had some beverages. Long story short I ended up with the pig head duck taped and tied to my shoulder. We thought it would be funny the SF on post thought other wise. It was a long night.


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## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

torquemada said:


> Was at a training base early on in my career well several of my friends and I decided to go on a pig hunt. After the hunt we butchered the pig to get it on base. While butchering we had some beverages. Long story short I ended up with the pig head duck taped and tied to my shoulder. We thought it would be funny the SF on post thought other wise. It was a long night.


Oh boy, I just want to know what the pig had to say for himself, being that he got you in trouble and everything.


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## torquemada (May 6, 2012)

pixieduster said:


> Oh boy, I just want to know what the pig had to say for himself, being that he got you in trouble and everything.


Pig was upset with me apparently my shirt clashed with his eye color. I didn't know pigs were so in to fashion.


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## twiggie (Jan 3, 2009)

The general rule for weapons, at least around my area, is that they have to be at least 2 movements away from the driver. Dashbox or boot are perfectly acceptable, presumably the bed of the truck is as well.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*You are not*



chris88idaho said:


> Any firearm should be unloaded preferably locked in the trunk ammo locked in glove box(separate). If a cop pulls you over, you are legally required to tell them you have a fire arm as soon as he approaches. Axe, machete, ect should all be fine. Drove on and off post every day with pack and machete. Taking fire arms on and off post can be a mess. Especially if the mp unit is deployed and national guard is filling in(or worse fed. Contractors). I always just tucked my .45 back behind the dash console never had a problem. Wouldn't try that if you are not active duty and assigned to that post. Also if you are, make sure you register your firearm in that state and make your chain of command aware you have it. If you deploy, request to have your personal weapons locked in the company arms room so they don't walk off on you.


Again, different states and citys have differing laws regarding firearms and their transport in vehicles.

If you have a license to carry a concealed weapon, the regulations regarding that license may require you to disclose to an officer that you are armed but that can only cause you to lose your license.

No state can make or enforce a law that requires you to incriminate your self. This would be a direct violation of your fifth amendment rights as enumerated in the bill of rights under the constitution.

The same applys to your forth amendment rights . Your refusal to volintarly submit to a search of your vehicle is not sufficent probable cause for him to search without permission. The SCOTUS has already ruled on this.

The best way to defend your rights is to know them.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

Just remember the laws are not just different from state to state but here in Maryland they differ from county to county  

Here are a couple of links with information on carrying in different states.

http://handgunlaw.us/

http://opencarry.org/maps.html


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

BillM said:


> Laws vary regarding the legality of carrying weapons in your vehicle from state to state.
> 
> The federal protection under the constitution remains constant if you use it.
> 
> ...


Excellent well stated I would suggest that unless you are in your state of residence and have a concealed weapons permit you keep any firearm unloaded with ammo and weapon i separate location ie gun in the trunk ammo in the glove box.

The exception being military bases. A brother described his service as forfeiting his rights so that we may retain ours. While technically not accurate is absolutely true in the real world and the same applies to anyone entering a military base. As has already been said declare everything. Do not wait to be asked.


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

All I know is that, at the Naval base near here, you cannot carry your firearm on base even if you have a concealed carry permit. 

As I recall, when we were stationed in FL, and lived on base, we had to check our (sole) firearm in to Security, where they locked it in a box and "held" it for us.

What actually happened, is the security guys took it out to the range and shot it a few times. :sssh:

But at least it was their ammo they were wasting, since we checked it in empty (and clean!).


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## er6nrider (Jul 12, 2011)

Lol simple solution me and my buddies came up with was a off base storage unit. The base rules i think nation wide is all firearms checked into the armory and certain "camping supplies" as well


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

You should be okay off base with most items you mentioned as long as they are in the trunk. Military bases are a whole different matter. Since 9/11 everything on a fedaral installation has changed. heck now your in a gray area even carrying a pocket knife if your not military and stationed on that base.


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