"Carrying" in Illinois is exhausting

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  • BKahuna

    Plinker
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    Feb 12, 2017
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    INDIANAPOLIS
    I'm in Illinois this week, on business, and decided to bring a firearm with me.
    As I understand it, I can carry my weapon loaded, as long as I'm in my own car.
    Transporting to my motel room requires unloading the weapon, and carrying the firearm and ammo in separately. Then, the same process in reverse to transport back to my car. All this unholstering, holstering, unloading, reloading seems like I'm just asking for something to go wrong (ND). And carrying +1 was a mistake. Now I have an extra round to keep track of every time I unload.

    Tonight, I went for dinner in Indiana, so I carried into the restaurant, and out. When I got back to the hotel I decided not to do the unholster/unload dance, and just carried concealed into the hotel. What am I risking by doing that? If I could lose my LTCH, I probably won't do that any more. It sure felt right, though.

    I carry every day, but I rarely unload, load or unholster my weapon. The weapon stays loaded and holstered for a week or two, until I go to the range, or decide to clean the weapon.

    It's somewhat ironic that I can quite literally see the Indiana border from my hotel room! Just seems like a LOT of trouble to go through just because I'm 200 yards west of my home state.

    Reciprocity seems like such a simple thing. It works for driver's licenses. It should work for LTCH as well.
    I'll be heading home tomorrow, and hopefully won't have to come back for awhile.
    Thanks for listening. Just wanted to vent a bit.
     

    rhino

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    Mar 18, 2008
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    I'm in Illinois this week, on business, and decided to bring a firearm with me.
    As I understand it, I can carry my weapon loaded, as long as I'm in my own car.
    Transporting to my motel room requires unloading the weapon, and carrying the firearm and ammo in separately. Then, the same process in reverse to transport back to my car. All this unholstering, holstering, unloading, reloading seems like I'm just asking for something to go wrong (ND). And carrying +1 was a mistake. Now I have an extra round to keep track of every time I unload.

    Tonight, I went for dinner in Indiana, so I carried into the restaurant, and out. When I got back to the hotel I decided not to do the unholster/unload dance, and just carried concealed into the hotel. What am I risking by doing that? If I could lose my LTCH, I probably won't do that any more. It sure felt right, though.

    I carry every day, but I rarely unload, load or unholster my weapon. The weapon stays loaded and holstered for a week or two, until I go to the range, or decide to clean the weapon.

    It's somewhat ironic that I can quite literally see the Indiana border from my hotel room! Just seems like a LOT of trouble to go through just because I'm 200 yards west of my home state.

    Reciprocity seems like such a simple thing. It works for driver's licenses. It should work for LTCH as well.
    I'll be heading home tomorrow, and hopefully won't have to come back for awhile.
    Thanks for listening. Just wanted to vent a bit.

    Your experience illustrates how stupid laws can be, especially in Illinois. You are 100% correct that carry licenses and permits should be valid in all 50 states and US Territories, exactly the same way driver's licenses and marriages are.
     

    femurphy77

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    Undoubtedly Illinois has been monitoring this conversation and at this time the swat team has already dynamically entered his room and he is being water boarded as I type this!:ar15:
     

    KellyinAvon

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    This is why I avoid the the United States of America. 3 out of 4 Cardinal directions out of Indiana are good enough for now. National Reciprocity!!
     

    Kirk Freeman

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    The term you seek is "Barrier to Entry"=>https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/barrierstoentry.asp

    However, I call it "undue restrictions on a civil right".

    Look at the population of Illinois. Now, look at how many licenses Illinois issues. Now do the same with Indiana.

    There is a reason Illinois set the price so high, the hoops so many and the carry restrictions so numerous. The elasticity of a civil right is shockingly plastic.
     

    shootersix

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    Mar 10, 2009
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    As I understand it.

    those 4 words are the biggest reason I'm against national right to carry!

    how many people will be arrested, tried, convicted be cause of those 4 words! or these 5 words "sorry I didn't know that!"

    now IF (notice I typed it big) there were some commonality of the laws i'd be all for national carry, fyi here in Indiana, we can carry into a bar with no problem, in Illinois, that's a felony! so if you get picked up across the state line, you become a felon in Indiana!

    carry one within 1000 feet of a school, public housing project or courthouse, and its a class 3 felony! (bye bye gun rights!)here in Evansville, its hard to go 1000 feet and not be within a school, public housing project or courthouse. if Evansville were a half an hour west, it might as well be a 47 square mile gun free zone!

    how many people will be arrested because "ignorance of the law is no excuse"

    and that folks is why I'm against national reciprocity (until all states have they same "carry laws")
     

    breakingcontact

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    Reciprocity seems like such a simple thing. It works for driver's licenses. It should work for LTCH as well.

    I don't want the reciprocity of a state which allows carry, like Illinois, forced on another state like Indiana. I don't want their restrictions brought here.

    I know this was a big push last year.

    What would the standard be? Utah? California?

    No thanks.
     

    BKahuna

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    Feb 12, 2017
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    INDIANAPOLIS
    I don't want the reciprocity of a state which allows carry, like Illinois, forced on another state like Indiana. I don't want their restrictions brought here.

    I know this was a big push last year.

    What would the standard be? Utah? California?

    No thanks.
    Much like traffic laws, you would have to obey the laws of the state you're in. Traffic laws aren't identical from state to state. The difference is the stakes. Turn right on red somewhere that doesn't allow it, and you get a ticket. Big deal. Get caught carrying in a bar in a state that doesn't allow it, and you've got a major problem.

    The saying "ignorance of the law is no excuse" would still apply. It would be incumbent on you to learn the laws of the states you travel in. I know it's not perfect, but it's better than the bull**** I just went through this week in order to somewhat exercise a constitutional right.

    If you don't wish to learn the laws of other states, then fine, don't, but I wouldn't recommend carrying in them.

    I'm not asking for another, more stringent standard to be put in place here. I realize we have it pretty damn good in our state, and wouldn't want to mess that up, for any reason!
     

    billybob44

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    Sep 22, 2010
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    I can feel for you Bro--Kind of..

    I'm on a family vacation this week in Michigan..As you, I carry 24/7 in my home town.

    In Michigan the most change is that it is a "Must Inform State". Some differences on carry in other places, but mostly what will not affect me.

    Glad to be North, unlike the West for you...Bill.
     

    Hohn

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    Your experience illustrates how stupid laws can be, especially in Illinois. You are 100% correct that carry licenses and permits should be valid in all 50 states and US Territories, exactly the same way driver's licenses and marriages are.

    Making carry exhaustingly tedious is the point. Make it hard to comply with the law to 1)discourage the exercise of the right and 2) make criminals of otherwise law-abiding people (see pt #1).
     

    fjw2

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    I can relate to your frustration. Within the last two weeks, I have had the the misfortune to require me to travel into enemy territory. You can count yourself among those whom are described as law abiding citizens that carry concealed firearms. We really go above and beyond to know and comply with the laws of the states in which we travel to and from, and sometimes through. To some INGO members, this might sound as preaching to the choir. But my situation is especially frustrating,in that, I was born in Blue Island,Illinois and I go back there sometimes to visit friends and family.
    During daily life in Indiana, my administrative handling of my carry gun is minimal, in the morning and evening. It's almost a ritual. But because I will do what is legally required of me in other states, I end up completing those same tasks over and over.(As previously described by the OP) I will not waiver though. I am committed and dedicated to what I believe.
     

    2A_Tom

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    I can relate to your frustration. Within the last two weeks, I have had the the misfortune to require me to travel into enemy territory. You can count yourself among those whom are described as law abiding citizens that carry concealed firearms. We really go above and beyond to know and comply with the laws of the states in which we travel to and from, and sometimes through. To some INGO members, this might sound as preaching to the choir. But my situation is especially frustrating,in that, I was born in Blue Island,Illinois and I go back there sometimes to visit friends and family.
    During daily life in Indiana, my administrative handling of my carry gun is minimal, in the morning and evening. It's almost a ritual. But because I will do what is legally required of me in other states, I end up completing those same tasks over and over.(As previously described by the OP) I will not waiver though. I am committed and dedicated to what I believe.

    Can Illinois family and friends, not give you permission to carry within their curtilage and home?
     

    04FXSTS

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    Can Illinois family and friends, not give you permission to carry within their curtilage and home?

    Yes they may, so if you can park on their property you need not go through the unload and case thing. However, if you have to park in the street, to be legal you would have to unload and case to carry over the sidewalk. Also an earlier post mentioned carrying the ammo separate from the firearm. This is not necessary, the ammo including loaded mags may be in the same case as the firearm as long as they are not in the mag well. Illinois has never regulated the transportation of ammo just the transportation of firearms. Jim.
     

    2A_Tom

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    That is what I thought. When I stayed in a motel I just unholstered and put it in my bag.
     

    rhino

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    Can Illinois family and friends, not give you permission to carry within their curtilage and home?

    I'm still laughing about the ludicrous requirement for out of state applicants to come from states with similar license/permit laws. If you have to complete the Illinois training and go through the Illinois background check, what the hell difference does it make if your home state has a different set of requirements? Answer: none. Reality: they don't want mere citizens carrying guns.
     

    Lex Concord

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    Much like traffic laws, you would have to obey the laws of the state you're in. Traffic laws aren't identical from state to state. The difference is the stakes. Turn right on red somewhere that doesn't allow it, and you get a ticket. Big deal. Get caught carrying in a bar in a state that doesn't allow it, and you've got a major problem.

    The saying "ignorance of the law is no excuse" would still apply. It would be incumbent on you to learn the laws of the states you travel in. I know it's not perfect, but it's better than the bull**** I just went through this week in order to somewhat exercise a constitutional right.

    If you don't wish to learn the laws of other states, then fine, don't, but I wouldn't recommend carrying in them.

    I'm not asking for another, more stringent standard to be put in place here. I realize we have it pretty damn good in our state, and wouldn't want to mess that up, for any reason!

    +1 for knowing the laws where you travel.

    Also, keep in mind, that unless one is licensed by the state he's in, Title 18 922 q 2 (gun free school zone) restrictions still apply.

    If memory serves, most flavors of national reciprocity I've seen would expand the exemption to all valid licenses (not just those issued by the state where the school is). One more reason it's a step in the right direction.
     

    grogie

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    I don't want the reciprocity of a state which allows carry, like Illinois, forced on another state like Indiana. I don't want their restrictions brought here.
    I know this was a big push last year.

    What would the standard be? Utah? California?

    No thanks.




    I understand where you’re coming from, however Indiana itself has had inconsistencies gun laws. I’d rather be able to carry in those now unfriendly states that I pass through rather then not. Even in friendly states, before I pass through/visit, I educate myself on their basics. Reminds me of one time when I was driving through a then unfriendly state and was assisting a woman at a single car accident in BFE, when a thug pulled up to "check out the situation." I recall thinking about how my gun was unloaded and locked up the trunk… like a good law-abiding citizen.
     

    Thor

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    Just got back from a vacation out east. Got to within miles of MD and turned back south to get home through VA, WV and OH. MD gun laws are even worse than those of IL, without a permit from the Statz Polizei it is illegal to transport a weapon through the state. So while it was only 45 miles to the PA turnpike that was 45 miles of no thanks, not taking the chance. I've been harassed by constables in that little land of tyranny before, they have plate readers at the border that alerts to those with a carry permit at home; it earned me a lot of questions, a search and a 45min drunk test once. It's not worth going to places that think the Bill of Rights is considered a list of things to oppress. I won't give that state a voluntary dime of my money, IL also btw.
     

    Denny347

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    Just got back from a vacation out east. Got to within miles of MD and turned back south to get home through VA, WV and OH. MD gun laws are even worse than those of IL, without a permit from the Statz Polizei it is illegal to transport a weapon through the state. So while it was only 45 miles to the PA turnpike that was 45 miles of no thanks, not taking the chance. I've been harassed by constables in that little land of tyranny before, they have plate readers at the border that alerts to those with a carry permit at home; it earned me a lot of questions, a search and a 45min drunk test once. It's not worth going to places that think the Bill of Rights is considered a list of things to oppress. I won't give that state a voluntary dime of my money, IL also btw.

    But the Antietam Battlefield is something everyone should see once.
     
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