Transporting Firearms While Motorcycling/Bicycling/Walking

[Uzi]

So, What's the law on this in NYS? Carrying handguns/pistols/revolvers are self explanatory as they're concealed already. What about everything else? Does one have to LEGALLY use a car/truck to transport their rifles and shotguns? It seems strange that you'd legally have to own any vehicle at all in order to transport a rifle or shotgun, let alone pistols. If such firearms were in cases and locked, how would one get to point A to point B legally without the use of a car/truck? I suppose if you had luggage bags on a motorcycle, you could strip apart a rifle like an ar-15 and lock it in that compartment separate from the other with ammo. I don't get it though, what if you didn't want or didn't have any vehicle, no luggage bags, or what if you only had a bicycle? What do you do when you can only walk? No trunk to lock your firearms in, what is one supposed to do legally?

 

[Mosinitis]

While it is not the law, it's a simple common sense rule. When traveling with firearms in NYS stay under the radar. It is a good rule to follow in most states.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Technically you can walk with them in cases but they would salivate at the mouth to try to arrest you.

 

[Twogunwilly]

Sling over shoulder and start walking, you don't need to conceal long guns.

 

[Bustedknees]

You can't conceal if youre using them

 

[Uzi]

This has gotten me a little confused now to be honest. I don't think it's been talked about very much. What I'm reading is a little conflicting. Let's say I were walking to a friend's house, a range, or a gunsmith/gunstore etc. I can take a long gun in its hard or soft case and carry it on my back or hold it and simply walk it there legally on the sidewalk/side of road or whatever?

If I broke a rifle down to fit, and tossed it inside a backpack, would that be legal to transport as well by these modes of transport? Does the backpack then need to be locked?

Some are saying it can be slung around the back and carried? That seems like a sure fire way to get arrested in NYS for openly carrying long guns. If I can have it stored in a bag or any type of case, that would be the way I'd go.

Has anyone ever done this with a long gun in NYS?

 

[dsdmmat]

You can generally carry a long arm in an unlocked case without any issues (outside of urban areas like NYC, Roc, Syracuse and Buffalo). Even having ammo (as long as the gun is not loaded) wouldn’t be an issue.

In rural areas you are not likely to be messed with by the police just for carrying an unloaded rifle or shotgun sling across your back.

 

[Bigfoot]

I think that different variables may come into play. Like what part of the state it is and what law enforcement agency it is.

I live on a rural back road, in a very red county, So if I was to walk down the road that I live on with a unloaded gun slung on my shoulder I don't "think" that I would have to much trouble with the county deputies.
On the other hand I think that if it was a state trooper or a DEC guy there could be issues.

I could always sling one of my air rifles on my shoulder and walk down the road and see what happens.

This is a good question that Uzi has asked... I think that I will go and read up on the NYS gun laws so I can get totally confused end up with a headache and come up with no concrete answer.

 

[Criticalt]

It depends on where you live.
Here in rural Chautauqua Co many, many hunter can be found walking down roads.
This season alone I have been passed by 2 DEC officers, 1 sheriff and 1 trooper.
Being deer season the 2 DEC guys stopped.
Both were very friendly and did not even ask if the gun was loaded. They just did the "have any luck? Seen any deer?"
One asked me to turn around so he could see my back tag.
Ive also seen many LEOS during Jan, Feb and March while I am walking with a long gun over my shoulder. None have ever stopped, just wave.
Local Amish walk in groups of up to 10 guys down the road with long guns during all hunting seasons.
I would not do this near a city.
However.......
A good friend of mine lives downtown Jamestown NY, which is a city.
Every day during regular hunting season he walks through Jamestown in full hunting gear with his shotgun slung over his shoulder. After 20 years most cops know him but occasionally a cop stops him.
Hes never been detained or stopped, they let him go on his way.
He is walking about 5 miles, from his apartment to the city line where he hunts.
He also does this during squirrel and rabbit season sometimes.
With all of this, I cannot imagine it is illegal.
It is very common around here.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Open carry of long guns is legal in NYS according to Penal Law 265 and 400 since neither of these laws make it flat out illegal unless exempted under certain conditions via license like it pertains to firearms ( pistols and rifles and shotguns with short barrels).

So if it's legal to open carry long guns, why wouldn't it be legal to have them locked in cases and carried on foot?

 

[Saltwater60]

Open carry of long guns is legal in NYS according to Penal Law 265 and 400 since neither of these laws make it flat out illegal unless exempted under certain conditions via license like it pertains to firearms ( pistols and rifles and shotguns with short barrels).

So if it's legal to open carry long guns, why wouldn't it be legal to have them locked in cases and carried on foot?

Correct. My father tells me you can walk down the street with a n unloaded gun. I agree it would likely raise some eye brows, but just walking from your house to a vehicle is no different.

 

[Shadow2]

Westchester requires trigger locks when transporting long guns.

 

[VietnamEraVet]

I queried my local cops on this exact topic a year ago. Figured it might be fun to take my motorcycle to the range near me, so I asked them about it.

The bottom line I got was this: it turned out that there was a guy who lived in the south towns who used to do exactly that. Most of the time he carried a long rifle strapped over his shoulder. Later on he installed a leather rifle holster along his front forks. They had stopped him enough times that they knew who he was, and reportedly now a days he only gets stopped by new officers. They said he always has it unloaded, and keeps his ammo in a saddle bag on the back of his motorcycle.

The cops I talked to about it said that NY law was poorly written in this regard. They knew the guy was only doing it to tweak them, but that there was nothing they could do about it as long as he didn’t point it at anyone, or ride with it loaded.

Of course, being New Yorkistan, YMMV...

 

[Acer-m14]

I queried my local cops on this exact topic a year ago. Figured it might be fun to take my motorcycle to the range near me, so I asked them about it.

The bottom line I got was this: it turned out that there was a guy who lived in the south towns who used to do exactly that. Most of the time he carried a long rifle strapped over his shoulder. Later on he installed a leather rifle holster along his front forks. They had stopped him enough times that they knew who he was, and reportedly now a days he only gets stopped by new officers. They said he always has it unloaded, and keeps his ammo in a saddle bag on the back of his motorcycle.

The cops I talked to about it said that NY law was poorly written in this regard. They knew the guy was only doing it to tweak them, but that there was nothing they could do about it as long as he didn’t point it at anyone, or ride with it loaded.

Of course, being New Yorkistan, YMMV...

same as hoping on your horse with a long gun and trotting to the range or to the store .. FUAC ..

VS

 

[Twogunwilly]

Except it can be loaded on the hay burner.