Traveling Through Co.

[Bigwheels]

At the end of next month I am moving to Tx from Wa. I need to get my guns down there, & the shortest route is through the SW corner of Co. through Durango S on to Albuquerque. I have an AR-10, & several 20rnd mags & a lot of ammo. It will all be locked in the safe, locked in an enclosed trailer.
My question is should I go that route, or bypass Co. entirely adding several hundred miles, & hours to my trip? # Stupid gun laws!

 

[Maggot]

You should be fine. Not all Coloradans are like High Binder and Foul Mike. Just drive the speed limit.

 

[Cubbetm]

Isn't interstate travel protected as long as you do not stop in CO?

 

[Bigwheels]

I have no intention to stay the night anywhere in Co. but can't rule out a fuel stop.

 

[High Binder]

The law here in CO is that you can't have a 15+ mag that was purchased after July 1, 2013, so if that becomes and issue than you simply say that you purchased that mag/s before that date (it's the DA's job to prove you wrong which is impossible).

Also, you cannot have a loaded rifle in your car in CO. So don't do that and if you really want to be safe you could always ship your mags via UPS to your destination but that's overkill.

In a nut-shell: you'll be just fine passing through/hotel stay/gas/food/etc.. NM is way more gun friendly than CO so you'll only have to be careful for that short drive.

 

[Bigwheels]

Cool. Just wanted to cover all my bases. I'll be hauling everything I can carry, & don't need any more hassles than a truck with camper in the box, pulling a 12' trailer for 2000 miles.

 

[hankpac]

I realize it is the "shortest" route, but you may find Nevada actually faster. depends on where you are leaving from in WA. Sound like you are going I84 to I25.
I am in southern OR in the summer, and go via Winnemuca, to Fernley, to Las Vegas, to Phoenix via Kingman and Wickenburg. It's all fast, and pretty cool desert. 70 mph most of the day,\. If you consider it, I can tell you the major fuel stops.

 

[High Binder]

I realize it is the "shortest" route, but you may find Nevada actually faster. depends on where you are leaving from in WA. Sound like you are going I84 to I25.
I am in southern OR in the summer, and go via Winnemuca, to Fernley, to Las Vegas, to Phoenix via Kingman and Wickenburg. It's all fast, and pretty cool desert. 70 mph most of the day,\. If you consider it, I can tell you the major fuel stops.

I've made the drive from ABQ to Austin a good 30+ times. Some of the mountains you'll drive through going through NM (Sandias) will slow you down pretty good after you pass though ABQ on I40 but once you're through that (figure about 20 mins extra with a trailer) it's smooth sailing. Especially when/if you turn south on 287 (I think its 287) heading towards Roswell you'll be on one of the single nicest stretches of highway ever built/maintained. It's the main road to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP (nuke/toxic waste plant) so the road is flat (see cops for miles ahead), has very few turns, and again is incredibly well maintained until you hit Roswell (It's an autobahn and you can really tear it up (no place for cops to hide) if you weren't pulling a trailer) area but it's still really nice all the way though until you hit I10 in TX and TX roads are awesome too. The flip side is it's a two lane highway from Roswell to I-10 and not much in the way of services so make sure your tires are good and you've got gas. I lost a boat trailer tire on that stretch and it was a nightmare trying to change that tire out hanging halfway into the two lane.

 

[Bigwheels]

Yeah I made the trip down there hauling a trailer load of my buddies stuff in '12. Forest fires all over that year. With my Dodge Cummins the hills don't slow me down but turns will. Got stuck behind a mobile home a few miles out of Roswell. Had to wait my turn to pass. The guy wouldn't use the wide spots to make it easier for us either. This time I'll have my truck camper on, & the trailer behind so it will be a slower trip this time.

 

[WxWatcher]

Fed Regulation Title 18 Part 1 Chapter 44, Subsection 926A: Basically states that as long as what you are transporting is legal to own in your point of origin and your destination, you can pass through areas where those items are prohibited (provided they are locked, unloaded, and not easily accessible). Stopping for food/gas is okay, but things get gray if you spend the night...Was that an intended "destination" and you transported them to someplace prohibited by law, or just a stop to your ultimate destination? But anyway, you should be fine to pass through CO they way you intend, and since you don't plan on spending the night they gray shouldn't come into play either. Safe travels and good luck.

 

[Michael]

I spoke with a couple troop commanders in Co before planning our bike thrip this year.
Was advised that concealed semi pistol with 15+ round mags is ok if you don't have a definitive date on them.
was also "cautioned" that despite the law, things are friendly on the western side of the rockies and not so much on the eastern side.

I would caution you that several municipalities in Colorado are more restrictive on carrying weapons so you should research those areas before riding into them. Denver, Aurora and most of the larger cities do not allow concealed carry (even in vehicles). Once again please enjoy your trip and if you need further information then please let me know.[/

QUOTE]

 

[jhr1986]

off topic, but since your question seems to be answered, to where in Tx are you moving?

 

[Bigwheels]

Midland. Going to be a huge change of climate, but also a huge opportunity to make a career change. One of my best friends offered me a partnership on his mobile drilling rig.
Thanks for all the info. Going to be a long trip running real heavy, & the more peace of mind the better.

 

[Foul Mike]

Goddamn Maggot, casting aspersions my way.
To the OP, most all of Colorado is GTG.
The western slope is very gun friendly as are the plains to the east.
What you have to watch out for is the strip through the middle AKA The Front Range.
That is where lots of people live and vote in our crazy laws. Not all of them but a bunch, enough to get this craziness started.
Almost all of our Sheriffs had a law suit against the crazy laws and don't enforce them.
Good luck on your move, however, please remember that our State is divided and as long as you are to the west or the east of the Front Range you will be just fine coming through here.
Regards, FM

 

[Bigwheels]

Thanks. If I take this route I will be going through the SW corner for about 100 miles only. Last time through I had to traverse through thunder storms with torrential rains, forest fires, etc towing a trailer but without my camper in the bed. This time I will have almost all my worldly possessions with me.