Heading to Liverpool from Michigan...can I bring my gun?

I have a Michigan CPL. I'm traveling through Ohio, and PA to pick up my brother who's moving home from Liverpool. He told me, that if I have the gun locked in my trunk unloaded, since I'm only going to be in NY for a few hours, it's allowed by federal law.

But..I called the NY state troopers and they told me that I can't have my firearm no matter what, because I don't have a CPL issued from the state of NY.

Can anyone help me out? Cops don't exactly know the laws most of the time..at least here in Michigan they dont.

I tried checking online but the laws are kinda confusing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rule of thumb for NY - NO. There is no grace period for anyone crossing New York state lines with a firearm. If you do not have a permit to own that firearm issued by New York, then it is illegal. If you cross into that state with a pistol, you have committed a felony. Even crossing that state (PA to VT) with a pistol is a grey area even though you are protected by federal law.

The 1986 federal law titled Firearms Owners' Protection Act* says (in relevant part) that if you are travelling through hostile territory (such as IL, CA, NY, DC)
and
your firearm is unloaded, encased, & out of reach of the passenger compartment (or in a locked case if it can't be out of reach)
and
you don't stop for longer than food, bathroom, gas, etc.
then
you can't be made subject to state or local laws about firearms possession or transport.

Since your destination is a hostile territory (NY), it would seem you cannot legally have your firearm.
The decision about risk of being stopped & searched in NY while you're there (and the LEO being able to break into your locked trunk & the locked safe therein) vs. the risk of attack during the trip to & from remains yours.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_Owners_Protection_Act

PS - don't ask police about laws, unless you're dealing with a subject matter expert.
I'd rely on the information & links on www.handgunlaw.us before a random officer answering the phone. Handgunlaw summarizes each state's laws (as well as some laws about travelling), gives a PDF for each state, and in that PDF they include links to that state's own web-published information so you can read it directly for yourself.