Moving from VA to DC. Firearm storage in VA?

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At some point later this year I might be moving from VA to DC. I have a small collection of firearms, some of which are probably prohibited in DC. Does anyone know anything about keeping your guns stored in a gun friendly state (VA) while residing in a not-so-gun-friendly "state" (DC)?

A this point I'm not so concerned with trying to carry or trying to buy and sell guns, which I realize would become more difficult if I take up DC residency. I'm more focused on just keeping the guns I currently own and being able to access them to go out to the range without breaking any laws. And, frankly, I have no interest in jumping through all the hoops to bring my guns into DC, and some of my guns are probably outright banned in DC due to capacity restrictions, box magazines, etc, despite Heller.

I can't find any facilities in northern VA that specifically provide firearm storage. I'm pondering just getting a regular public storage locker and keeping my firearms there (if their terms allow it and if I'm satisfied with their security).

Anyone have any insights?

Thanks

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Frankel wrote:

I'm pondering just getting a regular public storage locker and keeping my firearms there (if their terms allow it and if I'm satisfied with their security).

Anyone have any insights?

Thanks

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As a guess, I'd say that this is the way to go. Find someplace close to home or the range.

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Frankel wrote:

At some point later this year I might be moving from VA to DC. I have a small collection of firearms, some of which are probably prohibited in DC. Does anyone know anything about keeping your guns stored in a gun friendly state (VA) while residing in a not-so-gun-friendly "state" (DC)?

A this point I'm not so concerned with trying to carry or trying to buy and sell guns, which I realize would become more difficult if I take up DC residency. I'm more focused on just keeping the guns I currently own and being able to access them to go out to the range without breaking any laws. And, frankly, I have no interest in jumping through all the hoops to bring my guns into DC, and some of my guns are probably outright banned in DC due to capacity restrictions, box magazines, etc, despite Heller.

I can't find any facilities in northern VA that specifically provide firearm storage. I'm pondering just getting a regular public storage locker and keeping my firearms there (if their terms allow it and if I'm satisfied with their security).

Anyone have any insights?

Thanks

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There's no law against it that I'm aware of.

Your problem is finding a safe place to keep them. You might consider a storage unit and if you have a gunsafe, keep them in it in the storage unit.

Sorry to hear your leaving the US.

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peter nap wrote:

Sorry to hear your leaving the US.

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If I can avoid it, I will. :banghead:

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I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question. Why on earth would you want to move to DC if you live in Virginia. This I have to hear.

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SouthernBoy wrote:

I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question. Why on earth would you want to move to DC if you live in Virginia. This I have to hear.

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Long story short: Getting married later this year and fiance has a much nicer and bigger house in DC. The odds are much better of me moving to her place than her moving to mine once we are married.

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Frankel wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question. Why on earth would you want to move to DC if you live in Virginia. This I have to hear.

Click to expand...

Long story short: Getting married later this year and fiance has a much nicer and bigger house in DC. The odds are much better of me moving to her place than her moving to mine once we are married.

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Sell them both and buy a bigger house in VA....

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roscoe13 wrote:

Frankel wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question. Why on earth would you want to move to DC if you live in Virginia. This I have to hear.

Click to expand...

Long story short: Getting married later this year and fiance has a much nicer and bigger house in DC. The odds are much better of me moving to her place than her moving to mine once we are married.

Click to expand...

Sell them both and buy a bigger house in VA....

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Agree, you sell a small house in Northern VA and a big houce in DC, you can get a friggin MANSION out by culpeper..and the commute is tolerable! you could get a big farm out by Leesberg and be in DC inside of an hour!

and you can sleep at night knowing your house is safe as you are legally armed.

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vt800c wrote:

roscoe13 wrote:

Frankel wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

I'm sorry, but I have to ask this question. Why on earth would you want to move to DC if you live in Virginia. This I have to hear.

Click to expand...

Long story short: Getting married later this year and fiance has a much nicer and bigger house in DC. The odds are much better of me moving to her place than her moving to mine once we are married.

Click to expand...

Sell them both and buy a bigger house in VA....

Click to expand...

Agree, you sell a small house in Northern VA and a big houce in DC, you can get a friggin MANSION out by culpeper..and the commute is tolerable! you could get a big farm out by Leesberg and be in DC inside of an hour!

and you can sleep at night knowing your house is safe as you are legally armed.

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If you can find a buyer and you're not underwater. What's the market like there?

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I'd worry about climate control in a storage unit. If the guns are all you have to store, maybe a safety deposit box in a nearby (gun-friendly) bank?

Do some research for long-term storage preparation of guns...

TFred

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Frankel wrote:

At some point later this year I might be moving from VA to DC. I have a small collection of firearms, some of which are probably prohibited in DC. Does anyone know anything about keeping your guns stored in a gun friendly state (VA) while residing in a not-so-gun-friendly "state" (DC)?

A this point I'm not so concerned with trying to carry or trying to buy and sell guns, which I realize would become more difficult if I take up DC residency. I'm more focused on just keeping the guns I currently own and being able to access them to go out to the range without breaking any laws. And, frankly, I have no interest in jumping through all the hoops to bring my guns into DC, and some of my guns are probably outright banned in DC due to capacity restrictions, box magazines, etc, despite Heller.

I can't find any facilities in northern VA that specifically provide firearm storage. I'm pondering just getting a regular public storage locker and keeping my firearms there (if their terms allow it and if I'm satisfied with their security).

Anyone have any insights?

Thanks

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I'll be glad to store them for you. I'll even clean them after taking them out to the range for some exercise.

And the closer on the deal is I'll charge no more than half of the rental fee for the smallest storage locker you can find between DC and here.

Please, no accolades, no parades and certainly no thanks are necessary. It's just that I saw someone needed to step up and offer to help.

stay safe.

skidmark

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I gotta say skid you are a true hero

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Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. As I suspected, this is not a common practice and I have a few options to consider.

Regarding the one comment about selling both houses and moving out to VA, if I had my way I'd have a cabin out on enough acreage where I can ride ATV's, shoot my guns, and basically enjoy the outdoors. My fiance is more of a city girl and on top of that her ultimate dream is to move to California. So for the time being I'm okay with a compromise where I can be close enough to a state like VA that lets me enjoy shooting sports without too much hassle.

The DC metro area is just one of those weird places where you have three different jurisdictions that can govern your daily life depending on which bridge you cross. Hell, you have attach or remove a million different devices to/from your car on a single drive depending where you go (radar detectors, cell phone headsets, window tinting, etc.) It can be a total PITA.

Thanks again for the input. You all have been really helpful.

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honestly, if you were to store your guns in a storage facility, i would coat them inside and out with vaseline or cosmaline. Dont be easy on it either.

my buddy had his guns at his moms house while he was away and within 3 months every single one had surface rust and stuff. He oils his guns regularly too....

just sayin!


dont leave us man... if "SHTF:uhoh:" i wouldnt want to be anywhere near DC...

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DJEEPER wrote:

honestly, if you were to store your guns in a storage facility, i would coat them inside and out with vaseline or cosmaline. Dont be easy on it either.

my buddy had his guns at his moms house while he was away and within 3 months every single one had surface rust and stuff. He oils his guns regularly too....

just sayin!


dont leave us man... if "SHTF:uhoh:" i wouldnt want to be anywhere near DC...

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Don't worry, I'm obsessive about maintaining and caring for my firearms. If I had to put them somewhere that wasn't climate controlled and I knew I wouldn't be using them regularly, I'd probably pack them in lithium grease and seal them in vacuum pack storage bags.... Even if I could bring them to DC, my safe can't really fit anywhere except her garage.

As for leaving, at least my finance's house practically sits on the Potomac such that she has a nice view of VA from her living room. If the SHTF, I'll swim across and you guys can pull me out onto the VA shore. I'll never move into downtown DC.

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haha, that sounds good. better pack your water wings!

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Didn't that Silver Eagle place offer a storage and locker system (if you got one of their more pricey memberships) ?

http://www.silvereaglegroup.com/

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Neither she nor her house are worth it.

Execute Plan B.

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First piece of advice: stay here in civilization - the District of Washington is a third-world country; a place without a reliable legal system and thus without law; a place where personal power matters more than anything else; and a place where everyone is treated by the government as an outlaw. Don't go there.

Second: it's perfectly ok to own guns wherever you live - the restrictions are all against possession. And it's perfectly legal to store your guns in Virginia, as long as the person holding them for you is himself eligible to be in possession of the firearms.

Third: don't use lithium grease - metals like molybdenum and lithium cause bad chemical reactions with metal parts on the guns. Ordinary petroleum jelly would work just fine, since all you want is a long-lasting vapor barrier against moisture and oxygen. Btw, all petrochemicals will evaporate over time with exposure to the atmosphere, it's just a question of how long. Put the grease-covered gun in a polyethylene "freezer" bag, and it'll be safe for probably thirty years or so. If you want to be really safe, buy a bunch of paraffin, melt it in a pan, dunk the whole gun to exclude air, then pour the stuff all over the gun encapsulating it entirely in wax. Sort of like Han Soloin carbonite. Or home-made jelly. Same principle.

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user wrote:

If you want to be really safe, buy a bunch of paraffin, melt it in a pan, dunk the whole gun to exclude air, then pour the stuff all over the gun encapsulating it entirely in wax. Sort of like Han Soloin carbonite.

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That does it. My next gun that I plan on putting up for long term storage will be named Han Solo and stored in a block of paraffin wax. I may even put it on display on the coffee table. :lol: