imported post
You don't
have to drive through Maryland, though depending on which part of Pennsylvania you are going, it could be a very long detour. There are routes through West Virginia, which bypass Maryland completely or reduce your time in Maryland to 15 minutes, that are convenient for traveling to western Pennsylvania. Alternatively, for points in central and eastern Pennsylvania, US-522 would take you through Hancock, Maryland. Along US-522 through Hancock, the driving distance between West Virginia and Pennsylvania is 2.2 miles. That would significantly reduce the time you spend disarmed and also reduce your chances of being hassled by Maryland police. PM me if you would like more specific directions for any of the routes that I mentioned, as I've used several different routes to get to destinations in central and western Pennsylvania.
I'm not a lawyer. You should consult an attorney in Maryland if you wish to have proper legal advice pertaining to Maryland. I will provide no guarantee nor warranty for any information or opinions that I provide here.
The Maryland law simply says that, in those circumstances where one may legally transport a handgun without a permit, that each handgun must be unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster. I have not found any requirement in Maryland law that ammunition has to be stored in a locked container. Regarding ammunition, the only requirement is that it is not loaded into the handgun. The allowed circumstances for transporting a handgun without a permit are very specific and the burden of proof of compliance is on you. If your circumstances do not match those listed in the law (see below), your only lawful option is to transport in compliance with the federal law (also see below), which supersedes state and local law when transporting firearms interstate.
You already said you're going to unload it and lock it in a container. The only part that you're missing is that the U.S. law requires the ammunition to be locked as well. The U.S. law does not stipulate that the ammunition must be locked separately. My understanding is that you can have one container and lock both the unloaded firearm(s) and the ammunition inside of it. Multiple containers is optional.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000926---A000-.html
U.S. Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 44
§926A - Interstate Transportation Of Firearms
Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm
if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle:
Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/web_statutes.asp?gcr&4-203
Maryland Criminal Law Article
§4–203.
(a) (1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person may not:
(i) wear, carry, or transport a handgun, whether concealed or open, on or about the person;
(ii) wear, carry, or knowingly transport a handgun, whether concealed or open, in a vehicle traveling on a road or parking lot generally used by the public, highway, waterway, or airway of the State;
<snip>
(b) This section does not prohibit:
<snip>
(3) the carrying of a handgun on the person or in a vehicle while the person is transporting the handgun
to or from the place of legal purchase or sale, or
to or from a bona fide repair shop, or
between bona fide residences of the person, or
between the bona fide residence and place of business of the person, if the business is operated and owned substantially by the person
if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;
(4) the wearing, carrying, or transporting by a person of a handgun used in connection with an
organized military activity, a
target shoot,
formal or informal target practice,
sport shooting event,
hunting, a
Department of Natural Resources-sponsored firearms and hunter safety class,
trapping, or a
dog obedience training class or show, while the person is engaged in, on the way to, or returning from that activity
if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;
<snip>
