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My Experience visiting Iowa

scorpioajr

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
1,387
Location
Eagle Mountain, Utah, USA
imported post

The drive from Utah was spectacular. We only hit some mild weather when we were going through Nebraska. As soon as my wife and i got into Iowa, we filled up and took the guns off our hips and put them in the trunk, pulling the breeched rounds and mags to put up front.

I could tell immediately that i was no longer carrying a firearm. Well, duh, right? I was surprised how much I noticed it not being there. We arrived at the hotel and put all of our things in the room. basic things like going down stairs and visiting in the lobby, walking to the corner store for a pack of smokes, driving around getting lost looking for taco bell: all felt odd without my Glock. Just odd, not anxious.

At this point i have only ever missed my firearm.

It was only when my wife and i got separated, me at my family and her at the hotel with a broken fuel pump, did i get anywhere condition red. The car had to be towed to the only shop that would allow a free diagnosis at 6:00pm. I was not going to be able to be there to go with my wife when the car was being towed and she would be riding in the cab.

She gave me the address the tow truck driver gave her and i plotted it in my cousins GPS. It put her in some remote area of Robins. Claims of free after hours help started to make my wifes imagination go wild and then SHE made my brain rattle and spin ...

...for A MOMENT, i thought about having my wife (strongly), who has a Utah CFP, conceal her weapon irregardless of reciprocity laws. Of course I didn't and she didn't and i was able to have the tow truck wait so my cousin could SPEED me back to the hotel so we could follow the truck instead.

OF COURSE everything worked out fine and nobody ever needed a gun. AND everyone was really nice at the mechanics shop. The point was, the anxiety it caused my wife, someone who relies on a gun and no longer could. My wife and I definitely do not plan on going back to Iowa until there are some serious changes in reciprocity laws.

I got to talking to my Uncle about this and he made a comment about there being a new sheriff? he made it sound like he, an Iowa Lynn county resident, would be able to get his CFP more easily than before. Just an fyi.

Thank you.
PS - Iowa has a beautiful landscape! All the rolling farms and OPEN spaces, nice.
 

ethies

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2009
Messages
32
Location
Ottumwa, Iowa, USA
imported post

I know this is kinda old, but I thought I'd mention something for the non-Iowa residents. Iowa law is extremely fuzzy about loaded magazines. Depending on how you read the law you could be in trouble for a loaded mag even if it is not in the gun. There is movement to try and change this law as it is ridiculous, but I know several people who have been hastled by LEOs about loaded mags. Most that I know transport mags empty. Just a word of caution.
 
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