Driving cross-country next month (WY → TN for a wedding) and putting together a winter truck gun setup for a first time. Thinking a 10.5" pistol-configured AR-15 with a 20-round mag, locked in a Pelican case behind the driver's seat, chamber empty. What am I missing?
Your legal framework: know your route. Pistol-AR is legal in every state you'll transit WY → TN, but it's worth confirming state-by-state transport rules specifically for "pistol" classification (some states treat short-barreled firearms differently even when federally classified as pistols).
Specific route items: WY, NE, KS, MO, IL (you may or may not be going through), KY, TN. IL is the state to research carefully if your route touches it — strict on transport rules, worth avoiding if possible.
Practical setup: Pelican locked in the case, ammunition separate but accessible-by-you, registration/permits in the case, a printed-out FOPA Safe Passage reference in the case as well. Not because it's necessary, but because having it accessible during a traffic stop removes a variable.
Cold-weather addition: have a range-bag-sized winter survival kit in the vehicle independent of the truck gun. The gun is for a specific emergency. A blanket, water, and food are for the more likely emergency of being stuck on I-80 in a whiteout.