The question that will not die
Can you bring a firearm to a military FamCamp?
This question never dies in military camping groups because people want a single nationwide answer and there isn’t one. Ask this question and you’ll be met with everything from a cheeky “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” to “you can never bring firearms to a FamCamp under any circumstance.” Neither is true, but there is a reliable way to get the right answer before you reach the gate.
The Facebook thread ends at the gate. Published policy starts here.
Neither is true.
This is not legal advice. Weapons rules on federal property change when the commander, the regulation, or the threat condition changes. The published installation policy and Security Forces / DES instructions control. Confirm them before you travel.
The short answer
- The installation writes the rule, not the FamCamp Facebook thread. The camp host may repeat it. Security Forces, DES, or the Provost Marshal enforce it.
- A state carry permit does not travel onto post. Neither does “I have a CCW” or “it’s my RV.” Open carry and concealed carry are commonly prohibited for guests even when storage is allowed.
- “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not a policy. It is folklore. Random inspections happen, especially at commercial or oversized-vehicle gates. Federal property can start before the guard shack.
- On-base vs outside the gate matters, and it is not a free pass. Some camps sit past the ECP. Some sit before it. A few still follow installation weapons rules even when the loop looks like a civilian park.
What actually happens
Full-timers run into five published patterns. The same traveler can hit two of them in one week.
Not allowed on the installation
Some posts prohibit privately owned firearms in lodging and RV parks. There is no armory workaround for a weekend guest. If that is the rule, leave the firearm off the installation or stay somewhere else.
Register, then store locked in the RV
Common on Air Force FamCamps that treat the camper like family housing. You declare, complete registration (often AF Form 1314 and DD Form 2760), and keep the firearm unloaded in a locked container at the site. Carry on your person is still usually unauthorized.
Check it into the armory
You declare it at the gate or visitor center, turn it in to Security Forces / PMO, and pick it up when you leave. Hours matter. Some armories will not hand a weapon back on the spot, and some will not store ammo or cases.
No on-post option
The installation will not store a guest’s firearm and will not allow it in the FamCamp. Off-post lockers or a gun shop hold are a traveler solution, not a substitute for calling first.
Special published exceptions
A few sites tied to marksmanship events publish different procedures. That is still that installation’s written rule. It is not a traveler exception you can assume at the next FamCamp.
Sixty seconds in the listing beats a guess at the ECP.
The 60-second check
- Open the camp in VetCamps. In the details section, open Firearms Policy. Tap the official source URL we’ve cited.
- Call Security Forces, DES, or the Provost Marshal for that installation, not only the camp office. Ask whether you must declare at the gate, register, store in the RV, or check into the armory, and what happens if the armory is closed.
- If they authorize transport on the installation, follow their storage and transport instructions. Unloaded, cased, and out of immediate reach is the usual floor, not a carry license.
- Remember the drive. New York has no CCW reciprocity for most out-of-state permits. Canada has its own declaration rules. Installation policy does not replace state or host-nation law between camps.
Myths that keep this thread alive
- “They never search.” They do. Former Security Forces in these groups say undeclared finds go badly.
- “It is universally banned” or “it is always fine if it is in a safe.” Both are too simple. Read the page for that camp.
- “If the welcome email is silent, don’t ask.” Silence is not permission. Call Security.
More field notes in Guides.