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General Categories => Help! => Topic started by: MissMichella on November 25, 2013, 09:54:02 PM
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Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, or insight into flying with a firearm? I know it has to be locked in a checked piece of luggage, but I'm a little nervous about whether or not it will get stolen. How long does it typically take to go through the process to check a firearm? How about ammo?
Thanks for any expert information, everyone!
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Go to Cabelas or Scheels and buy one of the TSA approved locking pistol cases. I've never had a problem traveling with mine.
You have to claim the weapon upon checkin and put a tag inside your lock box and luggage. Also use a TSA approved lock on the luggage you put the lock box in. When you get where you are going check you luggage immediately when you grab it off the carrousel to make sure your gun is still there. Ammo must be in the original container and can be stored in the same piece of luggage, just not in the lockbox or in the magazines. Last time it took about 5 minutes longer than had I not had my handgun. They are fairly used to doing this now - it's much better than it was 5 years ago when I first started takin one with me.
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The airlines have restrictions on the amount of ammo that can be carried. Last I checked it was something like 11 pounds. Check the individual airlines website for their restrictions as well as TSA.gov
I've done it a few times going to training in Dallas. Don't expect any consistency from the airlines or TSA in what they tell you. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a paper copy of the airline's AND TSA's rules in case they tell you something that is WAY wrong.
On one trip to Dallas, my suitcase traveled with me in the belly of the plane to Denver, but from there we parted ways. The suitcase went to spend the night in California while I took a hard left and went to Dallas. That was a long 14 hours while I waited for my suitcase to show up. Everything was there though.
Unrelated to traveling with a gun, take an overnight bag as a carry on with the basics like a toothbrush and underoos.
Fly
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On The Fly beat me to everything that I was going to say, so this post doesn't exist.
Have a save trip MissMichella. Let us know about your encounters.
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I fly often with handguns........ I use a simple inexpensive hard plastic pistol case like this:
http://www.mygunaccessories.com/guncases/doskocil/handguncases.htm (http://www.mygunaccessories.com/guncases/doskocil/handguncases.htm)
I use TWO TSA padlocks (one for both lock holes on each side of the case)..... ALSO put a TSA padlock on your suitcase.
Ammo must be secured. TSA prefers it to be in the original package. I personally put fully loaded magazines IN magazine pouches inside the same case as the gun.
You are limited to 11# of ammunition total amongst your luggage.
When you go to check your suitcase, just simply tell the clerk that you need to "Declare a firearm". They will have you fill out small tag with your personal contact and flight info, and you will sign it that you understand the rules. The counter attendant will ask that you open the suitcase and often even the gun case, they will put the tag inside, then you secure all the locks and go on your happy way. You do not want anything on the outside of your suitcase indicating there is a gun inside.
Be sure of the laws where you are traveling to, and be aware of any possible hangups on layovers..... (ie. getting stuck in Chicago, etc....) Do not fly into New York, New Jersey, California or DC with a handgun.
Whatever you do, make sure EVERYTHING is in your "checked bag" absolutely no magazines, shell casings, gun parts, etc..... in you carry on luggage.
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Good info here:
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition (http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition)
Also look on the top menu choices of http://handgunlaw.us/ (http://handgunlaw.us/) and click on "travel links" for particular airline policies.
Most major airlines policies line up with the TSA regs..........
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The wait time varies with the time of day and the airport. The longest I've had to deal with TSA was about 30 minutes in Reno NV. They insisted on swabbing the the interior of the case for explosives. ??? Omaha is pretty good. No one got excited when I opened up a case full of evil black AR's and mags. :) A few folks in line asked if I was a LEO. I said, "Nope." :)
I use a good lock. I don't think it has to be a TSA lock. I've never used a TSA lock. YOU have to be the keyholder though. Usually they make you wait around until the case clears the xray unit (depending on the airport.) They have you unlock it if there's a problem of some kind. Otherwise, they cut the lock.
The ATF takes firearms theft on the airlines pretty seriously. Theft does occur but it's rare. Firearms get handled differently. Usually, particularly if I'm flying with long guns, (the cases of which are pretty obvious) the guns don't pop out onto the carousel. They will show up in the oversized baggage area and the nice TSA folk will hand them over once you've produced photo ID. Juneau AK was the best. EVERYBODY had guns. :) Little handgun boxes usually show up with the rest of the luggage. Buy a good case though. Those airline guys are tough on stuff. Mine are aluminum and are badly scarred. (I think they use them for wheel chocks for the aircraft or something.)
Ammo has to be secured in a box. Usually 50 rounds max. If you need more, better to ship it to yourself at the final destination or make arrangements to buy it there.
I still get nervous though. That's a lot of money in those boxes and guns are naturally very attractive to thieves. Thus far though, no problems. I do sigh a deep breath of relief when I see the box though. :)
Have fun on your trip!
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i bought an aluminum pistol case and an aluminum rifle case for my flying needs. i have yet to use them for flying.
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TSA locks are not required.....
But they make your life much easier, as you don't have to stand around and wait for TSA.
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TSA locks are not required.....
But they make your life much easier, as you don't have to stand around and wait for TSA.
I did not know that. I don't mind waiting around I guess. It's not like I have much going on in an airport except waiting around for an announcement of some kind of airline scheduling failure. :)
Thanks for the clarification.
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Good info here:
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition (http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition)
Also look on the top menu choices of http://handgunlaw.us/ (http://handgunlaw.us/) and click on "travel links" for particular airline policies.
Most major airlines policies line up with the TSA regs..........
+1
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Go to Cabelas or order an airline approved case online. Scheels has an anti-gun executive board. Screw them.
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Go to Cabelas or order an airline approved case online. Scheels has an anti-gun executive board. Screw them.
What? Scheels sells guns and ammo (best place for me to get ammo in town, Walmart sucks) how can the be anti-gun?
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What? Scheels sells guns and ammo (best place for me to get ammo in town, Walmart sucks) how can the be anti-gun?
They are a bunch of Fudds, plain and simple. The company lives on 50-60% margin soft goods, not their 18% ammo department, 17% gun shop, 30% optics shop, or their 35% fishing department. In other words, the upstairs (minus the boot department back by the crappers) lives off of the stuff sold downstairs under the big fake tree. The tree is a good metaphor for the companies stance on gun rights by the way. Fake and truncated.
Soft goods carry the store, and most are anti-gun types that kept AR's and similar out of the gun shop. Ever seen an AK at Scheels? A Galil? An UZI? A box of Cor-Bon or Freedom Munitions? How about an RPK? Why not? I have some direct insight into this actually. Their executive board refused to sell Glocks for years because of the "stereotype" around glocks. You know, that rap music and "colored folks like them" and all. They told their salespeople that it was because Glock, as a company, didn't carry enough liability insurance. lol, that was actually the corporate line for years. In 2006 they still refused to carry AR's because they "were used for murder and were not sporting guns" as per their executive board. Screw those bastards. The company is no better than anti-gun Dicks Sporting Goods. THey're stuck in the 50's and no friend to the Second Amendment.
Buy your ammo online, avoid tax, pay less and have it shipped to your door, all the while avoiding sending money to the coffers of some anti-gun fudds in North Dakota.
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They are a bunch of Fudds, plain and simple. The company lives on 50-60% margin soft goods, not their 18% ammo department, 17% gun shop, 30% optics shop, or their 35% fishing department. In other words, the upstairs (minus the boot department back by the crappers) lives off of the stuff sold downstairs under the big fake tree. The tree is a good metaphor for the companies stance on gun rights by the way. Fake and truncated.
Soft goods carry the store, and most are anti-gun types that kept AR's and similar out of the gun shop. Ever seen an AK at Scheels? A Galil? An UZI? A box of Cor-Bon or Freedom Munitions? How about an RPK? Why not? I have some direct insight into this actually. Their executive board refused to sell Glocks for years because of the "stereotype" around glocks. You know, that rap music and "colored folks like them" and all. They told their salespeople that it was because Glock, as a company, didn't carry enough liability insurance. lol, that was actually the corporate line for years. In 2006 they still refused to carry AR's because they "were used for murder and were not sporting guns" as per their executive board. Screw those bastards. The company is no better than anti-gun Dicks Sporting Goods. THey're stuck in the 50's and no friend to the Second Amendment.
Buy your ammo online, avoid tax, pay less and have it shipped to your door, all the while avoiding sending money to the coffers of some anti-gun fudds in North Dakota.
Easy there big shooter, take a deep breath.
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Easy there big shooter, take a deep breath.
I believe you'll find all of that information to be 100% accurate.
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I can get ammo cheaper online, until the shipping is added.
I have not been looking for any of those things so of course I haven't seen them. I wouldn't think of Scheels for soft goods.
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Laufen's post should be taken for a grain of salt. He talks about things that happened 9 YEARS ago. While Sheel's has a diverse inventory, gun owners are not their only customer. I have had nothing but good luck with Sheel's (except for some long service times), but you cannot judge them for ancient history. They sell Glocks, they sell AR-15s, they sell to their customer base. Once again it seems that Laufen is trying to troll a new segment, since he found out his own state requires "bill of sales" for firearms. I am not interested in what someone from Georgia has to say about our local businesses (even if they have national standing.
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Laufen's post should be taken for a grain of salt. He talks about things that happened 9 YEARS ago. While Sheel's has a diverse inventory, gun owners are not their only customer. I have had nothing but good luck with Sheel's (except for some long service times), but you cannot judge them for ancient history. They sell Glocks, they sell AR-15s, they sell to their customer base. Once again it seems that Laufen is trying to troll a new segment, since he found out his own state requires "bill of sales" for firearms. I am not interested in what someone from Georgia has to say about our local businesses (even if they have national standing.
Sorry, but GA does not require bills of sale for firearms, neither does Nebraska. If bills of sale (not bill of sales) are required in GA, I'm a felon hundreds of times over...send the cops right over. I can create a bill of sale for doughnuts in Romania, but that doesn't mean they are required by law. There are only a handful of states that don't allow private sale, and even those don't require a bill of sale, but a 4473 via an FFL.
Are you just looking for someone that will affirm all of your preconceptions?
Ever work at Scheels or even been in one? The name of the store is in 30 ft letters yet you can't spell it correctly.
They have a long history of deceiving gun owners and being anti-gun at the executive board level. They've gone as far as barring firearms being sold in their stores based on looks, and political correctness all the while lying to their employees and customers about it having to do with liability insurance. The company is stuck in the 50's and scared of change. They actually told employees that were hoping to integrate some online sales into their metric that the internet was a fad, lol. Anyway, I'm glad you like them...keep sending them your dollars. I'm sure a portion goes directly to support anti-gun fudd legislation.
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Trolling, Trolling he is happy to be trolling. Notice he has to have the last word and he is always right. Trolling, Trolling, have a happy day. And I won't answer any more of your trolling, since nitpicking is a sign of trolling, not gentlemanly like conversation. If you cannot attack the facts with figures that are not 9 years old, attack the message.
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Trolling, Trolling he is happy to be trolling. Notice he has to have the last word and he is always right. Trolling, Trolling, have a happy day. And I won't answer any more of your trolling, since nitpicking is a sign of trolling, not gentlemanly like conversation. If you cannot attack the facts with figures that are not 9 years old, attack the message.
Yeah, just claim trolling when you hear anything that that hurts your feels.
Enjoy your echo chamber. Also, do the gentlemanly thing an apologize for leading the good people of the forum astray by claiming GA is a "BOS" state.
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Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, or insight into flying with a firearm? I know it has to be locked in a checked piece of luggage, but I'm a little nervous about whether or not it will get stolen. How long does it typically take to go through the process to check a firearm? How about ammo?
Thanks for any expert information, everyone!
Before this thread got highjacked you got some solid advice within 6-10 posts in.....if you haven't already, kindly disregard everything after.
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This was flying out of ATL via Delta...your mileage may vary.
You'll need to show up to the airport a little earlier than normal, 15-25 mins should suffice, it really depends on how many people are in line at the counter.
Note: if you normally check-in online or with an app, don't expect that service to be available if you have told the airline that you'll be checking a firearm. The online / app will direct you to see a counter rep for check-in.
You'll go straight to the the airline's check-in counter (if on Delta, you go to the "special services" counter and tell them you need to declare a firearm).
Next, you'll walk up to the counter, you'll tell them you are declaring a firearm, they'll typically ask you for ID to find your reservation and then ask if it's unloaded, they'll then ask you to sign an "unloaded firearm" declaration. You may be charged an additional fee depending upon the airline, your status, etc...
They may ask you if you have ammunition and how much (they ask this because there are limitations on the total amount of ammo you can ship on a passenger airline) - usually nothing to worry about until you hit 11Lbs or 5Kgs of ammo weight including its case. There are other limitations when travelling internationally.
They'll ask you to then open up your bag / case, show them the firearm, close / lock it up and then place the signed "unloaded firearm declaration" in or on top of the case (depending upon how you have it packaged).
In Delta's case, they will affix your normal checked bag tag and then add another tag that reads "CAGPT - do not place on the baggage carousel belt"
Next, you'll take your bag to the TSA screening area so they can inspect it. The TSA DOES NOT NEED ACCESS to your firearm case at this point, but if your locked firearms case is within a checked bag, that checked bag will need to be opened as they will perform an ETD swab of the contents.
Note: DO NOT LOCK YOUR CHECKED BAG that contains a locked firearm case - Again, TSA must inspect the contents of your checked bag, but they do not inspect the contents of the firearm case!
Once the ETD swab comes back clear, they will send it down the belt and you can head to your gate.
Review time:
A quick review to ensure clarity: You only open your firearm case once (to the ticket counter agent), after that, you lock your firearm case and it stays locked UNLESS, for some odd reason the TSA asks you to unlock it for them.
If your locked firearm case is placed within another bag, you do not lock the outer bag UNTIL TSA has completed their ETD swab.
Once the TSA ETD Swab is completed and your bag is clear, I'd suggest that you ensure the TSA agent locks your outer bag if applicable (they often won't unless you ask).
So with all of that said, here's the official TSA video (but AGAIN, make sure to check your specific airline's policies and procedures).
Some Dos and Dont's:
We'll start with the important parts of the TSA regs for transporting firearms and ammunition.
TSA site: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition
One of the most misunderstood policies is that of locks. Do NOT use TSA approved travel locks (the type that have a TSA key-code to allow TSA access). Contrary to what the guy at Academy or Dick's tells you, you DO NOT USE "TSA Locks" on your firearm case - you use standard padlocks or combo locks that only you retain the keys or combos for.
An excerpt from the TSA website that explains such is as follows:
Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations.
Read your airline's specific instructions for firearms and ammunition packaging instructions - each may vary! They may require ammunition to be separated from the firearm, etc.
Per a contact of mine that deals with TSA and CBP regs on a regular basis, he specifically suggests that you should NOT have ammo loaded in your mags in the same case as your firearm, even though the TSA website states otherwise ... so just take that for what it's worth...
Ammo does need to be packaged / boxed (or loaded in mags, but as mentioned above, tread at your own risk here), it's best to use manufacturer packaging. To date, I've packed 2 20-round boxes of ammo inside my pistol case along with empty mags and a pistol with no issues.
Per the TSA website:
"Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm."
There is no specific requirement to cable-lock your firearm within the locked case (but I do just to be on the safe side).
There is no specific requirement for the type / construction of the firearm case, other than it must be a "hard-sided case"; there is no such thing as "An approved TSA firearm case", per the TSA website: "Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container" - again, check your specific airline's requirements
Note: The TSA video states to "use all available lock tabs" - but you will not find that stated anywhere else on the TSA site....while that should be common sense anyway, I figured I'd mention it anyway...
Airline Policies:
As mentioned earlier, I'll speak to Delta policies at this point; Delta will receive your bag with the firearm at their baggage service area at destination (If arriving in ATL, mine have gone to the "over-sized" belt and remained behind closed doors util requested). Per my research, as of APR 2017, and due to the Ft Lauderdale airport shooting, their policy now is to zip-tie the bag to prevent immediate access. You'll show up to the baggage services area, show ID and they'll release the bag to you.