[saltydog452]

This may not be the right place for this thread, but I don't know where else it would fit. If a Moderator feels that the post isn't where it should be, please feel free to move it.

I've visited various Office Depot type stores, and the Samsonite web site, but haven't had any success in location a TSA approved, and keyed for the TSA lock, hard briefcase. It would need to be the approximate size of a standard briefcase.

Thanks,

salty.

[Aguila Blanca]

TSA approves gun cases?

And what's this about "keyed for the TSA lock"? There is no such thing as a "TSA lock." In fact, the regulations prohibit the owner of a firearm in a case from surrendering the key or the combination to anyone. If the TSA wants to see inside your case, they must ask you to open it. Demanding that you give them the key or combo is a violation of their own rules.

[Cesiumsponge]

There are plenty of "TSA approved" advertised combo/key locks on the market everywhere for applications on luggage/cases. I actually had to shop around to find locks that were NOT stamped with TSA approval on the packaging and eventually got a pair of Pelican locks that weren't TSA-whored. My guess is the TSA has master combinations/keys to open these up.

[TexasRifleman]

Aguila Blanca is exactly right (and welcome to THR Aguila).

If you're shopping for a gun case you don't want one the TSA can open.

That would put both you and them in violation of the rules.

And if you want a standard sized briefcase why would you want to check it?

I suspect these 2 things are why you haven't been able to locate what you want.

[Jim K]

If I am checking a gun case, I don't care if TSA can open it; I just don't want the minimum wage, off the street baggage smashers opening it. That means a metal case that won't yield to a utility knife, the favorite tool of baggage thieves. They don't worry about locks, they just cut the bag open.

Beyond that, any reasonably good lock should do fine.

FWIW, I have often checked my briefcase. On a long flight, especially with several connections, the less I have to lug through airports, the better. I usually just stuck a water bottle in one pocket, and a paper back book in the other, and I am good to go. (Now I can't even carry the water bottle!)

Jim

[Tory]

The OP said NOTHING about a "gun case." He expressly inquired about a BRIEFCASE with a TSA lock; i.e., one that he can lock to keep the non-TSA thieves out, but which TSA can open, meeting its requirements.

If I am checking a gun case, I don't care if TSA can open it;

Then you not only failed to grasp the OP's point, you fail to comprehend the TSA regulations regarding guns in checked luggage. Thanks for that input.....:rolleyes:

[saltydog452]

Thanks for the replys.

Since I am sailing into unknown waters here, please forgive me if I ask dumb, and really dumb questions.

Texas Sig Guy, I appreciate your considered and thoughtful response. It was rec'd in the same spirit that it was sent.

I seem to remember reading elsewhere in the archives about a hard, std size briefcase that the guy who posted the comment said that he left the briefcase 'unlocked' and that the TSA guys would lock it after they had inspected the case and contents.

Even checked baggage is subject to inspection prior to boarding. The last time I flew, we checked our baggage at curbside, waited around a bit, and immediately prior to boarding, we were notified by the nice lady at the boarding gate that TSA and Airport Security wanted to have a chat with us.

In short, the checked baggage went on the proper aircraft, but, as my bride and I had by now missed the flight, we caught a later flight. This is one occasion where the bags got there before the owners.

I wasn't daydreaming all this stuff.

By the same token, I have never tried to travel with a firearm so I do not know what std operating procedures are. I 'spect they might be different at different airports. I dunno.

Now, bring back the archival post where the poster stated that he left his case 'un-locked' so that the case could be inspected, and that the 'inspectors' would lock the case afterwards. Samsonite offers a hard shell 'carry-on' piece of luggage that has the TSA lock, and the TSA folks have, apparently, something kinda/sorta like a 'master' key for that lock.

Is that available, or even appropriate, or legal? I don't know...That's why I am asking for your experiences.

I know that hard shell carry-on sized luggage in available with the TSA lock, but what about the briefcase sized cases?

Thanks,

salty.

[CraigJS]

Would something like this work for you? I have one and while not quite briefcase sized, its very secure and high quality.
http://www.starlightcases.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=starlight&Product_Code=061016

This one may work better for you it's a Pelican case, again high quality and called a lap top comp case..
http://www.pelican-case.com/1490.html
Be Safe

[acdodd]

If the TSA wants in your luggage they will open it or it will not go on the plane.
Guns need to be declared and the proper paperwork done.
If not they WILL find it and then you will have all kinds of problems.
Yes the TSA has master keys but most of the time they don't have the time or inclination to use them.
The have bolt cutters, pry bars and hammers at all the scanners in the bag well.
They can and will open your bag then wrap it up with duct tape and send it on.
I always thought the TSA should put a live camera in the bag well and show it at the check in counter.
You can't imagine what goes on down there.
AC

[TexasRifleman]

By the same token, I have never tried to travel with a firearm so I do not know what std operating procedures are. I 'spect they might be different at different airports. I dunno.

So, if you're checking a firearm, the rules are pretty much the same from airport to airport. Assuming you can have the firearm in the state or city where the airport is located to begin with (see posts on crazy things happening to folks making connections in NYC) you will inform the airline first, not TSA, that you have a firearm and you wish to declare it.

The airline is then supposed to have you verify for them that they firearm is unloaded and they will give you a form to sign. This form usually has the date and flight number in addition to your name and signature.
As for showing them it's unloaded, my personal preference when checking a handgun is to have it stripped (if an auto) so you don't scare some ticket agent. I've noticed a handgun in 4 pieces is a lot less scary for some reason :)

After that, you are required to put both this form and the handgun in a locked case for which you and only you have access. You take this to TSA at airports where you do that, or the ticket agent puts it on the conveyor belt.

If you have to carry it to TSA (which is what I do in Dallas) you tell the guy there is a firearm in the bag and you have declared it to the airline.

99% of the time he tells you to have a nice day and goes on like nothing happens.

So, what happens when you get the 1%.

The rules say that you must be the only one to be able to open the lock.
If TSA asks to inspect the firearm, don't give them the key/combination. Tell them you'd be more than happy to unlock the bag for them. DO NOT use a TSA keyed lock for this, it puts you in violation.

Yes they have boltcutters, but at this time you're standing right there so they won't use them. If they use the boltcutters later and find a firearm, you're fine as long as that card is with it. No card, you're burnt toast.

So, you unlock the gun for them (it's only happened to me once and I fly with my firearms all the time) they look for whatever it is they are looking for (never did figure that out) , re-lock it and send you on your merry way.

Now, your original question was about a hard sided briefcase. Here is where you can get into trouble.

Most airlines require HANDGUNS to be inside a regular suitcase to cut down on the "Steal Me" factor. They want a firearm inside a locked hard case, and that case inside another regular suitcase which may or may not be locked.

Long guns can go in their own container, but handguns need to be inside something else.

So, a locking briefcase for guns will not work anyway unless you put that inside a suitcase.

[Aguila Blanca]

The OP said NOTHING about a "gun case." He expressly inquired about a BRIEFCASE with a TSA lock; i.e., one that he can lock to keep the non-TSA thieves out, but which TSA can open, meeting its requirements.
You are correct. The OP did not mention firearms.

I guess I am guilty of assuming that since (a) this is a firearms forum site, and (b) the specific forum in which the question appeared is entitled "General Gun Discussions ... the question probably related to guns.

My apologies for the application of deductive logic where logic is not permitted.

[Tory]

You are correct. The OP did not mention firearms.

I guess I am guilty of assuming that since (a) this is a firearms forum site, and (b) the specific forum in which the question appeared is entitled "General Gun Discussions ... the question probably related to guns.

Really? Let's review:

The OP's initial statement was:

This may not be the right place for this thread, but I don't know where else it would fit.

Some might deem that as clear evidence that his express disclaimer was precisely because "this is a firearms forum site" and his query did NOT specifically relate to firearms. Must be that pesky logic...

Now do a quick search and see how many - and how PROTRACTED - the discussions concerning "security" measures in general and the TSA in particular on this forum are. :scrutiny:

Then you may come back and lecture us about " the application of deductive logic where logic is not permitted."

[TexasRifleman]

By the same token, I have never tried to travel with a firearm so I do not know what std operating procedures are. I 'spect they might be different at different airports. I dunno.

Well, rather than argue about whether or not the OP was asking about firearms cases, let's assume he is. Well, I will at least talk about it, since it's been brought up now.

Not sure why everyone wants to argue about whether or not it was the original purpose of the post.

[saltydog452]

Yes, guns will see the inside of the case. As will, on occasion, a laptop or camera.

I've never tried to fly commercial with a sidearm, but it might be possibly be used for that also. Especially since I now have a better understanding of the process.

I really wasn't under the influence of drugs, either inhaled or swallowed when I mentioned reading in an archived post here on THR where the poster mentioned the TSA lock on his checked baggage. :D

Thanks for your help folks.

salty.

[4sooth]

Guys my daughter works for Northwest Airlines(10yrs.) and as she grew up around firearms and shooting is quite knowledgeable about the rules concerning traveling with firearms.

Although the LAW is the same for all airlines things such as lack of training,local politics,personal prejudices and a host of other problems your personal experience when traveling with firearms(TWF) can and will be vastly different in various areas of the US.

According to my daughter here is how it should go(and for me generally does).

When you approach the counter identify yourself politely and say "I am traveling with a firearm".At that point the airline employee should/will ask you "Is the firearm unloaded?' Being the careful and consciencious gun owner and having made sure it is indeed unloaded you will reply that it is.The agent will provide you with a RED tag/form about three by five which you will date and sign(for you military guys---with your payroll signature).This tag will be placed by you or the agent inside the suitcase which contains the firearm.This is ALL the contact the agent should/may have with the firearm.At NO time is the agent supposed to visually inspect or touch the firearm.If they visually inspect or touch the gun this places the airline in a VERY BAD legal position.More on this later.

In New Orleans(which is where I fly out of) once the suitcase is closed I simply walk over to the TSA secured area and place my suitcase in the pile to be x'ray'd.To my knowledge if there is a question of the gun in the suitcase when it is x rayed TSA querys the airline to determine if I declared the firearm and the bag is then placed with the others going on my flight.

However---when returning from Los Angeles I ran into airline and TSA personnel who did not know the law or how to handle the firearm.

To wit---Hi I am Mr.Smith and I am traveling with a firearm

Agent--"Are you a police officer?"

Me--"No"

Agent--"Uh---just a minute" (Leaves and returns with supervisor)

Super--"Are you a police officer?"

Me--"No"

Agent--" I have to see the gun" So I open the case and let him look a the gun.He then gives me the tag which I fill out and then put in the suitcase.He then hand carries the bag to the TSA area and tells the TSA guy "He has a gun in here" The TSA PEOPLE THEN SWARM AROUND ME! "Did he declare it" the TSA guy asks. "Yes--thats how I know it is in here."

So the bag was put on a table and the TSA folks want a look at it themselves.I unlock it for them and they open the case and ohhh and ahh for a minute--relock the case and put yellow tape over the locks.Case is put into the suitcase once again and on to the baggage pile

When I got home the tape was broken and the gun was orriented a diff way in the hard case--so it was opened again at some point--even though it was locked the last time I saw it.

The TSA people also continually asked me if I was a police officer.Seems they had never had a civilian travel with a firearm up to that time(late 2003)

The gun--? Glock 17.They were fascinated by the pistol!

Two more things---the gun must be in a hard shelled lockable case which must be placed in a suitcse which may or may not be locked.

Ammo--each airline has it's own restrictions on WEIGHT---generally 5-6 pounds.It must either be in original factory boxes or (contrary to popular belief) magazines.If it is in magazines they must be packed separately from the firearm(not in the hard case)

I would be interested in hearing about other's experiences traveling with firearms

[rwc]

Flying between Seattle and Great Falls, MT I can speak to the extremes of experience. To give the TSA folks the benefit of the doubt, the variation can probably be explained by a relatively small % of the baggage at SeaTac containing firearms while a relatively high % of the out-bound baggage from MT does involve firearms.

My practice:
I use a TSA lock near the handle and a couple red zip-strips that I use to seal the corners of the case after it has been inspected. I carry spare zip-strinps in the case along with a small piece of paper where I have an itemized list of the case's contents in 24 pt. bold text. This way I know on arrival if someone else has opened the case. No problems so far.

Given the variations found out there I think it is also worth checking for the airlines specific firearms policies that may differ from the TSA standards.

[MD_Willington]

IIRC this is the TSA universal key for luggage locks:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/MDWillington1976/Firearms/mt101a.jpg

[TexasRifleman]

I would be interested in hearing about other's experiences traveling with firearms

Well like I said above, I fly quite often with a handgun and the only incidents I have had were in California as well.

The folks in Dallas are quite friendly and rarely give me a second glance.

In California (except Fresno and Bakersfield, which aren't really California IMHO) they totally lose their minds.

The worse was in San Francisco before the "ban". I spent an hour and a half with TSA before they finally called a real cop (at my request). The cop looked at them like they were idiots. Apparantly it IS legal to posess a firearm inside the non-secured area of an airport and NOT a felony as I was informed by the helpful folks at TSA.

[Blackfork]

IMHO, you should ALWAYS fly with a firearm, specifically a pistol, chiefly to keep the airlines, counter help, and TSA educated and informed about the process. The more often they encounter it, the less alarmed they will be.

I've had every reaction from swarms of agents to just a bored shrug while handing me my tag. You used to be able to tell the porter at curbside that you had a firearm and they would hand you a tag and keep stacking bags. I've stood at the Southwest Counter in Albuquerque and LOADED a Glock mag in public, to secure ammo under explicit instructions from the counter clerk. You'll get it all.

The latest big episode was flying back from Camp Perry and some training. I had my AR in hard locked case along with a P17 I bought because it had an Elmer Keith inspection cartouche. I also had the stocks for eight Garands in my checked baggage, along with a shooting stool, jacket, mat, scope, et, et. Garand stocks aren't firearms. I didn't mention them. The CMP North store was shipping the receivers and uppers at a reduced rate, four to a box.

At Toledo, they have been standing around waiting on Mohammed Atta and the boys for a while. They have had to make do with wanding underwire bras on young buxom women and de-shoeing crippled retirees in wheelchairs, plus making young mothers drink their own breast milk. The usual stuff.

I get there and declare a firearm. The counter girl wants to see it. I unlock and open the case. The P17 and the AR are laying there. Her eyes get big as moons and she actually says: "A machine gun! Are these legal?' (she's asking me.) I just say: "For me it is."

"Wait just a moment" she says. Then she pages a code over the overhead and all over the terminal I see people drop what they are doing and start to run in our direction.

Before I got finished- and I was two hours early- I had been wanded until I could point north on my own on a dark and foggy night, had my baggage examined, taken off my boots and put them back on three times, (it was a TRAINING exercise, the guy kept saying, not a REAL search..) had the Garand stocks pawed over like coons with hard candy.

They ignored the trigger groups in a greasy plastic sack, plus the boxes of handloads didn't seem to register, nor did they sort or count the brass. I AM sure they all tested positive for explosive residue by the time they got finished. They actually cleared me twice, then paged me back to the counter. When they asked me my name, I gave them my DL. When they asked where I was going I pointed out D/FW on my ticket. When they asked why I had eight rifle stocks, I said that was all they would let me have. I was polite, cheerful, direct, but I didn't volunteer any information nor talk unless asked a direct question to which I gave the exact answer that they already had. I guess I did egg on a poor guy who was digging his way around the edge of the hard rifle case with his fingertips looking for OBL under the egg-crate foam. (He was searching it right in front of me on the counter.) "How exciting" I commented.

I have a human right to travel armed, by the way. It was granted by the creator. The Government is restricted and limited from infringing that right, but they have forgotten their promise and broken their part of the contract.

As I said, I was two hours early. After a few go-rounds they gave it up. I had a copy of the latest TSA regulations, and the American Airlines website firearm information. I didn't have to pull it out.

Of course, my friend, a US Depty Marshall, who was flying with me merely flashed his badge and flew with a loaded 1911 in his waistband and his AR broken down in a carry-on suit bag. He didn't have to mention them to anybody. He thinks the TSA a nutty operation. I think it's a travesty in a society that was supposed to be free.

WORK these people. Fly armed.

[MaterDei]

WORK these people. Fly armed.

Great post, Blackfork. I couldn't agree more.