First time flying with pistol/ccw in tacoma wa

Carry your gun. You cannot carry in a bar. You can carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol. Keep out of the court house and mental hospitals. Otherwise have at it.

Carry your gun in the hilltop area in Tacoma.

The gun has to be unloaded and in a locked case. It is NOT supposed to have TSA locks. At the ticket counter, you need to tell them you are traveling with a firearm. They will give you a red card on which you have to attest that the gun is unloaded and you must put said card in your case and lock it. You then take your baggage to TSA and also declare your firearm. They may open the case in your presence or perhaps they'll just x-ray it and you'll be good to go.

You don't need to call the airport but need to research how the airline wants the firearm packed. The USA airlines I've been on were fine with ammunition being packed with the firearm; other airlines may want the ammunition packed in your other luggage. Obviously you can take no firearm, ammunition or gun parts in your carryon baggage.

I'd also advise extra locks since TSA will occasionally cut the locks even though they're not supposed to open the case after the initial check. They've never done that to me however.

If you have to be 21 or older to be in a place then you can not carry there.
The Seattle and Tacoma police are for the most part not gun friendly.
It's legal in Washington to open carry but it's not worth the hassle. It can be claimed you are trying to intimidate people and that will get you arrested in the big cities.
Yugorpk we seem to be neighbors. I'm in the lower valley.

JBrady555 said:

My state of Florida reciprocates with your state but I'm not sure what differences we have.

Click to expand...

Are you sure about this?

April 25, 2013: Effective this date, Washington will no longer honor a Florida concealed weapon license.

http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Div...on-License/States-Recognizing-Florida-License

Click to expand...

You may as well get a case that is certified TSA approved so they can't argue with you, also carry a copy of your airline regs and TSA regs on your person just in case you have to educate them.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_22azfid6qe_b

What kind of locked case? Does it matter? Any small case from say walmart that has a place for a lock?

Click to expand...

Any lockable pistol case will do. Some airlines get hinky about soft-sided cases, so I'd get a cheap plastic MallWart special and put a small padlock on it.

Also, some airlines won't let you put ammo in the case with the gun, and, IIRC, some even require ammo to be in a separate checked bag. Best to have ammo in its original box, or if you're going to be flying often, invest in a cheap plastic ammo box from Cabelas, BassPro, etc.

Flying with a pistol really, really easy.

Any locked hardsided case, combination or key. You are the only one that needs to be able to open the case. Even a plastic box/case that many pistols come in will work if it has slots for padlocks or if you can wrap a gun cable lock around the handle so tightly that the case cannot be opened. Or you can buy a case specifically for this if you like.

Go to the airline counter where you check your bags (not curbside) and tell them you have an unloaded firearm to declare. You fill out/sign a brief card, they place the card in the piece of luggage that contains the case with the gun (or in the case itself if you have, say, a rifle in its own case), then you go to oversize baggage (instead of the luggage going on the belt). TSA checks it at oversize baggage and off you go. Simple and almost always quick and easy.

You can have ammunition in the same locked case as the gun, if you want. I don't think there is a TSA limit to the ammo but most airlines have an 11 pound limit (that's a lot of ammo unless you are taking a class on the other end and want to bring ammo or something lol). Ammo is best in original factory boxes but I always have at least one loaded magazine, sometimes a few, and have never had an issue. The TSA requirements for ammo storage are somewhat vague.

Washington state does not honor Florida CCW - http://www.atg.wa.gov/concealed-weapon-reciprocity

In addition, I've flown with TSA recognized locks on my gun cases for years - absolutely no issues. (If TSA has to cut the lock(s) to inspect your case because they cannot get hold of you then your gun will not be loaded on the plane because the case isn't locked. TSA locks prevent this situation.)

As stated, there is no longer reciprocity with WA, which has since become progressively less gun friendly since I lived there. Have a nice trip!

Shawn Dodson said:

In addition, I've flown with TSA recognized locks on my gun cases for years - absolutely no issues. (If TSA has to cut the lock(s) to inspect your case because they cannot get hold of you then your gun will not be loaded on the plane because the case isn't locked. TSA locks prevent this situation.)

Click to expand...

Legally, TSA is only supposed to inspect the case in your presence. Not to say there are not people in TSA who don't know the laws they are supposed to operate under but they are not supposed to have access to the case while in transit. While there is no law or regulation against using TSA locks, there are too many people with access to those keys to trust the security of your case.

This statement isn't really true.

The Seattle and Tacoma police are for the most part not gun friendly.
It's legal in Washington to open carry but it's not worth the hassle.

Click to expand...

Open carry in Washington is not only common, most law enforcement agencies now understand that their officers cannot simply "hassle" law-abiding open-carriers. Mainsail, you want to check in on this one?

Oh, and OP? Previous posters are correct. Washington no longer has reciprocity with Florida, nor recognizes Florida licenses.

mdauben said:

While there is no law or regulation against using TSA locks, there are too many people with access to those keys to trust the security of your case.

Click to expand...

According to the TSA website, you are the only one who should have access to the case. This makes TSA approved locks non compliant. I have always flown with my own lock.


Transporting Firearms and Ammunition
You may transport unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline when checking your bag at the ticket counter. The container must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted. Be aware that the container the firearm was in when purchased may not adequately secure the firearm when it is transported in checked baggage.

Contact the TSA Contact Center with questions you have regarding TSA firearm regulations and for clarification on what you may or may not transport in your carry-on or checked baggage.

Firearms
When traveling, comply with the laws concerning posession of firearms as they vary by local, state and international governments.
Declare each firearm each time you present it for transport as checked baggage. Ask your airline about limitations or fees that may apply.
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.
Firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
Replica firearms, including firearm replicas that are toys, may be transported in checked baggage only.
Rifle scopes are permitted in carry-on and checked baggage.
United States Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 44, firearm definitions includes: any weapon (including a starter gun) which will, or is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; the frame or receiver of any such weapon; any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; and any destructive device. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm.

Ammunition
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.

A few points:

1. Though scopes may be permitted in carryon baggage, not all TSA agents may know that (there have been past misunderstandings) and it might not be worth argueing about just before you're about to miss your flight.

2. Locks have been cut off gun cases by TSA in the past and in no case did the affected parties I'm aware of complain that their guns hadn't been transported for that reason. As I noted WAY UP toward the top it is prudent to carry extra locks.

3. I'm not sure why all the emphasis on getting a "cheap case." Pelican makes very durable lockable cases in which one can transport guns and ammunition. It seems to me they're worth the investment considering the rigors airline baggage is subjected to.

4. There is a rule about no more than 11 lbs. of ammo but the only airline that ever weighed mine was Air France.

5. Be aware that some states (I don't know about Washington) consider having a loaded magazine is equivalent to having a loaded weapon even if not in the weapon. This, of course, has nothing to do with the airlines though I suspect some might object to it.

This makes TSA approved locks non compliant.

Click to expand...

I e-mailed TSA and was informed TSA recognized locks are acceptable for locking gun cases. I've flown extensively with them on my gun cases for probably a decade or more with absolutely zero problems anywhere.

Link to reply - http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=9073699&postcount=45

Not to say there are not people in TSA who don't know the laws they are supposed to operate under but they are not supposed to have access to the case while in transit.

Click to expand...

I've routinely turned over my rifle cases to TSA personnel for processing and delivery to the air carrier after I've been informed the initial screening (wipe for explosives residue and/or x-ray) is acceptable.

I flew out of Reno in November with guns (including NFA items) and there was a new process in which my guns did not have to be inspected by TSA. After filling out my firearms declarations my bags were simply processed as ordinary luggage.

While there is no law or regulation against using TSA locks, there are too many people with access to those keys to trust the security of your case.

Click to expand...

A bolt cutter would be quicker than trying a keyring full of keys to find the correct key, which is comical to watch when TSA officers have opened my gun cases.

Locks have been cut off gun cases by TSA in the past and in no case did the affected parties I'm aware of complain that their guns hadn't been transported for that reason.

Click to expand...

I call BS. A gun MUST be in a locked hardsided container. If the lock is cut it isn't "locked" and will not be placed aboard the aircraft.

Every time I have flown with firearms in and out of SeaTac, I have had no issues. Just declare it and then take it over to the TSA. You wait while they check, and open the case if they want to inspect. I have seen a few folks open carry in Olympia.

I did not mean to imply the police would hassle you, although that happens.
I mean the hassle of someone calling 911 and reporting a man with a gun.
The police must respond to that call and while you most likely will not be arrested it can become to be a time consuming ordeal.
I carry concealed and I would never open carry in the liberal hellhole of the SeaTac areas.
We even had a guy arrested in McDonald's in Prosser because the young girl that was the manager freaked out and called 911.
That guy was hassled.

acdodd said:

I did not mean to imply the police would hassle you, although that happens.
I mean the hassle of someone calling 911 and reporting a man with a gun.
The police must respond to that call and while you most likely will not be arrested it can become to be a time consuming ordeal.
I carry concealed and I would never open carry in the liberal hellhole of the SeaTac areas.
We even had a guy arrested in McDonald's in Prosser because the young girl that was the manager freaked out and called 911.
That guy was hassled.

Click to expand...

Who says the police must respond?

Has this happened to you? When and where?

I can think of one very good way to reduce and then eliminate these kinds of shenanigans, BTW...

I just used the case, (utilizing 2 locks so case corner couldn't be lifted) that my Springfield XDM came in to lock up my pistol and stowed it in my checked baggage. As stated above you must declare at check-in. Only hassle I had once was the TSA agent saying that the shackles on my locks were too long. She could open the case about 1/8"! Not sure how she figured anyone could extract anything through that small of a crack. Most airlines ask that the ammunition not be in the same case as the firearm, but can be in the same luggage (not in the firearm case but allowed in the suitcase). Bottom line: TSA for overall rules and your airline for their specific regulations.

I highly recommend the SnapSafe gun box. It comes with a steel cable you can wrap around the handle uprights inside your soft sided suitcase.

acdodd said:

If you have to be 21 or older to be in a place then you can not carry there.
The Seattle and Tacoma police are for the most part not gun friendly.
It's legal in Washington to open carry but it's not worth the hassle. It can be claimed you are trying to intimidate people and that will get you arrested in the big cities.
Yugorpk we seem to be neighbors. I'm in the lower valley.

Click to expand...

West Valley. Just moved in.

It's been a few years since i flew with a handgun, but i seem to recall that the case must be hardside, lockable (do not use TSA locks, you MUST be in their presence if the case is opened. Had to fight with them at Cleveland Hopkins over that.) and have one solid hinge, not several small hinges.

The ticket agent will probably tell you to place the "Unloaded Firearm" tag on the outside of the case. Don't. It goes on the inside and has a metallic tag in it. X-ray screeners see the tag and know the firearm has been properly checked.

Download the TSA regs and the airline policies. Read them and understand them. Print them out and put them in your pocket because at some point in your trip, someone employed by the airline or TSA will tell you to do something against either the law or carrier policy. They're not trying to entrap you, they just don't know any better because most of them are not familiar with actual law or policy, merely "we always do it this way". Of course, some are buffoons, but thankfully the minority.

According to the TSA website, you are the only one who should have access to the case. This makes TSA approved locks non compliant. I have always flown with my own lock.

Click to expand...

I recently flew out of and back into Sea-Tac with a firearm. I called the airline ahead of time and was told to be sure I had TSA-approved locks on my gun case. "Any hard case is fine, so long as it the TSA locks."

On check-in, the TSA guy opened my case and confirmed the contents, then locked it back up in my presence and checked it. It was safely waiting on the other side and didn't appear to have been tampered with in any way. No problems or delays of any kind.

I live a bit over an hour from Seattle, but have never carried in King County, so I can't comment on that.