Alaska Trip

I PM’d a member who lives up there. Hopefully he’ll be along shortly.

My brother in law went fishing in Alaska. He had no issues bringing his Glock 30 along.

Having brought my .45 to Seattle from Charlotte, I suspect you'd have no stress and no issues with your Colt if PA and AK have reciprocity. Getting the forms and inspection take a few minutes at the airline counter but you'll have looked online at the airline's requirements beforehand and have your firearm secured in a locked case inside your suitcase. In my case the return TSA processing was a little more stringent but not stressful. Having done it and Frank covering #2-4, I recommend #1.

Bring your handgun in your checked luggage if you are flying. Don't bring it if you are driving. Since you are not relocating, that is pretty much the only option available to you. It is (or was a few years ago) technically possible to transport certain handguns through Canada, but it takes a lot prep work that isn't worth the time for a simple trip.

Over the years, I made the big move there and back 3 separate times for work. Long guns can be mailed from yourself to yourself using USPS, and some of them (bolt action rifles and pump shotguns) can be transported through Canada relatively painlessly if you are driving. Research Canadian transport laws very carefully if you opt for that route.

jonnyc said:

Another factor is that my wife will not be happy at all with #1, as any extra stress on a plane flight is a bad thing.

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I am really confused by your last statement???

Flying with a checked handgun into and out of AK is easy, and done by my family many times.

Sorry, but how it would contribute "extra stress" to your wife is beyond me.

jonnyc said:

"I am really confused by your last statement???
Flying with a checked handgun into and out of AK is easy, and done by my family many times.
Sorry, but how it would contribute "extra stress" to your wife is beyond me."

Have you met my wife???

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No, but unless there are some background personal issues, the extra few minutes it takes to fill out a firearms declaration card at the the ticket counter and wait for TSA to clear the bag should not be a problem for a reasonable person, especially if you are the one handling it.

Robert said:

Flying with a handgun is easy,..
TSA opened my bag, I had a TSA lock on it, removed my pistol case, asked me for the key to the locks and opened the case. He didn't touch my pistol, mags, ammo or knife that was in the case. He shut it, locked it, placed in back in my suitcase, replaced all my other items neatly and I was on my way. Very easy, no stress.

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Robert, that's interesting because coming back from Seattle the TSA officer made me remove my loaded magazines from the locked case containing the gun and had me put them in a separate pocket in the suitcase. That was the only ammo I was carrying.

Delford said:

Robert, that's interesting because coming back from Seattle the TSA officer made me remove my loaded magazines from the locked case containing the gun and had me put them in a separate pocket in the suitcase. That was the only ammo I was carrying.

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That is not the norm and certainly not required, though I'm not surprised that it happened as the knowledge of the actual requirements varies pretty widely from TSA officer to TSA officer. I have flown with a handgun and loaded magazines in the same case at least 50 times over the last 10 years, several times going through security in Seattle. The only requirement is that loaded magazines have the open end covered. This can be satisfied with a mag pouch, or even cardboard taped over the ends, which I have used a number of times after I saw a post where TSA actually used the TSA inspection cards to cover AR-15 magazines for someone who had not done so.

When I was going back and forth to Alaska, getting my existing store of ammunition up there was a challenge with ammo cans full of loose ammo, so I would use my abundance of magazines for transport purposes. It's possible that an ammo can full of loose ammo could be construed as manufacturer packaging (since it often is), but I didn't want to take the chance on missing a flight.

I have flown to Alaska many times with a checked handgun, and once a shotgun, and it's never been a problem. The only slight delay I ever had was last summer when the ticket agent (not TSA) called a connecting airline (Alaska Airlines) to make sure they would accept my bag or if I would have to retrieve and recheck. Once they got the answer from Alaska Airlines that accepting it was no problem we were good. TSA has always been friendly and accommodating, especially so in Alaska for the return flight. If you are worried about your wife's stress, she can go straight through security to the gate and wait for you there while you go to the counter, fill out the form and wait for TSA to check the gun. Just tell the agent you are traveling with a firearm and they will take care of you. Do arrive a bit early because there are times it has taken up to 30 minutes to complete the process.

Hope this helps and enjoy your trip. Alaska is an amazing place!

Frank Ettin said:

Well things could get stressful and/or complicated if flying out of or back to an airport in New Jersey or New York. There have been some horror stories involving airports in those States.

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From what I've read, the problems begin when an aircraft is diverted to an airport in NY or NJ and the airline instructs passengers to retrieve their luggage from baggage claim and check it back in for the subsequent flight. I would think the thing to do in such a situation is to inform the airline that you will not take possession of the bag that contains the firearm before it arrives at your final destination and that safeguarding it is their responsibility until then.

California isn't New Jersey (yet!) I'm pretty sure you can take possession of your own gun there, in most of the state, at least. Your selecting a revolver might even make it a little easier, as they're "less scary."

We have threads going here from time to time on bringing guns into California. Here's the latest:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-california-temporarily.828894/#post-10704898

John Lovell "How to Fly with Prohibited Items"

You can not ship a handgun to yourself by FedEx or UPS, as it is against their policies to allow you to ship a firearm to anyone other than an FFL. If you were do so anyway and you did not notify them in writing, you would run afoul of 18 USC 922(e). If you notify them in writing, they will refuse the shipment.

I dug into this recently flying to Vegas, I was trying to avoid checking a bag as I was flying standby, it's very easy for your bags to make it without you when you fly standby. but it is difficult legally to get a gun to your destination any other way than checked luggage if you are flying. closest i found was to send it to a trusted party in your name, they cannot open the package but i did not have anyone to send it to.

I have flown to Anchorage several times with firearms, never really an issue, just takes a bit more time, check the airlines website, for restrictions, for instance last time I flew there was a max of 11 pounds of ammo and it had to be well packaged, the original retail packaging was sufficient. The case had to have a lock. Etc etc I will echo the caveats of connecting flights in certain blue states, they will arrest you.

when you get to the ticket counter to check your bags tell them you need to declare a firearm and follow instructions. They will put piece of paper inside the bag and a gun tag outside.

Last time I flew they never looked at the gun, they took my word for it and just did the paper work, but about 10 years ago I had a ticket agent that wanted me to cycle the action was kinda weird in the middle of an airport but was no issue.

They always tell me to follow the bag to TSA as they may want to open the case also but TSA has never wanted to. they x-ray it, see the gun they were already expecting and move on.

Bears are rarely a problem, they know you are there long before you know they are there and will generally avoid you, although still rare your chances of being bear poop increase dramatically when you are in thier fishing areas with a backpack full of fish. Bears have better sense of smell than dogs or even deer, We carried shotguns with slugs, brown bears are tough. In several trips to Alaska I only saw bears once and they were on the other side of the river! The best way to see a bear in person!

Open carry in AK is not a problem with the law. My buddy made friends with a colorful local, he made a living carving wooden bears with a chainsaw and selling them on the side of the road. From sun up to sun down he was always drinking but never visibly intoxicated. we went fishing with him he had a beer in one hand, a joint in the other and a shotgun slung over his shoulder we were at a popular fishing spot on federal land, a fish and wildlife officer walked by, waved hello and kept on walking. I am no advocate of using drugs and alcohol while handling firearms but the Libertarian in me found it to be an interesting moment of complete freedom.

I did not and would not open carry in Anchorage, your shinny colt will look like pill money to someone. concealed would be preferable in more populated areas. IMO.

We were also witness to a fatal head on collision while there. the driving distances are huge and even on a main highway it took a long time for rescue crews to get there and longer still to extract one of the injured survivor. Everyone stopped and many tried to help but without power equipment we could not do much besides wait, Be careful you are far from help in many parts of AK.