Who has flown with a handgun?

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Just read and follow the rules. It is surprisingly simple and easy. Have flown several times with both handguns and ammo and on over 50% of the times the check counter didn't even ask me to open the case. Only opened the suitcase to insert the disclosure card. PS No tsa locks on the gun case. Regs require that only you have the keys. I use tsa locks on the outer case just to keep it from popping open in handling. Have never, I repeat, never had a problem or issue. On one occasion flying out of Anchorage, my bag with the firearm case was sent over to a special TSA inspection room and I was ask to open the outer case but not the gun case. They found and confiscated a bic lighter but missed a spray can of [exposive] WD-40. Again the key to all of this is to understand the rules and follow them.

A suggestion that I was given by friends is NOT to fly with a firearm that I am really attached to. That heirloom or expensive item might be more of a target for thieves but more importantly you would feel really bad if it was lost.
 
Speaking of TSA, I once flew with my range bag. I emptied it out (or so I thought), and was using it as a carry-on bag.

Upon landing in Cincinnati and unpacking in my hotel room, I discovered that I had 5 .45 Long Colt cartridges in a side pocket. I gave them away before flying back home.

What's crazy is that they confiscated my bottle of water, but overlooked the .45 LCs. :)
 
WinThePennant said:
Speaking of TSA, I once flew with my range bag. I emptied it out (or so I thought), and was using it as a carry-on bag.

Upon landing in Cincinnati and unpacking in my hotel room, I discovered that I had 5 .45 Long Colt cartridges in a side pocket. I gave them away before flying back home.

What's crazy is that they confiscated my bottle of water, but overlooked the .45 LCs. :)
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TSA is extremely variable.

I packed a couple of hundred hand cast bullets in carry on once, and the gate agent wanted to let them through, but decided to see the supervisor anyway. The supervisor agreed that they were perfectly fine since they weren't complete cartridges. (What was I going to do? Throw them by hand? ) But they also warned me that if I wasn't flying through a military friendly airport they would probably be confiscated as "dangerous" contraband.
 
Old Dog said:
Just strikes me that some of you guys really, really overthink this whole process ...
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Please explain that to the ticket and TSA agents who can't agree on their own procedures or randomly just make up new rules.
 
That's a cop-out. I fly to many, many airports within CONUS -- even -- gasp -- to the East Coast, and I've never had a significant delay (yes, occasionally one encounters the stupid or untrained employee, but tact, courtesy and knowledge of TSA AND specific airline regs will always prevail).
 
Old Dog said:
That's a cop-out. I fly to many, many airports within CONUS -- even -- gasp -- to the East Coast, and I've never had a significant delay (yes, occasionally one encounters the stupid or untrained employee, but tact, courtesy and knowledge of TSA AND specific airline regs will always prevail).
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Who said significant delay? Now you're saying you have had some issues? Did you over think it or are you just "coping-out"? I thought we were just giving advice on how to avoid problems.
 
I have flown with firearms on many occasions and never run into any hassles. I am an avid hunter and bring rifles and shotguns in locked cases all of the time. I also have my carry gun and have never had a hassle.

Thanks for the tips on NY/NJ regs!
 
joeschmoe said:
Connections are not a problem, as long as you don't touch the bag in those cities. Your transit thru is legal as long as possession is legal in the destination. Some people have gotten into trouble when there is a delay and they collect their bags for an unplanned overnight in a location where such possession is illegal. If, for example, you get snowed in to Chicago/NYC and they tell you to collect your bags for an overnight stay. Simply refuse to accept the gun case and demand they hold it or send it ahead. Anywhere but in your possession. This is where insurance gives you peace of mind. Until you accept it, lawfully, it is their liability. If they insist on leaving on the carousel for someone to steal, that is not your problem. You cannot legally accept it there, so it is there liability if it is stolen. You would just write down the names of the people you dealt with and go to your hotel without the gun case. If they don't have it when you get to your destination, file a claim. Nothing else you can do. You cannot risk your Liberty.

Now everyone is pretty aware of these issues and we now know not to make the same mistakes others have paid dearly for. Yes, some people went to jail for these mistakes.
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I agree with everything you said except the part I put in large print. Many people assume that there are uniform federal laws when it comes to legally checking bags on domestic flights in this country. In almost every case there is not a problem because of the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act, or FOPA.
The incidents that have occurred in NJ were unknown to me until recently, and I've traveled to all sorts of 2A unfriendly states like CA & HI without a problem. Yet NJ and possibly NY still have people arrested in the scenario you mentioned. This from the NRA;

Special Advisory for New York and New Jersey Airports: Despite federal law that protects travelers, authorities at JFK, La Guardia, Newark and Albany airports have been known to enforce state and local firearms laws against airline travelers who are merely passing through the jurisdiction. In some cases, even persons traveling in full compliance with federal law have been arrested or threatened with arrest. As noted above in the section entitled “Federal Law on the Transportation of Firearms,” FOPA’s protections have been substantially narrowed by court decisions, and persons traveling with firearms may want to avoid New York and New Jersey or make arrangements to ship their firearms to their destination, rather than bringing them through these jurisdictions.

http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/articles/2010/guide-to-the-interstate-transportation.aspx


Don't forget that many gun owners do not get the NRA magazines, go to gun forums like THR, or would have heard of the troubles in NJ airports. Why do you think people still are being harassed and even arrested in NJ if it is common knowledge.

Old Dog said:
Just strikes me that some of you guys really, really overthink this whole process ...
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Read above

`
 
Gee, thanks, Vector, for the great advice!
Read above
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I remain astounded that so many can find an internet forum on which to ask basic questions but somehow cannot manage to find the websites of the TSA, commercial airlines, airports and state or municipal governments ...

Apart from erring into the fascist strongholds of New York City, Chicago or anywhere in New Jersey, travelling with firearms is a simple process that can easily be accomplished by anyone with a modicum of common sense. I stand by my comment: some of you really over-think this stuff.
 
Old Dog said:
Gee, thanks, Vector, for the great advice!

I remain astounded that so many can find an internet forum on which to ask basic questions but somehow cannot manage to find the websites of the TSA, commercial airlines, airports and state or municipal governments ...

Apart from erring into the fascist strongholds of New York City, Chicago or anywhere in New Jersey, travelling with firearms is a simple process that can easily be accomplished by anyone with a modicum of common sense. I stand by my comment: some of you really over-think this stuff.
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Not to call you out, but you seem to have thanked me with sarcasm. I am not sure why as I've been reasoned in my post and contributions in this thread.
As a long time gun owner who travels with a firearm, I am relaying my own experiences and lack of knowledge in the NJ/NY example, as proof it can happen to anyone.

I would also note that while you are certainly entitled to think people should know better, acting in a condescending manner toward them on THR does everyone a disservice.
Sure they can take the time to research all those different sources, but I'd presume you do not object to them coming here for advice. After all, isn't that one of the main things THR is all about, education?
So I see no purpose in the manner in which you are approaching this issue.


`
 
Vector, sorry. I did let a bit of sarcasm slip, and for that, I apologize. It's simply that this whole issue (flying with guns) should be such an easily researched thing (after all, if you're gonna fly with oversize/overweight luggage, ship large/fragile/valuable items via air -- where do you go for answers? Yep, usually to the source ...) We beat this dead horse here so frequently, it gets dissected down to the molecules, we usually end up bashing TSA because they hire minimum wage workers and provide little training to do high-volume customer service tasks ... Then we segue into having to discuss the stupidity that is law in NYC/NJ/Chicago ...

Reviewing my posts, I can see that some would see me as coming across as condescending; truly, that was not my intent -- I really only want gun-owners to be responsible and take responsibility ... Yes, this forum should be here for advice, especially to new people, especially for those doing something for the first time (flying with guns), so again, I apologize for not providing more thought-out commentary (I took your comment "read above" as criticism).
 
Ol D - Here's the problem as I see it. I did all the research you suggested about flying with a firearm. Then I came to the forum to get some real life experiences and advice. I weighed it all together and then headed to the airport. As a result I have traveled without a hitch. In fact, the times I've checked a firearm, the overall check-in and security process has actually gone smoother than my other airport experiences.
 
Old Dog,

I appreciate your tone and apology as it was sincere and genuinely reflective.

On one hand I fully understand your point about this being a common topic. However only us regulars feels that way, but it is a new subject to the more recent posters coming looking for advice.

Of course there is always differences depending on which airport you are flying out of, and even differences depending on which airlines you fly. To me Continental/United is the best domestic carrier for ease of checking firearms, with nary a TSA agent involvement. American is not bad either. Really none have had issues from my experience, but certain airports do request you go to a separate area to check to see that it is unloaded, sometimes with airline personnel, sometimes with TSA agents. I think that was the case in Charlotte with US Airways, but it only took a few extra minutes.
Regardless, as long as you leave yourself enough time to deal with lines to check your bag in, You should be ok. Just make sure you have a lockable hard case, and unloaded firearm with the ammo in a separate area, before your arrival. Announce you need to check a firearm, and the airline attendants will take care of the rest.

`
 
TSA final response: TSA approved locks & 49 CFR 1540.111

The TSA finally got back with me. Sounds a little like double-talk to me, but here it is:

Thank you for your question about carriage of firearms in checked baggage. As you note, 49 CFR 1540.111 has several requirements, including the following:

(c) In checked baggage. A passenger may not transport or offer for transport in checked baggage or in baggage carried in an inaccessible cargo hold under §1562.23 of this chapter:

(1) Any loaded firearm(s).
(2) Any unloaded firearm(s) unless— *****
(iv) The container in which it is carried is locked, and only the passenger retains the key or combination.

You ask about the use of TSA-recognized locks, for which TSA has master keys. TSA does not intend for section 1540.111(c)(2)(iv) to mean that travelers may not use locks for which master keys exist. Indeed, for essentially all commonly-available key locks, master keys exist. Thus, travelers may use TSA- recognized locks.
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As I said, the TSA has changed their policy and interpretation of 49 CFR; when I was with the TSA (several years ago) we told people transporting firearms in checked baggage that they could not use TSA approved locks on firearms cases. As a best practice, it probably still isn't a good idea to use a TSA approved lock, but here it is. The only other way to get an interpretation on 49 CFR 1540.111 would be to write to the DOJ or DOT and see if they interpret it differently.
 
ezkl2230 said:
The TSA finally got back with me. Sounds a little like double-talk to me, but here it is:

As I said, the TSA has changed their policy and interpretation of 49 CFR; when I was with the TSA (several years ago) we told people transporting firearms in checked baggage that they could not use TSA approved locks on firearms cases. As a best practice, it probably still isn't a good idea to use a TSA approved lock, but here it is. The only other way to get an interpretation on 49 CFR 1540.111 would be to write to the DOJ or DOT and see if they interpret it differently.
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All that being said - if it is not REQUIRED to use a TSA lock on the gun case, why would you want to? What would be the advantage? Do you want the TSA to have the ability to open your gun case without you present?

Oops.... I just noticed you said the same thing in your post :).
 
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Back in the 70's, I remember flying United or Continental, etc, as a municipal police officer, and my CCW was stored in the cockpit (after checking with a stewardess upon boarding). They then discreetly called me up front to get it before disembarking. No one on the place was aware at all.
 
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