Flying with Firearms - need some expertise

[dukeofurl]

What do you need when declaring a firearm - ID, serial number, what?

I'm considering flying up to a major match and I was just wondering about what is neccessary to jump through all the TSA hoops.

 

[Fly320s]

You don't need any of that.

When you go to the airport and check in at the ticket counter, just politely tell the ticket agent that you would like to check your gun.

Find some more threads here for all of the info you need.

 

[george_co]

Just did it for the first time myself

It was easy. You will be asked if it is unloaded and you will need to sign an affirmation that it is unloaded.

The gun needs to be in a locked hard sided case inside another suitcase. When you sign the redish/orange tag they will put the tag inside the suitcase on top of the gun case.

Both the gun case and the suitcase must be lockable.

In kansas city the TSA agents were right there where you check in, in Denver the airline had someone carry the suit case over to TSA while I had to wait while they checked it out.

One thing, there appears to be some conflict about whether or not their can be ammunition in magazines or speed loaders. The TSA agent unloaded both of my mags that I had packed with the gun and luckily he had an empty 40 S&W ammo box that he put my Golden Sabers in. Otherwise I would have been donating them to the Denver PD. To save yourself any grief you may want to make sure any ammo you are taking is in the manufaturers ammo box.

It really was no big deal. Although I confused the ticket agents when I referred to my gun as a handgun rather than a pistol or just gun.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tankcommander]

Hope I can help. The weapon has to be in a lockable hard case but unlocked and unloaded. Any ammo must be stored in either its original box or purpose made safety container. At the ticket counter you inform the airline of you unloaded firearm and they give you a declaration form to fill out. This is put in the suitcase with the hand gun or in the rifle case depending on what you have. I suggest waiting nearby until the weapon clears the CTX machine so you can ensure it is locked. The TSA will pass the word down the belt so no one is surprised when they come across the firearm. It should be a fairly painless process if the airline and TSA people know what they are doing. It goes very smoothly at my airport and happens quiet often. If you couldn't guess I work for the TSA.

Absolutely no ammo in speed loaders or mags it must be in a box or you will lose it. Also check the laws where you are going some over zealous local cops may hassel you over Hollow points.

TC

 

[Jim K]

I hope this goes without saying, but just in case:

Have the gun packed in advance. DO NOT whip the gun out of a shoulder holster at the ticket counter, wave it around, and declare, "I wanna check this." Good way to spend a lot of time with those nice TSA folks.

(If you think no one could be that dumb, I was told of a cop who did just that. He found out that the rules really did apply to him.)

Also, if you can buy ammo where you are going, best to do so; makes things a lot easier. Of course if your hunting rifle uses .3476589 Super Short Long Tall Mini-Magnum, bring your own.

Jim

 

[alamo]

It's been about 4 years since I flew with one but 3 times I was asked by SW Airlines to show the pistol was unloaded. As mentioned, don't whip it out in front of everyone. I put the case behind the ticket counter and took it out so it could not be seen. I just took the magazine out and showed the ticket agent the empty mag. They didn't ask if one was in the chamber so I didn't need to open the slide. I had verified it was unloaded prior to going to the airport.

That is important to do of course. Some clown shot off a deer rifle at DFW airport a few years ago. Nobody hit fortunately.

 

[Weimadog]

I flew from Saint Louis to Salt Lake City on Delta, no problems. I had three pistols in a lockable case.

On the return trip, I was told I would be charged an excess baggage fee when I declared the firearms.
Apparently, Delta has a policy of only allowing two firearms in a lockable case. If you have any more, they will charge you for excess baggage.

They wanted to charge me eighty dollars,( their rules published on the internet indicate it should have been forty.)

I asked to see a supervisor. I explained that the Delta service rep I spoke to on the phone did not mention the two gun only rule. The supervisor told me I was so unusual, travelling with three guns, the service rep was under no oblgation to mention the two gun rule. "Most people who check in a gun travel with only one. Only a few times since I've worked here have I seen somebody travel with more than one. :banghead:

I explained that in this instance, their policy made absolutly no sense. To avoid the extra charge, we would have to put one pistol in my wife's luggage, inside another locked container. This additional locked container would mean extra weight, but no excess luggage charge. 'Burning up irreplaceable fossil fuels in the process.' I didn't say the 'fossil fuels' thing, but it would have been appropriate.

If there had been two guns in my baggage, and one in my wife's, there would have been no extra charge.



I was travelling with my wife and child, all three of us paid for a seat. I guess we could have travelled with six guns, with each of us declaring two, but my 20 month old son would probably have a difficult time signing the
'unloaded gun' declaration.

Check with the airline, and determine if they have any stupid rules.

 

[ClonaKilty]

I've done this a lot; follow the guidelines here, AND call your airline to be sure they don't have any other additional rules.

I also urge you to personally guide your weapon over to and through the TSA screening. Don't go to the gate until you've done this. Wait around the TSA screening area until TSA guys/gals give you a thumbs-up. If you skip this and go to the gate instead, you can count on being called on the PA to come back to front, open the case, show where the ammo is stored, etc. Then you'll have to go through security again, a big PITA.

BTW in my experience TSA guys/gals are usually very cool and about 50% are "gun guys/gals."