Getting a handgun to Alaska

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shtinkypuppie

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So this summer, I will be flying from Los Angeles to Anchorage, taking a shuttle from Anchorage to McCarthy, AK; and then taking a bushplane out into the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias NP. Somehow, I need my Beretta to follow me all the way out there. I will be flying into Anchorage early in the morning and catching the shuttle at 0800, so I can't really pick it up anywhere in Anchorage. I WILL have a night in McCarthy, but it's so remote that I don't think it would be feasible - or affordable - to have it shipped there. So as I see it, here are my options:

- Check the weapon on the flight to Anchorage (a pain in the ass, from what I've heard) and buy ammo in AK
- Fedex/UPS the weapon and ammo to Chitina (the shuttle stops there)
- USPS the ammo and every part of the weapon but the receiver to McCarthy general delivery; check the receiver on the flight

If anyone has any experience with the above options, or has another idea, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance,
Eric
 
It's not a problem at all to check a gun on your flight. The airlines deal with it all the time, especially going to Alaska. It's also by far the cheapest way, assuming you were already going to be checking bags. You gain nothing by mailing everything except the reciever--the reciever is still a gun legally, and must be declared as one.

Do a search-- this has been discussed ad nauseam.
 
Check your gun and ammo on the airline. I transport firearms and ammo at least yearly on Alaska Airlines. Did so less than two weeks ago from Seattle to Anchorage. Check your airline about their ammo policy. It is as simple as declaring the firearm, packing it in a locked hard side case, and signing a form. That is it.
 
I need my Beretta to follow me all the way out there.
- Check the weapon on the flight to Anchorage (a pain in the ass, from what I've heard) and buy ammo in AK
Click to expand...


If you are flying out of Long Beach or other smaller airport it wont be a pain at all.. LAX might be slight inconvenience of having to go to wherever the TSA inspector is.

Check with your airline about ammo... most allow it in separate packaging. all have differing rules though.


Now I love my Beretta's just not sure if that would be my go to gun for AK...
 
Got it. Thanks guys. Somewhere I heard it was a major hassle to check a weapon, but I guess I was misinformed.
 
Re: Ammunition - fromhere:

"Ammunition—On Alaska Airlines flights 001-999 and flights 2000-2999, up to 50 lbs.(domestic) and 11 lbs. (international - where permitted) may be checked. Customers checking in or connecting to Alaska Airlines flights 3450-3499 are limited to 11 lbs. of ammunition. Ammunition must be securely packed in the original manufacturer's package or in a container designed for ammunition and of sufficient strength to protect it from accidental crushing or discharge (i.e. wood, fiber, plastic, or metal). The projectile must be no larger than 11/16" in diameter, the size of a dime. Ammunition may be checked with or separately from the firearm. "

I dunno which flights go where, but if you have friends in Alaska you might see if they need ammo; my friends there say it can be pretty expensive and hard to find, especially in even a little out of the mainstream calibers.
 
- Check the weapon on the flight to Anchorage (a pain in the ass, from what I've heard) and buy ammo in AK

No problem at all to check a handgun and ammo. Hardsided case for the unloaded firearm, with standard locks only you have key/combo to. Lock goes on the gun case, gun case goes in your luggage. Ammo in factory packaging. Tell the airline counter person you have an unloaded firearm to declare. Plan on 1/2 hour extra, but should only cost you a few minutes extra time.

- Fedex/UPS the weapon and ammo to Chitina (the shuttle stops there)

Fedex won't ship ammo without HAZMAT hoops to jump through. UPS ammo must go by ground, better ship it a month ahead of time! FEDEX/UPS company policies now only allow firearms to be shipped either from or to an FFL. Since you are not a resident of Alaska, your handgun would arrive at the Alaska FFL and they would not be able to transfer it to you.

- USPS the ammo and every part of the weapon but the receiver to McCarthy general delivery; check the receiver on the flight.

USPS the ammo and you violate Federal law. The receiver must go on the flight exactly the same way as the entire gun must go, so you might as well do the whole gun.
 
I travel back and forth all the time. I always take a gun in both directions and I never have a problem. On Alaska Air they won't even ask to see the gun, much less ask what type it is or how much ammo you have. Lock your your gun up with a non-TSA approved lock on the gun box (yes, that's what I said). I actually use two sturdy locks, one on each side of the handle. Then lock your luggage with a TSA-approved lock.

TSA is not allowed to open your gun box unless the x-ray reveals loose ammo or a loaded gun or something like that. So, you don't need to provide them an opportunity to monkey with your gun by using TSA-approved locks.
 
I will be flying into Anchorage early in the morning and catching the shuttle at 0800, so I can't really pick it up anywhere in Anchorage.
Click to expand...

Bring ammo too, pursuant to AA's rules. That schedule will make it tough to get cartridges in the city. Maybe Walmart but you never know what supplies will be like.

Is this some kind of custom 10mm Beretta for bear? If so you really need to bring your own. Sometimes there is no 10mm to be had anywhere in town. Everyone gets ammo from the same couple of wholesalers and if they forget to put X on the list, all the stores are out of X. I've seen it happen with .357 Magnum too.
 
It's obvious you don't have a problem flying to Ak with a handgun. You also have no problem carrying once there, but you may have a problem with taking you gun on the bushplane.

On my last trip, I flew to Anchorage then drove to Soldotna on the Kenai Penensula. Used Soldotna as base camp for many other trips. One was on a floatplane to the boonies. They would not let me carry my handgun on the plane due to some law or regulation.

Your bushplane operator may allow you to check it. Best call ahead to see what their policy is.
 
All guns in bush planes go with the gear. The same goes for pepper spray, canned soda/beer, etc. It goes in the back of the plane or inside the float.
 
Shtinkypuppie, you mention St. Elias National Park. Is it going to be OK to carry your gun there? IIRC, the current law says it is OK to carry in a National Park IF you are legal to carry in the state where the NP is located. I don't know Alaska law, or what permits they honor, or even if they require a permit or license to carry a handgun, but I think it would be a good idea to check if you have not done so already. It would be a shame to get your gun all that way, then find out you have to ship it home or have it confiscated because you can't take it where you want to go.

Jim
 
You can carry concealed here if you are 21 years old or over. Even if your not a res. of Alaska. As long as you are not a convicted felon. The only thing is you MUST let any LEO that makes contact with know you are carrying concealed.
99 % of the time they will just say thank you and go on with what ever they was doing. If you don't tell them. That is another story with a judge.
 
AK? No permit needed. fly with you gun and ammo. lock it good so TSA won't steal it. (litterly, there are a couple new cases on the docket for TSA theft in teh news)
 
gbran said:
It's obvious you don't have a problem flying to Ak with a handgun. You also have no problem carrying once there, but you may have a problem with taking you gun on the bushplane.

On my last trip, I flew to Anchorage then drove to Soldotna on the Kenai Penensula. Used Soldotna as base camp for many other trips. One was on a floatplane to the boonies. They would not let me carry my handgun on the plane due to some law or regulation.

Your bushplane operator may allow you to check it. Best call ahead to see what their policy is.
Click to expand...
I have never heard of a float plane operator not allowing firearms. Maybe requiring that they be unloaded and cased, but never disallowing them. What company was that?
 
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