TSA demonstrate proper travel with gun

[berettaprofessor]

See linked article and video. A TSA agent demonstrates proper procedure. There may be an annoying 15 second ad, but the article is really good.

http://www.cantonrep.com/article/20160505/NEWS/160509530/?Start=1

 

[Sistema1927]

The audio wasn't all that good, but did he really say that you are going to secure your case with a TSA lock? If so, then that is a violation of Federal Law.

 

[Al Thompson]

Very interesting.

A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration held a demonstration Thursday at Akron-Canton Airport to help educate gun owners on the proper way to travel by air with a gun.

 

[blueskyjaunte]

Using an actual 8-millimeter handgun without ammunition, he went on to show how to unload the magazine and pack it in the case.

Must've been of porcelain, and cost more than I make in a month!

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

Terrific. The talking head doesn't even know the rules. Typical of a TSA spokes-model. You don't put "..a TSA recognized lock..." on your gun case. The TSA website says:

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.

To clarify this further, the TSA provides the following information:

* TSA must resolve all alarms of checked luggage. If a locked case containing a firearm alarms, TSA will contact the airline, who will make a reasonable attempt to contact the owner and advise the passenger to go to the screening location. If contact is not made, the container will not be placed on the aircraft.

*If a locked container alarms during screening and is not marked as containing a declared firearm, TSA will cut the lock in order to resolve the alarm.

*Travelers should remain in the area designated by the aircraft operator or TSA representative to take the key back after the container is cleared for transportation.

Now - if you're using a "TSA recognized lock" why would they need to come and find you to open the case for them? Why would they need to "cut the lock" in order to open the case?

Answer: It's not a TSA approved / recognized lock that they can open with a master key.

TSA = Thousands Standing Around.

 

[Reloadron]

He said people who fail to properly check a gun onto a flight face civil fines by the TSA of up to $7,500. It's up to police to decide if the passenger with the gun should be arrested for violating local laws or if the gun should be confiscated. The amount of the fine will depend on whether TSA's attorneys believe there was intent to try to get the gun through security or if the violator has had multiple offenses.

I see this as wrong. Every now and then the evening news covers another person busted at the checkpoint at Cleveland Hopkins or Akron Canton (nice airport) but all offenders are not treated equally. Like if the offender is a politically connected ally or even another police officer we seldom hear further about it but if the offender is John Q. Public they stand a good chance of fine and possible imprisonment. There should be no grey zone. Get busted and get charged. If you are stupid enough to get to the checkpoint with a gun you should be charged, period. I just do not see justice being meted out equally and fairly.

Ron

 

[MedWheeler]

Thanks for the replies to the opening post. The apparent inaccuracies you've all seen and reported will save me the time of watching it..

 

[Handloader109]

Absolutely, why watch anyone from the government tell you anything? 95% probability of the advice being wrong.

 

[Stewbaby]

..."do as we say, not as we do"!

 

[lechiffre]

Originally Posted by Article
Using an actual 8-millimeter handgun without ammunition, he went on to show how to unload the magazine and pack it in the case.

Must've been of porcelain, and cost more than I make in a month!

Could have been an 8mm blank gun

 

[packpike]

So what is correct? I'm traveling tomorrow and am planning on putting a handgun into a lockable Glock hard case (not a TSA lock) and putting that inside my suitcase. I'll let the Delta agent know that I've packed an unloaded firearm and should get a declaration card. If I put the declaration card inside the gun case how will the screener know that I've declared it since they can't get inside the case?

 

[pkariher]

The screener does not care that you checked a handgun. It is so if you get your bags x-rayed, they see the gun and open up the case. It shows that you did in fact declare it. I thought I remember a special orange tag they put on my luggage also to show that it has a declared gun inside.

 

[packpike]

The screener does not care that you checked a handgun. It is so if you get your bags x-rayed, they see the gun and open up the case. It shows that you did in fact declare it. I thought I remember a special orange tag they put on my luggage also to show that it has a declared gun inside.

That's who I'm talking about (the xray screener). He won't be able to see the declaration. I think I'll put a sticker with my name and cell phone # on the outside of the hardcase too.

 

[Warp]

So what is correct? I'm traveling tomorrow and am planning on putting a handgun into a lockable Glock hard case (not a TSA lock) and putting that inside my suitcase. I'll let the Delta agent know that I've packed an unloaded firearm and should get a declaration card. If I put the declaration card inside the gun case how will the screener know that I've declared it since they can't get inside the case?

That's who I'm talking about (the xray screener). He won't be able to see the declaration. I think I'll put a sticker with my name and cell phone # on the outside of the hardcase too.

The declaration goes inside of your suitcase and outside of the locked case. Sometimes airline employees tape it to the pistol case. It is for the TSA agents to see when they inspect your suitcase, generally done in your presence at the oversize baggage location. That way they know you declared to your airline that day. The TSA agent may or may not request that you unlock the case with the gun inside of it during the inspection. They will not touch the gun itself, and neither will you. You would then re-secure (lock) the case.

The current declaration forms I have filled out include a line for your cell phone number, and of course have your name and your signature. The luggage tags on the outside of my suitcase also have my name and cell number.

 

[packpike]

The declaration goes inside of your suitcase and outside of the locked case. Sometimes airline employees tape it to the pistol case. It is for the TSA agents to see when they inspect your suitcase, generally done in your presence at the oversize baggage location. That way they know you declared to your airline that day. The TSA agent may or may not request that you unlock the case with the gun inside of it during the inspection. They will not touch the gun itself, and neither will you. You would then re-secure (lock) the case.

The current declaration forms I have filled out include a line for your cell phone number, and of course have your name and your signature. The luggage tags on the outside of my suitcase also have my name and cell number.

That's what I always thought until I saw this video. He's saying put the declaration in the gun case. I'll just pretend I never saw this video.

 

[Sistema1927]

Here is how I do it, as recently as last month, and I have never had a problem.

My unloaded gun and unloaded magazines go inside of a steel lockbox for which only I have the key. This box goes inside my suitcase. I also pack my ammo in its factory box, and put it inside my suitcase, but not in the lockbox containing the gun.

At the check-in counter I tell the agent "I want to declare an unloaded handgun." The agent then gives me the declaration card to sign, which I then place in the suitcase, adjacent to the lockbox. The agent sometimes wants to see the lockbox, but not always. It has been years since I have been asked to open the lockbox to show that the gun is unloaded.

Then, after securing my suitcase with a TSA lock (remember, the gun is in a steel lockbox for which only I have a key, placed inside that suitcase), and depending upon which airport, one of two things happens: 1) The airline agent takes my suitcase, but asks me to hang around for about 10 minutes to ensure clearance, or 2) I am escorted to the TSA baggage screening area where they screen and give me the thumbs up. I then head to security and my gate.

Sometimes, but not always, my suitcase receives a "Special Handling" tag. I like when this happens, since more often than not my bag doesn't come down the conveyor at my destination, but is walked over to me where the baggage handler checks my claim check. Note that the bag isn't marked "GUN INSIDE!", just "Special Handling". The first time this happened i wondered if "Special Handling" wasn't going to result in "Special Pilfering", but this has never been the case.

Note that traveling with a handgun is much easier now than it was prior to 9/11 since it appears that folks (other than the idiot in the video) are much more aware of the proper process.

 

[Warp]

I'll just pretend I never saw this video.

Good idea. Especially if the video (I didn't watch) is so stupid as to say you should put a TSA lock on the gun case.

Besides, the airline agent will put the declaration wherever they put it/tell you to put it. It's not like you decide that and put it wherever you want.

 

[Warp]

Here is how I do it, as recently as last month, and I have never had a problem.

My unloaded gun and unloaded magazines go inside of a steel lockbox for which only I have the key. This box goes inside my suitcase. I also pack my ammo in its factory box, and put it inside my suitcase, but not in the lockbox containing the gun.

At the check-in counter I tell the agent "I want to declare an unloaded handgun." The agent then gives me the declaration card to sign, which I then place in the suitcase, adjacent to the lockbox. The agent sometimes wants to see the lockbox, but not always. It has been years since I have been asked to open the lockbox to show that the gun is unloaded.

Then, after securing my suitcase with a TSA lock (remember, the gun is in a steel lockbox for which only I have a key, placed inside that suitcase), and depending upon which airport, one of two things happens: 1) The airline agent takes my suitcase, but asks me to hang around for about 10 minutes to ensure clearance, or 2) I am escorted to the TSA baggage screening area where they screen and give me the thumbs up. I then head to security and my gate.

Sometimes, but not always, my suitcase receives a "Special Handling" tag. I like when this happens, since more often than not my bag doesn't come down the conveyor at my destination, but is walked over to me where the baggage handler checks my claim check. Note that the bag isn't marked "GUN INSIDE!", just "Special Handling". The first time this happened i wondered if "Special Handling" wasn't going to result in "Special Pilfering", but this has never been the case.

Note that traveling with a handgun is much easier now than it was prior to 9/11 since it appears that folks (other than the idiot in the video) are much more aware of the proper process.

Where are you flying that you get a special handling tag?

I have checked a gun MANY times, partial list of airports where I have checked a firearm (some of these dozens of times just for the one airport)

O'hare
Midway
Atlanta
Orlando
Raleigh-Durham
Lihue
Las Vegas
Denver
Idaho Falls
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Seattle
Anchorage
Des Moines
San Diego
Indianapolis

This special handling thing is foreign to me.

As for airlines, many different airlines too.

 

[jmace57]

sistema1927 is exactly right on the procedure. TSA locks go on your SUITCASE. Locks that only YOU can unlock go on the hard case inside. Orange card in the suitcase, but not in the hard case. You MIGHT get paged to come to the TSA area should there be any latter inspection, but it has only happened once to me.

Just another suggestion. Print out the relevant TSA pages from their website, and the same from the airline with whom you are travelling and carry them with you. You might run into the occasional ticket agent that sort of freaks out (like I had in Colorado Springs of all places), not knowing what to do.

 

[Warp]

sistema1927 is exactly right on the procedure. TSA locks go on your SUITCASE. Locks that only YOU can unlock go on the hard case inside. Orange card in the suitcase, but not in the hard case. You MIGHT get paged to come to the TSA area should there be any latter inspection, but it has only happened once to me.

Just another suggestion. Print out the relevant TSA pages from their website, and the same from the airline with whom you are travelling and carry them with you. You might run into the occasional ticket agent that sort of freaks out (like I had in Colorado Springs of all places), not knowing what to do.

The newer cards are no longer orange. They are mostly white and have more lines for information, but smaller dimensions overall. But otherwise, yeah.

I had an airline employee at o'hare some years ago call me Rambo and tell me not to shoot anybody. I thought "only if I have to" but didn't say it.

 

[Sistema1927]

Where are you flying that you get a special handling tag?

I mainly fly out of ABQ, and get it about 50% of the time while flying on AA. I had it both ways on a recent round trip to MCO.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I fly frequently and use TSA recognized combination locks exclusively on my all guncases. Been doing this for years - zero problems. If TSA wants to open the guncase, and for whatever FUBAR reason they cannot get hold of me, then they can do it. If they have to cut the lock then the guncase won't be allowed on the plane because it's no longer "locked".

I emailed TSA and they replied TSA recognized locks are acceptable.

 

[Warp]

I fly frequently and use TSA recognized combination locks exclusively on my all guncases. Been doing this for years - zero problems. If TSA wants to open the guncase, and for whatever FUBAR reason they cannot get hold of me, then they can do it. If they have to cut the lock then the guncase won't be allowed on the plane because it's no longer "locked".

I emailed TSA and they replied TSA recognized locks are acceptable.

ANYBODY with one of those TSA keys can open your gun case.

That is not how it is supposed to be.

TSA isn't going to open your gun case without you. You will miss your flight while they hold your luggage and wait for you to come back after recalling you from the gate, even when it is the airline employees fault the situation arose, not yours. Ask me how I know.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Blah, blah, blah...

Been flying for years with pistols, rifles, suppressors and TSA recognized locks on my guncases with zero issues.

Lots of inaccuracies and fear mongering in this thread.

 

[Warp]

Blah, blah, blah...

Been flying for years with pistols, rifles, suppressors and TSA recognized locks on my guncases with zero issues.

Lots of inaccuracies and fear mongering in this thread.

What inaccuracies?

For repeated clarification purposes:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

"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."