Unloaded handgun magazines in checked luggage - as far as the TSA is concerned

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wtr100

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Unloaded magazines - I don't really see them mentioned in the TSA regs so it occurs to me they're just a piece of plastic or metal and require no special handling.

Am I missing anything?
 
There should be no problem in checked luggage. However, don't carry anything gun related out of country. Anything at all.

As an object lesson, William Michael Hurtubise, used his range bag for luggage on an International trip. He did not notice eight 22lr rounds in the bag. Just look at the news titles for all the trouble he got in. He stayed in jail, I don't know what the resolution.


US techie caught at Bhubaneswar airport with 8 bullets
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-bullets/articleshow/22729251.cms?referral=PM


American with bullets denied bail
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-bullets-denied-bail/articleshow/23175939.cms

US national William out of jail, not out of trouble
http://odishasuntimes.com/forgetfulness-cost-us-national-william-hurtubise-dear/





 
You can take ammo with you in a checked bag, must be in sturdy container, i.e., original box. I can't imagine an empty mag would be a problem.

Range bag as carry on is probably a bad idea. If nothing more, a whiff of a past explosion from empty shells might be enough to set off a TSA machine.
 
I walked onto a plane in Pittsburgh with two loaded P-11 KelTec mags in my carry on...nobody said anything about them. Had forgotten they were in there...but found them in Pheonix when we got to our destination. Unloaded them and tried to get back on the plane to go home....the guy watching the X-ray machine gave me a dirty look and I mouthed 'magazines'...he nodded his head. We had a nice chat and I congratulated him for being more diligent than his counterpart in Pittsburgh. They said NO gun parts could be carried on the plane and I had the option of turning them in or mailing them back to myself. I took the latter and had to run back into the terminal to the Post Office and got them mailed in time to catch my plane.

While doing the deed at the PO....I got to talk to a nice older lady who was mailing a big pair of shears back to herself. Turns out her daughter had snuck them into her bag as a surprise gift. Yep...BIG surprise! I mentioned that she was now on a Terror Watchlist and the FBI would be at her house waiting for her when she got home. She looked horrified! I was only kidding...and when I told her she punched me...hard! Fun times in the airport.:)
 
I'm flying to go to some training in March. I'm planning on taking two pistols ( primary and backup ) and a small Kahr for after class carry. Ammo other than a few rounds for the Kahr is provided at the class. Anyway space in my lockable pistol case is premium. I'd like to take 5 mags each for the primary and backup so I was hoping to just put them into some sort of zipper pouch or whatever in my checked bag.
 
Magazines are specifically mentioned under “ammunition” on the TSA website. Loaded or unloaded they must be “securely boxed” and placed in your checked bag.

I flew with a gun for the first time last Christmas. I used the same lock and case that my parents used when they flew out to visit last summer. They had no issues but for my flight TSA rejected my plastic case because it could be pried open enough to get a finger inside. The TSA agent got a drill and we added some extra holes in the flange. While we were doing this my wife bought some small TSA luggage locks from the gift shop. All said and done it worked but added stress to my day. So if you are going to fly make sure you can’t pry open your gun case anywhere alone the opening and get a finger inside.
 
Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.[/img]

So a secure box should do it
Click to expand...
 
Check your specific airline as well. When I flew in October the airline I was on required that mags be in a secured, hard sided container. I bought a handgun lock box just big enough to fit my G22, two mags, two boxes or ammo, badge and knife. I had no issues transporting in this manner. Ammo was in the factory boxes, lock box was secured with two pad locks and the suitcase was secured with a TSA lock. The only hassle was waiting in line for the other gun owners to go through the check.
 
Slamfire said:
There should be no problem in checked luggage. However, don't carry anything gun related out of country. Anything at all.
Click to expand...

"Anything at all," out of the country??

You can transport rifles to many countries, Namibia is one that it is easy to transport a hunting rifle into the country. Have a friend I used to work with who has gone there a few times to hunt big game with a big bore weatherby.
 
wtr100 said:
I'm flying to go to some training in March. I'm planning on taking two pistols ( primary and backup ) and a small Kahr for after class carry. Ammo other than a few rounds for the Kahr is provided at the class. Anyway space in my lockable pistol case is premium. I'd like to take 5 mags each for the primary and backup so I was hoping to just put them into some sort of zipper pouch or whatever in my checked bag.
Click to expand...
How does this work for example flying into NY JFK or LGA? NY and especially NYC areas sort of frown on guns including magazines exceeding their laws in baggage including checked baggage. A simple Google of "woman in NYC gun in airline baggage". I used woman because I recalled one woman being arrested. Holy crap there are a dozen examples and TSA figures strongly into them. Wonder how many other places are as ugly?

I would make sure your destination is not like NY. :)

Ron
 
5 persons with carry-ons. One carries an empty magazine, one a slide without sights, one a frame without some springs, another a barrel, the last some springs. Each "I forgot I had it" harmless on it's own. Each carries a few "forgotten" rounds of ammo. How careful you want to be?
 
RETG said:
"Anything at all," out of the country??

You can transport rifles to many countries, Namibia is one that it is easy to transport a hunting rifle into the country. Have a friend I used to work with who has gone there a few times to hunt big game with a big bore weatherby.
Click to expand...

Maybe my statement was a bit board. Where is that web page that provides all the firearm laws of all the countries? I have seen something similar for the US. And you know, there was a time when hunters were going to jail, because they were driving through Massachusetts on their way to Maine, and got stopped by the Massachusetts Highway Patrol, who found a gun in the vehicle.

If you plan to take any firearm paraphernalia, you better know just what are the laws at the place of arrival, and the laws of the places where you might get diverted.
 
I've moved this to legal. From here out, rather than speculation, let's stick to the facts on the legal and administrative points:

What is the federal legality?
What is the legality in the jurisdiction (i.e. city / county / state laws) at both the airport of departure, and the airport of arrival?
What is the airline's policy? (As Robert gave an example of above.)
 
wtr100 said:
...and the thread dies thanks ...
Click to expand...

Yes, the thread will die unless some folks have some useful, reliable, "take to the bank" information to post. So far, before the move to Legal, there hasn't been much of that.

So OP, what is it the you want? Do you want useful, reliable, "take to the bank" information? Or do you want guesses, assumptions, anecdotes, etc., none of which could be relied on only at your peril?
 
wtr100 said:
and the thread dies thanks ...
Click to expand...

You already have your answer:
  • Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
You have to put them in a box or inside your gun case. Either way they go in your checked bag.

TSA Link: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition
 
wtr100 said:
I'd like to take 5 mags each for the primary and backup so I was hoping to just put them into some sort of zipper pouch or whatever in my checked bag.
Click to expand...

The requirement is that the mags be "securely boxed". No big deal. Just get a plastic box that'll stay shut and put the mags in it. Easy.
 
Whenever I flew with firearms, I erred on the side of caution and flew with empty magazines. That way, even if I ran across a TSA employee who didn't know anything about firearms (often I did), they could never be called "loaded." Depending on how much firearm, magazines, and ammo I was flying with I would buy a new case to fit it all.
 
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