Another Flying With Firearms Thread...

[ghuns]

My daughter and SIL are currently living in scenic 29 Palms, California. He's a marine, and about to leave for deployment. He has re-enlisted and doesn't know where he'll be stationed after deployment, but knows it won't be in 29 again. My daughter doesn't love 29 Palms, I mean, who does? So she's moving back home while he's deployed.

I am fine with her moving back in. She's pretty low maintenance. But my wife was appalled that I'd let her drive cross country by herself.

So, I will flying from South Bend to Vegas this Thursday, where she will pick me up, and we will have a daddy/daughter road trip adventure. Oh, and she has a 8 month old golden/labra/cockerdoodle mutt that's joining us.

I was going to travel with just a carry on. Then it occurred to me I wouldn't even be able to take a pocket knife. The thought of a cross country drive unarmed doesn't appeal to me. So if I'm gonna pay for a checked bag, it might as well have a gun in it. After reading other threads detailing air travel with a pistol in a checked bag, it doesn't seem as daunting as I imagined.

It seems airports and airlines vary a fair amount in how they deal with this. Anybody have specific experience with Allegiant Air out of South Bend?

Here are Allegiant's guidelines...

Allegiant allows firearms to be transported using the following guidelines:


All customers must declare their firearm at time of check-in.


Firearms and ammunition cannot be carried on-board the aircraft and are accepted in checked baggage only.


All firearms must be unloaded.


Firearms must be unloaded and encased in a locked, hard-sided container and must be able to withstand normal baggage handling without damaging the firearm or other baggage.


Handgun (unloaded and encased in a locked, hard-sided container acceptable to Carrier for withstanding normal checked baggage handling without sustaining damage to the firearm);


Small-arms ammunition intended for sport or hunting are accepted only if carried in a locked, hard-sided checked bag.


Ammunition must be in the manufacturer's original container, or equivalent fiber, wood, or metal container specifically designed to carry ammunition. This carrier must provide sufficient cartridge separation.

I'm planning on taking a Glock 21 because if it were to somehow get lost, it's just a Glock.

Just to avoid the hassle, I am NOT taking any ammo. I'm sure I can pick up some Speer Gold Dots at any Vegas gun shop.

For a container, I have a Gunvault MVB500 that should do.

 

[JdsBiff]

Toss a couple factory boxed ammo in your bag, it doesnt need to be locked up. The gunvault should be fine. Do use a TSA lock on the outside of your bag though.

 

[ghuns]

Toss a couple factory boxed ammo in your bag, it doesnt need to be locked up...

I don't have any 'factory' boxed EDC ammo. I load it into mags when I get it and toss the boxes. I'm sure I could put it in a Plano pistol ammo box and be fine. Buying it out there just lets me avoid any potential issues with ignorant or over zealous airline employees or TSA types. Plus, it's a good excuse to buy more ammo.

Do use a TSA lock on the outside of your bag though.

Thanks, almost forgot the lock for the suitcase. Bought one from Amazon that won't let go of the TSA key until it's locked back up.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

Personally, I would call Allegiant and speak to someone in person to make sure the web guidelines are current policy. It has been 15 years since I flew with guns, but at check-in and a new clerk began saying stuff that wasn't on the website, it seemed to help when I said I had called just a few days earlier and confirmed everything that I was saying. Then she got her supervisor and it all was good when he backed me up. I agree on buying ammo when you get there.

 

[Joniki]

I fly Allegiant frequently and always fly with a firearm. Allegiant will only allow one handgun per traveler. One time they pitched a fit about my gun vault because it had a combo lock on it. I have since picked up a Pelican type case with keyed locks. The last time I flew Allegiant the ticket counter agent asked me to open the case, that was a first.

 

[ghuns]

...One time they pitched a fit about my gun vault because it had a combo lock on it...

My GunVault can also be opened with a key, which I'll have with me.

 

[Joniki]

The time before last that I flew from FW to Vegas someone cut the TSA locks off my bag. Nothing inside my luggage was missing.

My GunVault can also be opened with a key, which I'll have with me.

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Are you traveling through Colorado? Mag capacity issues with any States you will be traveling?

 

[ghuns]

Are you traveling through Colorado? Mag capacity issues with any States you will be traveling?

No.

My daughter doesn't like the drive on I-70 through Colorado.

Taking the southern route, I-40.

Didn't think about the mag capacity thing.

Nevada, New Mexico, and Illinois are the only states along the way that don't recognize our LTCH.

 

[dvd1955]

Does your daughter have a carry permit? If so, then you wouldn't need to bring a gun as she could already have one with her.

 

[ghuns]

Does your daughter have a carry permit? If so, then you wouldn't need to bring a gun as she could already have one with her.

She has her Indiana lifer LTCH. But as residents of USMC military housing, they aren't allowed to have firearms in their home. So they didn't take any out there.

Edit...

Technically, they can have a gun in their home. Unloaded, locked in an approved container. But the regulations, registration, and various hoops to jump through make it more trouble than they felt it was worth. Plus the gun would have to be California legal. So like, a muzzle loader or something.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Enjoy your Trip! GodSpeed.

 

[ghuns]

Made it through security. It was... An experience.

Declared firearm, signed card saying it was unloaded, and was told to sit by the bag check in. They'd let me know when it cleared and I could procede.

It didn't clear. TSA guy came out and said you have two guns in that bag and one is loaded. I assured him he was mistaken. But assuming he was right, what should I do about it? He said go in the family bathroom, lock door, unload it and toss the ammo. So I went in opened it up. Still just the one unloaded gun in there. I went out and told him, still just one. Still unloaded. He was baffled. I offered to go wherever bags go and open the box. He said that would be helpful. So he took me back, I opened the box, they agreed it was unloaded and the only one present and chucked it over with the other bags.

Had a multi tool in a small pouch, like a mini cresent wrench with a stripper clip looking thing that holds screwdriver bit. He decided that was what they took for a loaded gun.

All TSA dudes were super cool about the whole thing and appologized repeatedly for causing me so much trouble.