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Transporting a pistol in airplane luggage
- Thread starter dshaf
- Start date
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I've done it several times. Go to the webpage of the airline you are flying. You can find their requirements there. Every time I have done it, it has gone as follows:
1. Gun is put in a locking case.
2. Magazines are not in the gun, but in the locking case.
3. Ammo is in the factory box, and that ammo box is in the locking case.
4. I go up to the ticket counter to check my bag. I tell them I need to declare a fire arm. They ask me if it is in a locked case. I say yes.
5. They hand me a card to fill out. I fill it out and put it in my bag.
6. They take the bag and throw it in the conveyor belt.
It it is quite simple really. Once, out of probably 100 flights, I was asked to take my bag to a room. I was escorted by a TSA agent. They asked me to open my luggage, then my locked gun case. He looked to make sure there was no magazine in the gun, and that the ammo was in the factory container. He never touched anything that was in my gun case. He then told me to lock the case, close the luggage and follow him back to the ticket counter. They put it on the conveyor belt and there it went.
Just keep in mind, if you have a layover in a state that doesn't honor your carry permit and your connecting flight gets canceled, don't tell them you are renting a car to get to your destination and want your bag. Just work with the airline to get on the next available flight, even if it is not until the following day. If you take your bag in an airport in a not so gun friendly state, you could find yourself in trouble. I fly a lot, so I've experienced a good deal of delayed and canceled flights.
It is also fun when they loose your bag. One time, my bag and the M&P9c inside it got misplaced by the airline. They said it would be at my hotel within 12 hours. 24 hours later, I hadn't seen my bag, so I called the airline. They told me that my bag accidentally got put on a plane that went to Argentina, but that is was already on a plane on its way back. It had a layover in Mexico City. After about 48 hours, the airline had my world traveling M&P to my hotel room. It all worked out, and I'm probably the only person I know who has had a gun tour South America.
1. Gun is put in a locking case.
2. Magazines are not in the gun, but in the locking case.
3. Ammo is in the factory box, and that ammo box is in the locking case.
4. I go up to the ticket counter to check my bag. I tell them I need to declare a fire arm. They ask me if it is in a locked case. I say yes.
5. They hand me a card to fill out. I fill it out and put it in my bag.
6. They take the bag and throw it in the conveyor belt.
It it is quite simple really. Once, out of probably 100 flights, I was asked to take my bag to a room. I was escorted by a TSA agent. They asked me to open my luggage, then my locked gun case. He looked to make sure there was no magazine in the gun, and that the ammo was in the factory container. He never touched anything that was in my gun case. He then told me to lock the case, close the luggage and follow him back to the ticket counter. They put it on the conveyor belt and there it went.
Just keep in mind, if you have a layover in a state that doesn't honor your carry permit and your connecting flight gets canceled, don't tell them you are renting a car to get to your destination and want your bag. Just work with the airline to get on the next available flight, even if it is not until the following day. If you take your bag in an airport in a not so gun friendly state, you could find yourself in trouble. I fly a lot, so I've experienced a good deal of delayed and canceled flights.
It is also fun when they loose your bag. One time, my bag and the M&P9c inside it got misplaced by the airline. They said it would be at my hotel within 12 hours. 24 hours later, I hadn't seen my bag, so I called the airline. They told me that my bag accidentally got put on a plane that went to Argentina, but that is was already on a plane on its way back. It had a layover in Mexico City. After about 48 hours, the airline had my world traveling M&P to my hotel room. It all worked out, and I'm probably the only person I know who has had a gun tour South America.
"Locking case" means only you can unlock it. A TSA lock is a no-go.
Also check out Firearms and Ammunition | Transportation Security Administration for more in-depth discussion
Also check out Firearms and Ammunition | Transportation Security Administration for more in-depth discussion
You are getting good advice on here. It really is however simple and painless. It's worth taking with you. You can see a few videos on YouTube from trustworthy sources. Use the TSA website obviously, and if you really want you can call them and they will answer any of your questions. The airline is helpful and the people at the counter are use to people flying with them so no big deal there. I would recommend buying a pelican pistol case and a nice lock... With that you are good to go. So people cable the pistol case to their bag so that an airport employee can't walk off with the pistol case too. But I have always been fine just stuffing it in my bag and having it locked.
That works with a hard-sided case. A suitcase that can be defeated with a knife or a pair of shears might be problematic.
Also...https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...is-airport-declaring-firearm.html#post5377980
Word to the wise: Be prepared.
I travel by air with a firearms maybe once every couple of years. Before '911 each airline and agent had a little different routine but now it seems more standardlized, with TSA going by the book. The last time I flew out west to shoot gophers my buddies said to bring lots of ammo because they had a shortage of 22LR. (but knee deep in .223). I recall the Delta agent handing me off to TSA agents who exclaimed that there was no firearm in my lockable gun case because it was filled with 22LR. I asured them that I was within (Delta's) 11lb limit and that the guncase would have a firearm in it (and no ammo) on the return trip.
Before '911 I recall an inexperienced guy at the NWA ticket counter. He did not know what to do with my gun case and I instructed him to get the little bright orange card for me to sign. An experienced agent would have me sign the card (delcaring the firearms to be unloaded) and crack open my gun case and slip the declaration inside. The newby agent thought he actually needed to inspect the firearm and verify its unloaded status. So he took my evil looking Colt AR15 out of its case, held it above the counter and began fiddling with it. It was impossible for people not to notice and the those around me dispersed somewhat. I am quite sure the new counter guy receievd an education that day.
So now it seems the drill is that you sign the orange card, slip it in the unlocked case. The TSA guys then open the case in your presence and do a brief inspection of the contents. They might look underneath an item and poke around a bit. I now prefer to have any firearm in some partial disassembled state so that there is no question of its safe / unloaded status. For example, the AR15 would have the upper separated from the lower (to save length) and the bolt carrier group removed. Of course this also allows a full size gun case to possibly carry more that 2 AR15's.
Before '911 I recall an inexperienced guy at the NWA ticket counter. He did not know what to do with my gun case and I instructed him to get the little bright orange card for me to sign. An experienced agent would have me sign the card (delcaring the firearms to be unloaded) and crack open my gun case and slip the declaration inside. The newby agent thought he actually needed to inspect the firearm and verify its unloaded status. So he took my evil looking Colt AR15 out of its case, held it above the counter and began fiddling with it. It was impossible for people not to notice and the those around me dispersed somewhat. I am quite sure the new counter guy receievd an education that day.
So now it seems the drill is that you sign the orange card, slip it in the unlocked case. The TSA guys then open the case in your presence and do a brief inspection of the contents. They might look underneath an item and poke around a bit. I now prefer to have any firearm in some partial disassembled state so that there is no question of its safe / unloaded status. For example, the AR15 would have the upper separated from the lower (to save length) and the bolt carrier group removed. Of course this also allows a full size gun case to possibly carry more that 2 AR15's.
Same as above. It is super easy. Only thing i do "above and beyond" is run a piece of orange ribbon up through magwell and out the ejection port to show the weapon is completely empty. This is not required, but keeps it simple for the check-in agent to know its clear.
The TSA website dropped this language a long time ago...it used to state this specifically, but they dropped it. Now it only says you must provide a key or combo and be present (which, yes, Indy Int'l violated numerous times when I flew thru there).
Thank you. What I meant to say was that using a tsa lock is a no-go. It must be a lock that only you have a key for.
Slightly different question, can a glock factory case with a padlock through the handle (effectively locking the case closed) be considered a fit case for travel? If not, is there any inexpensive case that fits requirements you would recommend?
snowdrifter
Marksman
I'm about to take my first air travel vacation with a checked firearm and have been carefully watching this thread. Thanks to all who have contributed recommendations and tips.
I wasn't happy with my stock S&W lockable cases, they just didn't seem sturdy enough and only had a spot for one lock. A Pelican case would have been nice, but quite spendy. Eventually settled on this:
Megilla 6700 12" Waterproof Drybox Case - Black | Field Supply
Seems to be well made and very sturdy. A bit bulkier than an OEM case, but has places for two locks and would be harder to break open. Would fit two handguns, or in my case, one handgun and ammo.
I wasn't happy with my stock S&W lockable cases, they just didn't seem sturdy enough and only had a spot for one lock. A Pelican case would have been nice, but quite spendy. Eventually settled on this:
Megilla 6700 12" Waterproof Drybox Case - Black | Field Supply
Seems to be well made and very sturdy. A bit bulkier than an OEM case, but has places for two locks and would be harder to break open. Would fit two handguns, or in my case, one handgun and ammo.
96firephoenix
Master
QFT.
I will add from my own recent experience: When you tell them at the counter and get the little card as they take your bag, they will tell you to check in with the TSA supervisor before you move to the gate to make sure your bag is through. Do this at the shack AFTER you get felt up, not before.
Somehow the guy before the checkpoint misunderstood and thought I was an FBI agent flying with my gun in the cabin... got all the way into a DHS secure area before the mistake was realized. DHS officer: "So what agency are you with?" Me: "Uhhhhh... none? I think there's been a mistake."
snowdrifter
Marksman
Follow Up:
Just returned from our trip and everything went smoothly. Two unloaded handguns and ammo in a factory box all in the above mentioned case locked with a keyed Masterlock padlock. Each airport must have slight variations on their procedures, but everything arrived at our destination and home again.
This was the same experience I had in Indy. They gave an extra ticket with our boarding passes, and after going through security, I gave it to someone who appeared to be some kind of TSA supervisor near the guard shack. He asked us to sit on a nearby bench for five minutes, and if we didn't hear from anyone, we were free to go. We waited ten just to be safe, then proceeded to our gate.
On our return flight, after checking in and tagging our bags, the airport had us check the bag containing the firearm case at the "oversized" area. They didn't supply the extra ticket with our boarding passes, so we just proceeded through security like normal. Again, all went smoothly.
Given this experience, I wouldn't hesitate to check a firearm on future air travel trips. The process seems to be pretty streamlined and trouble free. Perhaps (hopefully) more people are traveling with firearms than I suspect.
Just returned from our trip and everything went smoothly. Two unloaded handguns and ammo in a factory box all in the above mentioned case locked with a keyed Masterlock padlock. Each airport must have slight variations on their procedures, but everything arrived at our destination and home again.
This was the same experience I had in Indy. They gave an extra ticket with our boarding passes, and after going through security, I gave it to someone who appeared to be some kind of TSA supervisor near the guard shack. He asked us to sit on a nearby bench for five minutes, and if we didn't hear from anyone, we were free to go. We waited ten just to be safe, then proceeded to our gate.
On our return flight, after checking in and tagging our bags, the airport had us check the bag containing the firearm case at the "oversized" area. They didn't supply the extra ticket with our boarding passes, so we just proceeded through security like normal. Again, all went smoothly.
Given this experience, I wouldn't hesitate to check a firearm on future air travel trips. The process seems to be pretty streamlined and trouble free. Perhaps (hopefully) more people are traveling with firearms than I suspect.
Hey! I recognize that thread. I was just going to link to it, but I'm a bit late to the party.
AFAIK, you letting anyone other than yourself have control of your locked-case key is a violation of federal law. TSA agents have had to be educated on this point in some airports.
I used my factory Ruger case, with a padlock hole drilled into it. It was fine. As long as you can't get a corner open and get a finger inside the case (rule of thumb - pun intended?), you should be good to go.
You didn't say "Ingo, of course!"
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