Airline Tips for the Tactical Traveler

[Warp]

My apologies for the semi-necro, but....

Finding out what to do when checking a firearm in as checked luggage is the easy part. Figuring out what to do with a long gun (and multiple long guns and handguns with long guns) is easy. Figuring out how to pack a single handgun is proving somewhat difficult, so can I pretty please get a general consensus on how to?

The non-TSA lock is a given. Pistol unloaded, magazines removed, ammunition in original factory packaging. Possibly lock slide open.

What I've read thus far has consisted of the following options:
-A small pistol case. (ie: Pelican 1200)
-A small pistol case inside a larger soft-sided piece of luggage. (ie: Pelican 1200 inside a duffel)
-A small rifle or large camera case. (Pelican 1600 or larger, which in turn doubles as luggage for transporting clothing.)

This is further complicated by suggestions that the case be left plain, covered in non-firearms-related stickers, or covered in firearms-related stickers.

The issue is complicated for me somewhat on the basis that I have perfected the art of comfortably living out of a carry-on bag for up to a week... and the art of the simple, lightweight pack has a rather strong hold on my psyche.

So... what specifically should one use for travelling with a handgun?

Thank you!

It's very easy.

You get a locking hard sided container. You lock the unloaded handgun in it. You put it in your suitcase. You declare the unloaded gun with your airline agent at the counter. Then you do what they say (fill out and sign card, go to oversize baggage check, TSA probably asks you to open case to look into it, yo go on your way)

I use my www.center-of-mass.com car safe. http://www.center-of-mass.com/Store_InCarGunSafe.htm

You can have ammunition in the case with the gun per TSA, but I put the (loaded) magazines in mag pouches, and then bring a box or two of loose rounds in the original boxes.

I can't imagine going a week with nothing but carry-on-safe items

[Ned Christiansen]

Large busy airports, small regional ones, I have had exemplary treatment by TSA, even acting as porters sometimes to carry the stuff from the check-in counter over to their station. Professional and helpful, never a down-the-nose look.

But these days it's maybe twice a year.

For pistols I have a nothing-special hard case securely screwed to the bottom of a decent but again nothing-special hard-sided suitcase. It gets a padlock. It would be not impossible, but a little time consuming, to get it all open. They can't just grab the little hardcase and run.

Coming back from LAX in 1988, I had an AK stolen from baggage (American Airlines). It was a chintzy case (lesson learned).... they busted it open on one end, slipped the AK out, and let the case go on its way. It did not arrive with my other luggage at my destination, which was my first clue that something was wrong. AA dutifully delivered the delayed case to my work and I watched the guy take it out of the van when he arrived-- I knew in that instant, the way he picked it up so effortlessly, that there was no rifle in there.

AA could not have cared less and what a runaround to get compensated. I could never reach anyone involved in the "investigation". I wrote letters and made phone calls-- HEY people, this was not a camera or lizard shoes, it's a goddamned GUN-- you have thieves working for you, do you not want to catch them? Nobody could even as much as tell me if it got to my connection on time so it would at least be determined at which airport it was stolen.

And I totally agree, it is a must to be up to speed on the rules and regs because the desk clerk may well not be. You can then politely guide them though the process, key word polite......

[MountainRaven]

Gentlemen, thank you.

TSA lock on only the hard (pistol/internal) case, only the soft (external) luggage, or neither?

I can't imagine going a week with nothing but carry-on-safe items

I'm not going (and almost never go) alone. Typically, I have thrown my pocket knife in the checked luggage of a companion.

[epete]

TSA lock on only the hard (pistol/internal) case, only the soft (external) luggage, or neither?

Non-TSA lock on the case containing the firearm. I use TSA locks on my luggage.

[edgecrusher]

I recently traveled with my LaRue OBR and here are some extra tips that may help.

1. Save yourself a headache and try to book a direct flight. My luggage was delayed because it did not make the connection, and I got some more white hair and a lot less finger nails before it finally came.

2. I have a Pelican case that was new condition before the trip, and when I got after my destination was reached(including the guns delay) it looked like they were proof testing it! It was beat to crap, but it was all cosmetic, and a lesser case may not have made it.

3. Have the TSA rules printed up and bring them with you, not all the airline employees know the rules, or they interpret them in their own way. Have the hard evidence on you.

4. Do your best to keep it field cleaned when coming home, I just used the Clp and a boresnake, and it made a huge difference in what the machines picked up at the airport. We were delayed during Sandy, and went shooting with a friend, and had time and a place to do some clean up after. Passed through the machines without a problem, where as prior on the same trip a non cleaned rifle set off all the "alarms" and the case had to be opened.

The only problem I had was at Tuscon airport, on the first leg home, where an airline check in lady told me the case needed to be opened, and that she needed my key. This is a no no per the TSA rules, you keep the key in your possesion and should only give it to a TSA official. I showed her the print out and she flipped her lid. Eventually a TSA agent came out and said I was correct, but she was being rude to the both of us, so be prepared, know the rules, and good luck.

[gearhead6s]

A few questions before I catch a flight home for the Holidays with my AR and 2 handguns. Flying from FLL to SDF via Southwest Airlines
1) anyone flying Southwest with a pelican 1720 been hit with oversized fees? Website says l+w+h of case cannot exceed 60" but the 1720 is 66"
2) Proper procedure is to walk into airport directly to check in counter, politely tell counter worker you are declaring an unloaded and locked firearm, open case if instructed to prove unloaded status, fill out a red tag (what info is on this tag?) put read tag in case ,lock case and then hand over to the baggage handler at the counter?
3) anyone have problems with loaded Pmags with caps on in the same case?

Thanks for this awesome thread!

[JSantoro]

The red/orange tags are essentially the same, may differ only in detail and wording. Here's the text of mine from a US Air flight to Charleston, SC, 2 weeks ago:

I understand that the carriage of a loaded weapon is a violation of federal regulations. I therefore declare that the firearm(s) contained in my luggage is not loaded and all ammunition is separated from the firearm(s). Further, I declare that there is no loose ammunition in my baggage.

Flight #, Employee # of the airline personnel processing my declaration, date, and "STN" (I'm presuming it means "station") fields were filled in by the counter lady. Passenger signs to declare.

The center of gravity is separated from the weapon and that there's no loose ammo, but whether or not jammed mags with caps, or put in a pouch or ziplock bag is okay is often dependent upon the interpretation of whichever airline employee or TSA rep is on-hand. Coin-toss, but I default to keeping jammed mags in a zippered man-purse when I don't use an ammo can.

Once inspected and your baggage secured, you may either simply hand off to the counter person to get it on the belt, OR you'll be escorted with your bag to where it can be scanned and go into the chute. Richmond airport, it's the former (they'll call me over the loudspeaker if any further action is required, but I wait around the counter for 5-10min just in case...), at Dulles I get escorted to a screening station. I've no experience with your origin airport, so I couldn't begin to tell you which it'll be.

[Warp]

The red/orange tags are essentially the same, may differ only in detail and wording. Here's the text of mine from a US Air flight to Charleston, SC, 2 weeks ago:



Flight #, Employee # of the airline personnel processing my declaration, date, and "STN" (I'm presuming it means "station") fields were filled in by the counter lady. Passenger signs to declare.

The center of gravity is separated from the weapon and that there's no loose ammo, but whether or not jammed mags with caps, or put in a pouch or ziplock bag is okay is often dependent upon the interpretation of whichever airline employee or TSA rep is on-hand. Coin-toss, but I default to keeping jammed mags in a zippered man-purse when I don't use an ammo can.

Once inspected and your baggage secured, you may either simply hand off to the counter person to get it on the belt, OR you'll be escorted with your bag to where it can be scanned and go into the chute. Richmond airport, it's the former (they'll call me over the loudspeaker if any further action is required, but I wait around the counter for 5-10min just in case...), at Dulles I get escorted to a screening station. I've no experience with your origin airport, so I couldn't begin to tell you which it'll be.

My understanding is that the bag is never to go onto the belt straight-away after the airline employee gives you the unloaded declaration card. You are to be present when TSA inspects the bag, so that you can open the locked container the firearm is in if (when) they ask (since only you can open the locked container, not them).

I have flown many many times with a checked firearm, in many airports. The one and only time that my bag went on the belt without doing the follow-or-take-it-to-TSA-thing , I missed my flight because when I got to my gate they were paging me to go ALLL the way back (I had the farthest terminal away in Atlanta) so I could open the case for TSA. I did not have time to make the round trip before my flight left.

I had argued with the airline employee and she insisted that she could just set it on the belt. I should have made a bigger deal out of it, I guess. It cost me nearly 4 hours while I waited for their next flight. They did give me a first class upgrade at no charge for their mistake, at least.

I have checked a firearm at:

Atlanta
O'hare
Midway
Orlando
Milwaukee
Denver
Idaho Falls
Lihue (Hawaii)
Indianapolis
And others I am probably forgetting. Some of the above dozens of times.

Other than that one time I mentioned above, I and the bag have gone to the TSA screening point (usually oversize baggage). That one ended badly as a result.

[mikelowrey]

When I checked mine from JFK to Miami intl airport I was present at all times while Tsa and airline counter guy were around my luggage, I even walked with them when they were putting in the luggage belt. After that I went to my gate. I had a friend who Tsa "supposedly" walked his luggage personally to the the plane.

[JSantoro]

My understanding is that the bag is never to go onto the belt straight-away after the airline employee gives you the unloaded declaration card. You are to be present when TSA inspects the bag, so that you can open the locked container the firearm is in if (when) they ask (since only you can open the locked container, not them).

Hence the inclusion of "Once inspected and your baggage secured...." in my post. There are airports where TSA comes to the counter and everything gets done from there.

Not my first rodeo, either, and I'm not going through 7 years of expense reports to list a complete resume of airports through which I've had to traipse with firearms and ancillary systems that require declaration. Too much work, even if it didn't smack of story-topping.

A problem with talking to folks from a "What To Do..." standpoint is that the principles are all the same, but how they are executed can differ wildly. The most accurate anybody can get in this regard is when speaking to specific Point A --> Point B and back trips, and even that can vary based upon who's on-deck when you get there...

Whomever it was that came up with "It's the journey, not the destination..." did NOT account for modern air travel. It's all about the destination, the journey is a colossal kick in the junk before you ever get to the point of "Kid, if you don't stop kicking my seat, I'm gonna hit you so hard that your grandmother dies...."