Flew Southwest with my first firearm last week

General Firearms Handguns - 1911
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Posted in the 1911 forum since that’s what I travelled with…

Last week I went on Spring Break from TN to AZ to take my family to the Grand Canyon. I’ve never transported before, so it was an interesting experience. Decided if we are going to have the privelege, need to exercise it.

I had an old NVG case, and some foam, just the right thickness for 3 layers. In the bottom layer, I made cutouts (using an extended razor utility knife) for my Milt Sparks VM2, double mag pouch and flashlight. The second layer was just a plain piece of foam, and the top layer a cutout for my Kimber (Pro CDP II), 3 (empty) mags and a box of ammunition. One layer of wafflefoam in the lid, and two combination locks (heavy Case locks) completed the project. I also researched and confirmed Southwest’s policy/proceedures, and check for reciprocity and any differences in the TN and AZ laws.

Flying out of Nashville, I got in the ticket line, and when it came my time, I went to the counter and declared the firearm. While a little surprised, the agent quickly recovered, asked me to open the case and show it unloaded (Which I did right there in front of everybody), relock the case and put back in my luggage. We then completed the declaration, taped it to the outside of my case, and off my baggage went. The agent told me to wait 15 minutes, and if they didn’t need me, then I’d be free to go to the gate (waited 20 to be sure). No mess, no issues. Fairly simple.

Flying back home out of Phoenix, got in the ticket line and again declared the firearm, opened case, showed unloaded, relocked case. This time, they then took me and the bag to a private TSA area. The TSA agent actually swabbed both the outside of my case, and my luggage with a strip of something, then placed that into a chemical detector machine (I assume it tested for explosives and/or drugs). Given a pass by the machine, she initialled and placed a colored sticker on my baggage tag, wrote on a clipboard log then took the bag and let me on my way. She asked me if I’d been to the gunshow (must have been a big local one). I asked her if she did this often, her response was “all day”. Again, easy peasy.

What I learned: If you properly prepare, to include a few extra minutes for the additional security, flying with your firearm is no big deal. Again, the key would be to check the airlines site for instructions, along with the laws/regulations of your destination.

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Let me get this straight, they put a firearm declaration tag on the OUTSIDE OF THE SUITCASE for all the thieves to see?

Is this how they do it NOW? They used to put the firearm tag on the INSIDE of the suitcase.

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Those are both improper procedures. I frequently fly with firearms and stay current on policies with different carriers.

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No I guess I should have been clearer:

Outbound flight: Declaration tag was taped to outside of hard case, hard case was inside soft luggage bag with my other luggage. Not visible.

Inbound flight: Same, but there WAS a small sticker (like an orange dot) added onto the baggage tag…

What I DID think was interesting: on the outbound flight the declaration tag was taped to the outside hard case (I would assume so if the TSA opened the luggage, and saw the hard case, they’d know it was inspected and it had my phone number on it so they could call me if they needed me to come open it. On the Return flight, the TSA agent that swabbed the hard case had me put the declaration tag INSIDE the hard case that only I had the combination to - so how would the call me if there was an issue? I had another sticker with my full name/phone/address on the hard case anyway, but when I asked the agent what good it did to put it inside the locked case, her response was “that’s just how we do it” didn’t make sense.

Mr. Leuba, care to comment further? From what I saw on Southwest’s site, the outbound flight matched their instructions.

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That seems improper to me. Any external indication that there is something special about the luggage screams “something good to steal inside” to anyone looking at it.

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The button pushers should never ask you to expose a firearm at the counter. The only reason that the case gets opened there is to put in the unloaded firearm card.

There should be no external indication of the contents of the case. The reason is three-fold:
Prevent theft by employees
Prevent theft at the luggage pick-up
Prevent identifying yourself as being in possession of firearms to anyone that does not need to be informed.

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I’ve never had Southwest place a sticker on the exterior of my bag when flying with a handgun nor would I let them. I want my bag to blend in with the rest of them. As of the last time I flew they didn’t put a sticker anywhere on there, I think the ticketing agent screwed up.

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This sounds really wrong, on many levels bro. I’ve flown with firearms literally dozens of times, sometimes travelling with as many as 6+ long guns in several different cases from airports in Hawaii to Florida and everywhere in between with many different airlines. I don’t consider myself an expert on many things with firearms, but flying with them is definitely something I have experience with.

What Jack said is how it needs to go. There should be no stickers period on anything and if there is, you need to speak to a super-supervisor (since the person you’re dealing with is probably already a supervisor). This is a requirement with just about every airline, as I think it’s an FAA regulation.

The way it should go is:

Walk up to counter, declare a firearm. Step off to the side. THey will give you an unloaded firearm card. You sign it, open your case, place the card in the case, and lock the case up with a non-TSA approved lock. Then you take the locked case to the x-ray machine and watch them scan it. Since they cannot open the case to inspect, you need to be there to make sure they give it the all clear.

They don’t put any stickers, tags, paperwork, nothing on it.

This method also prevents BS when flying with things like suppressors, ammunition, SBRs, machine guns, etc. They don’t need to see inside. It’s none of their business.

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And don’t be afraid to tell them if they are wrong about what they are asking/telling you to do. I’ve had to.
What Eurodriver driver wrote is exactly how it should go down. Accept nothing else.

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Question #1: What is the purpose of putting an unloaded firearm card inside the case, when the only person who can get into the case is you?

I would have assumed the card would be nearby or on the case (case inside an unmarked bag), so that if any inspectors opened the baggage, THEN they would see the card, which has your phone number should they need to call you to come open the case…

Question #2: If you are opening the case to put the card inside at the baggage check, isn’t that the same as displaying it? I’m not saying I had to handle the firearm to show them it was unloaded; in my case, I had one of those orange safety plugs in the chamber which confirmed it was unloaded. I opened the case, pointed at the plug and said “see, it’s unloaded with that plug in it”; they said “ok”.

I didn’t like the fact that they marked my outside bag (but putting a orange dot sticker on the tag), but I also didn’t want to get into an argument and find myself and my family not on my flight home. It was already a 2+ hour delay - we finally got home at 0330 local Sunday AM it was a LONG day.

I find this very informative and hope it also helps other members. Thank you for taking the time to explain.

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This is how it’s gone for me flying out of DEN and MIA multiple times, with various combinations of pistol and/or rifle cases. all very matter of fact and low key.

Note that the pistol cases NEVER have gone inside luggage - are always handled by TSA and then picked up with ID at destination.

Interesting note is that i visited family in SAV w/pistol case a couple of times, too. The firearm cases rolled out on the regular baggage line - no special handling. Also noted several other long guns come out too. The good ol’ boys seem to be pretty relaxed there. :slight_smile:

NOTE: if you connect thru a non-friendly airport (like um, LGA, for example), for God’s sake, DON’T claim your bags unless you like handcuff bondage! Had a friend that did this and he had a very unpleasant (and expensive) layover in NY.

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Does the Airline insure your firearms if they were to misplace your luggage? what would happen in that situation?

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This. When it’s right, flying like this with checked firearms is actually better than flying in every mode but carry-on only traveling.

Answer to Q1 from skydivr - the reason the card is in there is that after contacting you to come and unlock the case, they see the tag in there indicating that there isn’t a loaded firearm in the box.

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I believe it’s subject to whatever liability cap is placed on them (at some point $3300). That said, realize that no company wants to have to shell out $3k AND have a righteous media shitstorm that they’re providing weapons of customers to criminals through ineptitude.

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Sounds easy enough, just make sure to AVOID Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, even if connecting. You will be arrested and your gun confiscated if you have to re-declare your weapon when flying through any of those airports.
I would not want any kind of sticker on my bag notifying anyone that there is a firearm inside. Theft will happen.

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Seems nonsensical: If I have to come unlock and open the case, I would assume the card means little, when the firearm is right there for them to look at and I’d assume they’d make me show them anyway…

If you are connecting, and the airline has your baggage, how would you ever get your hands back on your baggage to have to reclaim it? As long as it’s in their baggage system, I would assume it’s not in YOUR possession and therefore there’s no cause for arrest/confiscation…Just curious. In the future, I will protest ANY attempt to mark the outside bag with anything that might show it’s got a firearm inside.

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I recently flew with Southwest and declared a firearm for the first time. STL to Palm Beach. Check in, I declared the firearm, and filled out a card. Card was taped to the outside of my locked hardcase. Case was placed in a locked suitcase. They didn’t have me open the hardcase. My only gripe was the check in agent for SW declared “Theres a firearm in this one” a little too loud for me. I was escorted to the TSA scanner by another SW employee, bag went through, and TSA agent said I was good to go.

It was a fairly painless procedure, minus the loudmouth. Return trip was even less eventful. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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Check out Revell v. Port Authority at http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/092029p.pdf. Basically, Utah traveler headed to Pennsylvania missed his Newark connection. Retrieved his luggage for a night at the hotel before continuing to destination next day. Busted checking his firearm with the rest of his luggage.

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Realistically, it’s already been valet searched by the TSA. If the owner of that lock hard case is required to be contacted, then they should be engaging in lots of precautions, including making the owner open it if EOD isn’t present. Honestly, I don’t think they’ve thought the card thing through all that hard, but if I all have to do is spend a couple minutes checking in (and more importantly I get to actually see team grubby-paws looking through the case I’m sending as checked baggage) it’s worth the hassle completely.

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Ok. Yes, I could see that. I wouldn’t TOUCH my baggage in that situation, go find the airline and tell THEM to pick it back up and store it. As long as I didn’t take possession, I’d think you’d be ok…