Chuck D Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 (edited) I haven't flown to a match in ages... Would anyone be willing to provide some info and tips on flying to matches ? Is there a preferred airline ? Are there airlines I should avoid ? I have read the regs on the TSA webpage...I'm more interested in others "real world" experiences. The destinations in 2012 are Texas and North Carolina. Thank you and Merry Christmas. Edited December 23, 2011 by Chuck D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hefta Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 If you follow the airlines instructions it's really no big deal to fly with guns and ammo. You need a lockable guncase, locked with TSA locks. All ammo in a seperate bag or luggage, ammo has to be in containers specificly made for ammo storage. There is a wieght restriction on how mauch ammo you can have per person too. I have only flown with Air Tram and it was a peice of cake. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deacon12224 Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 (edited) Lots of info on the sticky at the top of this forum. Check it out. DO NOT use TSA locks on the gun case. You should be the only person that can open the case. Each airline is a little different. I usually fly Delta or AirTran and they are no problem. Ammo has to be in ammo boxes. You can't fly with ammo in a plastic bag or loose. It has to be in boxes designed to carry ammo. I have been given some grief because of a bag full of empty brass on the way home, but once they saw there were no live rounds, they were ok. Be careful how you tell the ticket agent about the gun. "I would like to declare an unloaded firearm in my luggage" is much better than "I have a gun." The case has to be a good solid gun case like a Pelican. The kind of plastic boxes that guns come in may not be acceptable. There should be no way to pry it open. Also, do not try and use your range bag as a carry on. Too many places to have something that will get you in trouble if you forget to take it out. It also will always fail the swab test for exposives. Not worth the hassle of trying to explain. Double and triple check your pockest and your carry on before you come back. Really easy to leave a live round or two or a knife in one of your pockets. Weigh your bags. Most airlines charge major fees for bags over 50 pounds. That's is really not that heavy. A gun, case, shooting gear and ammo will make that easy. Just a few off the top of my head. Edited December 23, 2011 by deacon12224 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NL7CO Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Call or go see your local airline folks. I have no problem flying out of OK or TX, but one time I returned through Las Vegas and their policy is that you have to wait some specified time after checking your luggage to see if the TSA wants to look in your bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaz Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 +1 on the don't use TSA locks. If they need to get in my case they can call me. Also Ammo is tricky for a match because 11 pounds is most you can carry in your checked luggage on most airlines. If I know someone from my area I will ask them to take it for me or I will ship it to my hotel. Some Matches will also have a address you can ship ammo to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hefta Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 +1 on the don't use TSA locks. If they need to get in my case they can call me. Also Ammo is tricky for a match because 11 pounds is most you can carry in your checked luggage on most airlines. If I know someone from my area I will ask them to take it for me or I will ship it to my hotel. Some Matches will also have a address you can ship ammo to. They won't call you, they will just cut the locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 If you get an unexpected stopover in NJ or NYC requiring rechecking your bag, do NOT attempt to check the bag with the gun at the airline counter. Find a Fedex box and ship it to yourself, or take a bus out of dodge. NY (and by some reports NJ) seems to have this unusual custom of summoning police for a "legality check" on any checked firearm, and even when FOPA86 applies, have a less than stellar record in properly understanding it. >They won't call you, they will just cut the locks. True, but TSA regulations also prohibit allowing a gun to fly in unlocked luggage creating an interesting catch 22 here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 I assume you mean stop over as in spending the night not simply changing flights correct ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Griffin Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I assume you mean stop over as in spending the night not simply changing flights correct ? Also be sure to check and see if you got a letter from the government the other day. If you open and read it, it will likely say that they are suckers. Seriously though, if Southwest is an option that's the way to go. I started putting 11lbs of ammo in both checked bags and so far they haven't said Boo about it, plus with the two bags at 50 pounds each you don't have to leave anything at home. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 I assume you mean stop over as in spending the night not simply changing flights correct ? Also be sure to check and see if you got a letter from the government the other day. If you open and read it, it will likely say that they are suckers. Seriously though, if Southwest is an option that's the way to go. I started putting 11lbs of ammo in both checked bags and so far they haven't said Boo about it, plus with the two bags at 50 pounds each you don't have to leave anything at home. Matt If I was Chuck D from Public Enemy...I'd just carry my "toaster" on the plane and let my lawyer take care of the criminal charges ! Seriously...thanks for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrider18 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) Some good advice.... Do Not use TSA locks on your gun case. Gun case must be securely closed when locked. Sounds like a no brainer, but, some cases can be pried open at the end and a weapon removed; even with the case locked. Arrive very early for your flight at your initial departure point. A TSA agent will take you to a private screening area to see if your case meets TSA provisions. During transit, if TSA cuts your locks off for inspection, they will secure your case with TSA zip ties with an attached notice stating your case was opened for inspection. Excellent advice on NJ and NYC. FOPA protection does not exist. Take note of the Special Advisory regarding NJ and NYC at the link below. Here is the NRA's current opinion on travel with firearms by certain destinations. Edited January 18, 2012 by Roadrider18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Going through Miami on the way back from the Columbus Cup in Aruba last year, I got paged way back to the entire other end of the airport to unlock my bag so they could look in it. The other guy on my flight had a tighter connection and couldn't make it back. They wouldn't let his bag go without looking in it and they wouldn't send it on without locks. They ended up chopping his locks and then using one of their own, which he had to chop once he got home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctimw Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Going through Miami on the way back from the Columbus Cup in Aruba last year, I got paged way back to the entire other end of the airport to unlock my bag so they could look in it. The other guy on my flight had a tighter connection and couldn't make it back. They wouldn't let his bag go without looking in it and they wouldn't send it on without locks. They ended up chopping his locks and then using one of their own, which he had to chop once he got home. I fly primarily the southern states...Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and I have found that American and Southwest have very basic firearm requests that have been easy to follow. As stated prior, Never use TSA locks. A quote from SWA on locks.."Only the Customer checking the luggage should retain the key or combination to the lock. No exceptions will be made." I have used on several occasions my range bag as my carry-on. I used to be afraid of the swab test but it has NEVER indicated anything! Makes me happy but also concerned at the same time!! Hard shell Pelican case placed inside a regular suitcase or stand alone. Both ways have worked and I make that decision based upon how much gear I need to take. Many times I have a suitcase for just the gear. I do keep a copy of the firearm guidelines of the FAA and the specific airline I am flying. NOT to get into an argument but to have in case a question arises and it helps to speed things along. Arrive early and be very professional and polite and you shouldn't have any problems. However, as stated by others...the Northeast has some "Gotcha Loopholes" that may give you a free ride to the Fed's Farm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 +1 on the don't use TSA locks. If they need to get in my case they can call me. Also Ammo is tricky for a match because 11 pounds is most you can carry in your checked luggage on most airlines. If I know someone from my area I will ask them to take it for me or I will ship it to my hotel. Some Matches will also have a address you can ship ammo to. They won't call you, they will just cut the locks. +1. TSA at Vegas cut my locks last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Chuck, If you are coming into NC thru Charlotte and expect ammo issues, you can always ship to my house and I will meet you somewhere. I live 6 miles out of the airport. Drop me a PM if need. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remoandiris Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) Lots of good advice given, but keep in mind different airlines, airports and TSA agents can/do treat guns differently. No, it shouldn't be that way, but it is. I've flown to and from Fla, OK, KS, Vegas, and Pa, sometimes thru the same airport, sometimes different airports. Never got the same treatment twice. Small airports are easiest. When you go to the airline ticket counter and tell the ticket agent you are traveling with firearms, they will give you a small orange form (firearms declaration form) to fill out and place on top of the gun if it is inside it's own case or on top of the gun case if it is inside other luggage. That way if TSA opens your luggage, that is the first thing they see and they'll know the luggage contains a declared gun. I had one ticket counter agent in KS tell me to put it inside the gun case on top of the gun even though I was putting the gun case inside another piece of luggage. The TSA agent at the x-ray machine said that was wrong. I knew that but the ticket agent insisted. Depending on the airport, you may have to walk your luggage to an x-ray machine or the ticket agent takes the luggage and puts it on a conveyor belt. Whenever I walk it to a TSA agent, I always tell them I'm traveling with firearms. Whenever the ticket agent puts it on a conveyor, I tell the agent I'll wait to make sure TSA has no issue with the screening. At small airports this is easy. At a larger airport, the agent may tell you to pound sand. As for ammo, I have never had a ticket agent tell me to pull it out so it can be weighed seperately. As long as your luggage is under the max weight, I doubt you'll have any problem. BTW, traveling with guns is really easy. You just need to know how to do it. Edited January 18, 2012 by remoandiris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HI5-O Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I carry a print out of TSA's rules for firearms and ammo with me just in case. Always be patient with the airline ticket agent even when they're wrong. Ask for the supervisor if something goes really wrong. Check with the TSA person first (if possible) before heading to the gate. I put my cell phone number on the outside of the gun case (it's locked in a hard sided suit case). Only time I had my ammo weighed was in 2005, coming back from the nationals, at St. Louis by TSA. She opened all of the ammo boxes and looked for...? Too bad for us the bridge to the west coast hasn't been completed...yet otherwise I would drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpspinner Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 My experience has been pretty much with United airlines and they are really easy. Just declare you have an unloaded firearm and you are good to go. So airports has a designated counter just for firearms checkin. They have never weighed my ammo and I'm never "exact" on the 11lbs. +1 again on NOT using TSA locks for your firearms. I have also traveled with a large soft suitcase and with the individual hard factory gun cases inside with had no issues. Burbank United has been the easiest and friendliest with a firearm that I've ever been thru. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaster113 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) I've had relatively trouble free experiences flying from Hawaii to the CONUS with Hawaiian, United and Delta. My pistol gets put in a Pelican case which is chained and locked to the inside of a soft sided Samsonite. Case is locked with a non-TSA lock. Suitcase itself is locked with a TSA lock. Ammo in blue Dillon boxes or old ammo boxes in another suitcase which is also declared. I always try to get to the airport at least 2 hours before my flight leaves to allow for delays related to my gun. At the counter I tell them I have to declare a firearm and ammo. At every single airport Ive been to the clerk usually is not completely sure of the procuedures so they have to call someone else over. I always try to be patient and extra courteous even when the clerk is being a d*ck. Dont want to get a cavity search from security or have my expensive pistols get "accidentally" sent to Guam or something. Been to only a few airports; home, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix were all pretty much the same when it comes to checking in with a firearm but its not that bad. Edited January 22, 2012 by blaster113 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I fly with guns quite often, and my solution is a Samsonite hard-sided suitcase like the one pictured here. These suitcases are extremely strong and durable, and they are always available on ebay for $50 or less. Because the suitcase itself is hard-sided, the guns can be placed inside in soft zippered gun rugs. Properly packed ammo can be carried inside the suitcase also, along with all your clothes and other stuff. I have a small simple shooting bag I use for a carry-on. It's small enough to fit neatly under the seat in front of me, which is convenient for my DVD player, books/magazines, water bottle, etc. And that way I have an actual shooting bag when I'm at the range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanCdp Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Nov 2011 was my 1st time flying to a match and i went from Nashville to Phoenix Az thru Southwest and didnt have any trouble at all.I used a S&W Performance Center gun case with roll locks with no key,with the 1911 had a cablelock thru the magwell..At nashville at the checkin counter the girl wanted me to open the PC case and she stuck a piece of paper in it and i locked it back up.Asked about ammo and i just showed her the 2 100 round Dillon ammo boxes and the 2 xtra carry mags loaded with ammo in a completely covered mag pouch.Said to hang around for 30 mins to see if TSA had any questions and i was never paged..Leaving Phoenix was a little different.The girl at the counter justed taped the firearms sticker to the PC case and then i was walked over to a TSA counter with 3 of them waiting around..the young man was nice and i asked if he wanted me to unlock the PC case for him to look at the weapon,but he said no,but would would have to "take apart" my bag and do a through inspection.. i thought WTF??? Then his key wouldnt fit my TSA approved locks so then i offered mine and he said he couldnt touch my keys,but they finally found a set that would unlock them..he really went thru my bag and worked his way around the outside and banding of the bag..after he was done they paged a guy back from southwest and they walked it back to the counter and that was it.. Kinda funny while standing there watching him do the search of my bag,airline guy brought over a fishin rod in a 8'long looked to be a fancy PVC case,and they wanded and sniffed the crap out of it and took it all apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) They won't call you, they will just cut the locks. Not true in my experience. They'll try to reach you - and if they can't, your bag won't get on the plane... Follow appropriate steps, and they shouldn't have a problem reaching you (ie, put your contact info on the outside of the gun case, etc). I did a write up and video on this a while back - you might find it useful: http://re-gun.com/20...h-a-gun-how-to/ And, if you think that's paranoid.... http://re-gun.com/20...-that-paranoid/ ETA - every time I go through a new airport, it seems like it's something different, with different policies/procedures. it's highly dependent on who searches your bag, and what the policy du jour is as to whether it'll be easy and painless, or a PITA. The only airports I've actually had any really painful issues with were Indianapolis and San Diego - but then, I haven't checked guns in Chicago, New York, Boston, LAX, SFO... so, there might be worse... Edited January 25, 2012 by XRe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 BOS (Boston) is not a problem. Although you need a permit for damn near everything in the DPRM (high cap mags and ammo included), I've never had to deal with anything other than the standard TSA procedures. A uniquely NY (and possibly NJ) phenomena is summoning law enforcement for a "legality check", and then having to deal with an officer who understands neither subtle nuances of NY penal code 265.20(13) or FOPA 86. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Lord Gomer Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Hey Rob, BOLS isn't a problem for a MA resident with permits but what about an out-of-stater? I was warned to not even bring any guns when I fly into/out of Boston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpspinner Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) .... I haven't checked guns in Chicago, New York, Boston, LAX, SFO... so, there might be worse... I haven't had any issues with SFO with United, Frontier or Southwest. I haven't been brave enough to use LAX, I used John Wayne and Burbank instead. Edited January 26, 2012 by lpspinner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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