Getting Revolver Ammo To A Match When Flying

[AFDavis11]

I have a friend that is waaaaay into the sport after one shoot and has been asking a million questions. Last week, along with 60 other questions was: "How do you get revolver ammo to a match when you fly?" I have to admit I have no idea. How do you? You obviously won't get primer ignition from any Factory stuff you buy. Can you fly with ammo or do you retune your hammer for factory loads?

[Luke Fay]

Ok,

the airlines will only let you bring 11 lbs of ammo, but it only becomes a problem if you put it all together. get the 50 rounds boxs and scatter them among your checked bags. If the counter asks, you can show them a couple of boxes and be done with it, if you show them a ammo can with 600 rounds they are going to have a hard time with that. hope this helps.

Luke

[AFDavis11]

Very much, thanx

[ChuckS]

AF,

Another method is to find out if the match people have a ship-to address and send the stuff UPS (or something). If you are going through the expense of flying to a match, why risk having a crappy match cuz you wound up having to use inappropriate ammo?

Later,

Chuck

[Patrick Sweeney]

Spreading the ammo won't work if some nosy security prole sees another box and starts digging. If you're in the US going to a match in the US, just ship the ammo to yourself at the match hotel.

[AFDavis11]

Thank you, Patrick!

[Carmoney]

Spreading the ammo won't work if some nosy security prole sees another box and starts digging. If you're in the US going to a match in the US, just ship the ammo to yourself at the match hotel.

I think Sweeney fits a profile......!

[D.carden]

Al

I ship using UPS, sending it to the hotel.

1) ground delivery (only)

2) box marked ORM-D SMALL ARMS AMMO

3) it must go from a UPS Hub, not one of those UPS stores.

4) they guarantee 5 day coast to coast. Have it arrive a few days before your flight so you can receive a delivery confirmation.

Its really simple.....Sometimes the Hotel even calls to let me know I have a "heavy" package waiting.

DanBagger

[Carmoney]

I've done both--taken it on the plane and shipped it out ahead of time.

I did have one occasion when the ammo arrived early at the hotel, and they decided anything marked "small arms ammunition" needed to be locked up in the security office. Problem was, by the time I arrived at the hotel late on the evening before the match, the security office was closed for the night and wasn't scheduled to open until 9am the next morning, and nobody at the front desk had the key. Fortunately, I convinced them to call the security manager at home and he came in and opened up the office so I could have my ammo.

My current MO is to put just under 11 pounds of my reloaded ammo (that's about 230 rounds of 230-gr. .45 ACP) in factory ammo boxes I've saved just for that purpose, and put it in the suitcase next to the gun. Then I scatter a couple more 50-round boxes of ammo in the suitcase where they're not likely to see them.

This has worked perfectly. And I figure if they find the extra "contraband," I'll just leave them at the counter and I'll at least have enough, or almost enough, to get through the match. I also carry my hand-priming tool with me in case I need to swing through Wal-Mart and pick up some extra ammo. From testing at home, I have determined that my light-action match gun will work with nearly every brand of factory ammo if the primers are re-squeezed by hand. (That's another advantage of not going too terribly light on the trigger pull, guys.)

Of course, you only need to worry about your outgoing flight, coming back you won't have enough ammo along to matter. I'm fortunate to fly out of Des Moines most of the time, which has been a popular upland hunting destination since the beginnning of commercial air travel. The ticket people are simply not freaked out by firearms or ammo, and they're generally just nice midwesterners. I had one 60-something lady compliment me on my revolvers one time--she commented that she really liked the "blued" one (my 25-2 I was using for a back-up at the time). I figured if she knew the term was "blued" she must know a little something! We had a nice conversation about the upcoming match and she wished me luck. Cool, huh?

It also doesn't hurt to look (and act) very clean-cut. I have always suspected that I have had less trouble with the airline people because I have a decent haircut and don't dress like a dirtball. So if you're 45 years old and think you still need to maintain a ponytail and beard, etc., you might want to re-think that plan.

Think normal. Think Bob Perdue.

[D.carden]

It also doesn't hurt to look (and act) very clean-cut. I have always suspected that I have had less trouble with the airline people because I have a decent haircut and don't dress like a dirtball. So if you're 45 years old and think you still need to maintain a ponytail and beard, etc., you might want to re-think that plan.

Think normal. Think Bob Perdue.

Mike........You got to get out of the "court-room" mentality dude.......Not everyone with a ponytail and beard is a suspect..........Even to the airlines !!!

Can you spell "discrimination"........Lighten-up man !!!!!

[Carmoney]

Dan, must be the fact that I'm typing this week from CALI-frickin-FORNIA!!

It's work-related, and I have virtually no free time. And unfortunately I had to miss the Big Dawg Steel match to be out here.

[hopalong]

Bout time you worked for a living!!!

How is it out on the Left coast any way?????

found any FROOTLOOPS yet? Aaah Hmmm I meant you seen Dan yet?? Ha, Ha, Ha, I kill myself sometimes !!!!

Sam

[smokshwn]

FYI,

Frontier Airlines has no personal ammo restrictions (and great seat width/legroom). I could not find it on their website so I called customer service and was politely informed that there was no limit imposed by the airline. This then begged the question as to where the 11lb. limit everyone else imposes came from. The answer I got was the 11 lb. limit is an average based on the total amount the plane is allowed to carry as per the FAA. The limit is essentially a false limit due to the fact that I can't ever imagine a flight with more than two or three folks carrying ammo.

[shred]

Actually the source of the 11 lbs is an international (IATA) rule/law, which covers international flights. Most of the US airlines (the exceptions being Frontier and Alaska, to my knowledge) use the same limit domestically in the form of an airline rule as well-- it makes their lives easier since they don't have to care where you're going.

Moral: Start all your trips on Frontier or Alaska..

[Carmoney]

found any FROOTLOOPS yet? Aaah Hmmm I meant you seen Dan yet?? Ha, Ha, Ha, I kill myself sometimes !!!!

I'm telling ya, Sam--even before he gave up the pith helmet look, the Danbagger looked as normal as Bob Perdue compared to some of these Californians I've seen on the streets out here.

[bgary]

Domestic limit on Alaska (and Horizon) is 50 pounds of ammo...

http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/faqs/Sp...elatedItems.asp

Bruce