Checking your gun at the airport

[coolhead64]

How do you do it?
It says in a locked hard plastic container, does this mean I can put it in the original glock box and put a lock through the handle, then do they check it out when you check your bag then you lock it back up?
Just put the glock box in my checked bag or it has to be separate?

[mikeymedic]

Call the TSA,at your local airport. They will tell you. FOr faster response go to the TSA website.

[coolhead64]

well I was kinda hoping for some experience from someone who had done it before.

[Reytx]

I've done it before at San Diego and Austin airports. I have a glock 30 and just put it in the original glock box. You need to have a lock that goes all the way around the handle on the outside of the box. Of course do not have one in the chamber. If I remember right I think you can have your magazines loaded up. When you get to the airport let the airport employee at the counter know and they will send you to a special area for you to check in your gun.

[David Hineline]

Separate case or locked case inside your luggage, but your luggage can not be locked. There will be a tag you put inside the case marking it as a firearm. It is by law that no identification of a firearm is put on the outside of case to prevent theft, but the baggage thieves know that only locked cases have guns. Understand it can be stolen. Check with your airline about costs of extra luggage, it might be cheaper and safer to UPS ship the handgun to your self at your destination.

[ShantyIrish]

TSA and the individual air carrier will have their own rules regarding this.

My Dad went flying with his shotgun, many years ago. I don't remember the carrier. Plus it was pre 9/11, so I believe he only had to go by carrier regulations.

If I remember correctly, trigger lock, in a locked case, in locked luggage. He had to show them each stage. Because it was a long gun, and near impossible to fit within standard type luggage, he was ok with trigger lock, then a Pelican, hard sided lockable rifle case.

[JLee]

I've flown with US Airways, SouthWest and Delta/NorthWest. Locked in a hard case with ammo in factory packaging was fine - could all be stuffed inside the same checked bag.

[iamacop]

I fly atleast once a month and always carry my pistola. As stated above, Put empty gun and magazine in original case if possible, and lock it. I put my ammo in original box. Most airlines make me stick my firearms decleration inside the gun case, but at times, they wanted it just inside the bag, but not in the gun case, so the screeners could see the tag. I've never locked up my actual bag though, and never have had a problem... It's not as complicated as it seems. At most, 5 minutes extra, if even that...

[coolhead64]

I think I'm going to try to take my gun to California with me.
Including my 15 rd mag.

[SgtCHP]

I don't travel with weapons. There are too many ganstas working the luggage ramps in airports and there are too many thefts of personal property taking place on those ramps. It does not take long to put two and two together.

Here is a story from Tampa dated June 2009

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new..._thefts_061609

[ShantyIrish]

Or you can just fly with a FED friend. I've done this a few times and what an amazingly easy time we had getting thru security...I won't get into the details because of OPSEC....but wow....

Got any FED friends with a few days off? LOL

[JLee]

I don't travel with weapons. There are too many ganstas working the luggage ramps in airports and there are too many thefts of personal property taking place on those ramps. It does not take long to put two and two together.

Here is a story from Tampa dated June 2009

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new..._thefts_061609

I've flown twice with a long gun case -- once they had it waiting in the locked baggage claims office...the other time they put it on the belt with all the other luggage.

I wish they'd let LE bring a locked hard case w/o ammo (small handgun case/etc) in a carry-on, but I doubt that'll ever happen.

[Looker]

I don't travel with weapons. There are too many ganstas working the luggage ramps in airports and there are too many thefts of personal property taking place on those ramps. It does not take long to put two and two together.

Here is a story from Tampa dated June 2009

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new..._thefts_061609

+1. I'll pack if I'm driving, but I don't leave my stuff to other people's sticky-fingered whims.

[DAL]

I don't travel with weapons. There are too many ganstas working the luggage ramps in airports and there are too many thefts of personal property taking place on those ramps. It does not take long to put two and two together.[/url]

In addition to that, you have the hassle of having to get to the airport very early and check your luggage at the ticket counter.

Maybe someone could start a rent-a-gun company so that you could pick one up when you arrive at the destination airport and return it there. When I have had LE friends visit, I just lent them one of mine.

[Rev1]

We should be allowed to fly armed.
Don't get me started on this issue!

[coolhead64]

What do yall think about the 15 rd mags in cali.
Anything?

[DAL]

What do yall think about the 15 rd mags in cali.
Anything?

Do you want to know what the law says or whether anyone is likely to care?

[David Hineline]

It's only a felony, so you only risk your right to own firearms, vote, and hold public office or civil service jobs.

http://www.gunlaw.com/index2.php?opt...do_pdf=1&id=17

[DAL]

It's only a felony, so you only risk your right to own firearms, vote, and hold public office or civil service jobs.

http://www.gunlaw.com/index2.php?opt...do_pdf=1&id=17

Much more complicated than that. It may even be perfectly legal or arguably legal.

[Dr. Peebody]

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new..._thefts_061609

"Of the roughly 2 billion passengers who have traveled since TSA assumed responsibility for security checkpoints in 2002, approximately 129,625 have filed claims to date. That is well under one hundredth of one percent."


i also, however, still wouldn't want to chance it.

[scotty707]

Make sure that there is no way the case can be opened enough for the gun to be removed. I almost got turned away by TSA at Oakland (CA) International because the case I had only had a hole for a lock on one side. They said they could slide the gun out by unlatching one side and pulling the case open about 1/2 inch.

[WillBrink]

How do you do it?
It says in a locked hard plastic container, does this mean I can put it in the original glock box and put a lock through the handle, then do they check it out when you check your bag then you lock it back up?
Just put the glock box in my checked bag or it has to be separate?

Read the airline you will be traveling policies on transportation of firearms and TSA regs. Each airline can have slightly different policies, but generally, locked case, empty gun, ammo not in case (most airlines have a max ammo limit like 50rnds) and so on. I have transported many a handgun through many an airport, and it's always gone generally smoothly for me. I always put the locked case in a larger bag with a TSA lock on it.

[Kieth M.]

Just did the right thing, for the first time last month. I used to just disassemble my pitsol, place the barrel in one bag, the slide, mags and ammo in another, and the lower frame in another.

Last month I unloaded the pistol, placed the locked-back, slide-open pistol in a hard aluminum, lockable case. I placed three loaded mags and one loose 9mm round in the foam padded case.

I flew from Denver to San Francisco and back on Southwest. At DIA I declared and filled out the paperwork at the Southwest counter. The counter woman had me fill out the bright orange card and lock it inside the case. A skycap rolled the case over to a small TSA office where they X-rayed the case and verified that the case was locked. Then they gave it back to the skycap, who returned it to the Southwest counter. Off to luggage handling it went. I was under the impression I would have to pick up the case at the luggage office at SFO. Nope, it came around the baggage carousel like everything else.

From SFO back to DIA the same process was repeated - exactly. I had expected the worst since I was in (Bagdhad-by-the-Bay) San Francicso. Nope, it all ran smooth. The orange card was, again, placed inside the case. There was nothing on my case that advertised the fact it was a gun.

As has been said, get there to the airport earlier. Have a pen of your own to start filling out forms. Make sure the gun's unloaded. The ammo can be boxed, or in mags.

[iamacop]

I'll tell you a funny story. When I flew from Dulles back to Texas two weeks ago, I obviously had to declare my gun. I believe TSA rules with explosives/ammunition is a 11 pound limit. I had a box of my duty ammo in my checked bag. She actually made me take it out, and she weighed it to make sure it didn't exceed the 11-pound limit. Safe to say, it was 1.9 pounds...Thank goodness I was safe..

[wirefire2]

Separate case or locked case inside your luggage, but your luggage can not be locked. There will be a tag you put inside the case marking it as a firearm. It is by law that no identification of a firearm is put on the outside of case to prevent theft, but the baggage thieves know that only locked cases have guns. Understand it can be stolen. Check with your airline about costs of extra luggage, it might be cheaper and safer to UPS ship the handgun to your self at your destination.

Whoa Whoa Whoa, negative ghost rider the pattern is full. DO NOT attempt to send your weapon through the mail, UPS or FEDEX, you will not like the result. Weapons have to be transported by weapons dealers across statelines.