tips for flying with a gun

[CypherPunk]

That is as different situation. I believe the discussion that caused a difference of opinion was putting the card inside your hard case and then putting that in your luggage. The card is meant to be taped or sit on top of your firearm hard case so if a secondary search is conducted, it will be will instantly revealed that the firearm was declared properly.

Putting the card inside the hard case offers no proof to TSA that the firearm was declared at check in. So if they cannot contact you to unlock the case if it has alarmed, by law the bag cannot go on the aircraft.

Even if you don't comply with the law and use the flimsy TSA locks, they still cannot see the card if it's inside the hard case.

Common sense may be needed to comprehend some of this.

The Orange Firearm Declaration form (UA) serves no other purpose than to document that you did in fact declare the firearm and that it was unloaded and both affirmations were witnessed by an Airline agent.

The bag is identified within the computer system as containing a declared firearm upon check-in.

There are no secondary inspections as the container has already been inspected in front of you, per TSA Regulations. If they need to access the bag/container again, they will page or come get you in almost every circumstance. They dont trust TSA agents to have access to firearms outside yoru presence. In fact, TSA Agnets are not allowed to even touch the firearm at all.

 

[CypherPunk]

On a related note, on at least two occasions, I have experienced where a Pelican cases triggers the explosives detectors.

Apparently, its due to a chemical used in Pelican's manufacturing process.

 

[redeemed.man]

On a related note, on at least two occasions, I have experienced where a Pelican cases triggers the explosives detectors.

Apparently, its due to a chemical used in Pelican's manufacturing process.

Thankfully I have never experienced that and have flown often with the Pelican case.

 

[pilotguy]

Wow - not sure what the card confusion is here. The card is not required by TSA - it is not even required by every airline. Each airline handles firearms differently. For United, as I have flown with firearms the most on United, the card is both for liability and to give the employee additional reinforcement in making sure the proper steps (required by the airline) were followed (i.e. firearm was indeed checked, etc.)

TSA or their agent inspect the case before closure at check-in and then they want no more liability on it! The only time (out of literally hundreds of times flying with weapons) I have ever been called back by TSA was when I accidentally left a few loose rounds in the case and they just asked me to put them in a magazine.

Other airlines do not even require a card. Lufthansa (ex-IAD) does not require one but they will some times put a tag on the outside of the case saying that it must not be placed on the general baggage carousel and are to be picked up at baggage services. But every time I retrieve my weapons from Lufthansa they are on the carousel.

When I fly to foreign countries, it is strange, because those with stricter laws (like Germany) seem more relaxed about it.

 

[CypherPunk]

Flying on UA as I type. As stated I asked and no. Just went back up and started conversation with FA and her husband is a Delta pilot. She said they (UA and Delta) have no idea if a passenger checked a firearm only if it is in the cabin. The ground crew might know, but it is not on the manifest and they do not know about it. Damn United internet sucks in and out.

From a friend who is an AA pilot:

The manifest is printed and handed to the no. 1 flight attendant, and the cockpit crew would be able to access that info via computer.

A pilot would vary rarely see a passenger manifest unless he personally pulled it up before flight, or asked the no. 1 flight attendant for her copy. Nobody else would ever see it. I know I don’t pull it up before flight, as I already have way too much paperwork as it is, and I really don’t care who is back there as a normal passenger. That’s why I have my gun up front!

 

[Crab Bait]

I'll repost my rig here.

This is what I used. I put small holes in the lining of the suitcase and ran the cable lock around the sleeve that the collapsible handle slides inside - that way the box couldn't be removed from the suitcase (not easily anyway). The other two locks were required according to what I had read. I locked the slide back on the pistol and had ammo in the original packaging inside the box. The box was like ten bucks, the locks were like ten bucks (although you could use cheaper I guess), and the cable lock was from my collection of cable locks. I had to open it when I checked in.

Saw above and thought to add that the magazine was unloaded and also inside the box, but not in the pistol.

 

[Tomcat]

My most recent experience flying with Southwest. I checked on their website and as others have said gun unloaded, magazine removed and ammo boxed (didn't say it had to be in original box) If the mag was loaded it had to be in a partition (cut out in the foam?)

Checked in at BWI on Thursday morning and told the woman at the baggage check that I had a fiream in my luggage. First she told me that the lock on my bag was not TSA approved, then when I got out the Pelican case she also said the locks on it weren't approved. After filling out a card and a quick look at the gun inside the case she said I was good to go but if the TSA wanted to look inside they would contact me at the gate and I could miss my flight. When I got to the gate I checked with the attendant who said TSA hadn't been looking for me.

Returning this morning from Orlando nothing was mentioned about the locks, filled out the card, she barely looked inside then after I re-locked the case she taped the card to the outside of the case. Then she had me follow her to a TSA check point where they scanned my bag and said good to go.

What better to do during the flight than catch up on the last couple of days on MDS

 

[swinokur]

The locks on your gun case don't need to be "approved" only that they can be locked and you alone retain the key or combo. The lock on your suitcase doesn't need to be TSA approved either . It just means they'll cut it off if they want to conduct a secondary search

I hate uninformed employees of any ilk.
.

 

[OLM-Medic]

I had an easy time flying with a firearm.

Put it in a standard case, locked it with a regular padlock, told them it was in there when I checked it, and that was it. No hassle at all with American Airlines.

 

[Pinecone]

Agent was wrong.

Gun case is supposed to NOT have TSA locks.