Flying

[in625shooter]

OP is flying, not driving. People get into hot water while flying when plans go astray (missed connections, bad weather, cancelled flights) and you take possession of bags in intermediate localities before your destination. For example:

Traveling Man's Gun Arrest Appealed to Supreme Court | Fox News

Flying is no different than driving. The Airlines are responsible for the secure storage and delivery of a persons declared authorized firearms. I wouldn't believe everything out of Fox news. Just like I wouldn't believe everything out of MSNBC They slant the other/opposite way.

President Reagan signed the Safe Passage act due to a 1982 court case ageist the ATF and some overzealous prosecution Below is a paste of the just of it.


[h=2]"Safe Passage" provision[edit][/h]

This section requires expansion with: examples and additional citations. (May 2011)

One of the law's provisions was that persons traveling from one place to another cannot be incarcerated for a firearms offense in a state that has strict gun control laws if the traveler is just passing through (short stops for food and gas), provided that the firearms and ammunition are not immediately accessible, that the firearms are unloaded and, in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment, the firearms are located in a locked container.[SUP][8][/SUP]
Under this provision, someone driving from Virginia to a competition in Vermont with a locked hard case containing an unloaded handgun and a box of ammunition in the trunk could not be prosecuted in New Jersey or New York City for illegal possession of a handgun provided that the individual did not stop in New Jersey or New York for an extended period of time.

18 U.S. Code § 926A - Interstate transportation of firearms | LII / Legal Information Institute

 

[Hoosier8]

If your flight gets canceled in Chicago and you have to leave the airport with your luggage, rent a car and drive the rest of the way.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

You could always just ship the firearm home as well...

 

[Shadow]

Ok I'm getting ready to fly to alaska and this is what i was thinking should be ok .... Putting my pistol in the hard case i bought it in and locking it , then putting that case in a brief case and lock it also . Thoughts ?

 

[in625shooter]

Ok I'm getting ready to fly to alaska and this is what i was thinking should be ok .... Putting my pistol in the hard case i bought it in and locking it , then putting that case in a brief case and lock it also . Thoughts ?

You will have to open the case with the firearm and show the airline that it is unloaded and ammunition is in some kind of container (magazines and speedloaders don't cut it. It can be a hard ammo box or original ammo cardboard box etc). As far as placing it inside another case afterward probably not going to be allowed and if you do be prepared to get called. It will most likely cause your bags to be hand searched. If the firearm in in it's own and marked then they know what they are seeing. You stand a chance of getting called anyway for a 2 or 3rd check but not all the time. Even though they could see the "unloaded" tags you have to put inside the case. The extra thing I do is run a cable lock through my slide or cylinder/ along with the outside lock on the case. (I get called less when they see the cable lock through the gun on the X ray than I use to but it still happens time to time)


The only time I placed my handgun case into another case was from my rental car to thee airline counter and my baggage claim to my vehicle etc. Didn't want to carry a walking advertisement around and couldn't just make ready and strap on in the public. But you still had to remove it when checking it in.

 

[Shadow]

Dont take this wrong ,just asking questions to learn . So the S&W handgun comes in a nice bright blue case --- i put a cable lock through the slide and mag hole , add the 2 empty mags and a boxs of shells (still in their cardboard container) then close it and put a padlock on it ,and check it like that ? I know i'll have to open it as i check in , but he's my concern wouldnt that be a flag to some one to pick it up off the baggage belt and walk off with it -when you reach your destination , or do you have to go to a special area to pick it up ?

 

[Cameramonkey]

Shadow, the factory case won't cut it. It MUST be an FAA approved case.

This is one situation where you want to check with the airlines and follow their rules to the letter. Doing anything but what they say no matter how clever and ingenious will only ruin your trip.

And I could see the idiots at the TSA interpreting your cleverness as trying to fool them, causing much hassle.

and I THINK (check with the airlines) you can put the declared handgun inside one of your checked bags with your clothes and such after it is tagged and inspected at the check in ticket counter.

 

[Shadow]

Thanks cameramonkey *** now ware do you get a FAA appoved case ?

 

[Cameramonkey]

If you look at the cases you buy at walmart, Gander Mountain, etc it will say that it is FAA approved somewhere on the tag. Its considered a selling point. The factory box MAY be FAA approved, but it will take some research to know for sure. I think as long as it fits certain criteria its good. upon further thought, It may be as simple as its a lockable hard plastic case.

You might google "faa approved gun case" to get started in the right direction. Ultimately the FAA/TSA/Airline info is the final word, no matter what you find out there on the internet.

 

[Shadow]

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an airplane passenger may only transport firearms, ammunition and firearms parts in checked baggage. These items are strictly forbidden on the plane in carry-on baggage. The TSA further maintains that the firearm must be in a hard-sided, locked case, with the firearm unlocked. Every airline has their own rules regarding firearms that may go above and beyond what the TSA has laid out for regulations, but many airlines, such as Delta, require that the passenger declare they have a locked firearm case before handing it to the airline representative, and give them the keys while sigining a declaration that the firearm is unloaded.

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

call the airlines
they will give you accurate information.
place your unloaded weapon in a case. all ammunition and mags in another case.
nothing in a carry on.

Not quite accurate: you can put both firearm and ammo in the same locked case. I flew this way to California last summer and had my luggage inspected. No issues.

Regardless, check with TSA and your specific airline for details.

 

[in625shooter]

Dont take this wrong ,just asking questions to learn . So the S&W handgun comes in a nice bright blue case --- i put a cable lock through the slide and mag hole , add the 2 empty mags and a boxs of shells (still in their cardboard container) then close it and put a padlock on it ,and check it like that ? I know i'll have to open it as i check in , but he's my concern wouldnt that be a flag to some one to pick it up off the baggage belt and walk off with it -when you reach your destination , or do you have to go to a special area to pick it up ?

YES that is all you have to do. I use the hard case that came with my firearm as well. The cable lock is not required but I just use it as an "extra" amount of security. The outside padlocks are required though. the ammunition and magazines can be carried in the same case just the ammunition has to be in it's own container aka magazines can not be loaded!

 

[Shadow]

Wanted to thank you all !!! A big thanks to in625 , I did just like you said and all went well

 

[ryknoll3]

You will have to open the case with the firearm and show the airline that it is unloaded and ammunition is in some kind of container (magazines and speedloaders don't cut it. It can be a hard ammo box or original ammo cardboard box etc). As far as placing it inside another case afterward probably not going to be allowed and if you do be prepared to get called. It will most likely cause your bags to be hand searched. If the firearm in in it's own and marked then they know what they are seeing. You stand a chance of getting called anyway for a 2 or 3rd check but not all the time. Even though they could see the "unloaded" tags you have to put inside the case. The extra thing I do is run a cable lock through my slide or cylinder/ along with the outside lock on the case. (I get called less when they see the cable lock through the gun on the X ray than I use to but it still happens time to time)


The only time I placed my handgun case into another case was from my rental car to thee airline counter and my baggage claim to my vehicle etc. Didn't want to carry a walking advertisement around and couldn't just make ready and strap on in the public. But you still had to remove it when checking it in.

This is not true. You can definitely put the locked, hard-sided case into another suitcase. I've done it several times. I have a Pelican 4 handgun case that I travel with and I put that, along with the rest of my shooting gear into a soft-sided duffel. No problem any time. The benefit to this is that the outer luggage looks like any other piece and doesn't scream "GUN CASE". If you lock the outer case, you will have to use a TSA-approved lock. The inner hardside case that the guns are in should be locked with stout padlocks or combination locks, and you retain the key/combo at all times.

I've flown out of Chicago with guns several times, and there is absolutely no trouble with it at all. IL is not like NY in this regard. There is no registration of guns in IL, unlike NY and non-residents are permitted to possess their handguns in IL, unlike NY. So definitely know the laws where you're going and passing through, but IL is not the bogeyman that everyone thinks it is.

 

[in625shooter]

This is not true. You can definitely put the locked, hard-sided case into another suitcase. I've done it several times. I have a Pelican 4 handgun case that I travel with and I put that, along with the rest of my shooting gear into a soft-sided duffel. No problem any time. The benefit to this is that the outer luggage looks like any other piece and doesn't scream "GUN CASE". If you lock the outer case, you will have to use a TSA-approved lock. The inner hardside case that the guns are in should be locked with stout padlocks or combination locks, and you retain the key/combo at all times.

I've flown out of Chicago with guns several times, and there is absolutely no trouble with it at all. IL is not like NY in this regard. There is no registration of guns in IL, unlike NY and non-residents are permitted to possess their handguns in IL, unlike NY. So definitely know the laws where you're going and passing through, but IL is not the bogeyman that everyone thinks it is.

I have flown out of Chicago, through and out of LA and several other big cities, with personal handguns on private trips and agency handguns as well as MP 5's and M4's on business. Been through it more than once. You might be able to however you still have to show the TSA folks that the weapon in the weapons case is unloaded. When the case is inside a second case more often than not you will (at least I have been the couple times I did) summoned to the TSA supervisor at the gate. It is easier to just send it through separately. I personally (with the exception of when I am traveling with a long gun) only put my handgun case in my luggage to transport to and from my vehicle.

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

That I would be afraid of receiving some bad information and win up in deep crud!! Scary scary

 

[zippy23]

dont try and take it on the plane. I think they might get upset about that.

 

[ryknoll3]

I have flown out of Chicago, through and out of LA and several other big cities, with personal handguns on private trips and agency handguns as well as MP 5's and M4's on business. Been through it more than once. You might be able to however you still have to show the TSA folks that the weapon in the weapons case is unloaded. When the case is inside a second case more often than not you will (at least I have been the couple times I did) summoned to the TSA supervisor at the gate. It is easier to just send it through separately. I personally (with the exception of when I am traveling with a long gun) only put my handgun case in my luggage to transport to and from my vehicle.

Maybe your experience was different. When I've flown with firearms, it was with Southwest. I arrived at the ticket counter, unzipped the outer duffel and had the inner gun case ready for inspection. The ticket agent never asked to see the inside. They had me fill out the little card, and did some paperwork on their end. Once they were done, they had me take the bag to a TSA screening area next to the ticket counters. The agent looked in the gun case (wasn't worried about loaded/unloaded) and then swabbed the inside and outside case with an explosive-detecting patch, which was read by a machine. Once the machine gave the green light, the TSA agent allowed me to put my padlocks on the inner case, insert it into the outer duffel, and then lock the duffel with a TSA-approved lock. This was the way it worked both in Chicago and and Spokane, WA. I guess it's different depending on airline policy and the particular airport. These are just my experiences at Chicago-Midway and Spokane.

 

[in625shooter]

Maybe your experience was different. When I've flown with firearms, it was with Southwest. I arrived at the ticket counter, unzipped the outer duffel and had the inner gun case ready for inspection. The ticket agent never asked to see the inside. They had me fill out the little card, and did some paperwork on their end. Once they were done, they had me take the bag to a TSA screening area next to the ticket counters. The agent looked in the gun case (wasn't worried about loaded/unloaded) and then swabbed the inside and outside case with an explosive-detecting patch, which was read by a machine. Once the machine gave the green light, the TSA agent allowed me to put my padlocks on the inner case, insert it into the outer duffel, and then lock the duffel with a TSA-approved lock. This was the way it worked both in Chicago and and Spokane, WA. I guess it's different depending on airline policy and the particular airport. These are just my experiences at Chicago-Midway and Spokane.

You are lucky. Every time I have had to show the firearm was unloaded (maybe they were all gun guys/gals) The couple time I did re arrange and put the pistol case in my suitcase I was called down to the supervisor at the gate to show again the firearm was checked since it showed up on their x ray. They were always cool about it but after I quit doing that and sent the case through by its self I haven't been called from the gate.

A lot of folks get worked up about what they think will happen to them. Bad info I suppose but never had any major issues myself.

 

[aaron580]

I'm going to NC in a couple of weeks, could I keep the ammo in the mags in the box or do I need to use a box to keep it in?