Tip for flying

[RadsMD]

Fill out THREE firearms declaration cards. Place one in the gun case itself, one in the compartment of the bag the gun is in, and one on your person.

Why?

Leaving denver, i filled out a declaration card and the stupid employee told me to put the declaration card IN the gun case. How stupid... No one will ever be able to see i declared the gun. yea, they ask you to go with the bag to check it in, but they also screen it a second time in the back where if they wanted to check if you declared it, they couldnt b/c the card is LOCKED in the gun case. thats why you should ALWAYS get more than one.

this delayed the arrival of my bag with the gun. they delivered the bag to my house the next day.

that is such bs. this is the first time my bag with a gun has been delayed. and i am pretty sure it is b/c of the liberal policies and procedures of denver airport.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[HowardCohodas]

I am not one to go along to get along, especially when a teachable moment is at hand.

I carry three or more documents which may be needed to help provide additional training to airline counter personnel and TSA personnel about the rules for carrying firearms by air.

Since airlines can impose restrictions in addition to the TSA rules, it is helpful to include theirs as well.

• TSA rules - Traveling with Special Items Firearms & Ammunition - TSA: Traveling with Special Items
• Letter - US Attorney General to Congressman Don Young regarding traveling through New York airports - http://www.nysrpa.org/FOPA-DOJltrTSA.pdf
• Continental Airlines - Continental Airlines - Sports Equipment
• NWA - Special Luggage Items
• Other Airlines as needed

Travel with care and arrive with protection.

[Bender]

You must have traveled on United... Check in counter at Washington Dulles told me to put the declaration card in the gun case. I asked her to make sure and... yes that is what she wanted. Then I walked my bag to TSA, escorted by a United counter worker and waited until it was screened. Bag arrived safely in OKC.

On the way home from OKC, same thing... put the declaration card in the gun case. I didn't ask this time, I just compiled with the instructions. Must be a United thing... Bag also arrived safely.

[rolyat63]

I have always been asked to or in fact the employee put the declaration tag in the gun case. That's where it goes. The point is for officials to know but not every employee that touches your bags.

What if you don't put the gun case in another case? If it was on the outside it could not be a good thing. Doesn't mean that most couldn't figure it out but even the dimmest of bulbs could see a bright red/orange tag...

[CharlieMike]

Same here. I've been told to put the card in he case. I've seen the employees debate about it for a bit before hand though.

[BkCo1]

The last two flights to Charlotte from Denver I ran into the same situation. Northwest and USAir did the same thing both at Denver and Charlotte. Funny thing with Northwest at Charlotte. At the check in counter the lady wanted to make sure the guns were unloaded. She wanted me to take them out and work the actions. I told her no way was I taking those guns out of the case and working the actions. Can you imagine the scene someone pulling out two pistols and working the actions like you are loading up. I could have been killed.

Semper Fi

[ccman]

I flew Delta a few weeks back. The TSA Guy took the tag and layed it on top of the gun case in my suitcase. He said that was fine and I zipped up the suitcase.

[RadsMD]

Fly southwest and they will check to see if it is unloaded at the counter.

I still suggest filling out at least 2 declaration cards and putting one in the gun case and one in the bag compartment the gun is in.

[tflhndn]

I too have had airline oficials "demand" that I "prove" firearms were unloaded, so I "demanded" that we go somewhere else to do it (for the same reason as BkCo1 said.).

They called security claiming I was "armed and aggitated." After a couple of cops showed up, I explained what was requested of me, explained why I refused and the cops simply nodded their heads and thanked me for not pulling an AR-15 out of its case in the midle of the airport.

We went into a room behind the check-in couner, where I showed the firearms were clear, pu them in the case, locked them and they escorted me over to TSA screening.

Can you imagine the result of pulling a couple AR's out in the Atlanta airport during peak traffic?

[MountainPacker]

You must have traveled on United... Check in counter at Washington Dulles told me to put the declaration card in the gun case. I asked her to make sure and... yes that is what she wanted. Then I walked my bag to TSA, escorted by a United counter worker and waited until it was screened. Bag arrived safely in OKC.

On the way home from OKC, same thing... put the declaration card in the gun case. I didn't ask this time, I just compiled with the instructions. Must be a United thing... Bag also arrived safely.

The United employee told me to put it in the gun case too. I put it on top of the locked case in the suit case anyway. I think they're used to hunting rifles traveling in their own case as luggage.

I'll do it right, even if they tell me to do it wrong.

[tinkerinWstuff]

I fly several times a month.

Every time and every airline instructs me to put in in the locked case with the gun.

Agreed - it doesn't make any sense what-so-ever. Never had any problems except for ammo. Have had Northworst tell me I couldn't have my ammo in the same case with the gun. Didn't have time to argue with her and I won't fly Northworst if I can help it.

[retsupt99]

The last two flights to Charlotte from Denver I ran into the same situation. Northwest and USAir did the same thing both at Denver and Charlotte. Funny thing with Northwest at Charlotte. At the check in counter the lady wanted to make sure the guns were unloaded. She wanted me to take them out and work the actions. I told her no way was I taking those guns out of the case and working the actions. Can you imagine the scene someone pulling out two pistols and working the actions like you are loading up. I could have been killed.

Semper Fi

So what was the outcome of your refusal?

[b52ace]

Have had Northworst tell me I couldn't have my ammo in the same case with the gun. Didn't have time to argue with her and I won't fly Northworst if I can help it.

I had similar situation occur with AirTran. Their rules state you cannot carry ammunition in the same bag as the weapon. I did just that, 3 trips in a row... Glock in one locked container, the ammo in another. On the 4th leg the agent was adament it couldn't be done that way, but she'd be happy to get me a container that I could declare as a separate bag, that she would promptly charge me $20 as a second bag. Chose to leave with a friend and have it brought to me later.

The TSA guy was cool... their rules say I can. Go figure.

[dmorris68]

We have to remember that there are TSA rules, and individual airline rules. Airlines can't override (make less restrictive) TSA rules, but they CAN and some do make their rules more restrictive. If they wanted they could ban transport of firearms entirely. So while some might require a separate case for ammo, others might not. TSA says you don't have to separate them, the ammo just has to be in a proper container itself (i.e. not loose or able to easily become loose).

However it's true that very often (same as with LEOs even), the entire staff is not always on the same page with regards to the current rules and regulations, so you're bound to run into different interpretations if you travel very much. That's why I think it's a good idea, as someone else mentioned, to print out and carry with you the TSA rules as well as the rules of the airline(s) you will be traveling on.

[mtnclimber]

Same thing with me flying from Denver to multiple destinations. I put on the one gun lock I use for this situation, put in the cable lock through the barrel and out through the ejection port of the locked open slide and lock it. I position it to be seen with the gun case shielding the gun from all but the ticket agent. This makes working the action a non-problem. The things I have had problems with are ammo and gun in same luggage vs. ammo and gun in separate luggage. I play it safe and have two pieces of luggage with locking containers in each, one for gun and one for ammo. Also make sure ammo is in a factory original cardboard box. No rugged plastic ammo boxes with all the ammo separated by plastic dividers!