OngngFreedom

My first post at defensivecarry.com, might as well make it a long one.

Copied from my post at another forum...

First time travelling with a firearm on an airline. When I first got my Glock 23 earlier this year I also purchased a small, key-locked safe that would have a small footprint in my suitcase and meets the TSA’s requirements: hard-sided, locked, not easily pried open. It came with a cable to anchor it, which I thought was thoughtful, and the case was able to accommodate the pistol and an extra magazine. Unfortunately the case stunk of mothballs so I removed the foam inserts and left them to air out over several days. This helped but the smell never completely went away. I discovered that if I placed the pistol and the magazines “just so” I could squeeze two magazines into it. I then gave myself a brief scare when I couldn’t unlock it. After a bit of tapping, some hitting and very measured, forceful rotation of the key I managed to unlock it and swore I’d never try two magazines in there like that again.

The time came to try the process out, as I was leaving Nashville and heading to Orlando to attend annual airplane training. Before the flight I studied TSA’s website about firearms and ammunition. At first I thought I’d just put both loaded magazines into the safe. This is allowed by the TSA. I decided not to: 1) because I didn’t want a repeat of the earlier issue, 2) I carry 13+1 (fully loaded magazine plus one round in the chamber) so where is that extra round supposed to go, and 3) although only implied on the TSA’s website I read on various airline websites that they want primers protected. I took out a loaded magazine and looked at the back of the top cartridge and thought “that is one exposed primer:”



Loaded magazines can be placed in holsters if they are secure. I use a Smart Carry Holster that doesn’t really secure the spare magazine when it isn’t on your body, plus it doesn’t hold two magazines, so that was out. I thought about buying some magazine holsters and looked also at what Cabela’s et al had to offer but wound up saving the box from some practice rounds and put the ammo into that. After emptying the Glock I decided to put one empty magazine back in the well of the gun and stored the extra magazine with it in the safe.

I have read about some horror stories that some have had their guns stolen in the bags so I used the cable tether that came with the safe and secured the safe to the back of the suitcase: I wrapped it around one of the square tubes that house the suitcase handle extensions:



Then I loaded my suitcase with clothes and toiletries with the safe connected to the tether but laying outside and put it in last, which was a good thing as it would be inspected later. I stuffed the ammo box securely between some clothes. Since this was my first time I also decided to carry the cable lock that comes with new Glocks as added insurance in case I got hassled:





I didn’t install it in the gun but just left it loose in the suitcase. Also as a precaution I printed the TSA firearm policy as well as Southwest’s firearms and ammunition policy and stuffed those in as well.

Feeling prepared I headed to the airport. I arrived 1 ½ hours early to mitigate any issues that might arise. I walked up to the “full-service” counter after a very short wait (passenger traffic was light) and told the agent I was declaring an unloaded firearm. She asked if this was the first time I’ve ever done this (was it that obvious?!) and I said it was. She produced a small white card with red lettering “Southwest Airlines Firearms Declaration Tag”. I saved the one from the return trip:





She explained I should fill out as much as I could and she would fill in the rest. PNR# means “Passenger Name Record” and they want you to put your confirmation number there. MCO and BNA are the airport codes. I filled it all in after asking what PNR was and skimmed the back side before signing. I missed one thing on the declaration but it didn’t turn out to be a problem. As I was re-reading it later I was concerned to see that I had declared “1. The firearm(s) chambers are free of ammunition and the magazine clip has been removed (when applicable).” The first part was true but not the second! When I returned to Nashville at the end of my trip I made sure to not place the empty magazine back in the well. The reason I missed that tidbit is because neither the TSA’s nor Southwest’s policies on their websites mentioned anything about this. It was only on the card, so I guess this was a Southwest thing.

She then asked me to open the safe. I expected her to want to inspect the gun to make sure it was unloaded but she sounded a little anxious when I touched it and said “No, that’s okay” and placed the declaration card in the safe, which I then closed and locked. I asked her for some extra cards so I could show up for the return trip prepared and spend less time. She then pointed me to the TSA baggage x-ray and I told the officer there I had an empty firearm in my baggage and would wait on the bag’s inspection (which the TSA website recommended I do). The officer put my bag at the head of the line while I waited nearby in case they wanted to inspect the safe. If I didn’t I ran the risk of having the bag being denied and not making the trip! Sure enough the officer on the other end of the machine had me hand the first officer my key so they could peek inside the case. I was unable to see what they were doing (I was still at the front of the machine) and by the time I thought to go observe their search they were done and were zipping everything up, handing me back my keys and told me everything was fine. After that everything went normally. From entering the baggage check line to clearing security with my carryon computer briefcase took about 20 minutes.

In Orlando I waited until getting to my hotel to rearm myself. I placed the safe in the car with the cable strung through one of the LATCH anchors in the back in case I had to disarm going into a building that prohibited legal carry but that never became necessary.

On the return trip from Orlando the check in went a little differently. The baggage agent wanted to see everything, including opening the ammunition box (even asking if it was the original packaging) and seeing the empty chamber of the pistol. Fortunately I had left the empty mag out of the pistol and had placed one in the case, one loose in the suitcase with that cable lock I didn’t need. This agent wasn’t nervous at all watching me handle the gun. After she was satisfied with the inspection she place the signed declaration card on top of the safe (not inside this time) and hopped over the baggage counter with my suitcase. She asked me to follow her and rolled the suitcase to an unused x-ray machine with two bored-looking TSA officers next to it. Apparently it was there for travelers like me. I thanked her as she returned to her counter while the officer sent it through the machine. After it exited he asked for my keys and also inspected the inside of the safe. The only thing he wanted to do was to press down on the foam around the weapon. He closed and relocked the safe and handed me back the keys, then took a probe with a white circular patch on it and rubbed it all over my suitcase. He removed the patch, placed it in another machine, determined there was nothing suspicious about the whole thing (like drugs, explosives), zipped up the suitcase and told me everything was fine. I went on my way. Once again from that point everything went normally.

I’ll probably continue to travel with the extra cable lock just in case I encounter a really unconvinced agent but I’m sure I’ll never need it.

--EDIT-- I just remembered that when returning to Nashville the TSA officer, after finishing his inspection, placed a small, circular sticker on the destination/claim tag of the suitcase. Unfortunately I didn't save the bag tag when I got to Nashville.

Majorlk

One comment on the "smelly" foam ...

Throw it in the drier (just air tumble with no heat) and a dryer sheet and let it run for 30 minutes or so. The smell will be gone.

__________________
An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. - Robert A. Heinlein

Guns and more

I live in Tampa and it has the best airport in the country. You should be cool here.
I always recommend to print out the airline regulations since you may get the counter agent who's on his first day. I know the TSA is good because I see guns checked here all the time.

gdm320

+10 to that. Tampa International is bar none the airport that I have had the overall best experience in when it comes to literally every aspect of the airport experience.

__________________
"Politicians are like diapers: they should be changed often... and for the same reason." -- Robin Williams, Man of the Year

GHFLRLTD

Good report. I use some Leatherman (Mag Pouches)

Leatherman

to both carry and store my mags for flying for my Beretta 9000s. At $5.00 a piece, they are cheap, and might fit your Glock. I put them in bolt containers that you can get at Home Depot that provide additional protection.

As to ammunition, I got a plastic reload box holding 50 rounds for about 3 dollars at a gun show, and I use that.

__________________
George H. Foster
Orlando, Florida

cwblanco

It was the opposite for me. While leaving the airport in Houston, the new clerk yelled out down the line "Hey, this guy has a gun -- what am I supposed to do?"

Geez!

__________________
Live every day so that you can, with a clear conscience, look all men in their eyes and tell them to go to hell.

JSBaker

I just flew from Indianapolis to Spokane, Washington with a checked Glock 27.

It was the most pleasant interaction I have ever had with any airport personnel. The TSA workers on both ends were amazingly polite and helpful.

While I'm at it, the new Indianapolis airport is the nicest I've flown in--both the facility and the staff.

swinokur

Putting any kind of external marker on your baggage tag is against TSA regulations. United Airlines tried to do this to me and I made them remove it. It's not open to negotiation either. It comes off or I ask for a supervisor.

HITCH KING

I threaded the additional cable lock thru the mag well and out the ejection port so there is no question that the firearm is unloaded. No need to handle it and all.

OngngFreedom

I kick myself for not saving that sticker. I don't remember what it was but it was relatively non-descript. I got the impression they may have done that to show the bag was checked for explosive residue. I know marking the bag by TSA or the airline is verboten, but to be honest with you I was a bit intimidated by the whole process to ask.