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Flying with guns???

Idahobound
I am flying home here in the next couple of weeks and would like to know what i need to do to take a pistol with me. It will be the best chance I have had to go shoot in a while and I would love to shoot my new freedom arms.

Thanks Big
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Comments

7 comments

Date Votes
  • HandgunHTR52
    Go the the website of the airline that you are flying with. There should be information on how to travel with a firearm. My suggestion would be to print them out and take them with you when you check in.

    Be advised there are some carriers that will not allow to travel with firearms on their flights. I can't remember which ones they are, I know Delta is not one of them.
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  • FEENIX
    Here you go ...

    http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm
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  • David Nunn
    Ain't nothing to it. It just has to be unloaded and examined, and in a locked case in the checked luggage. Ammo can be in the same case, but not in a magazine. Ammo has to be in a box made for ammo.
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  • texaswildman
    big800 - The site FEENIX posted is very good information. The ticket agent normally asks to check the firearm and/or have you check it to see that it is unloaded. Then you are required to sign an orange tag stating such and place it inside the case. I would add that you stay in contact with the case until it clears the security officer and goes behind the counter for baggage.

    I know of no US commercial carriers (within the US) that refuse to carry firearms in checked baggage, but you should check their web sites just to be absolutely sure. Most firearms cases are brought out seperately (escorted) from normal baggage. At larger airports the escort will check your baggage ticket.

    Only once have i had a firearm misplaced in route. Luckily, it was on the backside of the hunt. The airline doesn't care that it is a firearm - it still gets the usual crappy lost luggage search and the "oh well, maybe we can find it". The airline had mine brought to my house the next day.

    My son (Army) has a high security clearance and was a courier for some highly classified stuff from Ft. Bragg to Iraq. He was traveling alone and had to fly commercial from Ft. Bragg to Baltimore (via Atlanta). Security papers got him escorted through all the usual security stuff by the head of airport security. When he reached Baltimore and headed over to the USO to await his military flight to Kuwait, he found that his weapons case containing two M4's and an M9 was missing. The lost luggage lady gave him the run around and a "Oh well, maybe we will find it". When he showed her his papers and asked for the security director, she yawned, but complied. When the director showed up, he showed the papers and told the guy he was missing two automatic weapons and a pistol that belonged to the US Army. He said that within 1 minute there was every cop in the airport down there looking and within 3 minutes they had them located (still in Atlanta). He called me and said, "Hey dad, you need some of these papers!" - Yep - I wish....

    Be prepared, allow ample time for delays and Good luck.
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  • 11b6r
    Good info above. i would only add: 1. Be SURE the arm is unloaded BEFORE you leave for the airport, and that it goes as CHECKED bagagge, not carry-on, and 2. When you get to the ticket counter at check-in, you need to say (write this down) "I need to DECLARE a firearm in my checked baggage." NOT "I have a gun".
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  • Laredo Lefty
    I flew last week with 3 guns, a Springfield Socom, a Ruger 10-22 and a Smith revolver.

    I have a huge hard case with wheels and 4 locks. People in line always ask if its a keyboard. I say, "yes it is"

    I have never encountered an airline that would not allow firearms. I just tell the ticket agent Iam traveling with firearms in this case. She then hands me a card to fill out with name address etc.

    She puts a brightly colored "unloaded firearms" tag in with the guns and the case is locked. This last trip they took the case back into another room and inspected the guns and returned the key to me.

    On a previous trip the ticket person just put the tag in the case without inspecting the guns. The total delay is no more than 5 mins when compared to traveling without guns.
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  • HandgunHTR52
    USA 3000 was the airline I was thinking about. Last I heard they did not allow firearms on their flights. All of the big carriers allow firearms. Each one has different rules on how many they will allow to fly for free though.
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