Ammo cannot be packed inside luggage?

[.300RUM]

And they cleared your without you there how? Was the 4457 form in the case? A copy of your passport?

Seems like excellent service!

It was checked twice at Atlanta, once coming back into country and again before leaving for Greensboro. Filed a claim with Delta baggage department, rifle was in my possession in a few hours.

 

[ActionBob]

It was checked twice at Atlanta, once coming back into country and again before leaving for Greensboro. Filed a claim with Delta baggage department, rifle was in my possession in a few hours.

Ahh i missed that point. Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

@Just Gina and I had our rifles not arrive in Tanzania when we did. I'm quite sure due to a bitchy anti gun woman in Amsterdam. Our Outfitter had people meet us at the airport in Dar and we all went to talk to their officials. They checked our paper work, had us leave the fees with our guy, keys to the locks, as well as made copies of everything and when the guns arrived they cleared everything and the rifles went with the rep to the Outfitters office to be locked up.

To clarify, we were missing our checked luggage as well including our ammo. The locked plastic ammo container had been broken into but nothing was missing. Gina had some bras and panties stolen as well as some medical instruments she had brought along. This was in 2021 so I had a good time joking about her "things" being used as masks She is still ticked off about that and periodically misses the instruments but apparently not bad enough to buy new ones

We had booked 8 days on Zanzibar prior to our hunt or the delayed rifles would have been a much bigger deal. The airline sent our checked luggage via the ferry to Zanzibar and taxi to the resort.

We are doing a side trip ahead of our next trip also.

 

[KurtVH]

I flew out of Atlanta on 18 May to Johannesburg. I declared my guns and said my luggage had a locked case with ammunition--under 10 pounds. They proceeded to say the ammunition had to fly as a separate piece of luggage. The ammunition was given its own pink sheet, own Delta tracking label and was treated as a firearm. I called Delta and the agent said the same and the TSA agent where I had to open everything a second time was too aggressive to answer a question, as she pulled apart the gun case's foam padding.

I am aware that in SA the ammo travels by itself.

Is it normal for ammunition to fly by itself outside of luggage. I was allowed three pieces of luggage so that did not cost me anything but thought it was strange.

Generally has to fly in checked baggage separate from the firearm.

 

[cajunchefray]

Ahh i missed that point. Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

@Just Gina and I had our rifles not arrive in Tanzania when we did. I'm quite sure due to a bitchy anti gun woman in Amsterdam. Our Outfitter had people meet us at the airport in Dar and we all went to talk to their officials. They checked our paper work, had us leave the fees with our guy, keys to the locks, as well as made copies of everything and when the guns arrived they cleared everything and the rifles went with the rep to the Outfitters office to be locked up.

To clarify, we were missing our checked luggage as well including our ammo. The locked plastic ammo container had been broken into but nothing was missing. Gina had some bras and panties stolen as well as some medical instruments she had brought along. This was in 2021 so I had a good time joking about her "things" being used as masks She is still ticked off about that and periodically misses the instruments but apparently not bad enough to buy new ones

We had booked 8 days on Zanzibar prior to our hunt or the delayed rifles would have been a much bigger deal. The airline sent our checked luggage via the ferry to Zanzibar and taxi to the resort.

We are doing a side trip ahead of our next trip also.

Airline ignorant bastards. Sometimes they just pick out people to mess with. Sounds like you and @Just Gina took it in stride, what you have to do when traveling in a foreign country.

Reading all this, does it make sense to check ammunition, separately,in its own locked case, for certain security, even if you have to pay excess baggage fees, and reduce the hassle?
Eliminate the clueless ticket agent factor?
I just don’t know.
.

 

[Hank2211]

I think we all agree that North American airlines are not only fine with ammunition travelling in checked luggage, they actually prefer it,

I think we also all agree that African airlines require that the ammunition be in a locaked checked bag of its own.

If you are flying to Africa and connecting, and if, and only if, you don’t ever have to pick up your bags before your final destination, you are usually OK with the ammunition in a checked bag with other baggage. Note that having your bags checked all the way to your final destination is not the same as never having to pick them up along the way. Some African countries - and JNB can be one of those - will require you to pick up your bags, clear customs, and then put them on the connecting baggage belt or even take them to the connecting airline desk. It depends on the airport and whether your connection is national or international.

It happened to me at JNB and I didn’t have a lockable case to put the ammo in and the agent would not be moved. Eventually $25 to the security guy who looked after the guns got the ammo in with my rifle in a locked case.

To be safe, I now put my ammo in a small locked Pelican case in my regular luggage, so I can take it out and check it separately if someone decides to be difficult.

I don’t enjoy arguing with: idiots; people with authority but no knowledge; people who have the power to make my life very difficult if they don’t like what I’m saying to them or my “tone”; or any government authority pretty much anywhere.

 

[JimP]

People need to remember that if you are flying within the US that the ammo can go into the rifle case. And it may be that way for some other countries. But why chance it?

Just place it into a locked case inside your checked bag. Then if you are required to remove it and check it separately, just do it.

Remember the odds of you winning a argument in a foreign country with a ticket agent or security may not end well for you.

 

[Sideshow]

What cases are you guys using (photos please) starting the process of getting my kit organised. 1.5 years away but rather have it now than scrambling at the end and yes I know it will fly.
The thing is my locked ammo cases is so small I’m not keen to put it in separately so my have to upgrade it.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Pelican cases (model 1200 or 1300) seems to be the right trade off between size and weight. Harbor Freight has some similar and less expensive ones that will work.

 

[Sideshow]

Thanks I’ll have a look.

 

[JimP]

What cases are you guys using (photos please) starting the process of getting my kit organised. 1.5 years away but rather have it now than scrambling at the end and yes I know it will fly.
The thing is my locked ammo cases is so small I’m not keen to put it in separately so my have to upgrade it.

A cheap 30 caliber plastic ammo can from Harbor Freight is all you need. I had a MTM case from Midway that I attached a handle to so that they could stick a baggage tag on it. Harbor Freight even has nock off Pelican cases for a good price


Over the years on here there are a number of members here that just used a old kids lunch box.

On mine I put the ammo boxes into the case and then lined it with foam rubber that I had on hand to keep it from bouncing around. I could place 3 20 round plastic ammo boxes in the MTM case with room to spare.

 

[Sideshow]

A cheap 30 caliber plastic ammo can from Harbor Freight is all you need. I had a MTM case from Midway that I attached a handle to so that they could stick a baggage tag on it. Harbor Freight even has nock off Pelican cases for a good price


Over the years on here there are a number of members here that just used a old kids lunch box.

On mine I put the ammo boxes into the case and then lined it with foam rubber that I had on hand to keep it from bouncing around. I could place 3 20 round plastic ammo boxes in the MTM case with room to spare.

Thanks @JimP ill check them out. Might need to have a look about to find something of the correct size to fit in the luggage on the ŵay to SA but big enough to then be air lifted on its own on the way to Nam

 

[Hogpatrol]

Another vote for the Pelican 1200. Mine is black. My good buddy @markm uses an orange one.
Edit: Removed all the foam and use the pick apart foam to fit the actual ammo boxes.

 

[ActionBob]

What cases are you guys using (photos please) starting the process of getting my kit organised. 1.5 years away but rather have it now than scrambling at the end and yes I know it will fly.
The thing is my locked ammo cases is so small I’m not keen to put it in separately so my have to upgrade it.

I've used pistol cases and plastic ammo cans. Especially when going on long hunts to Africa and pushing the weight limit. I want light weight containers because they weight the whole thing and it becomes a discussion about ammo weight vs. weight of the case...... but a heavier more secure case would be good.

 

[Doug3006]

I’ve always been ready to check the ammo as a separate piece of luggage. I pack it in a hard case with locks on it and labeled with my name. So far, I’ve never been asked to pull it out of my checked bag.

 

[rgsiii]

I was ready to separate everything when I hit Johannesburg, just surprised at having it happen in ATL. I did not argue, felt it with be useless. In our current times, if an imbecile is offended a person could get into big trouble.
This is my checked luggage with my forlorn Pelican 1200 ammo case on top.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I was ready to separate everything when I hit Johannesburg, just surprised at having it happen in ATL. I did not argue, felt it with be useless. In our current times, if an imbecile is offended a person could get into big trouble.
This is my checked luggage with my forlorn Pelican 1200 ammo case on top.

Uh, I think you got lucky with that bag"gage". Don't know if it's still applicable but large bags without one flat surface at Tambo were verboten. Maybe the Pelican qualified as the flat surface.

Acceptable Baggage Rules​

• 1. Only regular-shaped bags will be allowed at check-in counters.
• 2. Bags must have at least one flat surface to be accepted.
• 3. Bags with long hanging straps will not be accepted for check-in. Passengers will be requested to secure or remove straps before checking in.
• 4. Round bags will not be allowed at check-in counters.

To Comply:​

• 1. Passengers can visit a baggage-wrapping station at OR Tambo International Airport to wrap their bags at a standard cost of R90 per bag. (Wrapping charges are the same for regular and irregular baggage.)
• 2. No additional cost for insertion of a flat surface base.
• 3. All costs required to make an irregular bag compliant to the requirements must be paid by the passenger.

 

[rgsiii]

The Pelican 1200 is the small yellow plastic box and went by itself. The blue Osprey is not a standard duffel bag and has a flat surface.

 

[Safari Dave]

I've always packed my ammo in my checked baggage (in a cheap metal "money box" without issue).

I always fly out of Atlanta.



I have had to unpack it in JNB and declare it as a separate piece of luggage when leaving JNB for another country.

 

[Safari Dave]

The imbeciles that work for TSA, usually don't have a clue.


On my last trip, I missed my flight (even though I arrived 3 hours early), because the one and only goober with TSA kept putting golf clubs ahead of my guns.

He made me wait an hour to x-ray the gun case in order to verify that there were guns in it?????????

 

[Hogpatrol]

The imbeciles that work for TSA, usually don't have a clue.


On my last trip, I missed my flight (even though I arrived 3 hours early), because the one and only goober with TSA kept putting golf clubs ahead of my guns.

He made me wait an hour to x-ray the gun case in order to verify that there were guns in it?????????

What airport?