Do I need to carry ammunition in original boxes

[JamieD]

I just bought some Honady 416 Rigby brass for a trip to Africa. I thought that they would come in a regular ammunition box as they are sold by the twenty, but they are in a bag in a box. I understand that you should travel with ammo in an original box.

I was wondering if I can use a plastic ammo box and make a label for it, or do I have to find someone who has a factory box for 416 ammo.

 

[enysse]

They just need to be in a plastic ammo box, so they aren't bouncing around...so the primers don't get hit. Put a label on the outside and you will be fine.

 

[sestoppelman]

For my travel loads I go to the trouble to put some foam in the lid to keep the ammo from rattling around inside the boxes. Also tape the box lids down.

 

[James.Grage]

At the Seattle Airport last year they wanted factory boxes. However that is not what is required. Have a copy of the TSA and airline shipping regulations with you for them to review. I put a copy in my Pistol case that i use for a hard side ammo carrier with the area high lighted for them to read. After looking at the regulation the plastic case was give clearance.

Make sure all empty shell pockets are filled if you do not have a shell in it.

 

[JamieD]

Thanks for all of the advise, it is great to have to have a group of guys to help, with all the complications of travel these days one never knows when a small thing will be a big thing.

 

[shakari]

There's two factors that you need to consider. The first is law and the second is airline regulation.... it's very complicated but here are the bare bones to keep it as simple as possible.

The law you need to comply with is the 'Air Navigation Order (Carriage of Dangerous Goods) Act. which states your ammo must be in cases that ensure every round is kept separated from every other round OR in manufacturers packaging. Therefore the plastic MTM boxes or similar are just fine. The same order stipulates a maximum of 5 kgs of ammo per passenger and that ammo allowances cannot be combined in one box or container etc. There is no requirement for any labels of any kind.

Airline regulations (NOT law) vary on where the ammo must be packed. Some want it in the rifle case, some want it in your ordinary baggage and some want it in a separate, lockable container.

I'd recommend, you have MTM cases that will fit into your rifle case if necessary, a lockable container and space in your ordinary baggage to accommodate the lockable container if necessary.

Then all you need to do is ask the check in agent what he/she wants you to do with your ammo. If they say in the rifle case, then do that, if in the lockable container, do that and if in the ordinary bag, put the ammo in the lockable container and then into the ordinary baggage.

Other things you need to be aware of is that the aforementioned act forbids carriage of any calibre forearm or ammo that has ever been adopted by a military force anywhere in the world, ever...... the good news is that most airlines, esp American airlines very sensibly ignore that rule....... The bad news is that some airlines, esp some European airlines and even more especially BA do enforce it.

Also that the EUSSR passed a law last year that forbids the carriage of ANY ammo through Europe..... the then issued a waiver for sporting ammo but have not rescinded the original law and all it takes is an ignorant or anti hunting check in agent to know about the law but not the waiver and you're stuffed.

The good news is that there is a way over BOTH problems.

You need to go to your travel agent and have them put a comment in the comments section of your booking stating (and note the exact wording of this!)

"Pax travelling with sporting firearms and ammunition of such and such a calibre(s)"

Then ensure the travel agent has the sirline confirm in writing they are aware and happy with the situation and take several copies of that when you travel as proof.

Damn but I'm good!

 

[James.Grage]

Shakari

Great post, you went into greater details that i did.

The comment about taking extra copies was a very good one as some airports will keep the copy you show them. I had that happen to me in Dar es Salaam.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Thanks shakari for providing such detailed information.

 

[shakari]

The one thing I forgot to mention is that if anyone has any internal flights booked, they need to check the aircraft type carefully. Because if it's a type that allows access between passenger cabin and baggage hold whilst in flight, they are not allowed to carry firearms.

I can see a time coming where firearms/ammo won't be allowed on commercial aircraft at all and hunters will have to hire/borrow them from the outfitter.... which of course, in turn means that some outfitters will have to upgrade their loaner rifles & scopes etc.

 

[TERMINATOR]

So technically, the .30-06, the .308, the 7x57, the 6.5x55, and several others are illegal to fly with because some military used them sometime???

I thought I read now that the ammo has to be in a LOCKABLE case in your checked baggage for some countries?

 

[James.Grage]

terminator

i learned a lesson last year from TSA...

The lockable case for ammunition...could be your luggage...or a case inside your luggage....and get this this case or suit-case does not have to be locked leaving the states...it only needs to be locked if the country you are flying from tell you to lock it...(i had my case locked...i had ear protection and my hunting knife in the case...)

now flying back some countries require that you have a separate lockable case and that it needs to be locked.

The ammunition could be seized...depending on what air port you are flying through.

 

[TERMINATOR]

terminator

i learned a lesson last year from TSA...

The lockable case for ammunition...could be your luggage...or a case inside your luggage....and get this this case or suit-case does not have to be locked leaving the states...it only needs to be locked if the country you are flying from tell you to lock it...(i had my case locked...i had ear protection and my hunting knife in the case...)

now flying back some countries require that you have a separate lockable case and that it needs to be locked.

The ammunition could be seized...depending on what air port you are flying through.

Yea, that is what I was getting too. It is getting very confusing. When I went to Namibia in 2000 I just taped 4 factory boxes of Weatherby Ammo into a "brick" and locked it in my checked duffle bag. The factory boxes from Weatherby keep each shell seperate and taping them into a brick insured they would not come open.

I flew this spring on a Turkey hunt in the US and just had the ammo in factory box in my checked bag, taped shut.

But at this point I am totally confused as to what is required when traveling overseas.
But

 

[sestoppelman]

I have since my first trip in 1985 not bothered to take any special measures with ammo. I have even packed a box of ammo in my gun case and got no funny looks from TSA, which according to their own website is acceptable. In RSA last time, the various handlers there seemed more concerned with ammo than the gun but it got squared away with no real issues. Any factory case made for small amounts of ammo is acceptable, like MTM, Midway etc and others.

 

[ikeda]

I just returned from a trip to Zimbabwe thru SA. Leaving the US, the ammo was packed in the gun case with the rifle, in plastic boxes. This was fine with TSA. In SA they wanted the ammo kept separate from the rifle, so we moved it to the checked baggage, still in only its plastic boxes, taped shut. In Zimbabwe they didn't seem to care where we kept the ammo but they did count the rounds to verify the number of rounds being imported matched the number on the paperwork. Whew!