Firearms Confiscation - Frankfurt Airport

[enysse]

A client from the USA, who has become a dear friend, started hunting in Namibia thirteen years ago. After a similar unpleasant episode, he decided that he would never travel with rifles again. He did, but only once..he bought two identical .375's, has one at home and has left one in Namibia ever since. He comes over every year and hunts with his own rifle..without any hassles.

I know a number of people that would love to do that!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

By the way I emailed on July 30th the Frankfurt weapons authority in regards to the transiting procedure through Frankfurt Germany with hunting bow and arrows but have not yet received any reply... If anyone has any info in this regard please let us know.

See: http://www.africahunting.com/latest-hunting-news/11609-transiting-through-germany-hunting-bow-arrows.html

 

[Macs B]

While living and working in Germany I had many occasions to travel back to the US as part of my job. On one such occasion I landed in Charlotte NC, I had brought two rifles back with me to trade and swap before heading back to the fatherland. Due to some delays I knew I was afraid that I would miss my state side connection, a nice fellow from the international gate staff helped me through the congested international terminal. I'll never forget his instructions, "just grab your bags and exit through those double doors. Go straight down the corridor until you see your gate, I'll call ahead to let them know to check your bags when you get there". Wow how helpful could someone be? As the double doors closed behind me I glanced to the left at the exit of the TSA security check point. The double doors had no handles on this side, I was stuck, behind security with to obviously marked rifle cases on top of my baggage cart.

Not quite sure how to proceed, I knew that showing up at the gate armed was a bad idea. Instead I watched the TSA checkpoint for a minute until I spotted that one guy, you know, the older agent, possibly a retired cop. I called him over and explained what had happened. The look on his face was priceless. He kept his composure, and picked up both cases, smiled and said "what the hell it's only a few gates down, let's go". Thank god! I managed to make my connection and avoid being detained by the TSA.

 

[spike.t]

A client from the USA, who has become a dear friend, started hunting in Namibia thirteen years ago. After a similar unpleasant episode, he decided that he would never travel with rifles again. He did, but only once..he bought two identical .375's, has one at home and has left one in Namibia ever since. He comes over every year and hunts with his own rifle..without any hassles.

:hmmmer:so thats how you got your .375 ...:laughing:

 

[spike.t]

had a similar thing to phils happen in tanzania about 7 or so years ago, a friend had asked me to book a hunt for him and to go with him, so we arrive at kilimanjaro airport arusha and the rifles are checked in a room off the main arrivals which was new to me. when we went out the ph told me why. he was waiting to collect clients and some departing hunters not connected to him were showing their rifles to customs when one of the rifles went off ,and the bullet went through the leg of a woman in the arrivals hall then out through a window and whistled off over his head where he was standing outside.....the plane captain refused to take the hunters and they had to wait for the next flight....now as phil said you know where this is leading....when we were departing we went into the room off to the side and my friend asked me to show his rifles to customs...well guess what i opened the case and for some reason decided to have a sneaky look and pulled the bolt back a bit while the rifle was still in the case ...and yes there was a nice shiny unfired bullet. i now pretended to have a coughing fit and managed to extract the bullet while hunched over. my friend wandered over wondering what i was doing and i managed to whisper to him that he had left a bullet in his rifle upon which he thought he was going to be locked up!! i managed to get him to go and drop it down a rain drain all this without customs wondering what was happening... luckily his second rifle was empty when i took it out to show customs . we then went through the metal detector and he had his bloody swiss army knife in his pocket............i wanted to throw it as far as i could probably in his direction, but he insisted on going all the way back and demanded it be put in his checked luggage!!! :doh2:

 

[BigBore]

Just got back from Zimbabwe via Joberg. Had a s hassle at JoBerg becuase my agent booked me on Delta to Joberg then on British Air to Vic Falls, but British Air no longer will transport guns so I had to scramble and get a flight on SAA.

Last June I hunted in Argentina and brought my shotgun and some rifle ammo for a freind. This was not the first trip I made to Argentina with guns and I checked with the consulate before I left, had all the permits filled out. But the police helled me up for a bribe. Told me it was illegal to bring the gun and ammo in to Argentina, but may be he could do me a favor, I said thanks, he said no you don't understand, "Maybe I can I do you a favor", again I said thanks, he then shut the door and said "no you don't understand, you see my freind over there, when I leave the room, you pay him a tip and maybe I do you a favor." So a $100 bill did the trick.

In New Zealand a few years ago, they were very nice, I arrived at the international airport on the north island but had to take a taxi to another airport for domestic flights to the south island, just a few minutes to spare, I got in a hurry and confused and entered the secure area with my guns and they were quickly spoted and alarms went off and the police scamble over, they were very polite and directed me to the right place.

On a trip to NY city right after 9/11 with my wife, she remembered to take her pistol out of her purse before we left for the airport but left a full box of 50 pistol rounds in her purse. We made it thru security and in to NY never knowing the ammo was in her purse, on the way back in NY, the scaner picked up her purse so they had her open it so they could search it, that's when I saw the ammo and the TAS agent put her hand on the box of ammo and pushed it aside to look under it not realizing it was a box of ammo in the factory box. I thought for sure she noticed at the same time I did , but no she gave the purse with the ammo back to my wife. So much for TAS. All that hassle at the airports and they can't even reconize a factory box of pistiol ammo even when they have thier hand on it.

Been arreated once at the Atlanta airport, hand cuffed and thrown over the ticket counter then detained for 2 hours befor they let me go with out charges, just BS, but that's a story for another time.

Been travelling with guns internationaly since the 70's, bound to have a few stories. Best advise, check before you go and then check again just before you leave as rules and laws change fast and often with out notice.

 

[spike.t]

Just got back from Zimbabwe via Joberg. Had a s hassle at JoBerg becuase my agent booked me on Delta to Joberg then on British Air to Vic Falls, but British Air no longer will transport guns so I had to scramble and get a flight on SAA.

.
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just to clarify that is only BAs south african regional subsidiary not british airways in general.

 

[Odinsraven]

Now Docman how do I work that one passed the wife - I feel a new rifle coming on !

A client from the USA, who has become a dear friend, started hunting in Namibia thirteen years ago. After a similar unpleasant episode, he decided that he would never travel with rifles again. He did, but only once..he bought two identical .375's, has one at home and has left one in Namibia ever since. He comes over every year and hunts with his own rifle..without any hassles.

 

[Zabi]

As to the "bow and arrow"-issues:

Indeed, in Germany the bow is legally NOT regarded as a weapon, but as sports equipment.
Although, on flights, it is a good idea to just go to the firearms department at the airport and declare your archery equipment as "dangerous goods".

I did so prior to my flight to SA (and back as well), and there was no problem. In fact, I suppose they handle your baggage with greater care if there is a firearms-label hanging to it

Of course I had to pick up my bow at the firearms department and my normal travelcase at the usual conveyor belt, but who cares...