Flying with firearms domestic flights

[Tanks]

...

He said if the laptop wasn't inside he would have cleared the bag after the initial X-ray - lesson learned.

I am surprised you put the laptop in the suitcase. The machine that x-rays it is pretty intrusive.

 

[Franco]

I am surprised you put the laptop in the suitcase. The machine that x-rays it is pretty intrusive.

I was surprised I put it in there as well. If I bring it I typically put it in my briefcase. It still gets pulled out at security and passes thru the scanner.

 

[Tanks]

My company did the baggage handling system at LAX for Delta and our software interfaces with those machines and directs the suitcases to TSA when something is questionable. They are orders of magnitude stronger than the standard X-ray machines that carry-ons pass through.

 

[Franco]

My company did the baggage handling system at LAX for Delta and our software interfaces with those machines and directs the suitcases to TSA when something is questionable. They are orders of magnitude stronger than the standard X-ray machines that carry-ons pass through.

Thanks, that is good to know. I'll leave the laptop in my briefcase - or home, on future travels.

 

[HankBuck]

Doesn’t surprise me at all. That may have been done on purpose

You’re a very brave person to fly out of Newark with firearms

Obi, the real adventure starts at the Airport - Africa and Alaska was tame compared to Newark International. My biggest thrill on Safari was seeing my Firearms actually arrive in Tanzania - safe, undamaged, Amazing !

 

[HankBuck]

On my most recent flight, I put an Apple AirTag in my gun case (hidden in a slit in the foam). Gave me piece of mind when I could see my gun made it on the flight and also where it was in the airport for delivery to oversize baggage claim.

Great idea and I will invest in those for my next flight

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Obi, the real adventure starts at the Airport - Africa and Alaska was tame compared to Newark International. My biggest thrill on Safari was seeing my Firearms actually arrive in Tanzania - safe, undamaged, Amazing !

I'm jealous you've been to Tanzania, never been. I want to hunt there with my wife & kids when they get a little older.

I've repeatedly heard going to Newark is pretty terrifying. I've flown through Newark several times for business. Hate that airport.

In fact my old girlfriend from high school. Her parents are SUPER AWESOME people. Every day hard working good folks. They were traveling through New Jersey on a business trip from South Carolina. They got stopped at a simple check point. Her dad reached over to get the car registration out of the glove box. The cop saw his pistol a 32 caliber revolver. You would have thought they were trafficking keys of cocaine. Her parents were both arrested or the spot and held for 2 nights because the gun was "concealed" in the car, New Jersey has draconian gun laws. I'll NEVER fly through New Jersey with a gun.

Any yes I've heard horror stories of the people at United messing with hunters by destroying their guns or they never show up. It's so bad I know people that have to hide their guns in a guitar case or if they are in a gun case they use "Gone Fishing" stickers on them to make people think fishing rods are on the inside. No way will I ever fly United with firearms.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Hi, I have flown out of the country several time with firearms but never domestic. During checking in is there any paperwork required ? I will be flying from CA to UT. Unloaded firearm in a locked case and no more then 11lbs of ammo in a locked case in my check in bag ?

You've gotten some great advice here and like someone said your bolt should be out of the gun locked in the case with the gun.

This is my 30.06 in deer camp in Wisconsin a few years ago and I've hunted with it in Zambia in 2021. Same set up. The only difference with Zambia the ammo had to be in a separate locked case.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Yep piece of cake just follow the instructions of tsa , I been to Alaska and had 3 guns and ammo in a aluminum case
Canada & Mexico you best have every duck in a row with paper work I’s dotted & T’s crossed! Canada is the worst

I never have a problem at my local Canadian airport. Same procedure as US when I check in. No ammo in the case but I believe that is Air Canada's policy. The only issue was at Toronto my last trip when the agents were in a quandary about whether my bipod could go on the plane in carryon (too late to get it into checked bag). Is it a "gun part" or not? Eventually they let it go. Scopes in the bag are okay but bipod was not "on the list." Do  NOT put rifle bolt in carryon bag! Some on another forum asked about that. You and your bolt will part company.

Most airlines I have used want extra early check in with guns. Like two hours.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'm jealous you've been to Tanzania, never been. I want to hunt there with my wife & kids when they get a little older.

I've repeatedly heard going to Newark is pretty terrifying. I've flown through Newark several times for business. Hate that airport.

In fact my old girlfriend from high school. Her parents are SUPER AWESOME people. Every day hard working good folks. They were traveling through New Jersey on a business trip from South Carolina. They got stopped at a simple check point. Her dad reached over to get the car registration out of the glove box. The cop saw his pistol a 32 caliber revolver. You would have thought they were trafficking keys of cocaine. Her parents were both arrested or the spot and held for 2 nights because the gun was "concealed" in the car, New Jersey has draconian gun laws. I'll NEVER fly through New Jersey with a gun.

Any yes I've heard horror stories of the people at United messing with hunters by destroying their guns or they never show up. It's so bad I know people that have to hide their guns in a guitar case or if they are in a gun case they use "Gone Fishing" stickers on them to make people think fishing rods are on the inside. No way will I ever fly United with firearms.

One fella told me he uses a Yamaha sticker for his gun case to disguise it as an electric piano case.

Air France is the airline to avoid internationally.

 

[JimP]

You've gotten some great advice here and like someone said your bolt should be out of the gun locked in the case with the gun.

This is my 30.06 in deer camp in Wisconsin a few years ago and I've hunted with it in Zambia in 2021. Same set up. The only difference with Zambia the ammo had to be in a separate locked case.

There are no regulations in the US that tells you that you need to remove the bolt.

Every time that I have flown with my rifle the bolt has stayed in it with zero problems

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Great idea and I will invest in those for my next flight

AirTag is great. I have an android phone so couldn't interface with the one in my gun case. My daughter has an iPhone and tracked it from here. She texted me satellite images of where the gun was in the airports.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

There are no regulations in the US that tells you that you need to remove the bolt.

Every time that I have flown with my rifle the bolt has stayed in it with zero problems

Agreed. Removing the bolt is just asking for some security turd to "lose" it. Most of them could never figure out how to remove a bolt so no worries about it taking a walk if it stays in the gun.

 

[HankBuck]

There are no regulations in the US that tells you that you need to remove the bolt.

Every time that I have flown with my rifle the bolt has stayed in it with zero problems

JimP, you are correct - removing a rifle bolt is Not required by FAA or TSA when transporting firearms. However, I’ve seen TSA do it twice with my bolt rifles and one time they had to remove the entire rifle from the case and then contact Me to come back there and put it back in…, the other time they left the bolt “loose” inside my case and up against the scope. So, because of these two incidents (and my friend having TSA lose his bolt) I now secure my bolts to the inside of my case —- allowing TSA to see the chamber is empty without having to disturb my rifle. It is my attempt to reduce the chance of TSA screwing something up and I admit - far from a fool proof solution.

 

[YancyW]

No othe TSA locks per their regulations. Only you should have the key or combo. You also need a lock in every hole that is designed for a lock.

I've never had a problem leaving the bolt in the rifle.

That isn't true anymore, they changed the lock rule years ago.

Transporting Firearms and Ammunition | Transportation Security Administration

www.tsa.gov

 

[YancyW]

I have 100s of domestic flights flying with a firearm, I honestly have had very few bad experiences. The vast majority of the time, both the airline staff and TSA have been no issue at all.

 

[HankBuck]

I have 100s of domestic flights flying with a firearm, I honestly have had very few bad experiences. The vast majority of the time, both the airline staff and TSA have been no issue at all.

YANCYW, same here in dozens of flights and never a catastrophe - but because of the “inconsistencies” in how my firearms were handled over the past 30 years the “potential for a problem” is too much for me to ever be relaxed when flying. I know I’ve avoided problems a couple times by my own attention to detail and once calling over a Supervisor to correct the errant interpretation of the “rules” by a subordinate.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

That isn't true anymore, they changed the lock rule years ago.

Transporting Firearms and Ammunition | Transportation Security Administration

www.tsa.gov

Thanks for that link.