Mercury Recoil Reducers on Airplanes

[Art Lambart II]

I have access to a Ruger #1 in 416 Rigby but it has a mercury recoil reducers in the stock. Is their any issues transporting firearms with mercury recoil reducers in the stock on commercial airliners?

 

[mdwest]

There was a thread posted here within the last couple of months about mercury recoil reducers and the risk involved with flying with them...

Im pretty sure they are not prohibited though.. they dont show up on the TSA's list of prohibited items anywhere..

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/prohibited-items


Ive got one in my .375 H&H.. and Ill be flying with it to SA this summer..

 

[Grady]

There are no problems with recoil reduces installed in your firearm. I have traveled with my 375 H&H, and three of my shotguns with reduces without any issues.

 

[Rule 303]

There are serious legal problems with mercury on an aircraft. Mercury will dissolve the alloy an aircraft is made of very quickly. In Australia and I suspect the rest of the world it is illegal to take mercury on board an aircraft without written authority.
I know heaps of people have carried heaps of firearms with Mercury recoil reduces many times. Yep, but the airline and authorities do not know they have mercury in them. From memory Mercury is listed as a dangerous or hazardous goods by IATA.

My advice is, don't do it. If you need a recoil reducer get one that does not use mercury. If you already have one and have or plane to fly with that firearm, replace the mercury reducer with another. If you do cart one on board or attempt to and are caught, shut your mouth and get a very good lawyer.

On other forums I have had people say that they haven't been questioned on them yet and will keep flying with them. All good so far but more and more baggage is been X-rayed at airports so it is only a matter of time until something is noticed in the butt of a firearm.

Yes I do work in an industry that is involved with air travel.

 

[mdwest]

There are serious legal problems with mercury on an aircraft.

This is NOT the case in most instances in the US, or when traveling under FAA regulations and guidelines.

The FAA states that consumer products that contain mercury are absolutely allowable.

They go on to further state that medical devices and other non consumer devices such as commercial grade weather barometers that contain considerable amounts of mercury are also allowed, but must be declared by the passenger and that they are only allowed for government officials, physicians, etc..

In the case of commercial grade items and medical devices they can only be located in carry on baggage and must be inside a leak proof, puncture resistant container..

Neither the FAA or TSA have any policy, nor is there any law, that prohibits traveling with a mercury recoil reducer that I can find after searching FAA regs, TSA regs, both agencies websites, Lexus-Nexus, and doing a basic google search..

If you have information to the contrary, I'd like a link (sincerely).. I absolutely intend on traveling with a rifle that has a mercury recoil reducer installed in it this summer..

 

[Rule 303]

This is NOT the case in most instances in the US, or when traveling under FAA regulations and guidelines.

The FAA states that consumer products that contain mercury are absolutely allowable.

They go on to further state that medical devices and other non consumer devices such as commercial grade weather barometers that contain considerable amounts of mercury are also allowed, but must be declared by the passenger and that they are only allowed for government officials, physicians, etc..

In the case of commercial grade items and medical devices they can only be located in carry on baggage and must be inside a leak proof, puncture resistant container..

Neither the FAA or TSA have any policy, nor is there any law, that prohibits traveling with a mercury recoil reducer that I can find after searching FAA regs, TSA regs, both agencies websites, Lexus-Nexus, and doing a basic google search..

If you have information to the contrary, I'd like a link (sincerely).. I absolutely intend on traveling with a rifle that has a mercury recoil reducer installed in it this summer..

As I said mercury is allowable with written permission. To obtain that permission the mercury would need to be contained in a manner the airline deems safe and it must be declared. Will you be declaring that you are taking mercury on board the aircraft? If the FAA allow it then fine with in the US, but if traveling outside the US it would pay to check where you are going.

Check what they list as Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Goods.

 

[Rule 303]

This link should take you to the relevant page. You may have to use the search function. https://dangerousgoodsapp.casa.gov.au/

It list Mercury as a no, no but medical and weather instruments as you mention are allowed when packaged properly. Certainly in Aust you could be looking at some jail time.

 

[mdwest]

As I said mercury is allowable with written permission.

The devil is in the details... COMMERCIAL products containing large amounts of mercury is allowable with written permission..

CONSUMER products (like a mercury recoil reducer) that contain mercury require no permission or declaration from the traveler..

To obtain that permission the mercury would need to be contained in a manner the airline deems safe and it must be declared.

This is only the case with COMMERCIAL products like medical instruments and commercial barometers... it doesnt apply to consumer products..

Will you be declaring that you are taking mercury on board the aircraft?

No. From what I can tell, there is no requirement to do this.

If the FAA allow it then fine with in the US, but if traveling outside the US it would pay to check where you are going.

Flying on a US carrier out of a US airport, that fly and operate under TSA and FAA regs.. to SA where I can find no regulations or laws that would prohibit having mercury on the ground... and then back to the US on a US carrier and into a US airport..

Check what they list as Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Goods.

I did.. the list is in the link in the post above.. Mercury recoil reducers are not on the prohibited list..



I get that the rules/laws in AU are likely very different... but.. I dont see where most of what you are implying would have any impact or relevance to most US or EU travelers to Africa..

 

[mdwest]

This link should take you to the relevant page. You may have to use the search function. https://dangerousgoodsapp.casa.gov.au/

It list Mercury as a no, no but medical and weather instruments as you mention are allowed when packaged properly. Certainly in Aust you could be looking at some jail time.

That link really doesnt provide adequate information.. if you put the word "mercury" in the search bar, it comes up with 3 options.. Mercury barometer or thermometers carried by government (allowable.. certain rules apply).. medical or clinical thermometers (allowable.. must be kept in a protective case.. either check bags or carry on bags are ok.... whats significant here is it doesnt define "protective case".. I would assume the little plastic case that thermometers come in when you buy them at the drug store would be fine?).. and "mercury" which is prohibited..

There is no mention of any other consumer product that may contain mercury.. (like batteries, electronics, light bulbs, and SPORTING EQUIPMENT)...

For what its worth, the US Environmental Protection Agency specifically mentions Mercury Recoil Reducers in its description of Sporting Equipment that contain mercury, and labels them as a common consumer item, which makes them completely unregulated)..

The rules may be very different in Aust.. but in the US, and from I can tell most of the EU, and the couple of places I have done some searching on in Africa.. this is a complete non issue..

 

[BRICKBURN]

The only reference to Mercury I can find in IATA docs.

https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Documents/passenger-provisions-table-23A-en.pdf

TABLE 2.3.A
Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew
Thermometer, medical or clinical, which contains mercury, one (1) per person for personal use, when in its protective case.

Permitted in checked baggage, not carry on baggage and the pilot is not required to be informed.

 

[Rule 303]

That link really doesnt provide adequate information.. if you put the word "mercury" in the search bar, it comes up with 3 options.. Mercury barometer or thermometers carried by government (allowable.. certain rules apply).. medical or clinical thermometers (allowable.. must be kept in a protective case.. either check bags or carry on bags are ok.... whats significant here is it doesnt define "protective case".. I would assume the little plastic case that thermometers come in when you buy them at the drug store would be fine?).. and "mercury" which is prohibited..

There is no mention of any other consumer product that may contain mercury.. (like batteries, electronics, light bulbs, and SPORTING EQUIPMENT)...

For what its worth, the US Environmental Protection Agency specifically mentions Mercury Recoil Reducers in its description of Sporting Equipment that contain mercury, and labels them as a common consumer item, which makes them completely unregulated)..

The rules may be very different in Aust.. but in the US, and from I can tell most of the EU, and the couple of places I have done some searching on in Africa.. this is a complete non issue..

The devil is in the details... COMMERCIAL products containing large amounts of mercury is allowable with written permission..

CONSUMER products (like a mercury recoil reducer) that contain mercury require no permission or declaration from the traveler..



This is only the case with COMMERCIAL products like medical instruments and commercial barometers... it doesnt apply to consumer products..



No. From what I can tell, there is no requirement to do this.



Flying on a US carrier out of a US airport, that fly and operate under TSA and FAA regs.. to SA where I can find no regulations or laws that would prohibit having mercury on the ground... and then back to the US on a US carrier and into a US airport..



I did.. the list is in the link in the post above.. Mercury recoil reducers are not on the prohibited list..



I get that the rules/laws in AU are likely very different... but.. I dont see where most of what you are implying would have any impact or relevance to most US or EU travelers to Africa..

The link go to the search type in Mercury and it has 3 options. It list what is permissible and what is not. What is permissible is what is allowed any other mercury- as in the liquid- it s says is not allowed. This link is to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. They are the equivalent of FAA. Now as they do not mention the reducers specifically or in a descriptive form then they are not allowed without approval. Given the construction of the reducers I have seen one would think there should not be to much of a problem obtaining the permission. The same applies with the IATA link. It tells you what is allowed. If it is not listed as allowable then it is not permitted. In essence if a substance is listed as Not Allowed (or similar wording) and specific exemptions are mentioned then those mentioned exemptions are the only allowable form to be carried.

So in Aust they are not allowed on board without permission, in the rest of the world looks like they are. So if traveling to most places they are fine coming down under they are not. I have to say that as mercury is not permitted without approval by IATA, I am surprised that other countries allow it.

Just beware that the amount of mercury from in thermometer can make a 767 unsafe to fly. Have seen the damage one did to 767 back in the early 1990's.

 

[Countrylife]

Do a search for "Mercury damage to aircraft" on the web then decide if you really want to bring mercury on board in any kind of container. There are descriptions of what happens, the chemistry involved, and pictures of the damage. Personally, I would not.