Travel Through London Heathrow with my Holland & Holland Paperweight - Airport Security Fiasco

[UpNorthMI]

Where we can find exemption lists?

The TSA provide information but this is maybe limited to US departing flights only where the TSA run departing security.

Rifle Scope (Scope Only) | Transportation Security Administration

Firearms carried as checked baggage MUST be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided container, and declared to the airline at check-in. Read the guidelines.Check with your airline or travel agent to see if firearms are permitted in checked baggage on the airline you are flying. Ask about...

www.tsa.gov

I like the concept of carrying my scopes in carry on baggage but would worry about transfer airports who may apply different rules.

 

[GuttormG]

If you travel frequently you should see this becoming a problem..

 

[Namagiqa]

A little over a year ago, Dodge City KS TSA saved the day by confiscating my chap stick. I’m kind of starting to feel like my tax dollars might not be being used in the most efficient manner.

I have used Balmshot for years now. It's good stuff but I got it because the base does not turn in my pocket and then fill up the lid with the chapstick. I go into courts quite frequently and in my home state of Alaska, I've never had a problem. Gone through TSA many times and I usually just tuck it into my bag. Since it's not filled with powder and shot, it doesn't appear like a real cartridge on the X-ray. I travel frequently and I've only had one TSA agent ask about it.

However, a few years ago I tried a case in King County, WA (Seattle). One of the sheriff's deputies would not let me take it into court. I asked why. He said because it looks like a shotgun shell. I opened the lid and showed it was not a real shell. He still wouldn't let me take it in. I asked him why and he said, "The judge might get scared." So I had to get a different lip balm for the rest of the trial.

To show the massive disconnect between my great state and Washington, shortly after that trial, I was going through courthouse security at the federal court in Anchorage. Because of the metal base, I put it in the bin and security clearly saw it. I'm there frequently and they know me. As I was gathering my stuff I asked why they did not say anything about that container. The security guy looks at me and says, "It's the wrong size for an actual shotgun shell so I know it's not real."

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Some good news on the possibility of getting my hands back on my Holland & Holland paperweight, not all is doom and gloom! I finally got my item number to be recognized on the mailandfly website, I joyfully paid them $58 to ship my item in the UK to a shooting friend, I'm just hoping it will be my paperweight and not someone's dangerous jar of jam that was over the 100ml travel rule that shows up.

On my next UK trip I will return with carry on luggage and hopefully ship my dangerous paperweight home with me. If I do get my paperweight back I feel I have to be the only person in the world to give mailandfly a better feedback rating than the minimum 1 star all of their excited customers have left so far.

I checked with Holland & Holland and there are no more .375 H & H paperweights available. If you want one there is one up for auction with DSC 2024 convention, there are 30 minutes left and it's currently at $425.

HOLLAND & HOLLAND: .375 H&H Magnum Explorer Pen and .375 Bullet Paperweight Combo - Dallas Safari Club

HOLLAND & HOLLAND: .375 H&H Magnum Explorer Pen and .375 Bullet Paperweight Combo - Dallas Safari Club

bidding.biggame.org

Great that you are getting that item returned.

I'm not sure how paperweights were ever in any way practical. Perhaps in the olden days before air conditioning when clerks had to open the windows for ventilation?

Why did Holland & Holland choose to display the bullet and case separate? I don't get that at all. Looks goofy to me. As I understand it, the loaded cartridge is what was initially introduced by them, not bullets and brass.

 

[WAB]

Years ago I had cleared my shotgun in Heathrow and was walking out of the airport with it. There was a bomb threat, all the doors slammed shut, and military personnel in tactical gear with automatic weapons lined the overhead walkways. There I stood with my shotgun case trying to look invisible!

 

[UpNorthMI]

Great that you are getting that item returned.

I'm not sure how paperweights were ever in any way practical. Perhaps in the olden days before air conditioning when clerks had to open the windows for ventilation?

Why did Holland & Holland choose to display the bullet and case separate? I don't get that at all. Looks goofy to me. As I understand it, the loaded cartridge is what was initially introduced by them, not bullets and brass.

I'm guessing Holland & Holland selected to show the case and bullet separated, so it was very clear that they are inert separate parts and could not be considered as "ammunition".

Unlike here in the US and I assume Canada, the possession or sale of ammunition is very strictly controlled and subject to serious criminal charges unless you hold an appropriate firearm / gun license. In the UK if you hold a firearm certificate there is a limitation of how much ammunition you can buy at one time and how much you hold in total for each caliber you are approved to hold. Each time you purchase ammunition from a dealer, they have to record that sale on your firearm certificate and in their sales logs. The police have the right to visit your home and audit the quantity of ammunition that you hold!

 

[Warbeast]

Sadly so often seen by women im "positions pf power"

To proud and / or selfish to get a supervisor to consult

Seen that within my LEO and nilitary career to often.


Regarding your deminishing eyesight i may be able to help. Would you enjoy be aside someone (me using that rifle to hunt?
Would be my pleasure to help

Hope you get that cool paper weight back

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'm guessing Holland & Holland selected to show the case and bullet separated, so it was very clear that they are inert separate parts and could not be considered as "ammunition".

Unlike here in the US and I assume Canada, the possession or sale of ammunition is very strictly controlled and subject to serious criminal charges unless you hold an appropriate firearm / gun license. In the UK if you hold a firearm certificate there is a limitation of how much ammunition you can buy at one time and how much you hold in total for each caliber you are approved to hold. Each time you purchase ammunition from a dealer, they have to record that sale on your firearm certificate and in their sales logs. The police have the right to visit your home and audit the quantity of ammunition that you hold!

Ah! That makes sense. Forgot we were talking about GB.

Pretty much the same regs here except no limits on quantities of ammo ... not yet. Logs of ammunition sales are kept at vendors (in Ontario but not Manitoba) but nothing on our firearms possession license which is a photo ID card.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Sadly so often seen by women im "positions pf power"

To proud and / or selfish to get a supervisor to consult

Seen that within my LEO and nilitary career to often.


Regarding your deminishing eyesight i may be able to help. Would you enjoy be aside someone (me using that rifle to hunt?
Would be my pleasure to help

Hope you get that cool paper weight back

Thank you for that very kind offer of holding and shooting my theoretical very expensive nice gun! Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't know your shooting ability and I'm not sure I want to stand by your side empty handed, while hoping that your eyesight is any better than mine with a charging buffalo coming on.

I'm taking my Blaser R8 in .375 H & H in May on a buffalo hunt, this is the only barrel that I actually have with open sights, I have to say that the Blaser open sights are amazing and they are big enough for me to see the wide white posts really well. I've been getting some open sight practice with the Blazer and have been doing quite well in the 30 - 40 yard range. Hopefully I will not have to wrestle with those buffalo in the long grass. I'm hearing the best policy is to shoot them in the right place with enough bullet with the first shot.

Now if you want to talk about offering to wrestle the one's I miss that may work out .... lol

 

[Warbeast]

Beem sticking a lot of eueopean boar
How hard can it be then

And would be okay to hold a cheap gun too.

 

[Major Bonkers]

I had a problem in Warsaw airport with a Beretta shotgun stock. It had been refurbished in Poland, and I had it in my carry-on luggage. Of course it was spotted going through the x-ray machine and I was told that it was inadmissible to be carried. In vain I argued that it was just a piece of wood.

As I understand the rule, any weapon or part of a weapon is verboten. Somehow telescopic sights are exempt from this prohibition.

In my case, I had to retreat out of security control, leave my stock at lost property (where it was subsequently retrieved by a colleague), and pass through again.

The whole rigmarole is a bit absurd. Whoever head of an aeroplane being hijacked by a manicure set or a log of wood? It seems to me that most of the operatives are bored rigid by their occupation and welcome little bit of drama and throwing their weight around at your expense.

Last year at Heathrow I had a drama because I had packed my bottles of Camp coffee in my rifle case, and this was against the rules. Only firearms can go in the rifle case, not liquids. Luckily I was flying Virgin who came to my assistance and provided me with a cardboard box for the bottles. Inevitably, though, one burst in transit. My experience of Virgin - much as I disapprove of Richard Branson's tax dodging - is that they are non-judgmental about firearms and go out of their way to help resolve issues.

About 20 years ago, BA were the cause of me missing a flight from Heathrow to Barcelona, allegedly because I should have arrived over two hours earlier to check in a rifle. It was another example of bloody-minded obstructionism and making rules up as they go along. I suspect that they had over-booked the flight and this was a convenient excuse, so I avoid BA like the plague nowadays.

 

[flatwater bill]

I guess security folks can't be too careful.....they may have prevented someone with a paperweight in one hand, a Medal of Honor in the other, and a tube of lip balm in his teeth running amuck in Heathrow.....I feel safer now..........FWB

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I had a problem in Warsaw airport with a Beretta shotgun stock. It had been refurbished in Poland, and I had it in my carry-on luggage. Of course it was spotted going through the x-ray machine and I was told that it was inadmissible to be carried. In vain I argued that it was just a piece of wood.

As I understand the rule, any weapon or part of a weapon is verboten. Somehow telescopic sights are exempt from this prohibition.

In my case, I had to retreat out of security control, leave my stock at lost property (where it was subsequently retrieved by a colleague), and pass through again.

The whole rigmarole is a bit absurd. Whoever head of an aeroplane being hijacked by a manicure set or a log of wood? It seems to me that most of the operatives are bored rigid by their occupation and welcome little bit of drama and throwing their weight around at your expense.

Last year at Heathrow I had a drama because I had packed my bottles of Camp coffee in my rifle case, and this was against the rules. Only firearms can go in the rifle case, not liquids. Luckily I was flying Virgin who came to my assistance and provided me with a cardboard box for the bottles. Inevitably, though, one burst in transit. My experience of Virgin - much as I disapprove of Richard Branson's tax dodging - is that they are non-judgmental about firearms and go out of their way to help resolve issues.

About 20 years ago, BA were the cause of me missing a flight from Heathrow to Barcelona, allegedly because I should have arrived over two hours earlier to check in a rifle. It was another example of bloody-minded obstructionism and making rules up as they go along. I suspect that they had over-booked the flight and this was a convenient excuse, so I avoid BA like the plague nowadays.

As I recall, Air Canada requires guns to be checked in two hours early. It's on their website. Anyone planning to catch a plane out of Joberg had better ensure two hours layover ... or you probably won't make the flight.

Putting liquid coffee in a gun case? Really? Good thing for you Virgin Air didn't allow it. The bottle would still have burst making a mess of your gun. As far as I know, only American domestic flights allow ammo in the gun case. DON'T DO THAT IF FLYING OUT OF THE COUNTRY. I vividly remember some rich American with a Deep South drawl arguing with the police at Joberg airport because it was his God given US constitutional right to put ammo in his gun case, etc. He must have been born rich because he certainly wasn't smart enough to be a self-made millionaire. And I'm sure he was a lot poorer after rebooking the connecting flight he was almost certainly going to miss. FLYING OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA REQUIRES A SEPARATE LOCKED AMMO BOX. Make sure you have one if you plan to hunt RSA.

Again, the logic in not allowing ANY gun parts in carryon does have some sense to it. Read my post above. However, I think the airline websites should make this clearer. Traveling with anything firearms related will be complicated. That's just a given. It is up to the hunter to educate him/herself. Or find a specialty travel agency to handle the trip.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Air Canada now requires guns to have trigger locks AND be locked in a gun case. I bought trigger locks last year but never put them on for my August safari. The airport security people also thought it was a dopey reg.

 

[Pablo]

A little over a year ago, Dodge City KS TSA saved the day by confiscating my chap stick. I’m kind of starting to feel like my tax dollars might not be being used in the most efficient manner.

I use Balmshot too. It's great stuff. I've been wondering about how TSA would handle it.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I use Balmshot too. It's great stuff. I've been wondering about how TSA would handle it.

Anything that looks like ammo is not getting through carryon inspection. And it shouldn't. Not so much because it could be used as ammo (which it can't) but because other passengers might think it could be used in a gun and freak out during the flight. Travel with guns and ammo but be discreet out of respect for others. Kind of a Golden Rule thing.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Final Good News My Holland and Holland paperweight made it back to my UK friends address, I will just learn from this experience not to carry such things in my carry on luggage. Security staff are very excitable but I guess that is what they are paid for and we all want to stay safe.

I would have been very upset if I lost my treasured .375 H&H paperweight. I'll make sure to check my bag next time.

As far as Heathrow and firearm travel, I'll keep doing it as a final destination for US / UK trips but I'm never going to pick Heathrow as a transfer airport on my US / Africa travels, I'd rather pay the extra flight cost for direct US / Africa travel rather than risk any issues.

 

[Jetjockey]

I also have a funny story about ridiculous security. Last summer after my Zambia Safari, my wife, daughters, and mother in law flew into Joburg where my father in law and I met them before a family safari to Greater Kruger. The next morning, we check our bags and proceed to security for our flight to Skukuza. I didn’t even really take note that my youngest daughter had her favorite stuffed snake around her neck. As we go through security, the security agent tells my daughter the stuffed snake can’t come through security, and it needs to be thrown away or checked. There was no way in hell we were going to throw away her favorite stuffed toy (she loves snakes), so I asked to talk to the security agents supervisor. As an airline pilot in the US, I “know my s#it,” and realized how ridiculous this was. I saw the supervisor answer the radio and walk from behind security in our direction. As the supervisor walked through the metal detector, she saw my daughter and the snake, screamed, and ran back into security. At that exact moment I realized that I indeed did not know my s#it, and there was no way this menacing stuffed snake was going to make it through security. I pleaded with the original security agent one more time and was told my daughter could threaten people with that stuffed snake. So, the snake got stuffed in my would be carry on, taken back to the check in counter, and was checked as luggage in the bottom of the plane. Once through security I was still frustrated about how ridiculous it was, so I was going to prove a point, buy a snake from a gift shop, and take it back and show the security agent how ridiculous they were being. Guess what? You can buy a stuffed rhino, tiger, buffalo, elephant, and probably a life sized fricked Godzilla. You CAN NOT buy a snake! . The snake was checked on all subsequent flights.

The Perp and her killer snake.

 

[WAB]

I was flying from Mfuwe to Lusaka on a commercial flight years ago. I had a rifle and ammo in separate locked cases. Everything we had went through X-ray to the waiting area, including my gun and ammo. When it was time to board I carried my gun and ammo out to the plane for them. I’m sure glad they x-rayed the carry ons!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I also have a funny story about ridiculous security. Last summer after my Zambia Safari, my wife, daughters, and mother in law flew into Joburg where my father in law and I met them before a family safari to Greater Kruger. The next morning, we check our bags and proceed to security for our flight to Skukuza. I didn’t even really take note that my youngest daughter had her favorite stuffed snake around her neck. As we go through security, the security agent tells my daughter the stuffed snake can’t come through security, and it needs to be thrown away or checked. There was no way in hell we were going to throw away her favorite stuffed toy (she loves snakes), so I asked to talk to the security agents supervisor. As an airline pilot in the US, I “know my s#it,” and realized how ridiculous this was. I saw the supervisor answer the radio and walk from behind security in our direction. As the supervisor walked through the metal detector, she saw my daughter and the snake, screamed, and ran back into security. At that exact moment I realized that I indeed did not know my s#it, and there was no way this menacing stuffed snake was going to make it through security. I pleaded with the original security agent one more time and was told my daughter could threaten people with that stuffed snake. So, the snake got stuffed in my would be carry on, taken back to the check in counter, and was checked as luggage in the bottom of the plane. Once through security I was still frustrated about how ridiculous it was, so I was going to prove a point, buy a snake from a gift shop, and take it back and show the security agent how ridiculous they were being. Guess what? You can buy a stuffed rhino, tiger, buffalo, elephant, and probably a life sized fricked Godzilla. You CAN NOT buy a snake! . The snake was checked on all subsequent flights.

The Perp and her killer snake.


View attachment 583439

Probably the same woman supervisor who was a problem for me last summer. Going through security for my connecting flight to Port Elizabeth, the lady agent took my roll of red duct tape. "You can't board with that." Are you sure? Why? The gal walks over to supervisor who's on computer. A few words were spoken, supervisor scowls at me, and shakes her head. So the duct tape was thrown in the trash? No. The gal opened a drawer and tossed it in ... next to a lunch box. Oh well. Next time I will bring less decorative duct tape for sealing the ammo box.