Ever have trouble with a pistol in your luggage?

HardDrive · 11-09-2005, 09:01 PM

I am flying Northwest on Sat. Things I need to look out for? It will be in a locked hard shell case. No ammo.

It looks like they make you sign a 'gun is unloaded' statement when you check in.

Joeaksa · 11-09-2005, 09:06 PM

If its an auto gun take the slide and put it into another bag. That way if someone tries to steal it, then its not going to hurt anyone. Can also detach the cylinder on some wheel guns.

I was flying from CONUS to Berlin years ago, and hand carrying a rather special 30.06 with me. Checked it into baggage in a custom made heavy metal case, locked several times and the "W" sticker all over it. (they call it a W in airline terms, do not want to say weapon) Needless to say, when I arrived in Berlin the gun was not there.

Security got all worried and I smiled and told them not to fret. Opened up my carry-on bag and pulled the bolt out and told them "no one is going to shoot that gun" and they were a lot happier then. It showed up 2 days later without a scratch on it.

JoeA

jyl · jyl's Garage

read this

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1666.xml

alf · 11-09-2005, 09:33 PM

If you have a gun, make sure to declare it and secure it in locked luggage. TSA will search it in your presence and relock the luggage and security tag it.

I know many sword collectors that throw a $50 pistol in their sword cases so they could have the extra security of being able to watch their cases with a $100k worth of swords checked in their presence and tagged and tracked till it is picked up at the destination.

alf

RickM · RickM's Garage

When I carried two pistols to Florida I checked the guns in locked cases. I was brought into a private room where a (hot) female Continental security worker inspected the goods. After commenting on how cool they looked she checked them in manually. I don't even bother with ammo...just buy it where I'm going.

darkbeer · 11-10-2005, 07:04 AM

in San Francisco it's not called "luggage"...it's your "package", & you can be pretty sure just about every package has a pistol in it.....

(snicker snicker, not trying to start a fight, just get a laugh!!! )

Eric 951 · 11-10-2005, 07:25 AM

always a good idea to buy extra insurance for the bag which contains the pistol. IIRC, you have to have the ammo in a seperate checked bag and it has to be in the original packaging--at least that is the case with long guns.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

#1. Go to the TSA website and download a copy of the regulations. Make sure you print them out with a "Date" on them

TSA & Firearms

#2. Goto the Northwest Airline website and do the same.

NWA Firearms

Print 2 copies of each. Keep one on you and the put the other in the box with the firearm

Pack the firearm as per the instructions above. Magazines should be acceptable for shipping ammunition, but some of the people will not understand this. It's better to just keep it in the manufacturers boxes.

You may want to break down the slide (Auto Pistol) or remove the cylinder (Wheel gun), but it is not required. Do not put any parts of the gun in your carry on bag or in another bag. That is against the law.

When you go to the Airport, do not get into line for check in. Go straight to a friendly TSA person, milling about. With the spare copy of the TSA & NWA regulations in hand, quietly inform the TSA person that you are shipping an unloaded firearm.

They should take you to a secure, out of site area to examine the contents of your bag. Usually an airline person will be there as well. If they question anything, refer to the regulations you brought with you. Once everything is in order, lock the case and take the key with you. This is required by the law. Do not let them mark the bag as containing a firearm. It is not legal for them to do so and it is a "steal me" sign. Have the TSA person mark the bag as "inspected" with the TSA tape.

You will then be escorted to the counter to check your bags, usually with no wait. Who knew that checking a firearm turned you into a VIP!!!

Again, let me stress to read the TSA regulations and NWA's regulations and do everything you can do to make it easy for them.

James

HardDrive · 11-20-2005, 04:32 PM

As a follow up, this was not problem, at least on Northwest. The employees did not seem to familar with their own procedures, so I had to give them some guidance. Not kidding.

They ask you to sign a 'da gun ain't loaded' form, then you take this to TSA. It was handled differently each time, but TSA asks you to open everything, they look it over, then relock it. They put a TSA inspection sticker on your baggage tag.

The whole deal probably only took 5 minutes max.

Make sure you do not have the ammo and the gun in the same bag, and make sure you declare the ammo. They don't look at it, but the TSA will check to see if you declared it.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by HardDrive
Make sure you do not have the ammo and the gun in the same bag, and make sure you declare the ammo.

Interesting. The TSA regulations say you can ship them together in the hardsided case.

Glad you didn't have any issues.

HardDrive · 11-20-2005, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
Interesting. The TSA regulations say you can ship them together in the hardsided case.

Glad you didn't have any issues.

This is an airline regulation, not TSA. It did not really matter, because the airline folks did not know their head from their ass in the whole matter. I would never do anything illegal when it comes to guns, but I am under the impression that I could send a suitcase full of firearms, and they would be none the wiser.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Yes, but the NWA regulations say that you can. Oh well. This is why I suggested you print out the regs and have a copy or 2 with you.