Flying Commercial

[Glock30]

I run a factory lock through the magazine well and lock it. Then, I lock the outside of the Glock box with a long shaft padlock. Problem solved. Problem staying solved. Nobody can mess with the contents. The process is really easy and painless.

 

That's my experience with it.

[TMF]

how have you frequent fliers verified your firearm contents once you arrive at your destination?

i'd imagine it might raise a few eyebrows to open your case inside the airport but i'd also want to make sure all is well before leaving.

advice?

I don't check it in the airport, but I've always checked it before I leave. Usually because I'm arming myself before leaving the parking lot. I haven't had any issues yet, and have flown firearms a few dozen times. Doesn't really matter since the case has to be locked anyway, and it would be pretty obvious if someone broke into it. I suppose that doesn't happen much since a very serious investigation would result.


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[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

Good advice all the way around (quick scanned it, not in detail). Having worked TSA (my abject apologies, I now know better), the key points that make it run smooth are:

1. Hard locked case

2. Declared to the airline

3. UNLOADED...you would think right?

4. Ammo...in the original box or other commercial plastic grid. I HAVE passed loaded mags but the rules (back then anyway) were that the loaded mag had to be in a pouch or there had to be an additional method to keep the rounds secure besides being in the mag. Generally to make life easier on the customer, we would simply tape over the top of the mag rather than calling them back to the counter.

 

As far as loaded weapons..wow..too many. True story, had some USAF Security Police coming back from theater on a C-5 heading to Travis AFB. Plane developed engine trouble and set down in Nashville, guys were flying the rest of the way home commercial. So, they come to the counter, have their weapons hard cased, standard issue...declared, yep unloaded, etc. We run it through the scanner and the machine goes nuts, threat indicators everywhere. I get called down to take a look. Yep...M-4s M-9s....Mags in the rifles...opaque...so there's rounds in there...M-9 grips...opaque...yep, mag in the well. Sooooo...call LEO, (we couldn't handle weapons even though there's about 100 collective years of mil experience there)...cop shows up...takes the guys around the corner out of sight. Picks up the M-4s, drops the mags, racks charging handle, chamber clear weapon on safe. Picks up the M-9...weapon OFF safe, dumps the mag, racks the slide...one comes flying out of the pipe. By this time that SSG's jaw is on the floor. LEO looks at him..."Sergeant, are you F****** stupid?" So anyway...ok...it's all good, no charges. Well, we DID have to do a report (no latitude), the boss comes over, does the interview and data collection. Cuts the guys loose, about that time the SSG looks at my manager and says..."My Wing Commander isn't gonna find out about this is he?"...uhhhh...YEAH. That report is going to filter down from DHS...through DoD, to the USAF...to the Wing....ouch.

[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

In 2011 I flew Nashville to Reagan National with a handgun in my checked bag.  Like others have stated, pistol was inside a locked Pelican case inside another bag - in my case a wheeled Pelican case that was also locked with keyed-alike standard padlocks.

 

Check-in at BNA:

 

     Airline Rep: "Welcome to ____ Airlines, Sir.  How may I help you?"

 

     Me: Hi, just checking in.  BTW, I have a firearm and ammunition that I'll be checking in as well.

 

     Airline Rep: "No problem, sir.  Happy to help.  Please fill out this card, and there are a couple of things I need to check...

 

Return check-in at DCA:

 

     Airline Rep: "Welcome to ____ Airlines, Sir. How may I help you?"

 

     Me: Hi, just checking in. BTW, I have a firearm and ammunition that I'll be checking in as well.

 

     Airline Rep: "No problem, sir. Happy to help. Please fill out this card, and there are a couple of things I need to check...

 

It was that easy.  No one asked to see my handgun, they just wanted to ensure that my ammo was separate and in a container (factory packaging was sufficient) and that the pistol box and my luggage were locked.  No easy to ID labels placed on my Pelican case at either end.  Pretty simple, really.

 

I did have a problem on another trip, however:

 

Flying out of John Wayne Airport in SoCal, I refuse to go through the body scanner, opting for the metal detector and cursory patdown instead. 

 

I didn't think about TSA doing a swab check on my hands and bags - never had that happen and I go through airports pretty regularly, and turn down the scanner every time.   Well, I just had to use one of my small backpacks as a carry-on...the same bag, I soon remembered that I used as a range bag a couple of days prior to travel. 

 

Guess who has two thumbs and got popped for explosive residue?  Yeah, this guy...

 

All ended well...but did have to go through a TSA proctological exam.  

 

Accordingly, a word of advice: don't ever use a range bag for a carry-on bag.

I hear ya...had a demo guy through one time...he and his team did implosions for a living. of course, just to liven things up, he is carrying his firing circuit box in his checked bag, and of course we got "lucky" and had to wipe it down..gee what were the odds huh? So the machine gives us that virtual..."are you a dumb***?" response and proceeds to talk about RDX, PETN, Nitrates, etc etc etc. Well, here's the problem...it is a sealed item, I can't open it. I don't have the option of other screening methods (SOPs and protocols..which we could NOT violate)...I knew how to resolve it..I just wasn't permitted to do it. Sooo...protocol...call LEO and manager..they show up..."what do you have?"...an alarm on this device. Cop just looks at me..."It's a firing device for explosives! What did you think was going to happen?"..OK..true, but let's think outside the box. You use that mentality to write it off, what if there is something inside it? OK..seems pretty far fetched (why would you draw attention to that item)...so anyway I get told..."You've cleared it as best you can...put it on the plane"...nice.

[Bubba0031]

I have 2 of the in car gun safes that use a steel cable around the seat frame.  I bought a 3rd cable and have run it through the liner in my suit case and wrapped it around the frame work for extending handle.  I just disconnect the safe from the car cable and attach it to the cable in the suit case. 

 

Last week while flying out of Key West with 2 bags the agent, who was very friendly, make sure that the correct luggage tag got on the bag with my firearm.  I asked what the difference was and he showed me where the tag for the bag with the firearm had the acronym "CAGPT" printed in small letters.  He said it means "Care and Give Protection To".  He explained it means there is something special in that piece of luggage which usually is a firearm but may be some other item.    

[Titansfan]

Currenty stil in Panama City Beach, FL.  Yes, I checked my Kel-Tec at the Southwest counter and was a very painless procedure.  TSA didn't bother my anymore than usual....I get padded down every time.  Only issue was my wife had hair spray and foot lotion in her carry-on and pulled to the side.