Thread: Southwest - Flying with Ammo

I have not flown Southwest with ammo. Their policy says that ammo "may be in the locked case" - so does that mean that I could simply have a 100 round factory box of ammo in my luggage? And it wouldn't have to be locked?

Looking for people with experience on Southwest only right now.

Contacting Southwest Airlines directly would give you the best qualified answer (probably best to ask a supervisor), and make sure to get the info of whoever you talk to in case the person at the check in counter states differently.

I've flown southwest, it can be in your checked bag and it doesn't have to be locked. It just has to be in packaging and not loose (loose in a box is okay).

Per TSA guidelines "factory packaging" last time I flew with ammo.
Regardless of Southwest's policy, the TSA trumps, check both.
If you take a firearm it must be in a locked case and declared.
But I have flown Southwest with both and no issues!

Originally Posted by nubus

Per TSA guidelines "factory packaging" last time I flew with ammo.
Regardless of Southwest's policy, the TSA trumps, check both.
If you take a firearm it must be in a locked case and declared.
But I have flown Southwest with both and no issues!

I don't see a word regarding "factory packaging" although it would qualify.

TSA: Traveling with Special Items

* Travelers must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.
* Firearm magazines and ammunition clips must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm.
* Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber for a rifle or pistol and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as it follows the packing guidelines described above.

Last time I flew with ammo the TSA made me dispose of ammo that was on a Bianchi speed strip, because it was not in "factory packaging." I was flying Alaska on that trip now that I think about it.

Southwest's complete listing...Southwest Special Luggage

Alaska's... Transporting Firearms and Ammunition

Alaska's verbiage states "...original manufacturer's package or in a container designed for ammunition and of sufficient strength to protect it..."