Adventures in Flying with a Gun

[No_Regerts]

I did some traveling this weekend and decided to take a pistol with me. Ive got a Pelican case with a couple TSA approved locks. The gun is unloaded, the magazines are full and separate, per my experience with doing this in the past.

I get to the ticket counter at Seatac for Delta and am told the magazines can't be loaded. First time hearing this one. He says the ammo must be in a factory box or hard box. I told him I had neither. I half-jokingly say that I could put the ammo in a soap dish, since its hard plastic. He goes for it. I get on the plane.

I get to the destination and my bag is ready for me at baggage claim, zip tied like crazy. I show ID, get my bag, and off I go.

On my return home, I get to the airport and the soap dish isn't gonna fly. They want me to load all my ammo in the magazines. Still Delta. So I stand there with all these people at the airport, loading four magazines. Kinda funny that I gotta load up to get on the plane.

Then, they bring this pretty lady over with the smallest hands I've ever seen, and have her try to get my gun out of the box. She succeeds in moving the gun with the space available from my locks. Seatac didn't care the first go around. However, this airport "cares".
There are conveniently available locks for sale at this ticket counter and I am encouraged to buy them. I tied a knot in my existing cable locks and voila, back in business, loaded bags and all.

I go through TSA and I get a full pat search because the scanner detected an "unknown bulge" in the front of my pants. I kept my comments to myself, but I had good ones. Some guy comes over and feels up my junk until he is convinced I have nothing. Even rubbed a bomb strip on me.

Get to Seatac and go to baggage claim and go to the security desk to get my checked bag with my gun in it. Never shows up. I turn around to see it going around the carousel with all the other bags. Not a big deal besides the big sticker they out on it to signify there is a gun in the bag. Bag is also not zip tied like the first time. I make the security guy witness the condition of the bag and verified my gun was still in the bag.

BTW, The women in Spokane are a lot better looking and far friendlier than the women in Seattle.

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[slimmer13]

BTW, The women in Spokane are a lot better looking and far friendlier than the women in Seattle.

That's because they are probably really women here.

 

[Timbertodd]

I go through TSA and I get a full pat search because the scanner detected an "unknown bulge" in the front of my pants. I kept my comments to myself, but I had good ones. Some guy comes over and feels up my junk until he is convinced I have nothing. Even rubbed a bomb strip on me.

This paragraph should get a lot of mileage. I swear there is no rhyme or reason to how TSA operates. My wife flew a few years ago for a conference. When she got to her hotel and opened her suitcase it had been opened and inspected. All of her socks were gone.

 

[justcuz]

NO, for future reference, Transporting Firearms and Ammunition

As you have discovered, it is surprising the aero counter folk, across the board, lack the basic knowlege to check in their customer's firearms.

Personal commentary from traveling with numerous handguns each trip, 6 + a year, via air, I recommend you buy three point [both sideS and middle] hard plastic containers As well as master key'd alike master locks especially since there is no mandate to use tsa locking devices. Also put your container inside another suitcase so it doesn't travel in front of everyone marked as a firearm! Finally, buy the plastic ammo boxes or keep the original containers saves frustration trust me.

Warstory: couple years ago, checked in at denver, had to open the container at the counter to show the clerk it was indeed a gun, the counter person handed my bag containing the firearms to a foreign national baggage handler to sped off to tsa check area, who xrayed the bag, gave their blessing and handed it back to the foreign national handler who again sped off with my firearm bag to another corner of DIA with me trying to keep up...the handler headed outside and i am now running thinking my gun will be gone in a matter of minutes...caught up as the handler threw the bag down SW's outside baggage track to the depths of the aeroport.

 

[DLS]

Print up a copy of the regulations from both TSA's web page as well as the carrier you are flying. Have them handy at the counter. It goes without saying we should know what they say as well. Loaded magazines do not meet the requirements and is pretty well spelled out in the regs.

As stated, it's amazing how much misunderstanding and misinformation floats around regarding flying with firearms. The counter folks don't always get the best training and I'll leave it unsaid regarding the training TSA folks get. So when there is a discrepancy just pull out the copies of the regulations. This usually solves the problem on the spot. If not just politely ask for a supervisor. They will immediately call for one. Most always the supervisors are up to speed on the requirements and don't even need to look at your paperwork. You are then on your way with only a few minutes of added time. I know of one time the supervisor had to read the regs and made a call to his supervisor to confirm the data, but in the end the firearm and ammo was checked without incident.

I fly out from PDX about 15 times per year and almost always take a firearm with me. I have to pull out the papers perhaps every 5 or 6 times and it's solved the situation on the spot for the last 3 years. That time the supervisor needed to be called (and the 2 other times I've needed to ask for a supervisor) they cleared the issue and I was on my way.

 

[Stomper]

I did some traveling this weekend and decided to take a pistol with me. Ive got a Pelican case with a couple TSA approved locks. The gun is unloaded, the magazines are full and separate, per my experience with doing this in the past.

I get to the ticket counter at Seatac for Delta and am told the magazines can't be loaded. First time hearing this one. He says the ammo must be in a factory box or hard box. I told him I had neither. I half-jokingly say that I could put the ammo in a soap dish, since its hard plastic. He goes for it. I get on the plane.

I get to the destination and my bag is ready for me at baggage claim, zip tied like crazy. I show ID, get my bag, and off I go.

On my return home, I get to the airport and the soap dish isn't gonna fly. They want me to load all my ammo in the magazines. Still Delta. So I stand there with all these people at the airport, loading four magazines. Kinda funny that I gotta load up to get on the plane.

Then, they bring this pretty lady over with the smallest hands I've ever seen, and have her try to get my gun out of the box. She succeeds in moving the gun with the space available from my locks. Seatac didn't care the first go around. However, this airport "cares".
There are conveniently available locks for sale at this ticket counter and I am encouraged to buy them. I tied a knot in my existing cable locks and voila, back in business, loaded bags and all.

I go through TSA and I get a full pat search because the scanner detected an "unknown bulge" in the front of my pants. I kept my comments to myself, but I had good ones. Some guy comes over and feels up my junk until he is convinced I have nothing. Even rubbed a bomb strip on me.

Get to Seatac and go to baggage claim and go to the security desk to get my checked bag with my gun in it. Never shows up. I turn around to see it going around the carousel with all the other bags. Not a big deal besides the big sticker they out on it to signify there is a gun in the bag. Bag is also not zip tied like the first time. I make the security guy witness the condition of the bag and verified my gun was still in the bag.

BTW, The women in Spokane are a lot better looking and far friendlier than the women in Seattle.

Let's see.... a pretty lady with the hands of Marco Rubio, she fiddles with your gun case.... you get popped at security for an "unknown bulge" in the front of your pants.... this just doesn't add up!

This paragraph should get a lot of mileage. I swear there is no rhyme or reason to how TSA operates. My wife flew a few years ago for a conference. When she got to her hotel and opened her suitcase it had been opened and inspected. All of her socks were gone.

Some dudes are just into women's socks, Dino!!!

 

[P7M13]

@No_Regerts -- I stopped trying years ago and either carry the ammo in its original container (no Winnie White Box), or in a reload box where the rounds are separated, and every firearm that is not completely disassembled has a chamber flag.
I've had clerks ask, "is it loaded?" - "no" - "OK, sign this card, slip it in and carry it over to TSA" without even looking to confirm.
Every TSA agent I have had to greet has been great. It's the ticket counter and baggage end that have gaps.
Checking in and picking up has always been easy at PDX, Dallas (Love AND DFW), Houston (Hobby and Bush), Vegas, Phoenix and Salt Lake.
Checking in is smooth at Boise, St Louis and Kansas City, but the pick up at those is sometimes odd. Flying to Philadelphia soon, will see how it rolls there.

IIRC, Delta is the only airline which zip-ties their cases. Cannot recall if Alaska does it now, too.

I think @DLS regs idea is a good one, but I use my phone for that, preloaded to the airline policy page. I've never had to refer to it.
Have had the "small hands touch gun" test done. The woman smiled, "if I can get it out of your case, you cannot fly with it." I smiled back, "good luck even getting a finger in there."

@justcuz , I don't use another case on the outside, that's 3-4# of ammo I cannot then bring... Instead, I have my company stickers on my case with "fragile instrument" markings and "this way up" etc.
Had a woman at a hotel once ask me, "what's in that?"
"Equipment for alignment of long range send/receive devices"
"What for ?"
"I'm sorry, due to non-disclosure agreements, I'm not at liberty to say."

The trick for me is locking them up at my hotel. I absolutely cannot carry any of them to client's sites, and some inspect vehicles.
Only time that really chapped my arse was getting two more items while on the road, and trying to ship long guns to myself at FedEx, they refused to ship them.

 

[No_Regerts]

Also put your container inside another suitcase so it doesn't travel in front of everyone marked as a firearm!

The case was inside a checked bag. The first flight, they zip tied the crap out of the bag and put a big flag on it. The second flight, they just put the big flag on it and then treated it like a regular bag.

 

[KKG]

just cuz; I didn't bother to click on the link because no matter what it says it ain't what this guy or that gal at TSA says that the Rules say for him/her. I finally gave up flying, almost completely, because of the TSA garbage. I was flying out of Sea-Tac a few years ago and got to the TSA counter and when I stated I was checking a Rifle through; I was suddenly surrounded by a half dozen Armed Officers with their hands resting on their sidearms! It seems that nobody could understand how I could be checking a Rifle when all I had was a small suitcase. I never did understand their concern and nobody bothered to explain. The TSA Captain opened my bag Very, Very slowly and low and behold there was a Model 94 Winchester that had the Stock removed so it would fit in the suitcase. My Glock and 1911A1 were in a case inside that case with the ammo in the Magazines. Now when I got to the TSA on the way home in Grand Forks ND the ammo in the Magazines was suddenly unacceptable. Fortunately, I had purchased a box of .45ACP which was partly empty and so I was able to bring home some of the very expensive .40S&W even if it wasn't in a .40S&W box. Now that was stupid!

What I'm getting at is the Rules at Sea-Tac and the Rules in Grand Forks ND; which are supposed to be the same WEREN'T! And the very same thing happens all over the Country.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Be an there, done that! It's a lot better now days then it used to Be!

 

[OldBroad44]

The way it used to be:
The only experience I had with taking firearms on a plane was about 1993, when I brought my widowed elderly mother, who could no longer live by herself, to Oregon from Virginia. We brought her two handguns, a Colt Woodsman and a Colt Government Model along on the plane trip home. I simply told them at the ticket counter at Dulles that I had two handguns in one of the bags. They asked if the guns were unloaded, and I said yes. They asked if they were dismantled, and I said no, except magazines were removed. They didn't inspect. Nobody asked if guns were locked and they weren't. They simply slapped a huge sticker saying "ESCORT" on both sides of the relevant suitcase and told me to pick it up in the room near the baggage claim area at PDX. (The stickers said nothing about guns.) When we arrived at PDX I went to that room, and someone was waiting with that suitcase. He personally carried the gun bag until we were actually outside the airport. Then he handed it over, no mess, no fuss. But very safe. Even if I was a bad guy with evil intent, and the gun was loaded, I couldn't have done anything inappropriate.

 

[Dungannon]

Shortly after I retired, I was flying out of Portland. As I approached the TSA checkpoint, I recognized one of their employees was a guy I had fired from a federal job several years before. I said 'hi, Ed.' He said, hello Mr. D.' I was thinking he'd pull me aside for a cavity search; he didn't, but the long look from Ed said he would have enjoyed it.

I've wondered ever since what sort of work history would disqualify you from a TSA job.

 

[Diamondback]

Now that was stupid!

Pretty well sums up Totenkopf-DHS as a whole...

I've wondered ever since what sort of work history would disqualify you from a TSA job.

I'm not sure even being caught inflagrante pulling an Eddo the Pedo balls-deep into preteen boy-butt would score the DQ... now being a right thinking American, on the other hand... they'd probably want to summarily execute you on-the-spot if they could. #AbolishTheGrannyGropingTerrorists

 

[Capn Jack]

Last time I went hunting in Utah, I flew out of Sea Tac. I had a .458 AR15 and 40 rnds of ammunition in a locked hard plastic case. It was a breeze checking the rifle through, but I have several assorted pieces of hardware in my body and they set off all kinds of bells and whistles.

 

[Alexx1401]

just cuz; I didn't bother to click on the link because no matter what it says it ain't what this guy or that gal at TSA says that the Rules say for him/her.

What I'm getting at is the Rules at Sea-Tac and the Rules in Grand Forks ND; which are supposed to be the same WEREN'T! And the very same thing happens all over the Country.

This has been the problem since even before the TSA. When the net came along it made it worse. Many times someone flies with a gun and all go's fine, as it is supposed to. Problem is they then get online to tell all how easy airline ZYZ is. So others ignore the warnings and show up with little time to spare. Sooner or later someone gets some Barney who makes up his own rules. Showing them something printed out at home means zero. If the person flying starts to get angry it makes it far worse. I seldom fly. When we do we are visiting family. Guns get shipped to us there first. When ready to fly home the guns get shipped back and arrive days after we get home. To me it's well worth it. For others I always try to say get there plenty early. Don't assume that just because you heard how easy it is that you will not run into some moron.

 

[P7M13]

Shortly after I retired, I was flying out of Portland. As I approached the TSA checkpoint, I recognized one of their employees was a guy I had fired from a federal job several years before. I said 'hi, Ed.' He said, hello Mr. D.' I was thinking he'd pull me aside for a cavity search; he didn't, but the long look from Ed said he would have enjoyed it.

I've wondered ever since what sort of work history would disqualify you from a TSA job.

Not sure, but I suspect the ones that don't qualify do find work as Uber drivers.

 

[Diamondback]

Not sure, but I suspect the ones that don't qualify do find work as Uber drivers.

Or various delivery services like Doordash...

 

[NWGlockgal]

I've only flown from Portland to Las Vegas with handguns. In Portland you have to go to a special area, open the suitcase and have it searched and swabbed for explosives. In Las Vegas they throw it on their conveyor belt, tell you to stand around for 15 minutes and it TSA doesn't show up you are free to go. So much more low keyed there.
The last time I left Portland the TSA guy was nice. The agent had messed up how she did things and he corrected it and didn't have an issue. Complimented my gun case, wanted to know what gun I shot, went into his history of gun ownership. It was a nice change from the woman before who obviously was a gun hater.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I fly with a Rifle and two pistols all the time, hardly ever have had any issue's other then the amounts of ammo carried, which is the max limit allowed! Only once did I ever have an issue, and it wasn't even gun related, it was my laptop, it was a brand new Alien Wear that they were all up in a twist about, made me turn it on and prove it was actually a computer and not something else!
My buddy gets all sorts of crap when ever he flies, he has a prosthetic arm, and they make him remove it for extra special inspection every time! You would think the X-Ray would "See" every thing! I find it humiliating that they treat amputees and other wounded Vets so poorly, and they get a pass every time!

 

[Diamondback]

Only once did I ever have an issue, and it wasn't even gun related, it was my laptop, it was a brand new Alien Wear that they were all up in a twist about, made me turn it on and prove it was actually a computer and not something else!

The other reason I don't fly anymore... my big Clevo only gets 45 minutes battery life and with dual-everything I'm sure they'd insist on dismantling it.