Flying With Your Gun

[robertg]

From my brother who works for Delta in Detroit MI:

"Guns are the biggest thing being stolen at work. When you fly you have to put a tag on your luggage saying you have a gun. It tips the guys off, many, many guns are stolen every day. The FBI is out there all the time. they just take them out and put them in their lunch box. I am being replaced with a army of low paid, no benefit workers who just don't care if they get fired or sent to jail."

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[Nwcid]

It has been a while since I have flown with a gun (3 years). When I did there were NO tags on the outside, the tag goes IN with the firearms itself. I was traveling with handguns last time and then put the locked case right back in my luggage.

 

[robertg]

I guess they have tags on the outside now, at least Delta does. My brother is a baggage guy.
He was warning my not to bring my gun and fly into DTW.

 

[Boomerang]

I guess you need to get a real beefy case and lock it well.

 

[Caveman Jim]

That will not stop them from stealing it and opening it at home...

 

[idahoan]

I know that as of 3 months ago Northwest doesn't put anything on your bag saying that you have a gun in it.

 

[Key-Hay]

Flew on Southwest Last year (and will be again in March) with my cowboy guns. Had no problem. The only tag that was on my case meant "Heavy". I talked with a guy who is a documentary film maker who takes expensive cameras with him. He started carrying a 38 with him so he could put locks on the case. He said nobody touched his stuff anymore. If a case has Non TSA locks on it it means firearms. Theft of an iPad is a slap on the wrist. Theft of a firearm is a felony and the baggage guys know it.

You have bad info!

 

[sailorfej]

The last time I flew with a gun was in 1991, I don't remember the airline, but when I checked my bags they put a large adhesive label on my gun case that had the word "GUN" in red block letters 3" tall, you could easily read it from 50 feet away. I never was able to get that sticker off, scraps of it were still on the case when I threw it way 7 years later.

 

[gryghin]

I flew out of PDX to JAX last November. I packed away my 1911 in my pistol case with double locks into my checked baggage. I informed the ticketing agent that "I have an unloaded firearm to declare in my check in" and she gave me the declaration form to fill out and the tag to put into the luggage. I didn't even have to open it nor the luggage. After finishing with me, she just told me to go to the TSA agent under the sign that said over-size luggage (at least that's what I think it was.) TSA guy opened my luggage with the TSA locks on them, took his swabs, asked if the Ticketing Agent put the tag inside the case? To which I replied no, she handed it to me to bring over here. I handed it to him and he placed it with the pistol case. No extra stickers on either the pistol case nor the check in luggage. There was however a tag that stated "Special Handling" on the check in, but that's it.

Maybe other airports are doing things differently. But that's what I remember, I only flew one way and drove back so didn't have to worry about it.

 

[BVB]

"I guess they have tags on the outside now, at least Delta does. My brother is a baggage guy."

you Brother is giving you BAD info. i have flown Delta to three cities in the last six months with firearms, one rifle and two handguns, and have NEVER had the case to be marked. it is not to be marked per TSA rules. on each instance, the firearms were in separate cases from the other luggage. maybe it is a Detriot thing, should be!

:bsflag:

 

[SmawGunner]

I have flown with weapons recently several times with Alaskan and US Airways. I had no issues. I dont remember them putting any special tags on the outside of the bags that would make them stand out. I think if guns were really disappearing out of baggage at the airport we would hear about it on the news because they would be freaking out.

 

[U201494]

Your bro is full of bs or hs, one or the other. I fly everywhere and always take a handgun. No such stupid rule on any airline.

 

[parallax]

I fly in and out of Eugene Oregon with weapons and gear many times a year, on Delta, Alaska and United, so far, have not lost anything, ((keeping my fingers crossed.)) only problem i had was a few years ago, a TSA agent was being a horse's you know what, was obnoxiuos and demanded to open my locked and inspected weapons case, which had 2 side by side ar-15's and also decided he wanted to field strip one of my ar-15's, he split the upper and lower,I kinda dont like people messing with my weapons zero or taking apart my weapons. that was the only problem i have ever had.

 

[The Heretic]

They used to put tags on the outside which is stupid and they finally got wise.

I haven't flown for about 8 years so I can't say what they do now, but I heard they don't put tags on the outside anymore due to theft.

Just the same, some cases are obviously firearms cases. It is better to have them in something that isn't so obvious, but that only works if you can somehow make the firearm the right size and shape.

Definitely put the firearm in the most stout container you can. I once flew to Alaska with some firearms in a Pelican rifle case and they managed to break the hinge on that case - one of the most robust cases you can get.

A little over ten years ago I was visiting with my family and some of the family had to fly home. Somehow one of the people helping them pack grabbed one of my bags that had my Glock in it, and they took off for the airport. By the time I got to the airport they had already checked the baggage and boarded. I did get my luggage back later after they got home, but they never declared the firearm and no one ever said a word about it.

Maybe they are more diligent about checked baggage now, but this was after 9/11 and they didn't detect the firearm in the checked baggage.

 

[deen_ad]

From my brother who works for Delta in Detroit MI:

"Guns are the biggest thing being stolen at work. When you fly you have to put a tag on your luggage saying you have a gun. It tips the guys off, many, many guns are stolen every day. The FBI is out there all the time. they just take them out and put them in their lunch box. I am being replaced with a army of low paid, no benefit workers who just don't care if they get fired or sent to jail."

It is against the law to put any tags on the outside of any luggage denoting that a gun is inside. The paperwork is placed inside the bag with the gun and locked inside. That's federal law and exactly what happened when I flew back to get my step daughter and two grandkids out of an abusive "relationship"
They did, however, route me (and only me) to a separate security line and checked my carry on luggage VERY thoroughly. I had made sure, beforehand, that my carry on luggage had never had any ammo or spare magazines carried in it.


Deen
NRA Life Member, Benefactor Level
Defender of Freedom Award
NRA Recruiter
Second Amendment Foundation Member
Washington Arms Collectors Member
Arms Collectors of SW Washington Member

"A gun is like a parachute. If you need one and don't have it, you'll probably never need one again!"

 

[JackThompson]

Where does your ammo go when you check your gun?

I'm always too worried to bring my gun with me when I fly, but I wish I could.

 

[U201494]

Where does your ammo go when you check your gun?

Federal regulations as well as airline rules apply, you should look them up for each airline you use.
I always place 2 loaded magazines next to my handgun (slide locked open) inside the lockable hardcase that I use (you retain the keys). Never had so much as one problem. You WILL be treated differently at the ticket counter and at baggage check and claim.

 

[coctailer]

I fly Delta from Grand Rapids, MI to Portland every month and never have a firearms tag on the outside of my luggage.