Posted on 03/16/2010 2:39:37 PM PDT by Joe Brower
Shooters, I apologize for the vanity, but I could use some advice from any of you who have already dealt with these issues. The short version: I plan on flying out to AZ from FL in a few months, and I want to take a few guns along. Up to now, I've either driven or used what my relatives had there.
I've reviewed the TSA website for its regs, as well as other sites for information of a more, er, "practical' nature (thefiringline.com, thehighroad.org, etc.). Lots of good info there, but I've run into a few snags:
1) What's a good case for rifle transport? I have a Pelican 1750 already, and like it a lot. I have two ARs I want to add to the bolt-gun in the 1750, and it seems like the 1770 will do the trick. It's a bit longer, but it's much taller, which would allow for the foam to be cut to accommodate two ARs, plus a variety of accessories. There is also a company called Starlight, but they don't offer anything like the 1770 that I have seen, plus wheels are extra. Gotta have wheels... It's also not as tall. Does anyone have experience with the 1770? Any other options out there?
I'm also wondering if I should just break 'em down into sections and ship them seperately at different intervals, marked as 'machine parts" or somesuch. I've done this before with unserialized components, but am unsure of the law regarding shipping an AR lower, for example.
2) What's a good case for pistols? I plan to take two semiautos as well, plus mags & hoslters. What Pelican or other case do you recommend for this?
3) Shipping ammo. With ammo prices still high, I figured I would ship the ammo I'll need via UPS. At least, what I will need beyond the 11 pounds allowed by most airlines. However, I just got off the phone and UPS needs you to be a registered hazmat shipper and other unanticipated flaming hoops. So who might I use for this? Or perhaps my local gun shop could ship it for me? (I plan to call him tomorrow and ask.) Or what other options exist, short of buying a bunch of stuff and having it shipped to AZ?
4) Anything else I haven't thought of... ?
I appreciate your input,
JB
Just went from Detroit to Dallas and back. Delta said NO TSA locks at all on the gun case. So I brought Master locks, and not TSA locks.
Got to Dallas, and there was a TSA lock on the luggage! No one knew where it came from. So I had to go back and forth between TSA and Delta to get it cut off (finally a chick at TSA who knew what she was doing unscrambled the combination by just looking at it and opened it for us). I got in the luggage, and found both Master locks cut off the gun case and plastic ties in their place. A lot of good that did. Basically, locks and ties make it hard for the owner, but no one else, to get your guns.
So, before going back, I bought 4 Master locks and two TSA locks and told Delta I’ll put whatever locks you want on them, just don’t cut them off. But this woman knew the procedure and directed us to TSA rep who also knew what he was doing and it went smoothly, even bantered about guns and local shooting events.
I have lots of extra locks if anyone needs them.
So, yeah, check with the airline and then print out the instructions and bring them with you, and get the name of everyone you deal with.
Pelican 1200 carried a Beretta 92F and a S&W .38 with a 2” barrel nicely.
Carried one box each of 9mm and .38 in original box, in the same suitcase but not in the gun case.
You aren’t supposed to use TSA locks on guns.
Which is exactly opposite of what the guys at the gun store told me when I bought the case. They all swore I needed TSA locks.
So I followed the airline instructions and got non-TSA locks and they got cut off anyway.
Lesson: Buy lots of locks.
Simply amazing.
Same thing happened to me.
I loaded ALL my pistols and rifles up on my boat and went out in the Atlantic off fort Pierce, Fla. to shoot floating seaweed and a freak wave came along and nearly turned the boat upside down.
All the weapons and ammo fell out to the bottomm of the sea in about 800 feet of water.
Too bad the gps was turned off and I couldn’t mark the location.
Fly ? Commercial ? Nope........never again !
Don’t ship the lower without declaring it as a firearm. Legally it is the firearm.
Buy the ammo online, if you can get some in time, and have it delivered to where you’ll be needing it?
Too bad the gps was turned off and I couldn’t mark the location.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You could have dropped a yellow dye marker.
Then your buds could have called you “Ol Yellowstain” and strummed a giitaaar while singing it...
As for shipping ammo, one idea could be to order more ammo online and have it shipped there instead of paying to ship ammo you’ve already paid for or buying ammo at a gun store there. Just an idea, I know it is expensive nowadays but you might get a better deal online than at a local gun store.
Oh, also... if you plan on taking a bag on the airplane that you’ve taken to the shooting range a lot, be sure to wipe it down real good with a cleanser because of all the gunpowder residue.
thank you...
Last year, after Dad's funeral, my bro wanted to UPS the old rifle back to Georgia....they wouldn't ship it.
Good luck Joe!
Go to the tsa web site, and print copies of this out
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm
firearms must be in a hard sided case. You may place a small hardsided pistol case inside a larger soft sided case, but the only case that can be lock will be the hardsided case.
You may use a hard sided case as the only case, in which case, the case must be locked with your own lock.
firearms must be declared at the counter, and you must show they are unloaded.
Easiest way for this - pass a cable lock through the recever and out the side ports of any firearm, then use the cable lock to lock the firearm to something else in the case.
Purpose for this? so if someone cuts your exterior lock, they will have to spend some extra time trying to cut the interior lock if they want to steal something.
When you get to the counter, declare the firearms, show they are unloaded. ask for the paperwork declaring the firearms.
you’ll be given some slips of paper, fill it out.
the paperwork goes inside the case with the firearms.
no identifying paperwork that there are firearms in the case can be added to the outside of the case.
depending on the iq of the tsa screening things, you’ll get yelled at either way, but...
you walk with the cases to tsa with the cases locked. the tsa examines the contents, while you stay with them until they finish examining the case (through the xray machine). they may ask you to unlock the case to look inside, or yell at you for not having the cases unlocked before bringing them to the tsa. stay until they lock it back up.
you’ll walk the cases to the tsa, and they will tell you to leave them there to screen. wrong. show them the regs that say you stay until the cases are examined, and that they have to be locked before you can leave.
and yes, there are a lot of firearms stolen from baggage, even when they are locked.
suggestion for a case - get a hardsided, locking, golf club case. less obvious as a gun case.
Ammo - for 11 pounds, you’re probably over the limit for the airline limit on ammo. check with the airline. tsa says you can bring it, just leave it in its original packing.
some ammo is plentiful again at walmarts, so you should be able to find 223 easily. maybe 9 and 40 also. if you want to ship, do it from a ups hub or main office, not a branch.
it must be marked orm-d and comply with dot regs - see this thread from rec.guns
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.guns/browse_thread/thread/19d7801d425d6c8e
toward the bottom is info on hazmat training.
Times have changed...for the worse!!
Would look into the FFL shipping for the insurance purposes-sounds like a good idea.
That being said, I have flown with Handguns from TX to NY and back with no problems-had everything printed out, guns fieldstripped in the case and did what they said with the ammo. Applied any locks after inspection. Cases were the simple lockable type, even used a SW purchase case one time.
They were the few times I followed the two hour prior to flight time recommendations in case there were any hitches. Was lucky and had no problems-thought NY would be a hassle, but there was none.
Bro simply mailed me a UPS shipping label, I slapped it on the box, and dropped it off.
If you have an address to ship too, and can afford it, order on line and have it shipped to that address. Try to time it so you arrive at about the same time as the ammo. That is what I would do about the ammo problem. I will leave it to someone else to talk about the gun problem.
I can only go on my one trip I took when I moved from Alaska to California.
I took my Rem 70 rifle and Wingmaster shotgun in a double gun case and my Glock in a single pistol case. You need at least 2 locks on the rifle cae. Bolt must be removed where applicable (I put it in my pistol case). You can take ammo with you as well but I didn’t
Alaska Airlines has online rules for guns and I followed them to the letter.
http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/help/faqs/SportRelatedItems.asp
As stated earlier, take the rules with you so TSA won’t hassle you. Go to the ticket counter and tell them you have weapons to put on board. They will give you the red tags and tell you to go to the TSA station.
TSA will have you open the cases so they can see that no live ammo is shipping with them and that the bolt is removed from the rifle. They will them sign off the tags, put them in them in the case and then have you lock the cases up. They then take your cases.
At the other end, the ramp cargo guy will bring it out separately to you at the baggage carousel. The whole thing was a non event.
That was 2 years ago.
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