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.