Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Airline travel with long gun, 2023

Curious. Been decades.


Do the airlines inspect specifically to document firearm make, model, cartridge, and serial number? Or otherwise such as to check case for ammo or to verify unloaded condition? Specially Alaska Airlines.

Does the TSA open to inspect and leave a card as like other luggage? Do they cut your padlock off if it's not a TSA lock?


Looking ahead.

Good luck with it, whichever way it goes down.

No they barely check to see if it’s unloaded and then they put a “Inspected” slip in the case and off to the airline. Alaska deals with guns, fish, game meat and trophies on a regular basis and I have never had any issues with Alaska Airlines when traveling with firearms or fishing gear.

Good luck.

Where are you going?

No, none of that. Declare that you have a firearm at the counter, when you check your bags. They'll give you a card to sign, and stick inside the case. If you show up with your hard case unlocked, it saves time. I've never been asked by a ticketing agent to show them my firearm(s).

No. I've flown with ammo in the hard case, with the firearms, no issues. I've flown with ammo in my other checked bags, and again, no issues. The ammo just needs to be in its original packaging, or a plastic ammo box (MTM style). Not loose.

I'm not sure if loaded magazines are acceptable, or not. I've never flown with loaded magazines.

Yes. You will take your hard case from the ticketing counter to the TSA oversized area, and a TSA agent will inspect it. You stand there and watch the whole ordeal (which is painless), and then you lock the hard case when they are done. I was told I needed a lock for each location on the hard case. Four holes for locks? Then, I make sure I have four padlocks.

That's what I was told, anyway, and I've always done it that way, and I've never had any issues.

No. You lock the case after TSA inspects it, so there's no need for them to cut anything.

I have flown with firearms on Alaskan, Delta, and Sun Country Airlines in the last couple of years. No issues with any of them.

The only issue I've ever had with TSA is a broken lock on a shotgun case of mine. One of the built-in, flip-up combo locks was broken. The hinge was cracked on one side, so the pin drifted out and wouldn't lock properly. He said I couldn't check the bag, because ALL of the locks needed to work.

I took the case and fiddled with the lock and removed the spring. I got it to lock, even though it was still technically broken. He re-inspected it and gave it the green light. The lock was broken (again) by the time I landed, so that case has since been retired from airline service.

I just checked a pistol. They didn’t check anything. Signed the card and they taped it to the box the pistol was locked in.

Flew to Alaska on a fishing trip in June. They emptied our rod tube both ways, pulled the rods out of the sleeves, and then just crammed everything back in the tube both times. I hate to think if it had been a gun case.

No drama.

Make sure you print out the airline's rules and take them with you. Some airline employees don't understand their rules.

Appreciate the input guys.

No solid plans....

Do you recall TSA recording the specifics of the firearm?
Could be like checking for restriced items in certain localities? Or documenting serial numbers for some database or anything of the sort? All which should be outside of their role... FJB!

Thank you for providing all this and the info on the locks...


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Yes. You will take your hard case from the ticketing counter to the TSA oversized area, and a TSA agent will inspect it. You stand there and watch the whole ordeal (which is painless), and then you lock the hard case when they are done. I was told I needed a lock for each location on the hard case. Four holes for locks? Then, I make sure I have four padlocks.

That's what I was told, anyway, and I've always done it that way, and I've never had any issues.

Oh, it's like going to the post office! LOL

This was tsa with carry-on rods?

I flew today with three shotguns in my case to Canada. Departed from New Orleans.

United agent asked if the guns were unloaded, then placed the signed orange tag in the case.

I locked the case (non TSA) they put it on a conveyor and I did not see it until I arrived in Edmonton. TSA maybe XRayed it but they did not open it and look inside.

I really don't want a paper trail! LOL

Home Friday.... Summer gig is over - finally.


Cheers Geno!

Thanks

Enjoy the time at home with family and such.

Paper trails suck, unfortunately becoming a way of the world. Might not be paper, they just scan everything nowadays it seems.

Sucks donkey balls.

Flying out of Cleveland that’s what they did. Flying out of Idaho falls that’s what they did. Here in Alaska only place I seen where you have to take it tsa for inspection.

I'll go take a look in ANC....

If anyone has been watching my Africa posts, I travel "Internationally" with rifles several times a year. Just returned a few days ago from Botswana.

1. MOST IMPORTANT - MAKE 100% CERTAIN YOUR AIRLINE WILL ACCEPT FIREAMRS. This applies if you are changing carriers anywhere along the way.

2. UNIVERSAL RULES/LAWS/REQUIREMENTS for DOMESTIC and INTERNATIONAL travel.

A. ALL firearms MUST be in a hard sided LOCKED case. Case can be metal or hard plastic.
B. Rifle cases must be locked with NON-TSA openable locks. TSA master key sets are available on fleaBay. NO ONE is to have access or open your rifle/pistol case without you present - PERIOD.
a. Key Padlocks or combination locks are allowed - I strongly recommend keyed padlocks with ALL THE SAME KEY. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys trying to fumble around with combo locks under the stress/pressure of having to open them in front of a Customs Officer, TSA agent or foreign police/security agent - NOT GOOD and having to do it MULTIPEL times at the same airport! Carry multiple keys in various places with you. i.e. one in your pocket, one in your carry-on etc. Also STRONGLY advise you put an extra SET with the same key in your firearm case JUST IN CASE a lock gets lost or they need to be cut for some reason.
b. Though "technically" not written in ANY FAA or ICAO regulation, a lock is EXPECTED to be in EVERY lock point on your case.
C. You can carry/pack more than just your firearm in your case. I personally take the foam out and use a good, padded, zippered soft case and then use clothing (pants, sweaters, shirts etc. as the padding. I also put any high value items like binos, knives etc. that have a higher chance of being stolen out of a TSA locked checked bag.
D. Though NOT required, I highly recommend you remove the bolt from a bolt action rifle and put it in a separate padded soft pack or wrap in bubble wrap and put it inside the rifle soft case. What this does is remove a potential high point that could cause your stock to get cracked by the case being stacked under other cases or luggage. I've also had multiple US Customs Agents "mention it" saying it was required but it is NOT required by any FAA, ICAO or TSA regulation. I've found that making their job easier makes my interaction easier then like a few guys I've seen being dicks with US Customs/TSA agents. Want to miss your connection? Be a dick with US Customs, TSA or a foreign police/security official.

3. AMMUNITION CARRIAGE - This is different between domestic travel that it TOTALLY inside the US or CONUS vs International.

A. DOMESTIC travel that is TOTALLY within the Continental US (AK & HI). Under FAA and TSA regulations, ammunition MAY be inside your LOCKED firearm case.
a. For DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONAL the MAXIMUM amount of LOADED ammunition you can check-in is 11 lbs/5 kilograms.
a. It must in in either factory boxes or similar or plastic ammo boxes, just so long as the carriages are rolling around loose in the case.
b. You can also put it inside your checked bag(s) as long as it is in a "locked" box WITH A TSA OPENABLE LOCK(s).
C. Even though the FAA allows both ways, IT IS STILL LEFT TO THE DISCRESTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL AIRLINE IF THEY WILL CARRY AMMO OR FIREARMS.

B. INTERNATIONAL travel with ammunition is a bit different.
a. For International travel, ammunition CAN NOT be carried inside your rifle case - period.
b. It MUST be in a hard side plastic box/case WITH TSA OPENABLE LOCKS
c. For your initial flight out of the US, your locked ammo case MAY be inside your TSA locked checked bag. IF or once you have to claim your luggage and recheck to your final destination you MAY be required to take the locked ammo case out of checked luggage and check it as a separate piece of luggage. Some airlines will charge for this, some do not.
d. Depending on the POLICY of the airline you initially check in with in the US, they MAY have you remove the ammo case and check it separately as well. I've had this happen both with with DELTA.
e. Returning from overseas, IF you bring back any LOADED ammo, it WILL be checked as a separate piece all the way to your initial Point of Entry into the US, (Atlanta, JFK, Newark etc.), Once you've collected your luggage, ammo case, rifle and cleared US Customs, you can put the ammo case back inside your checked luggage. AGAIN, this will be up to your airline's policy.


3. US DOMESTIC CHECK-IN

A. When you check-in you are REQUIRED TO DECLAIR you're checking a firearm and IF ammo is in your rifle case or checked luggage.
B. During the check-in, you will be required to sign and date a small red card that you certify the firearm is UNLOADED. The agent then puts a code and their initials on it and hands it back to you.
C. You will open the rifle case JUST ENOUGTH to slip the card inside. UNDER NO CERCUMSTACNED EVER TAKE YOUR RIFLE OUT OF THE CASE EVEN IF THE AIRLINE AGENT ASKS TO VARIFY IT"S UNLOADED. POLITELY decline and agree to ONLY if they call police/security/TSA and they are present. Most likely once one of those arrive, they will tell the check-in agent it is ILLEGAL TO HAVE A WEAPON OUT OF THE CASE IN THE TERMINAL.
D. After you have your boarding pass(es), either an airline agent, security or a TSA agent will take your rifle case and escort you to designated TSA x-ray scanning area.
E. The rifle case will be scanned. IF they want to inspect the items inside the case. They will move it to a table and ask YOU to open the locks. You do NOT open the case until they tell you to, then step back and let them have a look. Once done, you can then re-close and re-lock it. Once you're done, they will take the case and you're on your way.

4. US DOMESTIC ARRIVAL - Not from overseas.

A. This is pretty straight forward. Depending on the airport you're arriving in, the rifle case MAY come off the regular luggage belt or it MAY be taken to a special location to pick-up. Just ask the airline rep usually at the belt. They MAY ask you to produce the claim ticket and proof if ID.

I just got back from a trip to Alaska via Alaska Airlines. Gate agents on both ends did not inspect the guns in my case, nor look at ammo packaging. Had me sign the card, one copy put in the case, other attached to my portion of the bag tag. Waited 15 min at the counter in case TSA wanted the case opened, then the agent told me we were clear so we went thru security. Pretty much the same deal in Kotzebue except we had to hand the cases over to TSA, never opened them or had any questions. I had ammo in both the gun case and a checked soft duffle both trips, no questions. Gate agents were more worried about how much each piece of luggage weighed than anything else. I did have a printed copy of their firearms / baggage rules in case I need them, but it was never an issue.