Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Flying out of Chicago O'Hare Airport with guns

Anybody have recent experience flying out of O'Hare with guns? I will be flying to Zambia on Emirates Air in September with two rifles. My understanding is Illinois residents need their FOID but I am a Wisconsin resident and I will only need to sign and put the airline declaration (i.e., guns are unloaded) in the guncase. Would be interested to know if anyone has run in to other requirements or problems. Thanks.

I live in Chicago, less than 15 miles away. I recommend bringing an extra NON TSI lock for your gun case. When I flew to and from ORD to hunt deer in NC, my gun was inspected by TSA in Raleigh/ Durham and they inserted the little red tag inside my gun case and I locked it up with a sturdy Master Lock. When I arrived home to ORD, the lock had been cut open and there was a printed note from TSA that they had done it, even though they had already inspected it in NC. Keep in mind that both the police and politicians in Chicago are corrupt and anti- gun, and the Mayor is a Marxist black lesbian. She makes Barrack Obama look like John Wayne.

I will never ship guns that don't have GPS trackers hidden in them again, I lost 2 Model 29's on my way to Alaska, never again, I will find them myself.

Its not rocket science to figure out where all of the guns come from in Chicago, a place where no one is supposed to have one !

I live in Indiana and have flown out of Midway airport in Chicago with guns several times. I have never had an issue with them. Just declare them when checking the bags in. They will ask you to open the case and then take it to a TSA officer.

Here’s a true story from back in the 1970’s: I was a CPT in the Army Reserve and shot Service Rifle for the All Army Reserve Team. Each year, I was issued two Match Grade M-14’s to compete with. After several teammates experienced thefts, they passed a regulation that Army weapons had to be stored in police armories or in approved gun safes. I lived in Chicago so I went to my local Police Station. The desk SGT told me they stored all their weapons downtown at Police HQ and he gave me the name and number for their Armorer. I called the guy up, identified myself and asked if I could store my two weapons in his armory. He said “Captain those guns would be gone in 5 minutes if you stored them here”. I asked him who had access to the armory, and he said only uniformed Chicago Police Officers!! He gave me the name and number for the Armorer for the FBI at their Loop HQ, which was 2 blocks from my work office. The Armorer was super helpful and said as long as they had an hour’s notice, I could access my two M14’s. I used the FBI for a few months, but broke down and bought an approved 16 gun vault, which I still own.

I'm a Wisc resident and flew thru O'Hare to Houston last fall to meet up with relatives and go shoot some hogs. No issues with guns. Matter of fact, I don't think I made it 5 steps in the departure terminal with my gun case in tow before I was asked "Is that a firearm?" When I answered yes, I was immediately escorted to the head of the check-in line, declared the firearms, checked in, went with the TSA agent, and then off to my gate. On the way to the gate I thought, "Gee, maybe I should fly with a BB gun next time thru O'Hare if I'm gonna be able to go to the head of the line."