Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Lockable ammo boxes

With the goofiness on the homepage, there is no way I am dealing with that company.

Is a metal box required or will plastic also work? Found a plastic that looks promising:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,1521J_S3-AMRE2100-Utility-Case.html

Randy

I had a similar incident in '07 in Jo'berg. First the ammo had to go on the belt just in it's cardboard boxes (no, I'm sorry sir, but you are mistaken - repeat those words over and over) then it had to go in with the rifle (no, I'm sorry sir, but you are mistaken) and finally after much deliberation another baggage agent told my guy to send the ammo in the luggage and be done with it.

Personally I think he was looking for a fiver to smooth the transaction. Nah, what am I saying...

SAA now requires locked ammo box in checked in luggage. Plano now offers this purchase option.

Cabelas sells them for 29.95 and with a 20 buck coupon or free shipping, it seems a good solution.

SAA now requires you to have ammo in a lockable case in your checked luggage. A lot of this confusion comes from the fact that some airline rules are more stringent then TSA themselves. This is an example of that. We finished our last safaris in September of 2010. All of the clients were checked to veryify the ammo was in a lockable case.
I was on both of these trips and it was also the first time I have seen customs check the headstamps on the ammo.
Here is a link to a detailed article on travelling with firearms.

http://www.farrenglobaladventures.com/Travelling%20with%20firearms.htm

There is a persistent myth that U.S. airlines do not allow passengers to put ammo in their gun cases. Once upon a time that may have been the case, but that myth is wrong for every U.S. airline I have looked at over the past few years. Every U.S. airline I have looked at allows ammo in the gun case, per TSA's policy.

It is good practice to NOT believe what someone tells you in person or on the Internet regarding airline policies on firearms and ammo. I think it is worth spending the five minutes (actually less than that) to do my own research on the airline's website so I KNOW what the airline requires and allows. I recognize that all bets are off when dealing with personnel in "developing" countries, and local knowledge has some benefits there. However, for the developed world ("first world" nations as opposed to "third world" nations), an airline's policies and the laws of the country through which one is traveling should be readily available on the Internet.

Here are a couple examples on Jan 24, 2011, from airlines that I might use:

From Southwest Airline's website:
Southwest's firearm and ammo policy
quote:
------
The ammunition may be placed in the same container as the firearm and must be securely packed in cardboard (fiber), wood, or metal boxes, or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.
------

From Continental's website:
Continental's policy on firearms and ammo
quote:
-------------
No more than 11 pounds of ammunition may be carried. The ammunition may be packed in the same container as the firearm or in a separate container. Ammunition must be packed in the manufacturer's original package or securely packed in fiber, wood or metal containers. The ammunition inside the container must be protected against shock and secured against movement. The ammunition may be packed in the same container as the firearm or in a separate container.
-------------

The question was regarding specifically South African Airways.
South African Airways requires your ammo to be in a seperate locked container in checked baggage.

1. SAA CARRIAGE OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION
Domestic (within and from the Republic of South Africa)
Departure (Inclusive of International departures)
Firearms may NOT be packed inside checked luggage and must therefore be packed in
an appropriate lockable firearm container or case, separate from checked luggage.
Ammunition must be separated from weapons and may be packed within checked
luggage, but must be properly secured in an ammunition case or solid box. No
ammunition may be packed loosely in checked baggage or within the same case as
firearms.
We strongly recommend that ammunition be packed in lockable cases, which can be
handed in as loose items at the firearm counters to avoid possible delays during
checked baggage screening.

I use a boyt harness co case, that I have different foam cut so it can double as a dual pistol case and an ammo case. It is plastic, lockable and fits TSA standards. Takes the baggage handler torture tests well.

That may be the case for SAA, but some people apply the policy of some foreign airlines/countries about ammo not being allowed in gun cases to U.S. airlines. Naturally if you are flying a U.S. airline and then a foreign airline on the same trip you have to be ready to comply with the most stringent regulation, but some people are mistaken about what U.S. airlines require.

Given the choice, I think I would fly Delta directly to South Africa (JNB) from the U.S. (ATL) to avoid the hassles of traveling with a firearm and ammo on a foreign airline with ignorant rules/policies.

Edit to add:
I found the page on SAA's website dealing with transporting ammo through googling, after I did not find the policy by trying to navigate SAA's website.
SAA's unenlightened policy on ammo being required to be outside gun case

You are absolutely correct when stating that people are often mistaken about requirements due to different airlines having different policies. We recommend Gracy Travel to all of our clients as they deal with these issues everyday. Even if you are travelling within the continental U.S. and bought your tickets elswhere they are always willing to provide you with the up to date rules and regulations regarding travelling with firearms and ammunition. The issue regarding ammo in seperate locked cases on SAA was not put on their website. Gracy was made aware of the change and knowing we had three trips going to Zimbabwe this past fall made it a point to call us to bring us up to date. There are a couple of other good agencies for this purpose. One is owned by Steve Turner and his business name is "Travel with Guns". There are some others but these are the only ones we have experience with.