I've never flown with my handgun before, and have been looking into it some. From what I gather, it has to go checked baggage and be declared to the attendant when checking your bag. That seems awful simple to me, so I'm sure I'm missing something.

What all do I need to know before giving this a go?

Assuming a compact semi-auto, is locking it in its factory plastic box and placing that in my suitcase permissible?

How do I handle the magazines and ammo?

Any advice is much appreciated, I'd like to get this right the first time.

Thanks.

Where are you going and where are you flying from/through?

You have to declare it immediately upon getting to the airport, and they will then walk you through the process. Placing it in your suitcase, AFTER having it examined by TSA, may be acceptable. The baggage containing the handgun will be specially tagged and moved to a secure pick-up area at your arrival destination. It cannot be loaded at the time of transport.

Not that big of a deal really. Go to your airline ticket counter, when you go to check your bag, tell them you have a firearm to declare. Have it in the suitcase, in a lockable case. Ammo cant be inside the lockable case or gun. They will direct you to the TSA folks, who will verify it all and proceed. I think the longest it has taken me to do it with a pistol was 10 minutes.

Check the regs, on line, of the airline you are using.
Pack accordingly.
Print a copy to show the agent.

An important part is to not demonstrate that it's unloaded by shooting a hole in the baggage scale like a guy did in Boise a few years ago.

Having flown with one a number of times, my best advice is to check rules online of the individual airline you are flying with, prior to going, and print off their rules. None of my baggage has ever been sent to a secure area for pick up upon arrival, it just comes to the regular baggage. The cheap plastic box the gun came in is not advisable, spend a few bucks and get a HARD lockable box. Most times ammo can be locked in the same box, but gun and clips have to be unloaded and ammo needs to be in a factory box, or other box specifically made for ammo. Best to have both TSA locks and regular locks with you, different days and different agents can be interesting. Baggage itself should be locked with a TSA lock so they can open it to inspect, but locks on gun case seems to change, one time TSA locks, next time regular. They're cheap enough, just take sets of both. Lately they haven't even looked at the gun, just want you to sign a form saying it's unloaded, which they put in the baggage with the gun case, and will have you stand aside for a few minutes until it has gone out back and gotten an okay from someone. It's all pretty easy and painless.

Be sure also to check the regs for ones destination as well. Might not want to land in Chicago or New York with out ones lawyer and congressman in tow.

"Ammo cant be inside the lockable case or gun."

Unless the rules have changed recently the ammo DOES go in the same locked case as the pistol. If you're taking a revolver I would suggest removing the cylinder or if carrying an auto pistol to remove the magazine and lock the slide back so it is easy to see the pistol is unloaded. When you set your suitcase on the scales tell the ticket agent I need to declare that there's an unloaded pistol in a locked case in this suit case. When I flew the last few times the attendant opened my suitcase and had me unlock the pistol case. She verified the pistol was unloaded, had me lock the case, put the pistol case back in my suitcase, filled out a form and told me where to go see the TSA. She said to present the form she had filled out to the TSA agent so he would know that pistol had been checked to make sure it was unloaded by the ticked agent. When I reached my destination I picked up my suitcase at the regular baggage pickup. As soon as I was off of the airport property I opened my suitcase, loaded my pistol and started carrying it concealed.

Thanks, to everyone.

Final destination would be somewhere in CO/WY/MT, haven't nailed down the airport yet.

Any potential problems if I were to have a connecting flight at O'Hare in Chicago?

CONNECTING??? Bad ju-ju unless it is the same airlines and the bag is checked through. If a different airline you would have to go through check in again and the Chicago PD, being a bunch of complete dicks will arrest you.

If it will fit in the factory case, put a big zip tie thru the barrel and out the ejection port and lock it together along side the slide. TSA needs to check that any firearm is unloaded and that makes their job easier. Have had a couple of TSA guys thank me for doing that. I also prefer a heavier metal locking case if available.

TSA only rarely even looks at guns and I have not had one verify they are unloaded in years. Different airports have different ways of doing things and at some you cannot see what goes on with your bags, while others check them right in front of you.

Some airlines want the ammo in the same bag, others want it separate. AK Air wants it in the same bag, Delta wants it in a different bag if you have two bags.

There have been two negligent discharges in the Anchorage airport that I recall... both were LEOs from Michigan. A counter agent is still deaf in one ear from one, a 338WM right beside her head...

Was trying to remember the last time I had them actually check a firearm and it was in Sea-Tac about 10-12 years ago... gate agent, AK Airline, demanded I show her the plugs in my O/U shotguns. Someone had told her shotguns have to have a plug in them to be legal...

Flew out of Spokane quite a few times and they had you unlock the case and check them in front of you.

Of course your O/U would have to be plugged, otherwise you might load more than 3 shells in it...:)

Not had an agent open a gun case, or want me too either, in a while, just sign a paper verifying it's unloaded. That way I suppose they don't risk said loss of hearing.

They used to check the guns for unloaded...

Now I sign a tag, and they are good with that, and run it through a sniffer and away it goes.

In ANC you have to show ticket or something to get it back, but landing in liberal anti gun Austin TX coming back, most times I find it laying on the floor with the heavy luggage unattended. Good thing I usually bring moose back and have to go over there to get the coolers anyway....

I was about to ask that, what happens if the plane lands anywhere from Maryland thru the entire Northeast?

I'd ship it to myself.




Dave

I just had an experience coming back through JFK from Africa. As soon as I cleared customs, I tried to recheck my bags for the flight back to Phoenix. I had a pelican hard case for my bolt rifle and as soon as the baggage attendant saw that, she ripped off the bag tags. She proclaimed that I had to get the case rechecked by the Port Authority cops and then rechecked. I had to drag my case to a different terminal, cops checked it, and the USAirways tried to recharge me for a bag I had already checked. NEVER going to that airport again.

JFK is a nightmare!!!!

Deflave: Have you tried to do that lately? Even though the the BATF frequently asked questions clearly state that it is legal to ship a firearm to yourself, the mechanics of doing so are another story. When you tender a package to either FEDEX or UPS you sign an agreement to abide by the terms and conditions in their respective Service Guide.They will only accept firearms from and to dealers. From the FEDEX Service Guide:
"FEDEX is required to transport and deliver firearms ... but only between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, licensed collectors, law enforcement agencies of the U.S. or any department or agency thereof and law enforcement agencies of any state or department."
Firearms must be declared to the common carrier when they are tendered and must be shipped premium service (Next Day Air). Be advised that air cargo shipments are now being x-rayed. U. S. Mail will not accept handguns. I do not know what USPS regulations are for long guns. UPS requirements are the same as FEDEX. Have not checked DHL but I bet they have similar language.

I only use UPS and have never had an issue.

They do insist on it shipping next day air (two day here because we don't have next day) if it is handgun.



Travis

I flew to San Antonio last March for the 24HCF Hog Hunt. I put all of the guns in 1 GOOD hard case that locked. Granted I was also taking a rifle and shotgun. I had the hand gun in that case, so I'm not sure about only taking a small hand gun case. United said we could put the ammo in that case, so I did. Check the regs. with your airline. We went to the United ticket counter and a very nice lady saw the gun cases and asked about them. We told her firearms, so she took us to the side and put us with a lady that really knew what she was doing. They make you sign an orange TSA Declaration Card, open the case and they throw it inside and tag the outside with a "firearms" tag. Then she took them to the TSA where they opened and inspected mine, but only swabbed the outside of Joe's case. But then they opened and inspected Joe's suitcase where his ammo was. They gave us a little run around.

When we came back through San Antonio, still had to sign the card and open the case, but the TSA guys were nice and happy. They took us in a back room, swabbed them and sent us on our way. They obviously see a lot of guns through there. It was like night and day.

Also, when you get to your destination, we picked up our guns at the oversize luggage place. You have to show a picture ID or your luggage claim check in order to claim you gun case.

Make sure your name, address, and phone number is on your case.

From the UPS service guide:
Special Procedures for Shipping Firearms
UPS accepts packages containing firearms (as defined by Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53 of the United States Code) for transportation only (a) between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, and licensed collectors (as defined in Title 18, Chapter 44 of the United States Code), and government agencies and (b) where not otherwise prohibited by federal, state or local law (i) from an individual to a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector; and (ii) from a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to an individual.

The shipper must comply with and must ensure that each shipment containing firearms complies with all federal, state and local laws applicable to the shipper, recipient, and package, including, without limitation, age restrictions.
If you address the package as per the BATF FAQ to yourself in care of some one else that has to be an FFL. Most UPS offices (you cannot tender firearms to franchises like The UPS Store) the counter people will ask to see an FFL (see paragraph (b) above) and check the address on the package to match.
Deflave, I am not being argumentative. If your local UPS is still allowing you to ship without involving at least 1 FFL holder in the transaction, they won't be doing it for long. Again from the UPS service guide:
Getting Your Firearm Shipment to UPS
Firearms (including handguns) may be shipped only through a UPS Scheduled Pickup Account (specifically, Daily Pickup, Daily On-Route Pickup, UPS Smart Pickup®, and Day-Specific Pickup), or through a UPS Customer Center (counters at UPS operational facilities). Note: Firearms (including handguns) are not accepted for shipment via UPS Drop Boxes or UPS On-Call Pickup®, and may not be tendered to or dropped off at locations of The UPS Store®, any third party retailer, or any UPS Access Point™ location.

When you are shipping a package that contains a handgun, you must verbally notify the UPS driver or UPS Customer Center clerk.

I flew from Erie, PA to Detroit to Minneapolis to Boise last year and this was not true. The baggage went through without any special exterior tags or markings.

The baggage did have an orange card to be placed inside the baggage, not visible to anyone. In Boise the TSA attendant said it needed to be inside the gun case, which made no sense to me but that was the only difference.

The advice to check the regs for the airline you're flying, and print them out, is the best advice. The attendant at the ticket counter will probably direct you to do the auto check-in. Just whisper to him or her that you are flying with a firearm and you'll be given the attention you need, and none you don't need. You may even get to see them swab everything for explosive residue.

Steve.

Is hard to fly with handguns. Their L/D is very low.

That's why I like this forum, and this type of thread, lots of input from all over. Every time I fly and check a gun, something is different, to a certain point, hence the last minute check of specific airline rules that you are flying with. Airports, agents, rule changes, moon phases, having up to date info printed and with you when you check in is key. The first time I flew with one checked, I stood at the counter and listened to the agents argue with each other about the rules, until I showed them the internet printout. Then they all just shrugged and said ok. Good luck.

We flew out of Anchorage in '08 with a pistol in my luggage. They sent me to a separate area where a TSA agent opened the gun case, checked it carefully, and ran a sniffer over the suitcase.
It was much more extensive than I'd had in Seattle on the way to AK. In Seattle, they just made sure the case was locked.

Exactly. I've flown in the last 6 months and the lady at the counter wanted to see that the gun was EMPTY!!!. Also they prefer you have TWO locks on the box, one on each side in front, and NOT a TSA lock, at least that's what they told me the last time as well. In the last year I've flown 3 times with a gun and each time was directed to TSA and they did the sniffer check. For some reason one of the times it tested positive and they called an other inspector. He checked everything over and said ok. I NEVER put ammo in the box with the firearm. ALWAYS have your ammo in a factory box. Traveling from Boise to Atlanta to Johanesberg, ammo was in factory boxes and the boxes were in a hard plastic box. Have a safe trip.

Thanks again to everyone.