Flying to Alaska. Question

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Dano4734

New member
Can I take my 44 mag? I know how to do long guns because I did that legally before, is handguns the same way or does flying over states mess it all up. I don't want to lose my old model 29 or end up in jail for wanting some bear protection . Going in the spring so I have time but wanted to ask people who did this before
 
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Unloaded. In a hard locked case inside your checked bag. Declared at the counter and you are fine.

Ive flown with checked guns more times then i can count. Its easy
 
Check the airline's policies.

There is nothing inherently illegal about transporting a handgun across state lines, provided that it is legal to possess in both the state of origin and destination, and in the case of AK, as long as you are not stopping in Canada. Much of the hubbub you read online about travel to AK with handguns has to do with handgun laws in Canada, which are quite restrictive, and generally do not differentiate between residents and travelers moving between AK and the lower 48. As I understand it, the RCMP very rarely grants handgun waivers to travelers, but this is not an issue if you travel straight-thru by air.
 
If you dont have to pick up your checked bag your fine. If you DO have to claim your checked bag in Canada, things can get dicey.

I seem to recall a case in the USA (Chicago, maybe?) where a passanger with a declared handgun in his checked bag, was on a flight that made an unscheduled landing. He had to pick up his bag and spend the night. When he tried to recheck his bag and the included handgun, he was arrested and charged with possession of the handgun.

I dont remember the exact details. Im sure some here can fill in the blanks
 
The case was Revell v. Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Defendant Gregg Revell was flying from UT to PA and missed a connecting flight in Newark, NJ. He retrieved his checked bags and attempted to catch a bus, but he missed that too, and wound up staying the night at a hotel at the Newark Airport. Although he never opened his handgun case (the airline declaration tag and paperwork were undisturbed), and maintains that he went nowhere but the hotel room, he was arrested by the Port Authority Police on attempting to check in for another flight, and was charged with possession of a handgun without a NJ permit and for possession of hollow-point ammunition.

He attempted a defense based on the travel exemption in the FOPA, but the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction on the basis that he was not actually traveling while he was asleep at the hotel, and the SCOTUS denied cert.

The takeaway is that if you are traveling by air with a firearm, and you are temporarily stranded in a location where it is (or may be) illegal for you to possess, do NOT attempt to collect your checked baggage regardless of any minor inconvenience this causes you (e.g. no change of clothing); jail time is a LOT less convenient! :eek:
 
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Wow, fifty bucks for a razor and toothbrush, clean underwear and a new shirt would have been a pretty good deal for the poor guy.
 
I don't travel enough to know the answer to this question:

Would the airline keep your luggage safe for you while you were stranded?

I do know that back in the 1970's in Texas none of the major airlines would transfer your luggage to Rio Air. In the Dallas/Fort Worth airport you had to claim your luggage and lug it over to the Rio counter if you had a connecting flight with them. Rio was a little Airline that flew to several little towns in Texas.
 
Don't just take the advice of the guys above, although it looks good, and check into any requirements of the airline you are going to take as well as those of the TSA. Sometimes it easier to ship a firearm to yourself via common carrier, in which case there are rules to follow for that.
 
Shipping is the hard way? Perhaps, but you don't have stop over and instant felon problem, and you don't have to worry about baggage handlers damaging or stealing your gun. While it can be stolen or damaged in shipment by FedEx. As for the airlines and TSA knowing what to do, half the time I have flown with a firearm either the airline or TSA failed to correctly execute TSA regulations, which is whey I suggest you check them for yourself. A caveat. A particular airline can generally require you to follow its rules even if they are in excess of, but do not conflict, with TSA regs.

Also, some airlines are more gun friendly and sometimes it is just a matter of if a particular airline employee knows what is to be done.
 
Check with your individual airline BUT 18 years ago my sister and the twins moved to Alaska. She and the twins flew on Alaska Airlines and yes the twins were twelve and they had checked baggage that included firearms both long guns and handguns and ammunition all of which was properly packed. The only problem was the exercise weights that I had made for my niece as lead filled PVC pipe kinda looked like a pipe bombs but the inspection showed them to be what they were.
 
All of the information you guys gave me is very much appreciated. I was concerned about states we fly over and now I have the answer. I am fully licensed in my state and alaska is not an issue. I will check with my carrier for sure
 
"...as long as you are not stopping in Canada..." Only matters if you go through Customs. If you're staying in the air port, you're not legally entering Canada. Even if you get hauled off to a hotel by the airline, you'll go through Customs and it's not really as big a deal as it sounds. Just declare 'em, pay the fee($25 Cdn) for long guns and you're fine. The Canada Border Services Agency aren't really out to get you. Just your money. snicker.
Handguns are a bit different, but extenuating circumstances are considered. Mostly likely, the airline can and would lock 'em up over night or whatever.
Sharkbite's guy was arrested because he didn't tell anybody he had it. And he was in NJ.
Declared with the airline means nothing to anybody in any government agency anywhere.
 
I am a truck driver in Alaska, and I frequently go to Canada. I have frequently seen Canadian customs confiscating guns which Americans brought over without thinking. They seem to be pretty laid back about it; probably happens every day. Once I saw them disassembling an AR so they could let the guy keep everything except the lower. No one every got arrested. Of course, that's at the tiny little wide spot in the road on the Alaska highway. If your plane diverts into Big City International Airport, then the cops there might be a little grumpy. I would say if you're in doubt, either in Canada or NJ, don't retrieve your luggage, so they can't say you were in possession. Instead, find the airport police office and ask them what to do. (note, that's Police, not TSA. The TSA are not LEos. If anyone arrests you, it will be the Police, not the TSA, so just go straight to the source.)
 
Sometimes it easier to ship a firearm to yourself via common carrier,
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How do you ship a handgun, interstate, without going thru an FFL? And if you do ship to an FFL, how do you pick up that handgun without being a resident of that State.

As an example, i live in Colorado. I ship a handgun to gunshop X in Alaska. I show up to collect it and find i cant pick it up, because im not an Alaska resident.
 
Dreaming100Straight said:
Sometimes it easier to ship a firearm to yourself via common carrier...
Sharkbite said:
How do you ship a handgun, interstate, without going thru an FFL? And if you do ship to an FFL, how do you pick up that handgun without being a resident of that State.
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Therein lies the rub, due to the policies of the 2 major U.S. common carriers that handle firearms.

FedEx: http://www.fedex.com/us/freight/rulestariff/prohibited_articles.html
2. Firearms
  • Carrier will transport and deliver firearms as defined by the United States Gun Control Act of 1968, between areas served in the U.S., but only between:
  1. 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 any department, agency or political subdivisions thereof; or
  2. Where not prohibited by local, state and federal law, from individuals to licensed importers, licensed manufacturers or licensed dealers (and return of same).
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UPS: https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/guidelines/firearms.html

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.
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If you carefully read the To-From statements, you'll realize that they only allow shipments from an individual to a FFL and the reverse. Individual-to-individual is a Big No-No, and there's no exception for cases where the sender and recipient are the same person.

The U.S. Postal Service allows individual-to-individual shipments, including to yourself, but they restrict handgun shipments to Dealer, Importer, and Manufacturer FFL's and government/LE/military; unlicensed individuals are only allowed to use the mails to send and receive non-NFA long guns. Additionally, the postal regulations carry the force of law, and the penalties for violations are NOT trivial.
 
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