Questions about flying with a revolver

[ClydeFrog]

SEATAC; Seattle WA, TSA; firearms....

I read a recent item on www.seattletimes.com that the security officials & LE officers at Seattle's SEATAC airport complex only charge passengers/visitors with gun offenses approx 50% of the time, .
They seem to take the "I left my 6" barrel N frame .44 in my tolietry case" excuse a lot.

Really, I can see how a few weapons or firearms can be mishandled, but do not take any chances. Jail is not the place to end up when you go to a airport.

 

[Glenn Dee]

My experience is this. You have three entities to satisfy. The airline. Show up at least two hours early if flying out of a major airport. The Jurisdiction your flying out of. Florida is no problem. The TSA The firearm must be declared to the airline and in a locked hard side box. The tsa will sometimes examine, and sometimes not. I find it best to use a tsa lock to keep them from destroying your is they decide to inspect it. They used to tag luggage containing a firearm, then ground crews know what luggage to lose. I believe this has changed. The jurisdiction you are flying into. If you are authorised to posses a handgun you just pick up your checked baggage.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

The tsa will sometimes examine, and sometimes not. I find it best to use a tsa lock to keep them from destroying your is they decide to inspect it.

On the outer suitcase, or the gun case? Remember, the federal law expressly states that the traveler must retain the key or combination to the locked gun case. Do NOT use a TSA lock for this, because if you do every TSA agent and half the baggage handlers in the world has a key that will open it.

They used to tag luggage containing a firearm, then ground crews know what luggage to lose. I believe this has changed.

The law does not allow them to tag luggage containing a firearm. A card is placed inside the suitcase at check-in, confirming that the firearm has been declared. There isn't supposed to be anything on the exterior of the checked luggage to indicate that there's a firearm inside.

 

[maestro pistolero]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he said, NO TSA locks on the firearm container.

 

[BigD_in_FL]

A friend who travels with long arms internationally (case is hard to hide), places some stickers on his case from surveying equipment makers so as to make it look like he has a survey level or theodolite in the case and not his African DG rifles - seems to have worked so far for many decades -something to consider IF you ever decide to travel with a long arm

 

[noelf2]

The law does not allow them to tag luggage containing a firearm. A card is placed inside the suitcase at check-in, confirming that the firearm has been declared. There isn't supposed to be anything on the exterior of the checked luggage to indicate that there's a firearm inside.

I check a bag with a gun in it every time I fly to a destination where I can legally carry. I just came back from a trip to Alaska (Fairbanks). The red signed card is always placed inside the TSA approved locked gun case with the gun and ammo. It has never been taped to the outside of my TSA approved gun case, or loose inside the suitcase with it.

 

[pax]

noelf,

You probably always fly on the same airline. I'm here to tell you that they do often put it inside the suitcase, but outside the lockbox. Which is the way it should be, for the following reasons:

• TSA can always access the main suitcase without your supervision (that's why we use TSA locks on our suitcases).
• TSA agents who look inside the suitcase and see a lockbox *should* be able to check that the contents of that lockbox have been declared -- which is ostensibly what the signed card is intended to do.
• TSA agents are not legally allowed to access the contents of the lockbox without the owner's direct supervision, per federal law. The law requires that only the person who declares the firearm may retain access to the lockbox key or combination.
• Thus, requiring the card to go inside the (inaccessible) lockbox is an absolutely foolish waste of everyone's time -- because you might as well just carry the paperwork with you, since they won't be able to access it without your presence anyway.

When I fly on those airlines that require me to put the card inside the nobody-but-me-gets-the-key lockbox, I always request a second card for outside that box. Because it is downright stupid that some airlines put the "it's okay, we've checked it" card inside the lockbox nobody but me is legally allowed to access anyway.

pax

 

[kilimanjaro]

Just a question, is it possible to just ship the pistol from FL to AK?

 

[2ndsojourn]

^^^
kilimanjaro, it would have to be shipped to a FFL and you would have to go through a NICS check and probably a transfer fee to get it.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

kilimanjaro, it would have to be shipped to a FFL and you would have to go through a NICS check and probably a transfer fee to get it.

Why?

The law provides that a person may ship a firearm to himself. No FFL needed, on either end. It's covered (or was, before they rebuilt it) on the BATFE FAQ site.

 

[noelf2]

You probably always fly on the same airline.

I don't.

Because it is downright stupid that some airlines put the "it's okay, we've checked it" card inside the lockbox nobody but me is legally allowed to access anyway.

It's not an "OK, we've checked it" card. It's a declaration by the owner that the gun is unloaded and ammo is properly stowed. I've never had a counter agent or TSA agent actually check that the gun is unloaded. When I carry a rifle case, the red tag goes inside the case as well (not taped to the outside proving the case actually holds a firearm). So what is the real purpose of the red tag? No purpose at all. It's stupid. I never expect TSA or any federal rule to be anything other than stupid. I'm pleasantly surprised when they do something logical.

When I fly on those airlines that require me to put the card inside the nobody-but-me-gets-the-key lockbox, I always request a second card for outside that box.

Not me! TSA can try to scan the luggage to determine what is inside the case. A card floating around inside the luggage confirms that the case holds a gun, and tempts theft. I always have my own paper with name and cellphone contact info inside my luggage. If TSA needs more info, they can call me up until the crew tells me to turn off my phone, and by that time, my luggage better be on the plane.

 

[pax]

Not me! TSA can try to scan the luggage to determine what is inside the case. A card floating around inside the luggage confirms that the case holds a gun, and tempts theft. I always have my own paper with name and cellphone contact info inside my luggage. If TSA needs more info, they can call me up until the crew tells me to turn off my phone, and by that time, my luggage better be on the plane.

I like the idea of leaving contact info inside the suitcase -- thanks.

To prevent my lockbox from getting stolen (separately from the suitcase, at any rate!), I use one that accepts a cable. Then I slightly unzip the liner and run the cable around the 'backbone' of the suitcase before locking everything up.

pax

 

[noelf2]

I like the idea of leaving contact info inside the suitcase -- thanks.

I recommend just name and cell phone number.

By the way, I edited my post you quoted about the contact info. Checked rifle cases also have red tags put "inside" the locked case. Serves no purpose there either.