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You can check up to 11 lbs of ammo. It must be in the manufacturer’s original packaging OR an other container specifically designed to hold the ammo (like those plastic flip-top boxes at academy.). Ammo in magazines is not allowed, and that is an AA rule, not tsa or faa. Delta is cool with it in magazines. And ammo does not need to be in a separate bag. I travel often on AA and check a pistol and ammo in a single pelican or the harbor freight copy case.
Now the way I get around the ammo in mags thing is I hollowed out the styrofoam ammo insert of a box just to fit 2 mags in -without sticking out. It closes normally and holds 2 mags plus 1. Tsa nor AA has ever cared because the ammo IS inside of the manufacture’s original packaging. It just happens to also be inside of the magazines and that’s technically allowed.
As far as locks go, I always use tsa locks.
If there is a firearm in the bag then it will be flagged with a big red “deliver to BAggage Service Office” tag, and be delivered there. If it’s just ammo then it goes regular.
These are the rules but I guarantee you that you’ll get a personal interpretation of em from each employee you encounter. I do every time. And I correct them each and every time with a manager present. It’s kind of fun for me. They don’t realize that I’ve recently retired from doing their exact jobs. Haha