Question on traveling on AA with ammo in the suitcase

[NewGunGuy3]

I have traveled many times on America Airlines in / out of DFW with rifles and pistols in Pelican cases and am familiar with the process. I may need to travel with a small amount of ammo in the near future. How is the checkin / baggage process similar or different from firearms? Obviously it goes in another bag than the firearm.

According to the AA web site, the amount of ammo is limited and it has to be in containers not loose in bags. Other than that, do you just declare at checkin? Do you use regular TSA locks or non-tsa like with firearms? Does the bag arrive at regular baggage claim or is it redirected to the baggage office for verified pickup like with firearms?

Thanks

[Caliber]

Here's what I did with AA: I put the firearm, mags, and a factory box of bullets in the pelican case. The bullets cannot be in the mags. I locked the Pelican case with non-TSA locks. I put the Pelican case inside a suitcase and locked the suitcase with TSA locks. I declared at the check in counter and never had any problems.

If you mean you're traveling with just ammo, I would use the same process as above.

[LimaCharlie3]

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

[rm9792]

Here's what I did with AA: I put the firearm, mags, and a factory box of bullets in the pelican case. The bullets cannot be in the mags. I locked the Pelican case with non-TSA locks. I put the Pelican case inside a suitcase and locked the suitcase with TSA locks. I declared at the check in counter and never had any problems.

If you mean you're traveling with just ammo, I would use the same process as above.

The tsa specifically states the bullets can be in the mags, not in the gun though. Is AA saying no ammo in Mags? I have always traveled with loaded mags for pistols and AR, much easier.