TSA/Airline Gun Requirements

[HEMIzygote]

I am going home for Easter and will be taking my pistol with me.

I have been reading the requirements of TSA at:

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/ ... _1666.shtm

What does it mean that "You must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging that is specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition."

Will the box the ammo came in work? Any random cardboard box as long as the ammo won't roll around and is covered on all sides?

For those who have checked their gun before? Does my pistol come off the baggage return ramp or do I go pick it up at some special counter?

Thanks!

[KBCraig]

Hopefully Jim Longley, formerly of TSA, will wade in, but here is my understanding: anything designed to securely hold small amounts of ammunition will suffice. The original packaging works, as do the plastic boxes frequently used by reloaders (which have dividers between every cartridge).

Per TSA, ammo may be carried in magazines, so long as it is "secured", either by a strip of tape across the top, or the mags being stored in a mag carrier. The main concern is whether cartridges can wander off on their own.

That Said, airlines have the final say on how ammo is transported, and some of them may impose stricter standards than does TSA. Call ahead, and luck be with you!

Kevin

[glocklvr]

Here is the link regarding guns and ammo on American Airlines aircraft which should point you in the right direction and FYI mags must be empty.

http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/ ... rearms.jsp

The information shown below pertains to travel within the United States only (unless stated otherwise). For information on the transportation of firearms and ammunition to international destinations, please contact Reservations.

General Information
Firearms and ammunition are accepted as checked baggage only.
Firearms will only be accepted if unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided container only (for example - rifle case).
Ammunition must be packed in its original packaging. Loose ammunition or clips will not be accepted.
Firearms may not be checked curbside.
No one under 18 years of age may check a firearm.
Pellet and BB guns are not considered firearms, and therefore, do not require any special handling or documentation.

Allowance
Maximum per case is 3 rifles/shotguns or 5 pistols/revolvers, 5 lbs. ammunition, shooting mat, noise suppressors, and tools. There is no limit on the amount of cases allowed.
Ammunition is limited to 11 lbs. per passenger. Excess baggage charges may apply to each gun case if it is in excess of the free baggage allowance and/or oversize/overweight.


This American Airlines policy but I would highly talking to the reservations for the airline you will be flying with I just chose AA because I work for them.

[anygunanywhere]

Will the box the ammo came in work? Any random cardboard box as long as the ammo won't roll around and is covered on all sides?

Yes the original box will do. I travel (fly) with a 9mm and a .380. All of my ammo is in the original package. Some folks use those plastic containers you can pick up at Academy or wherever for storing ammo. I would not use "any random cardboard box". This is your self defense ammo and it is in your luggage. The gorillas from the tv commercials are alive and well still handling your luggage. Just yesterday I had to order repair parts for my luggage.

For those who have checked their gun before? Does my pistol come off the baggage return ramp or do I go pick it up at some special counter?

Yes. When my luggage comes off the carousel, I inspect the bag and open to verify that my preciouses are still with me. I head out to the rental car, stow my bag, retrieve my holster (paddle kydex), ammo, clip, load the pistol and clip, put in holster, and away I go.

Thanks!

You are welcome.

Anygun

[jimlongley]

OK, sorry I'm so late compared to the others on this.

KB had it right, just about any packaging designed to secure ammo will do, including magazines as long as the mags are secured, themselves, in a manner that will not allow any ammo to get loose - the thing they are really worried about is loose ammo getting touched off and starting a fire.

I have even seen bandoliers of shotgun ammo allowed through, and I have carried M1 Garand clips just for fun, with the little cardboard protectors on them, just in a small cardboard box - no problem, and I didn't even have my M1 with me, I just did it to harass TSA because I used to work there.

Your firearm is required to be in a locked hard sided container and, depending on size, would either be in your checked bag or checked by itself. Either way it's handled as regular baggage and comes out the regular baggage way, unless it's really oversize (you're not taking "Ma Deuce" with you this trip, are you?)

Do keep track of the airline regulations on ammo - none of them are supposed to stop you from checking a firearm, but Continental used to for a while and some of the regionals might try. Southwest's policy on ammo is 11 pounds (or is it 13?) which, supposedly used to be a federally mandated limit, but we (TSA Screeners) fought that one a long time ago and won - there is no federal limit, but the airlines may impose one.

If you are changing planes and going from one code share carrier to another there might be a difference in limits, but it shouldn't be a problem because baggage is supposed to be checked through (which is a federal reg) and shouldn't need to be opened again enroute. What you checked should be good from end to end, but you might find yourself on Great Lakes Airlines on a return trip, with a five pound limit, where you started on Delta on the way out at thirteen and if you only used 6 pounds of ammo while you were there you might find yourself throwing away a few rounds to make it.

[stevie_d_64]

...I just did it to harass TSA because I used to work there.

Good ole Jim...

I think you have an alert thing set up on yer computer there that sets off that alarm when someone types in "TSA" (like what it'll do here in a sec)...

Listen to Jim though...He knows!

[CaptDave]

FWIW:

I usually put the locked hardsided pistol case inside a checked bag, even if it means I have to check an extra bag, just so it isn't obvious to all the other onlookers and baggage handlers, etc... that I'm shipping a firearm.

[jimlongley]

You're right, Steve, but it actually was a government sponsored implant program . . .

And Dave, that's common and even recommended, at least for gun cases small enough to make it inside of a checked bag.

I have seen handguns inside hardside, locked, suitcases, pretty much loose (wrapped in underwear) which is not illegal - the reg just states "Locked, Hardsided . . ."

The coolest thing I came across while at TSA, which I haven 't used yet myself, is the way around weight limits.

GOLF BAGS!

Not the ones that trundle those miserable useless bits of creation called golf clubs around those wastes of grass, golf courses, but the big ones meant for conveying those self-same useless items from one point to another - usually very large and plastic.

Most of the airlines do not charge oversize or overweight fees for those monstrosities, so I have seen savvy travellers transoprt an amzing array of things in them: projections screens, clothes (way overwieght ifin a regular bag), surveying equipment, and a whole bunch of other stuff, including GUNS!

We even had a guy traveling to Knob Creek with his M1919, tripod and all, in it.

And then there were the guys going down south for a Dove hunt, with 8 shotguns in one. BTW, those guys took very little ammo with them, they shipped it ahead, which they told me is easier than shipping guns to oneself.

[HankB]

I've heard of some people who travel frequently putting some "special" ammo in with their stuff, loaded to some extremely high pressure levels. Supposedly, TSA or LEOs in some jurisdictions have a penchant for "confiscating" what is considered "illegal" ammo - usually something premium and pricey - and it's considered appropriate if they end up putting a 150,000 PSI round through one of their own guns as a result.

I find it hard to fault this form of just deserts, but personally, I'd probably lay awake at night worrying about some of this "special" ammo accidentally finding its way in with what I intended to shoot.

[jimlongley]

I've heard of some people who travel frequently putting some "special" ammo in with their stuff, loaded to some extremely high pressure levels. Supposedly, TSA or LEOs in some jurisdictions have a penchant for "confiscating" what is considered "illegal" ammo - usually something premium and pricey - and it's considered appropriate if they end up putting a 150,000 PSI round through one of their own guns as a result.

I find it hard to fault this form of just deserts, but personally, I'd probably lay awake at night worrying about some of this "special" ammo accidentally finding its way in with what I intended to shoot.

I quite frankly doubt that there are any average screeners at TSA who would even recognize "illegal ammo" although some of the ones I used to work with, and I, used to have fun trying to identify various firearms (make, caliber, etc.) on te x-ray. I held the top score on that one for a long time, identifying three different undeclared guns, a NAA .22LR revolver, a Beretta .25ACP (in a golf bag) and a loaded junk .22LR revolver.

Ammo is just ammo to those guys, unless they are very gun savvy they will hardly do more than check to see if it's packaged in a manner that somewhat resembles TSA guidelines.

[HEMIzygote]

Wow! Thank you for all the replies. All the right info and some! Thanks again!

[jimlongley]

BTW, I thought you all might like this.

One of the times I flew last year I packed my ammo in a plastic box meant for such things, you know, one of those 10x10 honeycomb thingies.

I put the ammo in the box to spell: HI

34 rounds, the contents of three 8 round mags and one for the pipe plus nine extra rounds.

I Like making life interesting for TSA - I could tell you stories, but then I'd have to kill me.