BUCKTOWN

This October will be my first plane trip carrying a firearm for my Wyoming Elk hunt. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make this go as smooth as possible?

DCN

Make sure you check the website of the airline you're flying and check the TSA website for specific details. Bottom line, make sure you're ammo is in a separate locked container from your gun. There are limits on the ammo you can carry (by weight I believe). If you have a bolt action, remove the bolt, put it in a plastic bag and zip tie it to the gun. Although TSA regs don't require this, I've had airport personnel give me a hard time when I didn't. Remember that your case has to lock. You can either use a TSA lock that they can open or a regular lock. The problem with the TSA locks is that the ones I seen are flimsy. The best way is to lock the case after you declare and have the gun checked, and tell the TSA attendant that you will wait and can give them the key if they need to inspect it. They will tell you whether you should go ahead and go through security first or just wait outside. They will call you on the intercom if they need the key. The biggest thing to me is to have a case that doesn't look like it has guns in it. I bought a case online I think called a Tuff Case or Tuff Pack that is round and looks like it is for golf clubs. These are expensive, but really protect your stuff. These are great because you can put your guns in a soft case and pack it in with clothes, etc. This way if you get a luggage handler that doesn't like hunting (and they're out there), they think they're handling golf clubs and wont' mess with your guns. Good luck and good hunting.

DC KNIVES

As a custom knifemaker who travels to shows, one of the ways many makers are doing it, is by shipping the knives to the hotel your staying at.A pain for sure but better than trusting the TSA and the baggage handlers.One well known maker lost over $50,000 worth of knives coming from Hawaii to LA, and this is not uncommon.I think it would easily be worth the trouble and expense of shipping expensive rifles or shotguns than taking a chance of losing them on the plane.Dave

spaniel

Knives are one thing, I do not believe an individual can mail a rifle to anyone but an FFL -- not to themselves at a hotel or to the hotel.

salukipv1

since when can't you pack ammo in your rifle case?

as long as the rifles unloaded...?

I've always removed the bolt too, as the case closes more easily that way...

Plan on having the guncase opened/inspected before you check it in...

Probably just give your airline a call, or check online what they say...

Might be an extra charge due to weight...2 rifles in a double rifle case, plus ammo, isn't light...

Hurricanespg

As long as the rifle/gun is not changing ownership you can ship it anywhere in the US.

buzz4me2

I'm heading to Canada for the first time and I recently flew with my rifle back to Idaho. The wt limit for the ammo is 11 pounds.

The airlines are the ones that make up the rules on how to travel with the ammo. In my case they had to be in a marked container designed for ammo and could not be with my rifle. Read the TSA website, it spells this out very clearly there. Some airlines don't even know their own rules. I printed out the airlines rules and had to show them to the person checking me in. After discussing with a supervisor they agreed I was correct about the ammo

DCN is not correct about the locks. The locks on a case carrying a rifle have to be regular locks. Not the TSA designed locks. You may slip by with TSA locks but the TSA website is very clear about this as well. They have to be regular locks and you better put 2 on the case. If the inspector can get into the case, even a little at one of the ends of the case they will require another lock and I've heard they aren't cheap at the airport. For the ammo you can have a regular TSA lock on your luggage that has it.

Bring a cell phone and leave it on until the plane leaves. You will have to fill out a couple of cards to go with the rifle and ammo. If the TSA wants into the rifle case again they will give you a call.

If you belong to SCI you can purchase extra gun insurance at a really good price. If you are concerned about damage or loss of your rifle it's cheap insurance that a lot of people recommend.

Last but not least enjoy the hunt and get a big one.

crenshaw

whatever you do, get the best gun case you can buy, and i mean the best. Make sure that thing is tuff as nails. They will throw that thing around on purpose. On a flight last year, they tried to break into 3 gun cases just on my flight. You could see where they used a crow bar to try and pry it open on my gun case. It caused a big stir with TSA. United had to buy me a new gun case. United is the worst!

Colorado Cajun

Read the information on traveling with a firearm from the TSA website and also look at the information on your airlines website. Follow both of those and have a copy with you and you will be okay. There is some info in this thread that is wrong and telling TSA that some guy on the huntingnet.com forum said isn't going to cut it. I traveled with a firearm about a month ago and followed the same advice I just gave you and it went amazingly well. Good luck!

DCN

Crenshaw is right about the case. Check out www.tuffpack.us. These are the cases that are round and don't look at all like a rifle case. You can put your gun (or bow) in a soft case and pack clothes around them - tough as nails. They are expensive ($300 +), but worth it in my opinion. Re: ammo with the guns, TSA regs don't prohibit that and several airlines websites say you can carry them together, but I have had airline personnel tell me they don't care what their website says - they can't go together. I've found it easier to just check the gun and ammo separately.