I apologize if this topic doesn't meet this threads requirements but didn't see a more appropriate one.

I just got a 365XL and would love to take it to Colorado in a week for vacation. Reason being the remoteness of trails, parks, and just crazy society now.

I always carry when traveling by auto but never flying. Was just wondering about any advice. It seems pretty simple as I've read many blogs and watched YouTube on the matter.

We are flying Nashville to Denver and Colorado has reciprocity with Tennessee so good there. We are flying United. The one crazy thing I've come across is no airlines have stanrd methods with other airlines. Some mention your bag is pulled and taken to a more secure area and others report it comes on the carousel makes no sense.

Also one question I can't seem to get a lot of info on is whether your checked bag must also be locked. Obviously the gun case in the checked bag must be. Currently we have soft side zippered luggage which is not really made for locking.

Thanks for any insight.

Did that a couple years ago. Used a metal locking case (flew Southwest) and they listed online what they wanted.
Checked it in in Pittsburgh, no problems.
Leaving Colorado I had a slight delay waiting for a supervisor to escort me to the TSA counter, but no more than 15 minutes.
Check out Pikes Peak, that was breathtaking, literally.

Gotta be a locked hard case, ammo spectated in original packaging (ish). Go to special services counter they verify it. The lock on the box can’t be TSA approved. Lock on the luggage soft side or no can be. Hopefully that made sense.

I heard online typically it was 15 minutes to get escorted to TSA. Also hear some airlines just take it and put it on their conveyer and I guess somewhere along the way TSA scans it in those cases.

Pikes Peak is the first planned stop!

quote:

Originally posted by mike62:
Also one question I can't seem to get a lot of info on is whether your checked bag must also be locked. Obviously the gun case in the checked bag must be. Currently we have soft side zippered luggage which is not really made for locking.

May not be applicable to your luggage, but with my carry-on, there's a zippered liner inside the luggage. I unzip it, and this exposes the frame for the extending drag handle. I lock the pistol case shut, then put a cable lock through the handle of the pistol case and loop it around the framework for the drag handle and lock it. Then I zip the liner up over it. Obviously this would be a mild nuisance for someone who really wanted to get in there, but anything I can do to make it more difficult for them makes me feel better at least. I've read of others here on the forum who do the same thing.

My last assignment involved a fair bit of travel. First time you do it, it feels weird, but it's really not an issue. Gun goes unloaded into a locked hard case in locked luggage. Ammunition in the factory box. Check in at the luggage counter. Tell the worker you have an unloaded weapon in your checked baggage to declare. Tell them just like that. They will ask you to open your bag and may ask to see the weapon to verify it is unloaded. I've only had one person do that ever. They'll stick a label on the outside of the gun case and check the luggage as usual.

It may get inspected by TSA after that point, it may just get xrayed and loaded onto the plane. Either way, the label tells them the weapon was properly declared.

When you get to your destination, depending on airline, your baggage may get held in the office for you to pick up instead of getting put on the conveyor. American isn't real good about telling you this, so don't panic if you don't see your bag on the conveyor. Tell one of the workers what's up and they'll walk you to the office that most likely has your bag. I've had that happen a few times.

Most of the time though It's a pretty painless process.

just a heads up for what it's worth. i flew into seattle on delta and followed all the appropriate procedures. they told me when i arrived in seattle that i would have to go to the baggage office to retrieve my stuff which was fine. when i picked up my luggage with the firearm in it it had a thick plastic bag around it. it was not something i could break or cut without a heavy duty tool. as i was walking through the garage i saw a maintenace worker an asked him if he had anything i could use to cut it. luckily he had some snips or i would have had to find a walmart or something to get a cutter. i thought that was annoying to say the least.

quote:

Originally posted by nasig:
just a heads up for what it's worth. i flew into seattle on delta and followed all the appropriate procedures. they told me when i arrived in seattle that i would have to go to the baggage office to retrieve my stuff which was fine. when i picked up my luggage with the firearm in it it had a thick plastic bag around it. it was not something i could break or cut without a heavy duty tool. as i was walking through the garage i saw a maintenace worker an asked him if he had anything i could use to cut it. luckily he had some snips or i would have had to find a walmart or something to get a cutter. i thought that was annoying to say the least.

Fuckin' SeaTac....

When was this? Recently, I take it? Logically, I'd think the bagging happened at whatever airport you flew out from, not the one you landed in, but nothing around here surprises me anymore.

The last time I flew back into SeaTac, my checked bag with my pistol came out on the conveyor. I wasn't happy. The time before that, I had to show ID to pick it up from the baggage office, which seemed much more reasonable to me.

quote:

Originally posted by copaup:
My last assignment involved a fair bit of travel. First time you do it, it feels weird, but it's really not an issue. Gun goes unloaded into a locked hard case in locked luggage. Ammunition in the factory box. Check in at the luggage counter. Tell the worker you have an unloaded weapon in your checked baggage to declare. Tell them just like that. They will ask you to open your bag and may ask to see the weapon to verify it is unloaded. I've only had one person do that ever. They'll stick a label on the outside of the gun case and check the luggage as usual.

It may get inspected by TSA after that point, it may just get xrayed and loaded onto the plane. Either way, the label tells them the weapon was properly declared.

When you get to your destination, depending on airline, your baggage may get held in the office for you to pick up instead of getting put on the conveyor. American isn't real good about telling you this, so don't panic if you don't see your bag on the conveyor. Tell one of the workers what's up and they'll walk you to the office that most likely has your bag. I've had that happen a few times.

Most of the time though It's a pretty painless process.

Thanks makes me feel better.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by nasig:
just a heads up for what it's worth. i flew into seattle on delta and followed all the appropriate procedures. they told me when i arrived in seattle that i would have to go to the baggage office to retrieve my stuff which was fine. when i picked up my luggage with the firearm in it it had a thick plastic bag around it. it was not something i could break or cut without a heavy duty tool. as i was walking through the garage i saw a maintenace worker an asked him if he had anything i could use to cut it. luckily he had some snips or i would have had to find a walmart or something to get a cutter. i thought that was annoying to say the least.

Fuckin' SeaTac....

When was this? Recently, I take it? Logically, I'd think the bagging happened at whatever airport you flew out from, not the one you landed in, but nothing around here surprises me anymore.

The last time I flew back into SeaTac, my checked bag with my pistol came out on the conveyor. I wasn't happy. The time before that, I had to show ID to pick it up from the baggage office, which seemed much more reasonable to me.

Exactly. I can't understand why all airlines do not pull them separate from the conveyor. You know how chaotic it can be at the conveyor belt sometimes not to mention people grabbing the wrong bags.

Yes because of the Ft Lauterdale Airport shooting.

Dated, but useful:

https://tsatraveltips.us/guns-...20locked%29%20locked.

Formerly, bags were identified as having a firearm inside. This stopped when it became a security issue: the wrong people knew where the right bags were with the firearms. Now, not so. A form (declaration) will be attached to the firearm case inside the luggage, but not to the luggage. It may be placed inside, or outside the firearm case, but may not be visible on the outside of the luggage: this is a legal requirement.

American airlines has been known to attach a bright red tag stating that the bag requires special handling. It is not legal to identify the luggage as containing a firearm. The legal reference behind this is 18 USC Section 922(e):

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922

quote:

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce, to persons other than licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped; except that any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of the trip without violating any of the provisions of this chapter.No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm.

Counsel to not use a TSA-lock on either the luggage or firearm case is outdated and incorrect. Either is acceptable.

Current information:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/tra...earms-and-ammunition

Some confusion that crops up here (and most places) every time this question gets asked (which is frequently...there's a search engine) is that about holding the keys. Some believe, incorrectly, that the requirement that only the passenger hold the keys means that you can't hand the keys to the TSA agent to open the luggage and firearm case to inspect the weapon and ensure it's unloaded. This is not true; you may hand the TSA agent the key. Usually this will be done with the firearm in plain sight of you, and the keys returned to you. It's not a violation to hand an airline representative or the TSA agent the keys. The requirement that you be the sole carrier of that key is the same as your luggage: you must be in possession of your own carry-on luggage, and can't carry luggage for someone else. You must be in possession of your firearm, keys, and can't let someone else have them. Handing them to a TSA agent to open the case and examine the firearm is acceptable, and in some cases, necessary. This is not a violation of the regulation.

Where you can run in to trouble, and this has happened, is if you pass through a state where possession of a particular firearm is illegal, or if you are on a flight that is diverted to such a location. If you take your luggage out of the secure area and then attempt to check it in, you may encounter difficulties. Again, this has happened before, and it's something to be mindful of when considering your travel arrangements.

Your bag may or may not turn up on the baggage carrol; it may get taken to the airline baggage counter. Best to wait at the carousel or conveyor first, to make sure it isn't there, before going to the baggage counter.

Good points.

One thing I'm still vague on is the actual luggage. I know its best to lock it as well but is it mandatory?

Our softside cases have very small holes at each zipper so it won't be much of a lock to begin with I'm sure. A cable gun lock would fit great but the cable length woukd allow the zippers to be parted probably 6 inches.

Forgot to add that I use hard sided, lockable luggage, but I have used soft sided with a small tsa padlock. Either is fine. The hard sided is zippered closed so a ball point pen would push right through the zipper if someone wanted inside anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by mike62:
Good points.

One thing I'm still vague on is the actual luggage. I know its best to lock it as well but is it mandatory?

Our softside cases have very small holes at each zipper so it won't be much of a lock to begin with I'm sure. A cable gun lock would fit great but the cable length woukd allow the zippers to be parted probably 6 inches.

I travel daily, sometimes several times a day. Much of the time, without a firearm, as it isn't possible under the circumstances. I don't lock my checked bag, most of the time. There's nothing wrong with doing do. If you do so, however, bear in mind that a checked bag is still subject to search, and if you lock it, the inability to search the bag will result in possibly a broken lock or luggage, or delayed luggage, or luggage that isn't allowed to transport.

If you have the means to lock your luggage, it's a good idea to do so, if there's a firearm inside.

I don't check a bag unless it has webbing strap that goes two ways around the bag, meaning that one strap goes around the bag horizontally to prevent it opening, and another around it vertically, crossing on both sides. I've had bags fail, get ripped apart or broken, and the contents poured out, including one bag getting ripped ocmpletely in half. It arrived on the baggage carrol in two pieces, with the contents spread everwhere. It was after that, I decided to put luggage straps on my checked bag. If the seam or zipper or edge or shell breaks, the pieces still stay together. It also makes the bag more recognizable when scanning for my case, in a bunch of cases.



If you have a firearm in the bag, you definitely don't want the contents of the bag spilling out. If I have a firearm in a bag, I strap it and lock it. The lock won't stop an interested party by any means, but it does aid in not losing the contents by an act of machinery, careless ramper, or other means.

Your lock inside the suitcase, on the firearm case, can be a TSA lock, or any other lock. Your lock on the outside of the luggage should be openable by an inspector, for the reasons mentioned above.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

Counsel to not use a TSA-lock on either the luggage or firearm case is outdated and incorrect. Either is acceptable.

Current information:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/tra...earms-and-ammunition

Some confusion that crops up here (and most places) every time this question gets asked (which is frequently...there's a search engine) is that about holding the keys. Some believe, incorrectly, that the requirement that only the passenger hold the keys means that you can't hand the keys to the TSA agent to open the luggage and firearm case to inspect the weapon and ensure it's unloaded. This is not true; you may hand the TSA agent the key. Usually this will be done with the firearm in plain sight of you, and the keys returned to you. It's not a violation to hand an airline representative or the TSA agent the keys. The requirement that you be the sole carrier of that key is the same as your luggage: you must be in possession of your own carry-on luggage, and can't carry luggage for someone else. You must be in possession of your firearm, keys, and can't let someone else have them. Handing them to a TSA agent to open the case and examine the firearm is acceptable, and in some cases, necessary. This is not a violation of the regulation.

Interesting interpretation, but it doesn't change 49 USC 1540.111(c):

(c) In checked baggage. A passenger may not transport or offer for transport in checked baggage or in baggage carried in an inaccessible cargo hold under §1562.23 of this chapter:

(1) Any loaded firearm(s).

(2) Any unloaded firearm(s) unless—

(i) The passenger declares to the aircraft operator, either orally or in writing, before checking the baggage, that the passenger has a firearm in his or her bag and that it is unloaded;

(ii) The firearm is unloaded;

(iii) The firearm is carried in a hard-sided container; and

(iv) The container in which it is carried is locked, and only the passenger retains the key or combination.

(3) Any unauthorized explosive or incendiary.

Until/unless there's case law indicating otherwise or the language is amended, I'll go with the plain language meaning and assume when it says "only the passenger retains the key or combination" it does not mean that "only the passenger or TSA personnel upon request retain the key or combination".

As for the lock or combination itself, a passenger using a TSA-friendly lock does so knowing that there are dozens of keys (or easily accessible knowledge of the combination) at any given airport which will open the container, which would obviate the purpose of the provision that only the passenger have access to the firearm through sole and exclusive retention of the key and/or combination.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by nasig:
just a heads up for what it's worth. i flew into seattle on delta and followed all the appropriate procedures. they told me when i arrived in seattle that i would have to go to the baggage office to retrieve my stuff which was fine. when i picked up my luggage with the firearm in it it had a thick plastic bag around it. it was not something i could break or cut without a heavy duty tool. as i was walking through the garage i saw a maintenace worker an asked him if he had anything i could use to cut it. luckily he had some snips or i would have had to find a walmart or something to get a cutter. i thought that was annoying to say the least.

Fuckin' SeaTac....

When was this? Recently, I take it? Logically, I'd think the bagging happened at whatever airport you flew out from, not the one you landed in, but nothing around here surprises me anymore.

The last time I flew back into SeaTac, my checked bag with my pistol came out on the conveyor. I wasn't happy. The time before that, I had to show ID to pick it up from the baggage office, which seemed much more reasonable to me.

About a year ago. I know the strapping happened at the baggage pickup place in seattle because I watched them do it. I thought WTF. The guy says 'you understand'. Ahh no I don't understand....

I have flown with guns for years....much more drama now. Seattle is horrible.

So believe it or not, I avoid it at all cost....either drive to events - hunting etc OR go straight to UPS and send the gun to my destination.

I realize this is not always possible...but I shoot in skeet and sporting clays events and the gun clubs are happy to receive my gun(s) and keep them safe and unopened until I arrive. Yes, costs money and can be inconvenient.

I have had very high end shotguns and my tube sets rummaged and tossed about...put back in the case incorrectly and one nice stock scratched. Watched a lady try to determine if my competition 1911 was loaded...I offered help....she told me to back away..then she called for help... Sad when clueless security people do this and fail to properly close the case etc...

Yes , I am old and cranky Things used to be easy -- not anymore. If you do fly always photo and document your firearm and case contents and have plenty of good insurance coverage...my 2 cents..

quote:

Originally posted by nasig:
... when i picked up my luggage with the firearm in it it had a thick plastic bag around it. ...

I've been carrying wire cutters in my carry on bag since the idiot at FFL went full idiot. When traveling to SHOT after that incident, I was flying Delta and went to pick up my bag. Monster wire ties around the bag. Walked 20 feet to the nearest garbage can, cut off the cable ties, and tossed them into the trash with the other 50+ sets of cable ties in the trash can.

I chuckled.

I wrote this article to help those traveling by air. All the info should be current - https://opspectraining.com/tra...asses-with-firearms/