Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Tips for Commercial Airline Travel with Your Guns” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/tips-for-commercial-airline-travel-with-your-guns/.
Tips for Commercial Airline Travel with Your Guns
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
belladonna
Hellcat
Great article Mike! I don't fly much these days as the husband prefers to drive the Duramax everywhere. It is good to know the rules and tips to follow when we do fly and decide to bring along a firearm.
HayesGreener
Ronin
Good article. I have done this many times. I have a Pepican Case for my pistol, and a separate smaller case for my mags and ammo. I take the extra step of using a bicycle cable and lock to lock my pistol case to the frame of the suitcase
Annihilator
Emissary
Good article Mike, I don’t fly, but it helps with other who do.Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Tips for Commercial Airline Travel with Your Guns” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/tips-for-commercial-airline-travel-with-your-guns/.
Pitdogg2
Professional
There's no way I'd travel with firearms on the plane. In fact our company has had so many problems with the baggage not showing up for super high end events that we ship all luggage next day air UPS.
Twice in one year our executives were forced to scramble to buy clothes. Both times the luggage was returned more than a month after the event. More than once it was not found until 6-10 months later, a couple lost forever.
A locked firearm even cabled to something is just asking for an issue.
My job for the most part is in shipping logistics. Very recently within the past 5 years a shipping company had lost many firearms. Even though there's tracking numbers, these firearms evaporated into thin air. I cannot mention the particular shipping company but I will tell you I was part of the investigation. Knowing I was a firearm enthusiast, One of the drivers for said company ask me if I knew anybody looking for any firearms. What these people were doing was opening the packages taking the firearms and put it similar weighted objects in the box. They would get the client to sign for it and basically try and absolve the company of any responsibility.
So this driver ask me, I not knowing exactly what was going on at the present time I said sure I'm always looking for a good deal. A few days later I was approached by another person who also worked for a different shipping company. So as you can see this was going between a few different shipping companies. Y'all know them FedEx, UPS and Speedee delivery. Well let me tell you there's more than one reason why some of them quit shipping firearms but I would say this one probably put the icing on the cake.
You see most of these were firearms that were being shipped to and from manufacturers for one reason or another, therefore no FFL middle man. So going directly to the residence. So I played along, I was shown three handguns, I was told there was at least seven more. Kimbers, Rugers, S&W I was also told there was also several nice rifles. I asked how much and then told the person I would get back in touch with him as soon as I had the money which would be a day or so. He was happy!
What he wasn't aware of is that evening I went into our local police department asked to speak with the police chief. Once I got the meeting with the police chief I told the police chief what was going on and told him it was probably a good idea if he reached out to the ATF or FBI as this was a interstate commerce crime.
Long story short within a couple of days I was back in contact with the guy, I bought two firearms off of him and he told me that they had more firearms and he would make me a deal if I wanted to buy multiples. I did my part The police did their part and in the end they arrested seven individuals from two different shipping companies who had been stealing these firearms. The shipping companies were trying their damnedest to cover this up so nobody knew what the hell was going on.
It's so funny when the guy told me that all these were free and clear because the customer had signed for them, too stupid to understand that there's a serial number tracking number and the company and the customer had evidence to such.
In the end I was really kind of disappointed because these were plea bargained down to basically either no jail time or less than 2 years jail time.
Twice in one year our executives were forced to scramble to buy clothes. Both times the luggage was returned more than a month after the event. More than once it was not found until 6-10 months later, a couple lost forever.
A locked firearm even cabled to something is just asking for an issue.
My job for the most part is in shipping logistics. Very recently within the past 5 years a shipping company had lost many firearms. Even though there's tracking numbers, these firearms evaporated into thin air. I cannot mention the particular shipping company but I will tell you I was part of the investigation. Knowing I was a firearm enthusiast, One of the drivers for said company ask me if I knew anybody looking for any firearms. What these people were doing was opening the packages taking the firearms and put it similar weighted objects in the box. They would get the client to sign for it and basically try and absolve the company of any responsibility.
So this driver ask me, I not knowing exactly what was going on at the present time I said sure I'm always looking for a good deal. A few days later I was approached by another person who also worked for a different shipping company. So as you can see this was going between a few different shipping companies. Y'all know them FedEx, UPS and Speedee delivery. Well let me tell you there's more than one reason why some of them quit shipping firearms but I would say this one probably put the icing on the cake.
You see most of these were firearms that were being shipped to and from manufacturers for one reason or another, therefore no FFL middle man. So going directly to the residence. So I played along, I was shown three handguns, I was told there was at least seven more. Kimbers, Rugers, S&W I was also told there was also several nice rifles. I asked how much and then told the person I would get back in touch with him as soon as I had the money which would be a day or so. He was happy!
What he wasn't aware of is that evening I went into our local police department asked to speak with the police chief. Once I got the meeting with the police chief I told the police chief what was going on and told him it was probably a good idea if he reached out to the ATF or FBI as this was a interstate commerce crime.
Long story short within a couple of days I was back in contact with the guy, I bought two firearms off of him and he told me that they had more firearms and he would make me a deal if I wanted to buy multiples. I did my part The police did their part and in the end they arrested seven individuals from two different shipping companies who had been stealing these firearms. The shipping companies were trying their damnedest to cover this up so nobody knew what the hell was going on.
It's so funny when the guy told me that all these were free and clear because the customer had signed for them, too stupid to understand that there's a serial number tracking number and the company and the customer had evidence to such.
In the end I was really kind of disappointed because these were plea bargained down to basically either no jail time or less than 2 years jail time.
Bassbob
Emissary
It would take a hell of a lot to get me on a plane period. Going overseas for some reason or something. I've done it a few times, really didn't like it. If I can drive there that's how I'm getting there.
HayesGreener
Ronin
Yeah, I hate flying myself. The Air Force sent me on so many trips 12 years after retiring I am still jet lagged. But I will fly for family emergencies.
Bassbob
Emissary
I'm not afraid. I flew to Europe twice. I'm just, shall we say, uncomfortable. Particularly over oceans. Don't care for being on or over deep bodies of water, although I can swim like a fish. I just have an irrational fear of drowning. I would rather burn to death than drown. Maybe claustrophobia. The thought of not being able to breath makes me very uneasy.
Tacoma236
Alpha
Unfortunately for my job I have had to fly. I have a lock box that is cabled to the luggage. The firearm is disassembled as in the slide is off the weapon. NO Doubt its unloaded. The Only and ONLY place I ever had trouble is going into Broward County Florida where they wrap your luggage in two LARGE white straps. Then leaving I go through the process and am sitting at the gate when the police call my name...the Broward FATASS crowd panicked when they saw the case on xray. LOL
The Night Rider
Professional
True.
The Night Rider
Professional
I only have one thing to add to this discussion and it's something I read in an article from one of those gun magazine legal experts.
the article was about a guy was flying from point A to point B with a declared firearm which was perfectly legal. I don't remember what the cities were at but his plane was diverted to New York City.
He picked up his baggage and went on to make his connecting flight and was arrested when he checked in his bags and declared the firearm.
It ended up costing him I think several thousand dollars and he lost the firearm.
The author advised everyone reading the article that if God forbid you were plane was diverted to New York or New Jersey or someplace else like that that you abandon your baggage.
He says the airline will eventually get it to you and you're much more likely to end up in jail if you try to declare a firearm in one of those airports even though it was completely beyond your control that you even ended up there
the article was about a guy was flying from point A to point B with a declared firearm which was perfectly legal. I don't remember what the cities were at but his plane was diverted to New York City.
He picked up his baggage and went on to make his connecting flight and was arrested when he checked in his bags and declared the firearm.
It ended up costing him I think several thousand dollars and he lost the firearm.
The author advised everyone reading the article that if God forbid you were plane was diverted to New York or New Jersey or someplace else like that that you abandon your baggage.
He says the airline will eventually get it to you and you're much more likely to end up in jail if you try to declare a firearm in one of those airports even though it was completely beyond your control that you even ended up there
I try to pack a pistol when flying commercial. In accordance with Regis, the pistol is in a hardcade, locked with a not-TSA lock. Suitcase is locked with a TSA lock. Ammo in 2nd suitcase. Notnin locked container. Fill out orange form. Only problem I had was when some yahoo taped the orange form to the outside of my suitcase, instead of where it belonged, in Oakland, CA.
matthew crankshaw
Alpha
Good article, Mike! I've had no issues flying with my firearms by following the rules and being prepared.Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Tips for Commercial Airline Travel with Your Guns” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/tips-for-commercial-airline-travel-with-your-guns/.
I believe that story is horse dukey. Federal law applies in airports.
Bassbob
Emissary
And you’d be wrong. It happens a lot. In New Jersey and New York.
Hundreds of gun-toting tourists have been arrested at NYC airports — Queens Daily Eagle
A total of 483 people have been arrested for possessing a firearm at JFK and LaGuardia airports since 2014 — many were unaware they were breaking the law.
queenseagle.com
Two states I stay far away from…include Mass and a couple of other states in that area. Never lost anything there I needed to go back for!And you’d be wrong. It happens a lot. In New Jersey and New York.
Hundreds of gun-toting tourists have been arrested at NYC airports — Queens Daily Eagle
A total of 483 people have been arrested for possessing a firearm at JFK and LaGuardia airports since 2014 — many were unaware they were breaking the law.
The Night Rider
Professional
That's your option.
Bassbob's story doesn't quite apply because it's about people who brought their guns to New York thinking the permit issued by their state was valid in New York.And you’d be wrong. It happens a lot. In New Jersey and New York.
Hundreds of gun-toting tourists have been arrested at NYC airports — Queens Daily Eagle
A total of 483 people have been arrested for possessing a firearm at JFK and LaGuardia airports since 2014 — many were unaware they were breaking the law.
I'm talking specifically about someone whose flight was diverted to NYC when they had no intention of going to New York.
Here's one example.
Traveling Man's Gun Arrest Appealed to Supreme Court
Missed flights only inconvenience most people. A late flight landed Utah gun owner Greg Revell in jail for 10 days after he got stranded in New Jersey with an unloaded firearm he had legally checked with his luggage in Salt Lake City.
The Night Rider
Professional
LawShield published an article a couple years ago on the "diverted flight" scenario: https://www.uslawshield.com/flight-diverted-security-alerted/. Based upon the information that article contains, it appears your available options included your:
- Not taking possession of your checked bag, having the airline secure it, and letting the airline re-book you on another flight the next day while putting you up for the night at a hotel. Under that circumstance, whether your bag was re-scanned or not before the next flight, the important thing is that it was always under the airline's control; you would never had possession of it while in New York.
- Taking possession of your checked bag and immediately continuing with your travels -- whether by rental car, taxicab, boat, bicycle, or walking -- just so long as you did not stop "traveling" for anything other than a bathroom break or to purchase gas. (Separate but related, USCCA and other sources advise there is no legal way to travel by commercial bus line with a firearm or ammunition: Traveling By Bus With Firearms | USCCA Resources. However, passengers may travel on Amtrak with declared firearms and ammunition in checked baggage: Firearms in Checked Baggage on Amtrak Trains.)