Ammo in checked luggage.

[luchador768]

I have a deal in Folsom this weekend, and I am going to try and check 600 rounds of 7.62x39 ammo. It weighs about 20 pounds and the airlines limit ammo to 12 pounds (southwest). Am I screwed? Or can I pay an extra baggage fee? Anyone with any experience?

[norcal77]

you need to check here...

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

[hoffmang]

12lbs per passenger is basically your limit. I've never asked if you could pay more and still fly though.

-Gene

[luchador768]

I checked TSA and Southwest's web sites, but there is no provision for anything over 12 pounds. It's in a spam can and I hate to open it. Oh well, I guess I could open it and have my buddy take half. He has two kids and all the related crap that goes along with that.

[Fjold]

Just mail it home. Mark it ORM-D

[luchador768]

Just got off the phone with Southwest, 11 pounds is the limit per person. I guess it is FED X or UPS for me.

[joelogic]

Virgin is a 10lb limit, no exception. I had to mail it to where I am going.

[b.faust]

Perfect timing for this thread.

I'm headed back to visit the grandparents in Wisconsin in a few weeks, and while I'm there I was planning on raiding my Grandfather's .22 stash (I just bought at new Browning Buckmark)

B.

[MikeinnLA]

I'm heading to Ohio next week. Ya think the X-Ray would pick up a couple of hi-cap Mini 14 mags in the checked bags? JUST KIDDING, of course.

Mike

[Gryff]

Also note that TSA will throw a fit if the ammo isn't "packed securely." They don't really tell you anywhere what this means, but they interpret it as being every round is in its own holder (like a box of commercial pistol ammo). I tried to travel with a bunch of loose-packed rounds that were securely contained and kept from rattling, but TSA said no (i.e. don't travel with Winchester White Box ammo ammo that is bulk-packed like the 9mm).

[hoffmang]

The general rule on packing ammo is that it needs to be stored in such a way that nothing can impact the primer. Now we know that it's not going off, but that's the rule they are using.

-Gene

[tziggs]

Man, I was hoping I could find some cheap (read WalMart) ammo when I went to Colorado for vacation. I was hoping to have the problem of having too much to fit in my luggage. No luck...all the WalMart ammo is sold out there also.

[Dismal_Scientist]

I wouldn't plan on getting through with more than the carrier's limit (on United, it's 11 pounds).

My dad had a US Air employee that he couldn't take the ammo if it wasn't in a locked, hard sided case (like the requirement for firearms). Info here: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=178310

I've been regularly traveling between SFO and SAN with ammo only (no firearms), and the ticket counter agents generally aren't sure what's required. They haven't asked me to sign a firearms declaration card yet, but at SFO they once asked me to go down to the TSA baggage inspection area. The TSA guy asked "how many firearms are in this bag". When I told him "zero" he said "then why are you down here?".

[bigthaiboy]

Ammo alone doesn't need to be declared at the ticketing desk, like firearms, correct?

[Dismal_Scientist]

Ammo alone doesn't need to be declared at the ticketing desk, like firearms, correct?

From the link in my post above:

I decided to dig around on the TSA website, and the answer isn't clear.
The TSA page on "special items" says nothing about declaring ammo: link
But this other TSA page says you need to declare ammo: link

I always tell the agent at the ticket counter that I have ammo in my checked luggage just to be safe. I've never had to sign the orange "unloaded firearms" declaration form. At SAN the agent asked if I previously had to sign one because she wasn't sure what to do