1st time transporting a firearm on airlines...questions.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

So I'm set to fly back down to San Diego and pick up a mint S&W Model 31 (Thanks Mr.Beretta!) and am planning on checking it and flying back with it.

I've checked the American Airlines regulations page and it look pretty straightforward; are there any specific things I need to address in advance?

Hardsided container: check (Aluminum briefcase type; uses a key lock - ok?)
No ammo: check. I need to find a source for .32 S&W Long before I need to worry about that.
Declare at the check in counter: got it.

Is there anything else I can do to smooth the process?

Thanks guys.

[PJA]

I flew from Texas (Austin) to SFO a couple of years ago with a CZ 52 I bought there. Just put it in a locking hard plastic pistol case and packed it in my checked luggage. When I checked in I told the airline agent (quietly) that my luggage contained an unloaded firearm. She had me sign a statement to that effect and told me to take it over to the the loading area. That was it, and the suitcase came out with our other baggage in SFO. Completely painless.
Pete

[tlillard23]

well......

All airlines are great, the ticket agents are not.

The outside-visible case must be hardsided too (I travel with hardcase inside hard suitcase). A "handgun-looking" case is not my first choice for discreet travels.

I have only flown with handguns. Longrifles are hard to camouflage. And if your luggage is lost,, don't tell the ID10T the lost luggage counter that you had a gun in there. go contact security or someone else with brains.

My experience, have the gun UNLOADED (will probably have to "show" them it's unloaded) in a hard-gun-case INSIDE a hardsided suitcase. Some employees will want to stick the "UNLOADED GUN" tag on the OUTSIDE of your hardside gun case. They can do this and the tag is not visible from outside.

I had problems one time and had about 5 security guards and 3 TSA guys yelling at me about "GUNS" (we were in the back room). I remained calm and finally some OLD-TIME-TSA guy stepped in and said "gun in a hard case inside a hardside suitcase, lock his bags and let him go. You guys should know this"

AND you can travel with (?)20lbs.(every airline is different?) of ammo, must be well packed (factory type) and be separate from the gun.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

I have an hardside aluminum (Zero Halliburton) case that I use for transporting handguns. . It has a dual key lock.
So after them checking it in; do I get to lock it again? Or does it need to remain unlocked for the flight (jeez I hope not.)

[Fjold]

The only thing that I would recommend (actually second because tlillard23 already mentioned it) is not to check a pistol size small handgun case. Put a hard locking case inside of another hard suitcase, the bigger the better as they are harder to steal that way.

[tlillard23]

locking or not

Depends on how your luggage is checked. at the small airport I travel through, I lock it after they screen it. (small airport, 4 gates...)

In San Fran, I have had 50/50 luck on locking the suitcase.

If you do the case in a case, you can deffinitly lock the internal gun case. the outside suitcase might get opened by TSA anyhow. I used a cable lock to lock the gun case into the suitcase (finally a good use for those things).

I have had TSA leave the TSA-calling-card in my suitcase, they are not bothered with guns and did not tamper with the internal gun case.

[DedEye]

IIRC, you're supposed to have your hardside gun case locked and only you are to have the key.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

not to check a pistol size small handgun case.

The case I was planning on using is briefcase size, but now I'm wondering if I should do the hardcase inside a hardcase thing...

Unfortunately I don;t have any hardcase luggage that ISN'T a guncase.

How about I put the revolver inside a small hard case (single pistol) and then put that inside the briefcase? I think I'll do that.

[gose]

The case I was planning on using is briefcase size, but now I'm wondering if I should do the hardcase inside a hardcase thing...
Unfortunately I don;t have any hardcase luggage that ISN'T a guncase.
How about I put the revolver inside a small hard case (single pistol) and then put that inside the briefcase? I think I'll do that.

Get a hardcase suitcase. I'd recommend that over the briefcase solution any day. Im sure there are several members here that would happily lend you a suitcase in case you don't want to buy one...

[Nra-Life-Member]

What about shipping it to yourself? (Can of worms?)

[PJA]

What about shipping it to yourself? (Can of worms?)

Expensive for a handgun unless you are a FFL.
Pete

[QuarterBoreGunner]

What about shipping it to yourself? (Can of worms?)

I'd thought about that; signing for the revolver and then having the FFL ship it to my FFL here in the Bay Area...but then I'd have to DROS and do the 10 days again. Seems like such a hassle to avoid the airport.

Gonna have to look for a beat up old piece of luggage.

[quagmiles]

I flew from Texas (Austin) to SFO a couple of years ago with a CZ 52 I bought there. Just put it in a locking hard plastic pistol case and packed it in my checked luggage. When I checked in I told the airline agent (quietly) that my luggage contained an unloaded firearm. She had me sign a statement to that effect and told me to take it over to the the loading area. That was it, and the suitcase came out with our other baggage in SFO. Completely painless.
Pete

In march I flew from Dallas to sfo with my Mak and 100 rounds of ammo locked in a hardsided gun case.I thought it would intail a cavity search and a beating from homeland security but instead it was a painless, easy process. Just co-signing what pja said.

[EOD Guy]

AND you can travel with (?)20lbs.(every airline is different?) of ammo, must be well packed (factory type) and be separate from the gun.

The legal limit is 5 kilograms (11 pounds) per person for that person's own use. Some airlines may have a lower limit.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Thanks for all the replies; I'm going to see if I can dig up an old beat hardsides piece of luggage; if not I'm going with the single pistol hardcase inside the aluminum briefcase. That should work fine I think.

Jeez, all this trouble for a lil' ol' J-frame revolver in an obscure caliber...

I'll post how it goes after I get back. fingers crossed it's nice and smooth.