Driving to Wisconsin, flying back to L. A.

[Shere Khan]

Am leaving Friday to drive (solo) my son's 4Runner out to Whitewater, WI, and then flying back to Long Beach. I really would like to bring the .22 Rough Rider with me just in case I stumble across some cool little h.i.t.w. to plink at while going thru Nevada, Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa on the way out there. I also want to check out some of the local gun shops along the way----just for the hell of it. Hopefully I might even stumble across some real cool hnting rifle while poking around. But regardless on that outcome I'm gonna be sleeping in the truck all three/four nights on the way there (to save me about 2 bills on hotel rooms). I'm not too sure if I really need to sleep with a loaded weapon under my pillow, but I haven't ruled that possibility out yet. Any thoughts on this one?

Additionally, will I have any issue putting the empty, no-ammoed, removed cylinders revolver in my double padlocked Pelican 1500 case on an airplane in Madison, WI and flying home with it? Cuz I sure as hell would not want it confiscated for some insipididly stupid/ignorant reason that I wasn't aware of before hitting the airport?

Thanks in advance (and I apologize if this situ has been addressed before)

[Tank 57]

I'd Fedex the gun home.Flying with a one way ticket already gets you additional scrutiny.

[paul0660]

If the Pelican case is hardsided, it is fine. You can even store ammo, in cases, in it, and you don't have to remove the cylinder. Get to the airport a little early, and act like you are not breaking the law, cuz you aren't.

As for sleeping with it under the pillow, I don't know if all those states treat a camp spot as California does. Be...........DESCRETE.

[XYZ]

I always take a copy of this with me when I travel and carry a handgun. You can purchase this on Amazon. A new edition is published each year based on various new laws.

[zinfull]

Driving in Wisconsin is a challenge for CA drivers. They drive the speed limit so passing trucks will take 5 miles. Also if there is a lane closure everyone moves to the other lane at the first notice, miles ahead and if you try to pass some one will pull over into the lane and block you. I think that's why they drink so much when driving.

jerry

[Shere Khan]

I'd Fedex the gun home.Flying with a one way ticket already gets you additional scrutiny.

Maybe I could show them iPhone pics and gas reciepts of all the pretty places I drove thru?

[Shere Khan]

Uppy date-----just got home after flying out of Milwaukee this afternoon....with a connecting flight from Phoenix to Long Beach. Before getting to the airport I had put all of my 'illegal' goodies like tooth paste and pocket knives and scissors and what not into a Ziplock, and then stuffed them into the Pelican case with the Rough Rider (cable lock thru the frame & trigger guard), 200 rounds of Maxis and Blazers (in their factory boxes) and with the two removed cylinders. The revolver and the cylinders were in their original Heritage Arms box, which was then wrapped in a bunch of brown paper (to keep it looking pretty). Then I padlocked the Pelican with a pair of Master Locks. After that I shoved the case into my big duffle bag and then packed my clothes all around it. Cool, now I only have one check-in piece of luggage (but still had to pay an additional $25.00 for it--big F-U to US Airways on this one). Anyways I got to their check in area and since there was only one other passenger there at the time, I got waved right up to the desk. Got a very hot and very funny black gal there to check me in. Mentioned to her quietly as we got started that I had a securely locked and legal handgun with me----and she didn't even bat an eye. I asked if she wanted to see it and she said not really, just fish out the Pelican and open it for me. So when I did all she did was place a bright orange card on top of the brown wrapping paper, had me close it up, put the two padlocks back on and re-stuff it in my dufcel bag. Nice. When I got done with that (as she was cracking jokes and apologizing for the crappy weather) she had me sign the little white form that has me declaring truthfully that the gun was not loaded. No sweat, very simple. After that she directed me to the TSA folks about eighty feet away and told me they'd xray the duffel bag and take it from there. Not sure what that meant so I figured I'd be up front with the guy and the gal TSA'rs, and told them not to panick when the sent the duffel thru the scanner, as they'll see a revolver. And once again neither of them even flinched......except for the gal, who started laughing. I asked what was so funny and she told me about some guy the had last week who was not only a bit drunk, but had brought his 'cowboy' gun to the airport, shoved into a holster, which was then shoved into one of his boots. Apparently the guy thought this was a TSA approved method of transporting a firearm. Wrong answer it seems, but I asked the gal if they cited or arrested him, and she replied 'For what, being stupid? Nah, we just told him to either have his friend bring a hard case and some padlocks back for him, or just get picked back up and reschedule his flight after he got the proper case and locks'. Turns out the guy went with option #2, with a TSA agent hanging on to the cowboy boot with the gun in it 'til has buddy came back to the airport and pickex him up. Very interesting, I thought. Anyways, all they did with my duffel bag was to xray it and tell me to have a nice flight. Perfect.

Four hours later I deboarded that plane in Phoenix, grabbed a beer at some bar and then went to another terminal to get on board the second lane. No alarms, bells or whistles went off, and an hour later we were in the air. Got to Long Beach airport, disembarked the plane, walked thru the airport for a couple of minutes and ended up outside at the baggage claim area right next to the 'white zone'. Twenty minutes later the outdoor carasoul brings everyone's bags, so I grabbed mine, walked 25 more feet to an outdoor table and waited for my wife to pick me up. And that was that. So now I'm giving kudos to US Airways for posting their very simple on-line instructions on how to transport both guns and ammo on their planes. I give them, and the TSA today a thumbs up for a job well done.

[cmichini]

Funny what people will do when in America in that situation (i.e., nothing).

In the People's Republik, there'd be SWAT helicopters and every school between San Ysidro and Crescent City would be in 5 month, handwringing, bedwetting lockdown because an unloaded gun was being shipped in someone's luggage.

[JoeFaz]

Funny what people will do when in America in that situation (i.e., nothing).

In the People's Republik, there'd be SWAT helicopters and every school between San Ysidro and Crescent City would be in 5 month, handwringing, bedwetting lockdown because an unloaded gun was being shipped in someone's luggage.

You beat me to it! I was going to say something similar. I have experienced that Mid-West hospitality and I often had to do a double take at how nice and reasonable they are in the Heartland!