Flying with an AR upper?

[JonnyGSX]

I'm hoping to take my AR upper home over Christmas. My brother has a new rail he is gonna install for me. I haven't flown with a gun before and I don't own a hard sided case to get it declared as a firearm and checked. Would I be ok just wrapping it up and putting it in my checked luggage? Its obviously a firearm part and not a firearm so I think that thats ok to have checked without declaring?

[223556]

I say check with your airline or just pack it real nice and ship it to yourself.
Get some TSA approved locks for your bag if you do fly with it.

[JonnyGSX]

I say check with your airline or just pack it real nice and ship it to yourself.
Get some TSA approved locks for your bag if you do fly with it.

Meh TSA locks arent even worth the money if you know the pen trick.

[Librarian]

Not that TSA or the airline is likely to appreciate the distinction, but as you note an AR-type upper, by itself, is not a firearm.

I have no idea at all what rules they would imagine apply.

[Broccoli Killer]

I'm hoping to take my AR upper home over Would I be ok just wrapping it up and putting it in my checked luggage? Its obviously a firearm part and not a firearm so I think that thats ok to have checked without declaring?

NO, No, and NO! Even though YOU know it's not a firearm, the average TSA employee may not be as informed as you are (surprise, surprise huh?).

Even though you declare that you have a firearm part in your bag, they can sometimes refuse to put your bag on the plane since it isn't properly packaged and whatnot.

Just stay on the safe side and buy a hard case so you can check it in (or even your other firearms in the future) or just ship it to wherever you'll be staying.

[dan12580]

I had a ar10 UPPER in my checked bag flying from iah to lax. Supercop tsa agent called my name over the intercom. No big deal I thought. Unknown to me he also called HPD. Reporting that there was a person trying to check an m16 machine gun. All told 10-12 police and plain clothes agents were surrounding me. About 4 hours later I was on my way home with my UPPER and the police were pissed that tsa had wasted their time. A month later I got a $500 fine from tsa. Spend $20 and ship it.

[JonnyGSX]

I had a ar10 UPPER in my checked bag flying from iah to lax. Supercop tsa agent called my name over the intercom. No big deal I thought. Unknown to me he also called HPD. Reporting that there was a person trying to check an m16 machine gun. All told 10-12 police and plain clothes agents were surrounding me. About 4 hours later I was on my way home with my UPPER and the police were pissed that tsa had wasted their time. A month later I got a $500 fine from tsa. Spend $20 and ship it.

Ya i've decided just to leave it here. I'll take it home in the summer when its warm enough to shoot while i'm there and i can check it in a hard case.

What was your fine for?

[Mr310]

Dear God please tell me you told them to pound sand.

And I would just ship it but you're probably smart in leaving it here.

[glockman19]

I had a ar10 UPPER in my checked bag flying from iah to lax. Supercop tsa agent called my name over the intercom. No big deal I thought. Unknown to me he also called HPD. Reporting that there was a person trying to check an m16 machine gun. All told 10-12 police and plain clothes agents were surrounding me. About 4 hours later I was on my way home with my UPPER and the police were pissed that tsa had wasted their time. A month later I got a $500 fine from tsa. Spend $20 and ship it.

What was the fine for? Did you pay it?

[marklbucla]

I was in the security line at IAH and saw a sign that said that ALL firearm parts and accessories must be declared and it specifically mentioned shotgun choke tubes as an example.

Why don't you want to just do that?

[a1c]

Firearms PARTS must be declared when flying. Even if it's a barrel, a mag or a firing pin.

[11HE9]

Another vote for "Just ship it".

[dwtt]

I can speak from personal experience flying from SFO to DCA. I brought along an AR-15 upper receiver and put it into my hard sided luggage that locks. I declared it because gun parts are required to be declared and in checked luggage. The hard sided luggage qualifies as the hard case, but the ticket agent might not think so. If this happens to you, insist on letting the TSA inspector make the call. Just don't act like that other guy in another thread who went to ship a gun at Fedex and acted very suspiciously because he was ashamed to be a gun owner. When you go up to the counter, tell them you want to check in and you have a firearm to declare. Don't whisper it and don't yell it for the entire airport to hear.

[dieselpower]

the reason for the rule is because several people can get together and each provide one piece to the firearm. One of the people can assemble said firearm on the other side of security. Its a foolish rule since no baggage handler or ground crewman is searched when they come to work, so they don't need to "plan" this type of thing.

Of course carry on bags have that rule for the same reason and thats logical, but again stupid because you can disguise a firearm part to look like anything...

[dan12580]

heres a little more info on my ordeal-
1- yep. i paid the fine. bent over and smiled. i fly twice a month for work. no fly=no work.
2- what was it for? "failure to declare a firearm"

more on #1- I had 2 bags. one had my pelican case with a bunch of handguns in it. properly checked and according to the HPD that little tag they give you is what kept me out of jail. i had the white copy and the orange was in the case. things initially went south when i told him i would give him no other info then what is on my drivers license. head down-let me know when to call a lawyer. hpd calls the da- iam looking at 3 felony charges- oh wait he has the tag saying he declared the handguns? oh wait the gate agent for us airways said no tag needed for second bag (which had my upper and clothes)? tsa agent is retarded?!. our mistake. heres your stuff back (yes- HPD actually handed me my bag back with 8 pistols in it. and then made a comment about how i was lucky it was in tx and not ca) sadly tsa did not bother asking me for keys to stuff. cut the locks i had on my pelican and suit case. (gave the pieces back to me though) offered to book me on the next flight. kind of them but as i pointed out i could not fly without locks on bag/case that must had "fallen off".

#2- the fine was for "failure to declare a firearm". obviously bs. but there was an incident report and somebody was in the wrong. obviously it was me. i had to pay $500 or if i felt the charge was unfair i could plead my case before a judge in virginia (i think).
but if i paid it by a certain date i could pay just $250!! man, that was nice of them. i did that. i dont care what any of you have to say. i pussed out. i know. i dont care. i support my family in texas and my parents in ca. i have to fly twice a month. maybe ill fight the next good fight. or maybe ill bend over and take it then also.