How much of a hassle to fly with a firearm? ***UPDATE***

CHL discussions that do not fit into more specific topics

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Chris
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#61

Post by Chris »

i have returned from my journey and now have a baseline for comparison from two major international airports and one smaller airport. what i found is there is always one TSA person who is absolutely freaked out by the thought that someone would actually travel with a firearm. at one airport, i declared it to the ticket agent at check-in and was told to take it to the screeners, without being given the 'unloaded' tag. i did as told and took it over there and informed them of the firearms. one TSA employee immediately started threatening to "call the law" on me for not being "escorted" to the TSA area. :roll: the "escort" seems to be more of an airport policy there because no escort was mentioned at the other two airports. i told him to go ahead if he needed to, but i pointed out the lady he needed to blame for violating his policy. he chewed her out and just moaned under his breath about people carrying guns. out of the 5 or so TSA people searcing bags at each airport, there was at least one who was just appalled by the thought of someone having a firearm in their luggage, and that was usually the person collecting the bags, not searching them. the other screeners, or the ones who actually did the baggage inspections, showed very little concern.

DFW airport gave me the very least hassle seeing it as a relatively minor issue. the initial screener who took my luggage kind of treated me a little crappier than everyone else, but it seemed more like i was burdening him with the fact that i had something they were going to have to look for; however, they didn't even open the cases that the guns were in. every other airport had to inspect the actual guns. the guns were in a locked suitcase, in locked plastic containers, with gun locks through the barrels. the ammo was in boxes as you would purchase them in inside the suitcase with the guns.

overall, i don't see any correlation of TSA employees giving me crap about it, moreso than i think some employees of TSA happen to personally be very anti-gun and don't mind incorporating that into their work. throughout this whole ordeal, i didn't present my CHL to a single person.

Jim101
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#62

Post by Jim101 »

Chris,
Interesting......We are flying out of DFW next Sat. to Orlando. Three of us are taking our pistols with us, they will be locked in boxes in a locked suitcase..Now, we are taking ammo in "ammo wallets" which I am hoping will pass inspection...

Jim
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jimlongley
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#63

Post by jimlongley »

Chris wrote:...
out of the 5 or so TSA people searcing bags at each airport, there was at least one who was just appalled by the thought of someone having a firearm in their luggage, and that was usually the person collecting the bags, not searching them. the other screeners, or the ones who actually did the baggage inspections, showed very little concern.
Unfortunatley we are a cross section of society. The other day I bought an issue of "Combat Handguns" while on my break and took it back to the checkpoint with me. The screener I was working with saw it lying face up and turned it over, and there was a gun on the back cover too, so she opened it and flipped pages until she found one that had no guns on it and folded the mag to lie with that page showing. I almost laughed my butt off, she was in a total panic just at the PICTURES of handguns. BTW, if you ever get the chance, try to find a page in CH that doesn' have a picture of a gun on it - ROFL!

Fortunately, the rabidly anti-gun types are comparatively few and not usually in a position to have much of an effect, but that's not to say that they don't have some. I am not a big "gun talker" IOW I don't spend all of my time talking about guns, but we have a couple of people who are (and there are one or two that seem to me to be all talk and no action) but one of our anti-rights types decided that another screener had talked too much about guns and filed a complaint about him.

At least at my airport the laws and rules are reflected in the policies, and I believe the same holds true for DFW, but I can't speak for the other airports. I will stick to my recommendation that you follow the posted rules and take copies, and insist on escalation of issues that pose a problem between you and a screener to a higher level for resolution.
Chris wrote: however, they didn't even open the cases that the guns were in. every other airport had to inspect the actual guns. the guns were in a locked suitcase, in locked plastic containers, with gun locks through the barrels.
If there were any "gun savvy" screeners on duty that saw that, they probably had a good laugh at your expense later, that was a little over the top.

TSA's rules, which I can quote but not post, do state that the only time firearms are to be inspected is under v ery strictly defined circumstances, including that the xray machine alarmed. Since guns tend to be heavy lumps of metal, it's not a surprise to see the machine alarm on them, as a matter of fact, it always surprises me more when the machine doesn't alarm.
Chris wrote:overall, i don't see any correlation of TSA employees giving me crap about it, moreso than i think some employees of TSA happen to personally be very anti-gun and don't mind incorporating that into their work. throughout this whole ordeal, i didn't present my CHL to a single person.
OTOH, you could have run into one of us "gunnies" and missed your flight for the chatting, seen that happen.
Real gun control, carrying 24/7/365

Jim101
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#64

Post by Jim101 »

In everyone's opinion that is reading this thread, am I good to go with an ammo wallet? Going from DFW to Orlando,Fl.? The ammo wallet will be in the same luggage as the gun, but not in the same box. I have a "car safe" for the gun and clip.........

Thanks,

Jim
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Chris
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#65

Post by Chris »

Jim101 wrote:In everyone's opinion that is reading this thread, am I good to go with an ammo wallet?

Thanks,

Jim
yes. i carried my .357 rounds in the regular cardboard box. my .45 rounds were in that plastic case like that ammo wallet thing; i guess that's what you call it.

Jim101
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#66

Post by Jim101 »

Thanks Chris, now I'm good to go............

Jim
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Jim101
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#67

Post by Jim101 »

Well, as I sit here in Cocoa Beach watching the Tropical Storm I have my Kel-tec with me.........I I put the gun,clip and ammo wallet in the car safe in my luggage, with no problems at DFW, now for the trip back........

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jimlongley
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#68

Post by jimlongley »

Jim101 wrote:Well, as I sit here in Cocoa Beach watching the Tropical Storm I have my Kel-tec with me.........I I put the gun,clip and ammo wallet in the car safe in my luggage, with no problems at DFW, now for the trip back........

Jimh
You got a handgun that takes clips? :lol:
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stevie_d_64
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#69

Post by stevie_d_64 »

jimlongley wrote:The other day I bought an issue of "Combat Handguns" while on my break and took it back to the checkpoint with me
I never miss an opportunity to go buy an over priced "gun magazine" at the kiosk before flying anywhere...Its worth it...

Plus its fun to notice out of the corner of my eye and see any reaction in the flight of others who notice my reading practices...

Pretty sure I "made" an Air Marshal on one flight...He seemed really interested in what I was reading...After I was done, I looked him in the eye and said do you wanna check it out???

"Sure, thanks", and I passed it to him across the aisle...

The whole uniform of "Bates" footwear, Docker pants, plain buttondown shirt and a sportcoat with the traditional suede leather elbow reinforcements was pretty much a dead giveaway... I think he was new on the job...He got this look from a guy 3 rows up from us, almost dressed the same, he looked like your exceptional Marine Corp DI...Opps...Muh bad...

See, it pays to be aware of your surroundings...
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Flying with Firearms

#70

Post by USMC-COL »

Just back from visiting grandkids in California for a week. Took my G34 and about 10 lbs of ammo to spend time with my sons getting them ready for some IDPA participation. We went through several hundred rounds of 9mm between my G34 and one of my son's XD-9.

The trip from SAT to SAN was uneventful. Ticket agents at Southwest Airlines and TSA folks were very professional, helpful, and friendly.
Respectfully and Semper Fi,
F. Phil Torres
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jimlongley
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#71

Post by jimlongley »

stevie_d_64 wrote: The whole uniform of "Bates" footwear, Docker pants, plain buttondown shirt and a sportcoat with the traditional suede leather elbow reinforcements was pretty much a dead giveaway... I think he was new on the job...He got this look from a guy 3 rows up from us, almost dressed the same, he looked like your exceptional Marine Corp DI...Opps...Muh bad...

See, it pays to be aware of your surroundings...
Yeah, but they are relaxing the dress codes for FAMs. We see them from time to time, and we are not supposed to notice, but sometimes one just can't help. Last one I did notice looked like a hippie on a road trip.
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Jim101
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#72

Post by Jim101 »

Got back from Fla. yesterday...At DFW I signed the form and put it in the Car Safe, TSA X-Rayed the luggage then asked me for the key to the box, looked at the contents and then we were on our way. When returning from Orland, I filled out the form, put it in the box, locked it, they X-Rayed it and that was it, no open and look, everyone was very nice. My only question is; Why do you have to put the form in the box with the gun? Opening the suitecase at the ticket counter seems to disrupt everyone, including people that are wondering what is going on, why can't you just show TSA the form, pocket it, they X-ray it and that's all? Orlando did question the ammo in the same box as the gun (in an ammo wallet) but, let it go.........

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jimlongley
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#73

Post by jimlongley »

Jim101 wrote:Got back from Fla. yesterday...At DFW I signed the form and put it in the Car Safe, TSA X-Rayed the luggage then asked me for the key to the box, looked at the contents and then we were on our way. When returning from Orland, I filled out the form, put it in the box, locked it, they X-Rayed it and that was it, no open and look, everyone was very nice. My only question is; Why do you have to put the form in the box with the gun? Opening the suitecase at the ticket counter seems to disrupt everyone, including people that are wondering what is going on, why can't you just show TSA the form, pocket it, they X-ray it and that's all? Orlando did question the ammo in the same box as the gun (in an ammo wallet) but, let it go.........

Jim
The form used to get tied to the outside of the bag, this was years ago before TSA came into being, until they discovered that guns were going missing after they left the passengers' hands. Openly advertising that there is a gun in the bag would make ME uncomfortable.

Having the tag in the box with the gun accounts for it in the event that the bag and the passenger get separated, as sometimes happens.

Depending on a whole bunch of variables the gun in the box might set an alarm off on the machine, at which point TSA is OBLIGATED to investigate, which generally includes opening the box to make sure that nothing is concealed by the gun's mass.
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Jim101
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#74

Post by Jim101 »

Jim,

Thanks for information, it's really not that big a deal......I guess we are just lucky to be able to take our guns when we fly.......

Jim
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stevie_d_64
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#75

Post by stevie_d_64 »

jimlongley wrote:
stevie_d_64 wrote: The whole uniform of "Bates" footwear, Docker pants, plain buttondown shirt and a sportcoat with the traditional suede leather elbow reinforcements was pretty much a dead giveaway... I think he was new on the job...He got this look from a guy 3 rows up from us, almost dressed the same, he looked like your exceptional Marine Corp DI...Opps...Muh bad...

See, it pays to be aware of your surroundings...
Yeah, but they are relaxing the dress codes for FAMs. We see them from time to time, and we are not supposed to notice, but sometimes one just can't help. Last one I did notice looked like a hippie on a road trip.
I heard that as well, and I think its good that they are starting to "blend" in...

I certainly do not fit the "hippie" mold though... :lol:
"Perseverance and Preparedness triumph over Procrastination and Paranoia every time.” -- Steve
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