CCW Piece transportation

[Kalrog]

I am going to be traveling this summer and we may fly. I know that I will be taking my handgun with me, but I wanted to get opinions on the best way to secure it. Is the preferred way to lock it up by using a smaller "car safe" type of thing inside of a regular piece of luggage or would it be better to get a piece of luggage that locked to transport the handgun in. Something like a rifle case, but for a handgun.

Although if we drive, I will carry with it on me, but will still need something to lock it up when I sleep (kids and all).

[txinvestigator]

Check your carriers website, but generally the handgun must be locked unloaded in a hard case, and that must be placed inside your luggage.

[jimlongley]

I'll second that.

The federal requirement is that the gun must be unloaded, locked in a hard sided case, and only the passenger may have the key or combination (TSA feels they have an exception to this applicable to the Sentry brand "TSA locks.) If you have a HUGE hardsided suitcase, and it can be locked (by other than the standard Samsonite key, which is next to useless) you could just leave the gun floating around in there unloaded (I have seen them go through the airport xray just that way.)

Far better to have a hard sided handgun case, there are lots to choose from, and lock it securely.

Proceedures and rules vary from one airline to the next - Delta requires that ammo be packed in a separate suitcase, Southwest allows ammo in the same box as the gun. It varies from airline to airline, so check first, and don't trust calling an agent because they are likely to give you their anti-gun attitude for an answer. Check the web site or other documentation - if an agent tells you something have them send/give it to you in writing.

[Kalrog]

Absolutely - hard sided case and all that. But do I get a briefcase (or larger) "handgun case" that locks up with a huge padlock - and maybe put some laundry in the handgun case. Or do I get a smaller (again lockable and approved) case (maybe something like a car "safe") and put that in a regular piece of luggage - adding my handgun to the laundry luggage.

[jimlongley]

I, personally, prefer a "gun size" case, it's easier to pack in my suitcase.

Again, I had the misfortune to be a TSA screener for three years so I have seen just about every combination you could dream up.

Including a machine gun in a golf case. (most airlines don't charge overweight for golf bags)

I have heard tell of a guy who had his gun packed in his lockable briefcase, inside his suitcase. He declared the gun, and then the ticket agent told him his bag was overweight and he would have to remove something or pay extra.

In a classic redefinition of "BRAIN F@&T" he decided to remove the briefcase and then tried to go through the passenger checkpoint with it.

I think the $25.00 extra for the overweight bag would have more than compensated for the up to $10,000.00 fine for trying to take a gun through security.

Never did find out the end result, can't even recall the airport, just that I read the article in one of the TSA internal newsletters.

We used to get an amazing number of people who didn't know the rules at Love Field, who would then have to go see if they could find a store with gun cases. Usually they would ask a cabbie, who would take them on a $60.00 tour of the city when DFW Gun Range was right down the street.

One time I got a stack of DFWGR's business cards and passed them out to other screeners and to skycaps and ticket agents, telling them to send such unfortunates there to get gun cases. I don't know how many actually did, but I like to think there were a few.

[KBCraig]

Absolutely - hard sided case and all that. But do I get a briefcase (or larger) "handgun case" that locks up with a huge padlock - and maybe put some laundry in the handgun case. Or do I get a smaller (again lockable and approved) case (maybe something like a car "safe") and put that in a regular piece of luggage - adding my handgun to the laundry luggage.

I suggest that the only thing in your gun case is your gun, ammunition, and padding.

Lots of people recommend the Center of Mass safe:

http://www.center-of-mass.com/

Get a suitcase with wheels and an extending handle; this case will have tubular struts through its length. The cable can be looped around these struts, so that in order to take your gun, they'd have to steal your whole suitcases.

I'm waiting on some literature to arrive, then I'm going to buy two large ones keyed alike. They offer a LEO discount, so after I buy mine and evaluate them, I'm going to decide whether to recommend a group buy for my co-workers.

Kevin

[txinvestigator]

these are FAA approved

http://www.defensedevices.com/lifejacket-gun-locks.html