Flying with guns

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mrbladedude

mrbladedude

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Ok so I've read the TSA and American Airlines rules and regulations a few times as well as printed them out. I have hard cases on order so everything will "hopefully" go smoothly. I wish to insure 4 guns. 2 handguns and 2 long guns. Do certain companies do this or does the airline do it directly?

All guns will be inside a locked hard case and then put inside my checked baggage
 
Does your homeowners insurance not cover them?

I recently flew to Florida and left my guns at home. I should have taken them with me. The TSA was very quick and professional with us, and I think that bringing my sporting clays gun and my ccw would have been easier than I thought.
 
Most home owners insurance only have $1,000 or so in coverage. For that small number of firearms look into the NRA insurance. You are a NRA member aren't you? There's $2,500 free as I recall with NRA membership...but you have to activate it.
 
Unfortunately most homeowner insurance policies will not cover firearms. It didn't used to be this way but it is now. Cuz guns are scary and evil. Personally I would never tell anyone, not even my insurance agent, that I own firearms. You have no idea where that information may end up. The scariest part of flying with firearms is when you arrive the bags may hit the carousel before you do and anyone can walk off with your bags. And there is no one to stop them. I have seen a few airports that require you to show a boarding pass to enter the baggage claim area but most airports do not. Lock your hard cases with a NON TSA lock. If TSA needs to see inside MAKE them come and get you. DO NOT give them the key and allow them to walk away with it. Insist that they only open the cases with you present. By law they are not even permitted to touch a firearm but many of them try and get away with it. You may use a TSA lock on the bag containing the case. If the airline agent doesn't seem to know how to check a declared firearm ask for a Supervisor. An agent once "assumed" I must be an LEO and tried to get me to fill out the paperwork for THAT.
 
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http://www.siai.net/newgfi/gfiexplain.asp


I'm sure there are others. Mine are covered under a supplemental "art & fine goods" rider on my home insurance.

I regularly fly with firearms. As long as you are NOT traveling in and out of a NYC area airport, it is pretty much pain free. I have never had a firearms case (long gun) come out on the regular carousel. They always come out in the special baggage area and I have to show bag tag and ID to retrieve. I have never travelled with a handgun inside another bag.
 
I would amend that to read "as long as you don't INTEND to land in NYC.." This time of year flights get diverted all of the time to anywhere they can get down. You may be in violation of the local law even though you had no intent if you are forced down in NYC or NJ or Chicago and then claim your bag. "art & fine goods" That's hilarious. Do they know what they are actually covering?
 
I would rather case them up in a hard case and ship them....IMHO....also personal opinion.....I have better control over the packing better, but still not great but better resources if something is damaged. Talk to an FFL where you are going...if you are shooting in a match someone in that area can suggest a good place to work with....yea they will charge you a fee, but to me it is worth it.

Just another option.
 
If you go the shipping route can you do it interstate?
 
Here's one view of the process: http://weaponsman.com/?p=38751

and a follow up: http://weaponsman.com/?p=38813

With any of the airlines, the points about knowing their specific rules (which are not regulations) and the TSA regs is important for smoother travel. And schedule an even earlier arrival. The point of having printed copies of THEIR rules and the regs goes to the clerks not being fully informed or just being obstinate. If you have them in hand you can politely explain why you think the way you do

Insurance is on you, it's a separate rider for most circumstances.

Another tip is to ask the stewardess during the flight which baggage carousel will be used - they usually can find out. It beats wandering around trying to find it late in the game - as noted in the links the firearms owner found his circling the carousel all by themselves in an unguarded area, which is normal.

The concept of not having any ammo (to be picked up locally) is new to me, if that can be done it does cut down on some clerks objections and removes another issue off the table. That could be helpful if there is an unscheduled side trip into enemy territory.
 
mrbladedude said:
Found this case at walmart. Does anyone have experience with hard cases from Walmart? Id rather not spend $200 on a Pelican if I dont have to. Its only for 1 flight

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-Protector-Series-Double-Gun-Case-Black/19281920
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I have that exact same case. It is sturdy enough to transport my AR just fine. Although I haven't flown with it or any other long gun. Just handguns on board for me so far. It should work. One of the "tests" that TSA uses is the case should not be able to flex in any direction under hand pressure.

Make sure you have those regs with you. Sometimes TSA or airline reps will try to argue policy with you because they don't know firearms or the rules. Highlight the areas relating to firearms and follow them. I have had to do this before.
Do not be fooled by "TSA approved" containers or locks. TSA does not do product testing in order to determine products that fit their regulations. That is your responsibility.
 
I ended up picking up a Pelican 1700 from a friend. Can I just check the case itself with the shotgun inside, or do I have to put the entire case inside say a duffel bag?
 
mrbladedude said:
I ended up picking up a Pelican 1700 from a friend. Can I just check the case itself with the shotgun inside, or do I have to put the entire case inside say a duffel bag?
Click to expand...
Nope, just check the case. I believe they will ask you to open it and show that the gun is empty...then lock it while they watch.
Checking your baggage curbside would make things simpler. (You must have your boarding pass to do this)
 
mrbladedude said:
I ended up picking up a Pelican 1700 from a friend. Can I just check the case itself with the shotgun inside, or do I have to put the entire case inside say a duffel bag?
Click to expand...

Just the bare case. Make sure you have non TSA locks. Lock both latches. I made a point a few years ago of picking up a dozen keyed alike locks that fit all my Pelican Cases.

I also put labels on two sides of mine with my name and cell number, and covered them with clear packing tape.

It's always been a surprisingly easy transaction when I fly with firearms, but I prepare for the worst.
 
There's a lockable steel box called a Snap Safe. I bought mine from Amazon for around $25. When I fly with a handgun I loop the included steel cable around the handle channels inside my bag and close the box on the other end. I declare the whole bag and the orange card goes beside it inside the bag. The last time I flew back from Las Vegas the counter agent made me put the card inside the safe, but it still went through TSA OK.

Every time I have flown with a gun my bag has been the first or the last one on the carousel. I think they handle them separately because TSA doesn't want a handgun loose inside the "sterile" area. Everybody says the bags aren't identified as containing a gun, but I know they go through a separate security path than all the other bags.
 
Luggage containing declared firearms go in the Special Handling category (or whatever they call it) that includes overweight, oversized, insured for more than usual and live animals.

Usually either comes out first or is located in a particular area separate from the normal checked luggage.
 
I have flown with firearms several times and one of the advantages I see to it, is your bag gets locked after inspection. I ask the TSA agent to stamp my baggage tag on both sides so that some overzealous, random inspector doesn't feel the need to break it open if they find it locked.

Sam
 
I didn't fly with guns for years because I figured it was too much trouble. I started on one particular hiking trip with very little room for travel errors--one where having my boots or other camping gear lost would have seriously put the whole trip in jeopardy. A friend who frequently revels with very expensive cameras told me he always checks a gun inside his camera case for two reasons: (1) the special handling, because TSA doesn't want a gun lost somewhere inside the system and (2) you get to use your own (non TSA) locks on the container.

I hope the Alaska/Florida murdering idiot didn't screw this up for everyone.
 
Drail said:
Unfortunately most homeowner insurance policies will not cover firearms. It didn't used to be this way but it is now. Cuz guns are scary and evil. Personally I would never tell anyone, not even my insurance agent, that I own firearms. You have no idea where that information may end up.
...
Click to expand...

This is not correct. Homeowners policies cover firearms. They do have a smaller sub-limit on theft of firearms just as they do on theft of jewelry and a small sub-limit on cash regardless of cause of loss. This is because firearms and jewelry are very expensive items often targeted for theft and also because you can "say" a thief stole whatever, true or not. Most common isn't outright fraud, but "inflating" a claim. Thief steals 3 guns valued at $1400 total, customer tells the insurance co they took 10 guns valued at $8000 total.

If your house burns down, everything is covered up to the limit on your policy for all contents since it wasn't theft. Except the cash sub-limit...that stays for all losses so get a safe deposit box if you keep lots of cash and/or precious coins on hand.

Anyway, the sub-limits can be increased for additional premiums.
 
My last two carriers told me they will not insure any firearms period. I am sure you are correct that some will.
 
Nuclear said:
Luggage containing declared firearms go in the Special Handling category (or whatever they call it) that includes overweight, oversized, insured for more than usual and live animals.

Usually either comes out first or is located in a particular area separate from the normal checked luggage.
Click to expand...

Don't think this is correct. Luggage containing declared firearms (Not large rifle cases) are not to be tagged in any way to indicate they contain firearms to the baggage handlers. Also, every time I've flown with pistols in my luggage, they came out on the normal baggage carousels.
 
K0ZZZ said:
Don't think this is correct. Luggage containing declared firearms (Not large rifle cases) are not to be tagged in any way to indicate they contain firearms to the baggage handlers. Also, every time I've flown with pistols in my luggage, they came out on the normal baggage carousels.
Click to expand...

My luggage with handguns always comes out on the normal carousel, but it's either the first bag or the last. This makes me think it's either loaded on the plane first or last.
 
I'm just relating my experience flying with guns since 9/11. They don't tag the rifle cases or luggage containing handguns, but most airlines do put the cases or bags in question in the same group as the other special handling luggage, which they handle physically separate from the rest of the luggage. Some airports (like PHX) will have these items come out on the regular carousels, some will have them in a separate area.
 
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