How to Fly with Your Firearms

Whether you are going hunting with your Beretta A300 Outlander or taking a highly specialized AR 15 to an out-of-state competition, flying with a firearm might seem complex if you have never done it before. However, there are ways you can streamline the process to make it as simple as possible. This means you will not have to arrive at the airport too much earlier than you would for a typical flight. Here are five tips you should know about packing and declaring your firearm for your next flight.


Use the Right Kind of Lock

First, you will need the right kind of lock. Do not use any standard, TSA-approved lock to keep your firearms safe. Instead, use a heavy-duty lock on your case. Always keep a key on your person, but do not bring extra copies in your checked luggage. Otherwise, if you use a TSA-approved lock or have copies of the key, it is entirely possible that your gun case could be empty when you grab it off the carousel at your destination.

What to Do with Ammo

Most often, ammo must be transported in checked luggage. It must also be kept in its original packaging or packed in a container specifically made for storing small amounts of ammo. No matter how you pack your ammo, it cannot exceed 11 pounds. Shotgun shells and anything less than 75 caliber can be stored in the same hard case as your firearm. Mags and clips have to be stored the same way as guns.

How to Pack Your Firearm

When packing your firearm, be sure to use a hard case. The case should be sturdy and durable enough to survive being tossed around in the cargo hold. To avoid theft, you may even want a case that does not look like a typical gun case, such as a guitar case. You can cut foam inserts to fit inside your chosen hard case to help keep your firearm protected during transport. Pelican is arguably the most popular and well-known maker for cases, so they are a great brand to search for. You might even want to keep your Ruger Mini 30 in a soft case inside of a hard case for extra protection.

How to Make Declaring Your Gun Easy

You have to declare firearms at the ticket counter every time you fly. If you switch airlines for your return flight, be sure to declare your firearm again. Remember, you cannot declare curbside, so you will have to go to the inside ticket counter. Tell them you are declaring a firearm, and they will give you a card to fill out with your contact info and verify the gun is properly stored. They will also check if it is locked correctly. You will have to unlock the case and put the card inside. The agent should not mark the outside of the case in any way. The ticket agent may want to see inside your case, but they should not handle the gun. You might want a chamber flag or gun lock running through your Kahr PM9 to show it is unloaded at a glance. Lock the case back up and hand it over. If you are using a combination lock, do not share the combination with the agent. It can also be a good idea to stick around for a few minutes after you have declared your firearm in case the airline needs additional information. That way, you do not have to go back through security.

Be Sure to Check Your Airline’s Rules

Firearm guidelines can also vary from one airline to the next. Be sure to check your airline’s rules before flying. These are rules you will need to follow in addition to the TSA requirements. An easy way to find these rules is by visiting the airline’s website and searching for “firearm” or “gun.”

About GunBroker.com

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Find guns and cases for flying with your firearms from user listings at https://www.gunbroker.com/

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