Flying with firearms - experiences at large vs. small airports?

[SRW]

Looking for some guidance from those of you with experience flying & transporting a firearm in checked luggage.

I’m headed to MT later this fall to do some bird hunting. I’ll be flying into Billings and flying with a firearm for the first time. I think I have a handle on the TSA/airline regulations, but am looking to you fine fellas for some anecdotes.

I have a few different airports I could easily depart from and am trying to decide what makes the most sense/will be easiest. Atlanta, Nashville and Birmingham, AL airports are all on the table and within a reasonable drive of me. All can get me to Billings when I need to be there with 1 stop (no non-stop options I’m afraid) either at DFW or MSP. Driving is unfortunately not a great option (work).

Prices are comparable between all the airports, so deciding factor is going to be which airport is likely to make the process easiest - from checking in the firearm on departure day, to collecting it from baggage claim upon returning.

Question for those of you with more experience flying with a firearm — do you generally find it is easier to declare a firearm and deal with the check in process at a large airport like ATL, or am I better off at a smaller airport like BHM? Looking to minimize the chances of confusion/chaos/mishandling of my gun.

Also, as for picking up the firearm on arrival, do you find it is easier at a large or small airport? My return flight will be arriving later in the evening (9:00 PM or later). I am concerned about landing at a small airport late at night with something like a firearm that requires special handling. Will I have to rely on there being someone working the baggage counter at the time I arrive in order to pick up my firearm? I do not want to leave my shotgun at the airport overnight if I can help it.

And no, I’ve never been accused of overthinking anything .

Other tips for flying with a firearm are certainly welcome too. Thanks for any guidance you may have for the newb.

Tight lines and straight shots,
SRW

 

[SticksMcKinley]

I think the carrier is more important than the airport. I’ve always checked firearms with SWA and had no trouble, but I’ve heard of trouble with others. If you get into a pinch with one, just ask for the TSA supervisor to help out. Be polite, don’t say any more than necessary and all that stuff. Make sure you have locks for every hole on your case and make sure you can’t pry the case open at any point for a finger to get inside. It doesn’t matter if it would take 3 gorillas on crack to pull the gun out. If that TSA agent gets his or her finger in your case anywhere between the locks, you’ve got a problem.

I’ve never had any trouble flying in or out of BNA, either. No experience with the others you mentioned.

 

[SummitsCalling]

Smaller airports seem more detailed/have lower volume, it's extra by the book. Also depends if they have a x-ray or not. But ultimately the carrier seems play the biggest role I've found.

 

[A207X2]

I’ve done it many times on United. No big deal. Check it in a hard-sided case, that is locked. TSA will want to open it and inspect it, so if you have non-TSA approved locks, you’ll most likely be paged and have to go to a specific location where they can open the bag and inspect it - after you’ve checked it in. You’ll then have to go to the airline baggage office, show your luggage tag and ID when you pick it up at your destination. Will also depend if you’re in a “gun control” state. I live in FL so no big deal, but when I would return from CA it was always closer scrutiny.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve flown out of BHM and ATL with no issues at either one. Denver is the one that is aggravating to me. They seem to make it more time consuming than it needs to be. Don’t use TSA locks on your gun case.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I have flown back and forth between Albany, NY and Denver, CO many times with a rifle. I would say that as a rule, Albany (much smaller and in NY...) is easier. Denver's not a real problem, but it takes longer to get your gun after arrival and you have to walk all over creation to check the gun in. Also, when you check a gun in there, you're often asked to do something you're really not supposed to do, which is give the keys to your case to another person, who goes into another room. I hate that, as the law says you can't do it, but it's awkward to tell them that.

 

[Cheesehead]

I’ve done Portland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Anchorage. Can’t say size of airport matters much as they all have to follow TSA protocols. I will say that Alaska Airlines seemed way more used to the process than United and Southwest, which I suppose makes sense.

Biggest piece I would suggest is to ensure you factor in extra time esp on the check in side.

 

[winmag]

Just plan extra time and you’ll be fine. For example Denver, you have to walk all over the damn airport to get a gun checked in, around construction, and it probably takes an additional 30 minutes.

Regarding big or small airport, there isn’t enough difference to matter. They must all follow the same general TSA protocols. Almost universally, the check-in agents only halfway know how to properly check in a firearm; they usually call over the senior person to make sure they do it correctly.

Firearms usually end up in the oversized luggage claim area, usually requiring you to present ID before they’ll give it to you. And sometimes they’re just sitting there for anyone to grab.

Each airport is slightly different, but remember these three things to keep yourself out of trouble:

1. The gun is unloaded at all times on airport property.
2. The gun case is locked at all times on airport property unless directed to unlock the case.
3. Sign the red declaration tag saying the firearm is unloaded and it goes inside the gun case. I’ve had ticket agents screw this up a number of times and try to tell me to put it on the outside of the case or in my hand. TSA will be very angry if that tag is not inside the case.

 

[WNC2500]

I have flown out of AVL (Asheville NC), and also GSP (Greenville SC). Both of those were easy to fly from. I will say, when flying with firearms, I plan an extra 30 minutes-1 hour, in addition to the normal early arrival times. I usually fly out of the Carolinas into Montana, and I usually choose to fly out on an early morning flight. That has worked easiest for me.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

I’ve flown out of BHM and ATL with no issues at either one. Denver is the one that is aggravating to me. They seem to make it more time consuming than it needs to be. Don’t use TSA locks on your gun case.

Denver is ridiculous on the inspections.

 

[44hunter45]

Get there early! Some airlines/airports will take your gun at the counter, some will give you your claim ticket and then have you walk it to the TSA door. As stated before, the unloaded affidavit goes inside the case. You will have to open it in front of the agent. TSA will open it again later.

My only experience is in small airports and Alaska Air. Outdoor folks are Alaska Air's bread and butter. They make it easy. When I landed back home, a young guy carried my rifle out to me at baggage claim. I showed him my ID and claim ticket and I got my rifle.

Read and know your airline's policies and procedures. Read and know the TSA policies and procedures. I've heard stories of hunters who knew the regs better than the ticket counter folks.

One gotcha I've heard of is that you need a lock on EVERY lock point on your hard case. If it has four holes, it needs four locks. I bought mine reasonably from Midway. They come in a two pack.

In Ketchikan, the TSA inspectors paged me to open my locks, even though they were TSA locks. They said they don't like opening people's cases.

If you can break your gun down, the TSA folks will love you. I always remove the bolt from my bolt guns. If TSA doesn't have to handle it to verify it is not loaded, they are much happier. "Actions Open, Slides Back..." When they saw I had removed the bolt from the gun on my last trip, they thanked me and warmed up quite a bit.

Put your boxed ammo inside the gun case if you can. It can't be loose. Factory boxes or MTM type plastic boxes are OK. That might be interesting for a shotgun.
I put my optics in there, as well. If an ammo box is not full, write the quantity on the side of the box. Don't make them root around in your case for the "missing" five rounds if you only had 15 in the box to start with.

You can put up to 11 pounds(!) of properly boxed ammo in your gun case or checked bag.

Have a fun trip!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Book all the way through on one airline if you can. Or book through one airline. If that airline has arrangements with other airlines, you won't have to check your baggage/gun again. For example, I book my trip to Africa through Air Canada which is part of the Star Alliant Group. Last time on the way to South Africa I had layovers in Toronto, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Joberg. Four different airlines were involved and all but the last one to Kimberly were part of the Star Alliant Group. All but the last one were booked through Air Canada website. After inspection and loading at my little local airport I never saw the guns again until I arrived at Johannesburg. ALL guns have to be inspected at Joberg even if you're only there on a layover. If I'd flown to London and switched to British Airways, the guns would have to be checked again because they are not part of the Star group. The first trip over I did go through London but I was booked through on Star Group South Africa Airways which went belly up during COVID. So this time I was booked on Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, and AirLink (South African local airline). All but last are part of Star Alliant. If you have guns always avoid Air France like the plague!

Curiously, this time no one going to Africa or coming back asked to check if the guns were unloaded. Leaving here I asked the gal at security if I should open the bolt. She said don't bother "We can see if they're loaded looking at x-ray." Really? Okay, I didn't argue with her. Everyone simply wanted to look at serial number and I placed the Springfield in the case so the number was easily visible without taking it out. I just pointed it out to them. The gun nut guys at security on the return into Toronto were all gathered around my phone to look at the animals I shot. They glanced at serial number and my federal firearms license and sent me on my way quickly because I had a tight connection ... which I missed. Of course guns had to be inspected coming back through Toronto because I was entering Canada and had to do the customs thing with all baggage.

Always pack your ammo separately! This is a must. Some airlines/countries allow it to go in your checked baggage clothing, etc. NO AIRLINE WILL ALLOW LOADED AMMO PACKED IN A GUN CASE. PERIOD! Most require a separate marked container for ammo and some require it to be locked. I would advise putting your ammo in a locked container. Or maybe you plan on buying it when you get to Billings? Good luck! Ammo is still hard to get. Last fall up on the Hi Line in Montana it was dang near impossible to find anything and when I did find it, I was raped at the cash register. But you should have a little better luck in Billings. Don't leave town without ammoing up. Some airlines have limits on the number of guns and ammo you can put into checked baggage. Air Canada actually allows three guns but I think they may be the only airline in the world that allows more than two (perhaps Alaska Airways is different ... it's the most gun friendly airline I've ever run across). Pearson Airport in Toronto has gone to self check baggage stations and almost eliminated the manned ones. This was a big pain in the arse because guns obviously cannot be checked in at self serve kiosks. So a hundred people are in line to get baggage checked by a human person at four windows while twenty kiosks are empty! I had an hour to catch my flight. Not enough time. I waited five hours for the next flight ... in an airport with air conditioning broke ... at the end of August. I suspect other large airports are going to self check kiosks so keep that in mind. Give yourself LOTS of time at big airports if you have to recheck your guns on another airline. You are not going to make your connection with just a forty minute window. Getting through security and onto next flight at Joberg requires more than an hour. A couple at least.

Take two extra locks, one for the gun case and one for the ammo case. It's not unheard of for some overzealous security ape to cut off the locks to inspect the guns along the way. I bought a four pack all with the same key. I left extra opened lock in each case so the cases could be relocked if some idiot chopped off the original locks. I used a Kalsipel gun case with only one lock. They are great.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS check the website for the airline you're flying with. Look under sporting equipment for special gun instructions. Then check the airports' websites.

 

[F250]

I have flown out from several airports including Montreal to many destinations across North America. Allow plenty of time for airport issues on both ends. Remove bolt if possible and add a trigger lock always. That seems to indicate to the inspection folks that you are extra careful. I landed in Salt Lake City once, to learn that my rifle went to New York City. I landed in Montreal once, and my rifle went to Las Vegas. I sat on the tarmac in Atlanta on my way home from elk hunt, and watched my rifle case being loaded into the airplane parked next to the one I was sitting in. My wife and I landed at our home airport after a long day of flight delays while returning from a New Mexico elk hunt. Our new top-of-the-line LL Bean "bullet Proof" rifle case was completely destroyed. It appeared someone had taken a sledge hammer to it. Huge holes had been punched through it. I won't get into the lost luggage and stolen meat. Drive if you can !!!

 

[jt13]

Everyone here seems to have hit all the bullet points. Don't think for a second though that just because you are flying with a gun case that it means they won't "misplace" it just like any other baggage. On the way home from Newfoundland in 2019 I had to spend the night waiting outside of the Philadelphia airport because they left my guns in Toronto. Thankfully it was on the way home, so no big deal.
There was however a group of hunters arriving in Gander that were at the baggage claim with us and got nothing but the one empty cooler they checked-- no guns, no gear, no clothes. Hope they didn't lose too many hunting days getting that mess sorted out

 

[N2TRKYS]

NO AIRLINE WILL ALLOW LOADED AMMO PACKED IN A GUN CASE. PERIOD!

That ain’t true. I’ve put mine in my gun case everytime.

 

[Cheesehead]

That ain’t true. I’ve put mine in my gun case everytime.

^^Correct

• Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage.
• Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirementsgoverning the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
• Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal box specifically designed to carry ammunition and declared to your airline

Another tip, I cram heavier soft stuff like ziplock food bags (for weight) and clothes all around the gun (for cushion). And always underwear around the gun to subtly discourage TSA from getting handsy, ha

 

[Hunting Wife]

I’m not sure airport matters as much as individual agents you encounter. Some know the drill, others not so much. Also the logistics of how far you have to hike to accomplish those will vary by airport but the process is pretty standard once you get to the right place.

Other than the extra time required, we have never had trouble with either check in or pick up. Even in Billings (which is a small airport by any standard), landing after midnight was not a problem for picking up guns. But gun cases are going to be subject to the same baggage handling en route as other bags, so don’t cheap out on cases. They will take a beating. We’ve gotten them back with lock hasps bent up, hinges bent or broken, handles completely broken off, cases cracked. Finally went to solid aluminum cases from Kalispel Case when we flew to Kodiak. They are heavy, but damn near bomb proof, and we were able to fit two guns plus ammo in each. And yes, ammo can absolutely go in the gun case.

 

[winmag]

That ain’t true. I’ve put mine in my gun case everytime.

This depends on the country. In the US you can put ammo in the case with the firearm. In New Zealand, for example, it must be in a separate checked bag.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

I don’t if it’s been said yet, but the post about clothing in the same case as the rifle reminded me that I like to put my rifle in a soft case inside the hard case so that when I get to my destination, I don’t have to lug the big Storm case around. Like others, I also like to remove my bolt and store it in a zipper pouch of the soft case.

As others have clarified, you can pack guns and ammo together (within the USA, at least). Use factory ammo boxes if you can or use sturdy plastic hand loading boxes. Take a little more than you think you’ll need. I’ve taken as much as 80 rounds and fired 3. No one has ever accused me of packing lightly.

 

[OntarioHunter]

That ain’t true. I’ve put mine in my gun case everytime.

Every airline I have flown on will not allow ammo in the gun case. Again, check the website for airline(s) and airports. And for good reason I think. Gun cases are usually easily identified. The last thing I want is for some underpaid disgruntled baggage handler going postal in the airport using a stolen gun loaded up with ammo readily at hand. If the kook has to search out the ammo box, it may mitigate damage (though the airlines labeling ammo containers seems to defeat this safety measure). The story above about a gun case being intentionally destroyed by baggage handlers is also not unheard of. It's why I fly with a gun case that isn't shaped like a gun (especially through Europe).

When I arrived at Joberg in August, some dandy dressed Yankee trying to leave the country was arguing with the police inspector and insisting that it was his right to carry live ammo in his gun case, going to sic his outfitter on the policeman, blah, blah. The police sgt smiled and politely pointed to the garbage can. My helper from the PH Association just rolled his eyes. There's one hunter who undoubtedly missed his connection and/or lost his very expensive rifle in transit.