Quite the contrary, guns do go on airplanes. I fly regularly with a shotgun to the National Sporting Clays match, the US Open clays match, and numerous shoots on a national scale. And the drill is
Desk agent: Good morning
Me: good morning, and I'm traveling with a firearm.
Me: significant look at the Americase containing the shotgun.
DA: Is the ammunition separate from the firearm?
Me: I'm not carrying any (with 2 + cases for a typical shoot, I buy it there)
DA: gives me the the declaration that it's unloaded to sign
Me: sign the declaration and put in case.
These days, I have to hand carry the unlocked case to the security screening area and wait until they've cleared it.
Which lead to the this exchange:
The screener does the explosives test and says 'you don't take this to the range, do you?'
and I'm thinking: 'it's a bloody gun case! what do YOU think?' but say yes I do. So the gun case gets the intimate screening. Luckily, the guy appear to have a clue or two and didn't give me a really bad time. I may not always be that lucky.
This is all perfectly legal and defined by the Feds. Take a look at any airlines rules for baggage. This is all defined. The only restriction the airlines add is, generally you can only take 5 kilos of ammunition. For a hunting trip, that's fine. For a clays shoot, it's not even close.
Originally Posted by SDF_Traveler
FWAAA,
While you raise good points, I respectfully disagree with respect to the place of guns in airports/aircraft.
Guns have no place in an airport or on an airplane. I'm not a gun owner, but I know many responsible gun owners. They're good people and I doubt they would bring a gun to an airport. However, even if they did, there should be consequences.
The person may be good, with no ill intentions, but we don't need people taking guns on-board through security. I'm sure people have made honest mistakes and gotten guns through security as well -- good people making mistakes.
However, the bottom line is guns don't belong in aiports or airplanes. If caught, there must be consequences. I'm not saying charge one with terrorism and throw away the key, but we would have to re-evaluate how responsible one is as a gun owner if they forget and take a gun to the airport.
Added: I am not aware of any guns being discharged on aircraft lately; OTOH, I do know of at least one incident where a FAM left a gun in the aircraft lav, and another incident where FAMs pointed guns towards pax on a DCA bound flight because someone left their seat.
Of these guns found, who is to say one of these individuals wouldn't lose their gun on the aircraft (an FAM did) or do something causing it to accidently discharge in flight? Again, these are likely good people - but what they're doing is stupid. Of the guns which have likely made it through security, we're probably lucky an accident at minimim hasn't happened.
The way I see it, screen passengers for guns and explosives (credible weapons) and then leave us the heck alone when it comes to screening.
Best,
SDF_Traveler