Checking firearms
 

Today I flew from OMA to STL on SWA with a firearm in my checked luggage. I have found many different airport procedures when it comes to checking firearms. When I left PHX earlier this week, I declared the firearm to the SWA ticket agent. We filled out their form, put the form in the lockable firearm case, inside my softsided locked rolling bag, and then I was escorted to the TSA inspection area who swabbed the bag for explosives but never looked at the declaration or gun. I had to wait for the sniffing to be completed. In OMA the SWA agent insisted that the declaration go outside the locked firearm case but inside the suitcase. SWA tossed it on the luggage belt as the TSA inspections happened elsewhere. (I use TSA locks inside and out) In DEN you are escorted to the TSA inspection station and they always open the case and look at the firearm. ATL opens the suitcase and looks at the firearm at a separate inspection station. IND and LAS inspections are handled behind the scenes after bags are tossed on the belt by the ticket agent. What variations do you folks find during your travels?

You might want to peruse this site:
http://deviating.net/firearms/packing/

As you have pretty much demonstrated most (all?) of the differences seem to relate to the different physical arrangements at the various airports...

The card placement doesn't seem like a drama.... unless they wanted it attached to the outside of the bag..as QF insists on in Oz...:mad:

In your case the tag should go in the locked hardcase with the gun. I use hardside luggage and then the tag goes in the bag not the guncase. The only thing is that you should not be using TSA locks. You are the only one that is supposed to get inside the bag and gain access to the firearm.

Despite what was said above, the declaration should be placed OUTSIDE your hard sided case, inside you soft sided luggage.

That would make the most sense. That way if they open the bag they can see the declaration when they see the gun.

That's why I always just check the hard case. There aren't any questions of where the declaration goes.

That is a pretty good summary of how the TSA cannot seem to operate with any sort of process efficiency or consistency.

What should happen? The TSA inspection should take place before the bag goes into the handling system and in the owner's presence at the carrier's check-in desk.

What does happen? Just about anything else, as the OP described it, including TSA violations of Federal firearm transportation regulations and contravention of common sense.

At SEA, the ticketing agent didn't even check to see if the weapon was in the proper unloaded state, just asked me if it was, had me sign a tag and told me to walk it down to the TSA inspection station. The TSA clerk put down his book, barely glanced at me, didn't even look inside the suitcase, and put it on the belt.

The whole process was much less hassle than I was expecting from the TSA.

That's better than the ticket agent that a friend of mine encountered that wanted to look down the barrel to see if it was loaded.

When I checked my gun a while back the DL airline agent was honest that she had no idea what an unloaded vs. loaded gun looked liked and that she was taking my word for it that it was unloaded.

She jumped out from behind the counter and escorted me to a door which leads to TSA baggage screening area (she asked me to wait outside and took, the gun, paperwork, etc. to the TSA for inspection which did not make me really happy) She returned a few minutes later that she stood with it (my gun) while the TSA screened it and handed it over to one of the bag guys to be placed on the plane.

Dan

I guessed at the time that my ticket agent probably didn't know how to safely check, either, and since I appear to be a mature adult, she guessed that I probably knew better than she did and left well enough alone.

I disagree. There are multiple processes to screen checked firearms.


I would like to point out something that no one has mentioned, because the odds of it happening are very rare. I have heard people state that to prevent theft throw a gun into the bag, thus the bag is checked in front of you, and so on. Ok, lets say that works, and often it will.

But what happens when and if you bag is put on the wrong plane, unloaded at another destination, and when the airline employees realize it, submit it for re-inspection by TSA, the lock is cut off, the gun found - and now your luggage can not go, stuck in an airport you are not.

As example, today I had to screen bags that the airline put on the wrong plane, then waited at the baggage claim area before the airline employees realized were put on the incorrect flight. So the bags had to be rescreened before being flown to their original destination. It doesn't happen often, but considering how many hundreds of thousands of people who fly in a single day, I would guess it happens thousand of times a day around the country.

I realize this is off topic, just wanted to throw this out there to make sure your aware of the possibility. Have fun discussing it by yourselves. :)

Add: the other day I remember having to screen a baby carriage that was put on the wrong flight. Family got it the follow day. Felt bad for them.

At that point, I think a simple call to the airline would be in order ...

"Hi, you're now in possession of a firearm for which you don't have a license. In your airport, that might mean that you're currently guilty of a felony. Furthermore, now that you've broken the lock, you're now wholly responsible if that firearm is stolen from my unsecured suitcase and used to commit a crime. When would you like me to call the ATF?"

At that point, I think the airline would find a way to get that hot potato back to you as fast as humanly possible.

Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of how this would really work; I don't own a firearm. My conjecture above is based solely on reading other's experiences here on FlyerTalk. :)

Thats because when you sign a declaration stating it is unloaded, then the respnsibility falls on you.