basically. It prevents thefts, plus if someone makes it through security without a gun, they can look for a flagged bag, take the gun out, and cause mischif.

Ive only had one TSA screener open my bag when I had a gun in it. It was at JFK and they are a bunch of gun phobic, ignorant screeners. It was an absolute pain dealing with those morons.

They definately do NOT follow TSA or FAA guidelines, instead they make things up as rules and do what they can to be a thorn in your side.

You should have heard the screener YELL! "Hey lookit dis" when he saw the outline of my gun (with the unloaded forearm tag right next to it) in the bag.

They made me stand there for close to an hour while they called a Police Officer over to make sure that he would allow me to continue to have my bag conbtinue on to my destination.

Here is the text of the US Code that prohibits labeling the bags:

"No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm."


A quick search shows guns stolen from luggage:


On Alaska Airlines:

http://www.fcw.com/blogs/archives/ed...m_readers.html


On United airlines.... mentioned that they maked the baggage tag with FFFFFF on it..... so everyone knew what to open and steal:


http://www.joehuffman.org/firearms/g...nesstories.htm

If I'm traveling with just my primary (SIG P226) then it goes into its own (locked) hardsided case inside my checked bag and the ammo goes into a separate Pelican box. If I'm traveling with more, then everything goes into a Pelican 1650 case http://pelican-case.com/1650.html secured with two 3" shielded-shackle locks. Each firearm inside the 1650 is in it's own locked case...that allows me to take an individual weapon with me leaving the rest safe and secure.

I've only had 3 noteworthy incidents when checking weapons. The first was when the TA said that she needed to verify the firearm was unloaded. I told her yes *they* were and that usually, that's what prior TAs have wanted: my verbal verification. She insited she had to check. So, after having her repeat herself 3 times, I unpacked all three, opened the slides and laid them up on the counter... I wish I had a camera to record the look on her face! I flatly asked her "You wanted to verify, how can you verify without inspecting the weapon?" At that point an older TA came over and shooed the guns telling me "Put those away!" and to the other TA "You just ask them if the guns are unloaded! If they aren't well then he <thumb-points to me> gets in trouble!"

Another instance was coming out of PHL. The *obvious* shotgun case goes through the CTX (in the ticket area) and sounds an alert. TSA weenie asks if it's my bag, I tell him yes, there's a shotgun (which you could clearly see in the outline) and the other bag has handguns. He then asks for the keys/combo to the cases? I asked why considering they are (a) unloaded and (b) he's not permitted to touch them? He gives some crappy excuse about SOP. :rolleyes: I figured I had enough time to complain if needed so I let him have the first set of keys. They open the shotgun case, peer inside declare "yup, that's a shotgun, pretty nice one too!" (Remington Marine in stainless) Then they close up the case and move on to the next one. Again, they open the Pelican, look at the ammo boxes, then open the pistol cases, comment on how nice my SIGs are and then close them all up and send them on. I have yet to figure out what that accomplished. :confused:

The last, and most potentially dangerous situation was again at PHL but a different terminal so the CTX machines were in the back. In that case, the TA calls for a TSA screener who tells me I have to unlock *all* the cases and let him take them to the back for screening! I said there was no way I would allow him to take the weapons out of my sight if they weren't secure espcially going into the secure part of the airport! :mad: He seemed miffed that I would challenge him so. I made him call an airport police officer who kinda shrugged but when I said the TSA guy was going to take an unloked case with firearms *and* ammo into the security area, well he perked up and said he would personally observe and make sure they were all locked up :cool: