Fly AA J all the way

Mods, please move this if it's in the wrong place.

I recently had someone suggest the following to me, and wanted to run it by the board: Purchase a starter pistol (can never be used as an actual weapon), put it in my checked luggage, and declare it at checkin. The result is my baggage being tracked much more closely, and having a much higher chance of arriving. Thoughts?

KosraeTV

I don't think so. Folks are having their guns stolen left and right by baggage handlers. Putting a gun in it (even a fake gun) would only have the bags opened up and checked every time. Having your bags opened up can lead to items being purposely stolen out of your bags or items "mistakenly" left out of it when it was repacked. IMHO.

TierFlyer

Double baloney, if you pardon my German.

I fly several times a year (at least) with guns, belong to a shooting club with a LOT of traveling amateur competitors, and hang with gun nuts. Never heard of an actual theft.

I also have personally experienced a less than 10% inspection rate on my bags with guns. I use fluorescent pink (very manly!) tie wraps so I know. I don't know that the overall baggage checking rate is, but I betcha that it's less than 1%.

But you can be sure that if my Beretta is ever stolen, it'll become a Krieghoff immediately. :-)

In any case, why do something as stupid as try to get your bags inspected? Just trying to make things work worse?

KosraeTV

See these posts:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ht=guns+stolen


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ht=guns+stolen

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ht=guns+stolen

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...aggage+checked


Not picking a fight over the subject but based on some of these reports I'd say packing a fake gun isn't the best way to do things. Why open yourself up to this with a fake gun?

Flaflyer

Question: Would checking a fire-arm of some kind make my luggage safer?

Answer: Only if your luggage is properly trained to use use the fire-arm to defend itself if the need arises.

goaliemn

The bag isn't tracked any different, and there's nothing put on the outside of the bag to indicate there is a gun inside. That's an urban legend started awhile back..

Flaflyer: love that reply

Citabria

I checked a firearm (a shotgun in its own hard-sided locking case) for the first time traveling a week ago and have some interesting notes. Due to what happened (nothing bad happened, just that it wasn't delivered any more securely than any other bag) I am not saying which airline.

1. No external visible ID that the item contained a firearm was placed on the outside; just a normal tag
2. Of course I had to unlock it during checkin and show it to the agent, and then a declaration signed by myself and the agent was placed inside stating that it was declared and unloaded
3. Two of the airports I visited had the setup where after your bag is tagged you drop it at the TSA; one did not. At these airports I told the TSA agent I had a declared firearm. They both were not surprised at all and very professional ^ One asked me to show it to him, the other didn't (and I noticed they ran it through a separate machine from the other checked luggage). Of course the TSA is not supposed to be able to open it without you there (you retain the key). How they know this if they decide to bust open the locks 'behind the scenes' at the airport where I did not personally declare it to them (see point #1) I have no idea.
4. I put a small piece of tape over the brand-name/logo on the case to make it less obvious what it was, for the benefit of my fellow passengers who might not be aware of the rules of transport (nothing like walking around an airport terminal with a long hard case that says 'gun guard' on the side) but a knowledgeable thief or baggage handler would have known
5. Biggest surprise of all, which confirms my first point: The gun case came out just like any other checked bag on the conveyor!!! At one airport it came out separately, with oversize items, and was just left there.. I'd stood at the carosel for a while before spotting it. Anyone could've grabbed it.

Based on these I don't think you're any better off... it may depend on airline though; some of the FT links on the subject indicate that other airlines may keep track of it internally, and at least hold the bag at the destination rather than sending it out of the conveyor; this airline-specific behavior is worth asking the airline about, in my opinion. I'll do that if I ever check a firearm again (I don't transport them often). Personally I would have preferred they kept track of it and then made me show my baggage claim ticket at the destination.

coachrowsey

+1 This is a very stupid idea . You are only setting yourself up.