vickers
NES Member
Agree 100%. As I said, I have a set of keyed-alike metal locks. They are brass ones, fairly heavy but with a narrow enough shackle to fit the case points. I use a lanyard around my neck to keep the key and not lose it.
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Boston peeps - any issues transiting Logan International with checked firearms?
- Thread starter dixiejarhead
- Start date
Agree 100%. As I said, I have a set of keyed-alike metal locks. They are brass ones, fairly heavy but with a narrow enough shackle to fit the case points. I use a lanyard around my neck to keep the key and not lose it.
Garys
NES Member
That's been their policy for a long time. You don't need to lock up ammo, it can just go in the factory box or a MTM ammo case. I once put mine in a small Tupperware bowl with a lid. No one said anything. You can transport up to 11 pounds of ammunition.
AirTran used to have the same policy as Jet Blue. When SWA bought AirTran, there were two sets of rules. If any leg of the trip was on AirTran, the ammo had to be packed separately. That went away when the two were fully merged.
Oh, I also print out copies of the TSA rules and the airline contract of carriage terms on transport. That came in handy one time when the clerk told me that I could only transport 11 ounces of ammunition.
AirTran used to have the same policy as Jet Blue. When SWA bought AirTran, there were two sets of rules. If any leg of the trip was on AirTran, the ammo had to be packed separately. That went away when the two were fully merged.
Oh, I also print out copies of the TSA rules and the airline contract of carriage terms on transport. That came in handy one time when the clerk told me that I could only transport 11 ounces of ammunition.
I have flown out of Logan with pistols the last two years at Christmas both times went smoothly (American if it matters).
In my case, the pistols were in a Pelican 1170 case inside my normal soft side luggage. I was not bringing any ammo.
The Pelican case was secured with a non-TSA padlock and to the frame of my regular luggage with aircraft cable.
You can't use the self-serve kiosks, so find the line for exceptions. When it is your turn, tell the agent that you need to declare that you are traveling with unloaded firearms.
The agent should produce a little card that they sign and date, you sign and date, and in my case I taped to the outside of the Pelican case. If your firearms are in their own luggage, not nested like mine, then the card goes inside the case. The point is that there should be nothing on the outside of the luggage that indicates "firearms", but the card should be around so if TSA goes digging they know you weren't trying to pull a fast one.
My first time, the agent wanted to see the firearm, but didn't want to get within three feet of it. I opened the Pelican case, they looked, I closed and locked it with my non-TSA lock, taped the card to the case, zipped up my luggage, and we were all done. The agent then tagged it to be picked up at the baggage office and off it went. At my destination, it came out on the conveyor anyway. No issues.
On my return trip, it was largely the same, but this time the agent wanted to see that it was unloaded. I sort of looked at him for a second because I really didn't want to start handling a pistol at the ticket counter of an airport, so I said, "It has a chamber flag in it and no magazine". That was good enough. Same thing, as before, lock up case, sign card, stick card on case, zip up, and over to TSA. At this airport, I moved the bag to the TSA area and stood there until it was cleared. The baggage screener was telling me I didn't need to wait... then my bag went through and they just looked at me, smiled and gave a thumbs up. Off I go.
My second time at Logan was a bit different. I get to the counter, make my declaration, and the agent then tells me not to touch the bag. Ok... They sign the card, I sign the card, I am told to just slip it into the luggage through the zipper. Ok, I do so, and the bag gets tagged to go to the luggage office and off it goes. Odd, but easy. This time I had to pick the bag up at the luggage office.
That return trip went just like the first return trip. No problems, no special tagging, and I retrieved my bags from the conveyor.
I bring a spare non-TSA lock in my carry on luggage in case TSA for some reason cuts off my non-TSA lock. There are some who travel with firearms more than I do that have had it happen. I try to make a note of who the ticket agent is when I sign my declaration just in case there is some sort of issue. If my luggage is open, I grab a photo with my phone of the locked Pelican case with the declaration on it, just in case. I also travel with a copy of the TSA regulations and the Airline policy, just in case. I have never had occasion to use any of this extra stuff.
It really hasn't been much of an issue at all. Half of the time I was through the ticket/baggage line faster than if I didn't have a firearm with me. Know the procedure, know what you are and are not supposed to do, and all will go well.
In my case, the pistols were in a Pelican 1170 case inside my normal soft side luggage. I was not bringing any ammo.
The Pelican case was secured with a non-TSA padlock and to the frame of my regular luggage with aircraft cable.
You can't use the self-serve kiosks, so find the line for exceptions. When it is your turn, tell the agent that you need to declare that you are traveling with unloaded firearms.
The agent should produce a little card that they sign and date, you sign and date, and in my case I taped to the outside of the Pelican case. If your firearms are in their own luggage, not nested like mine, then the card goes inside the case. The point is that there should be nothing on the outside of the luggage that indicates "firearms", but the card should be around so if TSA goes digging they know you weren't trying to pull a fast one.
My first time, the agent wanted to see the firearm, but didn't want to get within three feet of it. I opened the Pelican case, they looked, I closed and locked it with my non-TSA lock, taped the card to the case, zipped up my luggage, and we were all done. The agent then tagged it to be picked up at the baggage office and off it went. At my destination, it came out on the conveyor anyway. No issues.
On my return trip, it was largely the same, but this time the agent wanted to see that it was unloaded. I sort of looked at him for a second because I really didn't want to start handling a pistol at the ticket counter of an airport, so I said, "It has a chamber flag in it and no magazine". That was good enough. Same thing, as before, lock up case, sign card, stick card on case, zip up, and over to TSA. At this airport, I moved the bag to the TSA area and stood there until it was cleared. The baggage screener was telling me I didn't need to wait... then my bag went through and they just looked at me, smiled and gave a thumbs up. Off I go.
My second time at Logan was a bit different. I get to the counter, make my declaration, and the agent then tells me not to touch the bag. Ok... They sign the card, I sign the card, I am told to just slip it into the luggage through the zipper. Ok, I do so, and the bag gets tagged to go to the luggage office and off it goes. Odd, but easy. This time I had to pick the bag up at the luggage office.
That return trip went just like the first return trip. No problems, no special tagging, and I retrieved my bags from the conveyor.
I bring a spare non-TSA lock in my carry on luggage in case TSA for some reason cuts off my non-TSA lock. There are some who travel with firearms more than I do that have had it happen. I try to make a note of who the ticket agent is when I sign my declaration just in case there is some sort of issue. If my luggage is open, I grab a photo with my phone of the locked Pelican case with the declaration on it, just in case. I also travel with a copy of the TSA regulations and the Airline policy, just in case. I have never had occasion to use any of this extra stuff.
It really hasn't been much of an issue at all. Half of the time I was through the ticket/baggage line faster than if I didn't have a firearm with me. Know the procedure, know what you are and are not supposed to do, and all will go well.
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Good idea. When I was flying out of PHX I was paged and asked for a key which they took to a back room, used, and then returned. If I had two keys, I wouldn't have to worry about it getting lost and I could have just told them "throw the key inside the case before you lock it'.
Except on Air Alaska which is 50lbs, but only on flights with numbers in certain ranges.
vickers
NES Member
So you just put the ammo in your soft sided luggage? I wasn't planning on checking luggage other than the Pelican case with the pistols, but I guess I could check the bag I usually carry on.
Garys
NES Member
If I use a larger case, I put the ammo inside the case. Otherwise, I put a small (20 or 25 round) box in a zip lock bag with the holster and some other stuff. I also put my folding knife in with the firearm(s), although that's not required.
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Ammo must be in factory cases. I had a loose round discovered in a checked range bag and it took two TSA agents, a TSA supervisor, an airline rep and a TF Green cop to figure out what to do. The solution was for them to keep the round. They offered to store it for me so I could pick it up on my return, but I declined.
The cop was initially being a tough guy trying to push my buttons. When he saw that I remained calm, and handed him my RI carry permit with my license when he demanded ID, his whole attitude changed and he was very polite.
The cop was initially being a tough guy trying to push my buttons. When he saw that I remained calm, and handed him my RI carry permit with my license when he demanded ID, his whole attitude changed and he was very polite.
Garys
NES Member
Factory case or case made to hold ammunition. Can not be loose.
eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations
(8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ammunition clips and magazines must also be securely boxed. This paragraph does not apply to persons traveling under the provisions of 49 CFR 1544.219.
eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations
(8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ammunition clips and magazines must also be securely boxed. This paragraph does not apply to persons traveling under the provisions of 49 CFR 1544.219.
Ammunition
- 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 requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8).
- Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm. (from the TSA website)
(9) One self-defense spray (see §171.8 of this subchapter), not exceeding 118 mL (4 fluid ounces) by volume, that incorporates a positive means to prevent accidental discharge may be carried in checked baggage only. (Note: this is from the TSA site. JetBlue does NOT allow pepper spray even in checked baggage. We were running late, so I left the firearm in our vehicle and threw the spray in the luggage. They asked at declaration. I told them I had it, and the JB counter person told me that JB does not allow it, even in checked luggage. Forfeited it there.
But then, you can only pick up handguns at one end of the trip (in your state of residence).
Where did you find this info about putting it on the outside of the case? I've just filled out the card, and stuck it inside the pistol case. Then the TSA person takes the suitcase, with the pistol case inside, and runs it through the x-ray.
I use a hard sided suitcase, so I just put the firearm (handgun) in a pistol lock box, with the ammo separately inside the hard suit case.
AHM
NES Member
vickers
NES Member
That bolded part is true, but be aware your airline might have a different policy regarding that.
MaverickNH
NES Member
I had a check-in desk employee from one airline in BOS say I had to take my AR15 out and rack the action open for her to inspect. I didn’t and neither should you. I called a nearby trooper over to explain and he confirmed the chamber was empty. He never asked about an LTC (I had a nonRes ALP) or if it was “legal” in MA (it was). YMMV
Garys
NES Member
It's probably in the airlines' rules, although it might have been in an earlier version of the TSA regulations. Either way, that's how they do it. If you put the card inside the case and the TSA doesn't know about it or how to get ahold of you, they'll just cut the locks and if it's cabled to the suitcase, might cut that as well.
Most of the time, but not always, the airline staff will have me hand carry the case over to the TSA luggage check point. I'll wait until I see the TSA guy toss the bag onto the conveyor belt. Of course each airport is laid out differently, so that might not work. Usually the counter staff has either told me to hang around about 10 minutes before going through security or that it's okay to go through. Again, that varies.
Most of the time, but not always, the airline staff will have me hand carry the case over to the TSA luggage check point. I'll wait until I see the TSA guy toss the bag onto the conveyor belt. Of course each airport is laid out differently, so that might not work. Usually the counter staff has either told me to hang around about 10 minutes before going through security or that it's okay to go through. Again, that varies.
AHM
NES Member
Probably not like this, right?
(Great kid there, hope he goes far in life).
And you didn't ask her for help, right?
...Ah, found it:
Do they sell them at Northeast Gun Shows?
But seriously, here's a question:
Q: Pack the AR for travel with the halves separated?
Probably travels better while integrated.
(Hate to have the halves come unmoored and scratch each other).
And it's an inherently weak gesture.
But does it significantly defuse any situations that
the traveler is actually likely to encounter?
FrugalFannie
NES Member
SO I have a question. According to FOPA I have the right to bring my firearms "through" any state so long as I follow FOPA transport laws. So if I flew into Logan with a firearm, properly checked etc, got a rental car and my destination was NH and I didn't spend any "excess stops" in MA, would I be legal? I do not have a MA LTC. I am legal in my state of residence and would be legal in my destination state of NH.
Yes, legal as long as you follow FOPA law on how guns and ammo are stored separately (different from MGL for MA residents).
I thought the problem with FOPA was that, as originally written, it only covered transport by ground - that's why travelers who passed through NJ/NY/Chicago airports "might" get in trouble if, let's say, they got stuck there overnight. Or, it might be the magazine issue (standard capacity) that I'm thinking of that got people in trouble.
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The issue is that staying overnight, even if beyond your control, makes it not a continuous and uninterrupted trip.
Just flew into Logan on Sunday October 14th. No issues on arrival (I got my bag late, as I had to meet someone at the airport, so they held it in the baggage service office. No issues flying out with it on Thursday October 18th, either. The JetBlue lady did say something about putting it in the case with the firearm, so I stuck a minimal amount in, and most of it hanging out. TSA left a sticker saying that they had checked the suitcase, but I imagine that's because a half-gallon of frozen apple cider doesn't scan so well. LOL.
In Tampa, while leaving, the agent had me tilt the pistol enough to show him that the chamber was clear, and checked that the ammo was separate (20rds - "That's all you've got?") in box (had it in the factory package). Returning from Boston, I tilted the whole pistol case enough to show the agent that it was empty, and she just asked if the ammo was separate.
The Tampa JB agent did go to check if the case needed more than one lock. (metal lockbox, with a combo lock on one end). It sounded like they would require two locks if the case could be easily opened at the other end, but I'm not sure. No issue in Boston.
Both times JB "greeters" tried to get me to check in at the self serve kiosks, and I simply told them "I have a firearm to declare" and they sent me to the counter agents.
In Tampa, while leaving, the agent had me tilt the pistol enough to show him that the chamber was clear, and checked that the ammo was separate (20rds - "That's all you've got?") in box (had it in the factory package). Returning from Boston, I tilted the whole pistol case enough to show the agent that it was empty, and she just asked if the ammo was separate.
The Tampa JB agent did go to check if the case needed more than one lock. (metal lockbox, with a combo lock on one end). It sounded like they would require two locks if the case could be easily opened at the other end, but I'm not sure. No issue in Boston.
Both times JB "greeters" tried to get me to check in at the self serve kiosks, and I simply told them "I have a firearm to declare" and they sent me to the counter agents.
vickers
NES Member
So I just flew out of Logan last week on my trip to Texas.. My pistol was in a locked hard case inside my suitcase. The airline agent had me sign the card and then put it inside my hard case which I then locked. I then zipped up the suitcase and put a TSA lock on that and on the belt it went.
I wasn't thinking about it as before when I flew with only the hard case the tag went inside it but on that trip we went over to TSA so they could inspect it before it went on the belt so this was different.
The result was that because the card was inside the hard case, TSA could not confirm it had been declared so they had the airline call me at the gate. I had to go back to TSA where a young TSA agent asked me for the key. I refused to supply the key and told them they were going to have to bring the case out. The guy didn't like the sound of it, but went inside and a more senior agent came out after a while and said they would bring the case out. The senior agent and a TSA manager of some type came out with it and we found a private spot to open it. The manager apologized saying we had to be discrete because this was "a very liberal state", lol. Anyway, they inspected the pistols, I left the tag outside the hard case but inside the suitcase and locked everything back up and they were satisfied. They actually apologized to me for the whole thing because the airline agent had screwed up.
I had gotten to the airport very early so all this stuff was resolved well before I had to board the flight.
I wasn't thinking about it as before when I flew with only the hard case the tag went inside it but on that trip we went over to TSA so they could inspect it before it went on the belt so this was different.
The result was that because the card was inside the hard case, TSA could not confirm it had been declared so they had the airline call me at the gate. I had to go back to TSA where a young TSA agent asked me for the key. I refused to supply the key and told them they were going to have to bring the case out. The guy didn't like the sound of it, but went inside and a more senior agent came out after a while and said they would bring the case out. The senior agent and a TSA manager of some type came out with it and we found a private spot to open it. The manager apologized saying we had to be discrete because this was "a very liberal state", lol. Anyway, they inspected the pistols, I left the tag outside the hard case but inside the suitcase and locked everything back up and they were satisfied. They actually apologized to me for the whole thing because the airline agent had screwed up.
I had gotten to the airport very early so all this stuff was resolved well before I had to board the flight.
people say dont get the tsa locks?
link ?
vickers
NES Member
AHM
NES Member
Compare to Harbor Freight Padlock Set 4 Pc.
4 Padlocks (1¾" high), 16 keys.
All 16 keys almost always fit all four padlocks.
MSRP: $5.99.
Never on sale.
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ETA: I'm not claiming that they're as good as the Master Locks at keeping someone with beefy dikes from cutting them off of a gun case. But if your application goal is just to stage some security theatre of your own, these'll do, and they're cheaper.
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Had a bad experience returning to Logan on AA last week. I declared unloaded firearms in Louisville, the bag was tagged for special handling.
When I got to Logan, I went to the office next to the carousel waiting for the bag. After a while, I asked my wife to check the carousel 'just in case'. Wouldn't you know, it was right there.
The people in the office were pissed, to say the least. Apparently this happens more often than we know about.
They gave me a number to call, which then sent me to central baggage number who in turn turned me to their website where I can lodge a complaint. So, that's my next step.
In brighter news, the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot was frickin' awesome!
When I got to Logan, I went to the office next to the carousel waiting for the bag. After a while, I asked my wife to check the carousel 'just in case'. Wouldn't you know, it was right there.
The people in the office were pissed, to say the least. Apparently this happens more often than we know about.
They gave me a number to call, which then sent me to central baggage number who in turn turned me to their website where I can lodge a complaint. So, that's my next step.
In brighter news, the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot was frickin' awesome!
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Mine was also on the carousel in both Nashville airport and Logan last year.
I saw somebody else's gun container come on the carousel at Logan too. I know it was a gun because I overheard him before the flight talking on the phone with somebody that he accidentally left a box of ammo in his carry-on. Had to throw it away. His luggage was on the carousel with a plastic bin placed over it.
I saw a military guy in uniform that got paged to the special luggage pick-up area. I dont know why he was special?
