Checking firearms at Logan

[IPSC_DRL]

No problem of mine. I suppose you're free to ruin your gun barrels if you want, sort of the same way that I'm free to buy Picassos and use them to start the fires in my fireplace during the winter.
Ken

Thanks! Its good to know I'm free to do ANYTHING these days.

I'm also sure that fire would be MUCH more detrimental to your paintings than a plastic tube (with a wire inside it) would be to my Glock barrel.

Michael.

 

[Producer]

I fly out of Boston many times a year, never a problem. I just think its strange they run the cotton pads over the gun sometimes and the machine says its not an explosive.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

I fly out of Boston many times a year, never a problem. I just think its strange they run the cotton pads over the gun sometimes and the machine says its not an explosive.

Its not, its a propellant. it burns rapidly but does not explode.
I once asked a TSA screener running a scan machine if it picked up nitrocellulose based propellants.

His response was Huh? (Actually I think he said Que?)

 

[Chris]

I prefer TF Green for checking firearms. You do the gate thing, get the orange tag and then they run the bags into the X-Ray right there. When the operator's expression changes, you just hold up the orange tag and you get a smile and you are on your way.

The Phoenix area was quite nice these past two weeks. (^_^)

 

[drgrant]

Its not, its a propellant. it burns rapidly but does not explode.
I once asked a TSA screener running a scan machine if it picked up nitrocellulose based propellants.

His response was Huh? (Actually I think he said Que?)

I'm surprised he didn't go "EY! ALARM! ALARM! MANIAC ALARM! and
then caused you to get detained in a room for 2 hours while they
asked you questions.

-Mike

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Plastic will "ruin" a gun barrel????

No problem of mine. I suppose you're free to ruin your gun barrels if you want, sort of the same way that I'm free to buy Picassos and use them to start the fires in my fireplace during the winter.

Ken

Hmm, I replied yesterday but the post must have gotten lost in the bit bucket.

I fail to see how a plastic tube (filled with wire) could harm my Glock's barrel. I suspect that fire would be MUCH more detrimental to your paintings.

 

[KMaurer]

Of course carefully putting a cable lock through the barrel of a firearm isn't that likely to cause damage. OTOH, it certainly is possible, and one has to ask just why for the sake of John Moses Browning a knowledgeable person would ever do it. It serves absolutely no purpose that cannot be accomplished both more safely and more easily by running the cable through the frame of a revolver or the ejection port and magazine well of a semi-auto. But, to each his own.

Ken

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I'm surprised he didn't go "EY! ALARM! ALARM! MANIAC ALARM! and
then caused you to get detained in a room for 2 hours while they
asked you questions.

The reasction I got at TF Green was "Infinity - I build on Capsian frames myself" from the luggage screener.

 

[springer]

I prefer TF Green for checking firearms. You do the gate thing, get the orange tag and then they run the bags into the X-Ray right there. When the operator's expression changes, you just hold up the orange tag and you get a smile and you are on your way.

The Phoenix area was quite nice these past two weeks. (^_^)

Do you know that the orange card is supposed to be in the bag with the gun?

 

[sureshot]

Flew to Canada with my shotgun. Not a problem, Air Canada charges a fee now but otherwise no issues. They made me hang around the counter until the gun was on the belt and headed for the airplane but otherwise no issue.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread and I would only add that if you fly international make sure you have proof that the gun is registered in MA. I took a copy of my MA registration form just in case.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

make sure you have proof that the gun is registered in MA

Customs could care less about MA stuff - their concern is going to be ascertaining that you are not importing the gun. Another procedure to get documentation for this is to stop by the customs office at Logan and fill out a declaration form - they will wittness the serial numbers on the guns, draw a line in the space you left unused, and add an official stamp. No record is kept, but this form is generally accepted as proof you had the item when leaving the country.

This is not "gun specific", but useful when traveling with any items you are concerned that you might be assumed to be importing.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Rob's suggestion is a good one. I did this >30 years ago for camera equipment when we used to travel to the Caribbean frequently.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

It's less of an issue with camera equipment today that it was 30 years ago. Back in the 70's, trademark law was interpreted to mean that only the "official importer" could bring something in with a brand name like Nikon (small personal purchases excepted), so there was no gray market of parallel imports - thus increasing the spread between the overseas price and the US price. A change in interpretation opened the US market up to gray market stuff (the same brand, but not imported by the "official importer") and prices became much more competitive.

 

[Jaxon]

An update

Just got back from vacation in South Carolina, and am still amazed at the differences between the various airports and the TSA check.

I still go through the same "declaring a firearm" routine, the counter person dutifully rolled the bag to the TSA room, but this time time in Boston, the TSA guy didn't even check the bag. He asked if it was locked and I said yes, and that was it.

Not that I'm complaining, but I was use to the full cavity search they do to my luggage there.

And Charlotte Douglas? The counter person wanted to see it, tagged the carsafe with the declaration tag and I relocked the bag and it got put on the conveyor. TSA did check the bag, but no one asked me for anything.

But hey, overall, the experience hasn't been bad.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

I always ask TSA to wrap some of their blue and white "TSA" tape around the case in two places. That way, the case is sealed to your final destination. Of course, flying out of Anchorage on the small carriers, most of the luggage is gun cases and coolers and no one would get exited if you came along with a belt fed! Jack.

 

[Cross-X]

A funny moment happened when I was travelling with a few handguns in my checked luggage. The Jet Blue agent at Logan spotted my Reserve Deputy Sheriff's badge and asked me if I wanted to carry my guns on board with me.

After catching my breath, I smiled and said "No thanks, just put that suitcase with the rest of my checked bags."

Amazing!

 

[911_Ted]

Re-viewing the post

This is always good information to have on hand. I appreciated it in November when I flew to Detroit out of TF GREEN and I'm reviewing the post again now to refresh my memory. I'm flying out of Logan on Friday to visit the wild west again (aka Detroit).

Flying out of TF Green was 100% painless. I was actually a bit surprised that it was THAT easy. They gave me the tag, I filled it out, i placed it inside the locked guncase within my luggage, put my bags through the xray machine and I was done.

Coming back through Detroit was a shade more involved but still painless and smooth. The airline counter person (?) didn't have a clue and had to ask around. There was a TSA inspection station directly adjacent to the counter. Once I was ready to go they took the bag, opened it, did a complete sniffer-sweep, asked for the keys to my locked gun case, opened it (with some instructions from me as the lock/key sticks sometimes), did a sniffer- sweep of the case, placed the red tag in the gun case, relocked it, gave me the key, Put a TSA sticker on the bag, placed the bag on the conveyor belt and I was on my way. The TSA personnel were very pleasant. No issues or problems.

Friday will be my first occasion to fly out of Logan so I am hoping things go as smoothly.

One thing I would note is that while the locked gun case that the gun is immediately inside of must be hard-sided, the TSA does not require that the luggage containing the locked gun case be a hard-sided piece of luggage (though its still a good idea).

 

[Scrivener]

Coming back through Detroit was a shade more involved but still painless and smooth. The airline counter person (?) didn't have a clue and had to ask around. There was a TSA inspection station directly adjacent to the counter. Once I was ready to go they took the bag, opened it, did a complete sniffer-sweep, asked for the keys to my locked gun case, opened it (with some instructions from me as the lock/key sticks sometimes), did a sniffer- sweep of the case, placed the red tag in the gun case, relocked it, gave me the key, Put a TSA sticker on the bag, placed the bag on the conveyor belt and I was on my way. The TSA personnel were very pleasant. No issues or problems.

Those agents violated their own rules.

The key is to be kept by the gun owner at all times; NOT given to TSA or anyone else.

 

[MaverickNH]

... asked for the keys to my locked gun case, opened it (with some instructions from me as the lock/key sticks sometimes)...

You should have handed them the keys and said just wait a second while I set behind that concrete pillar over there.

 

[Chuck Would]

I've never traveled with firearms but have several friends who do. The one bit of advice that I have heard and it makes a lot of sense is to have a copy of the TSA rules web site on traveling with firearms with you. Also have a copy of the airline rules you are traveling with. She has told me that she always asks for a Supervisor at the airline counter and has the airline firearms policy in hand when the supervisor gets there in case the supervisor is not familiar with their own airlines policy. Each airline has slightly different rules on how firearms as well as ammo must be packed. This woman is a SASS shooter and travels with 2 revolvers, a lever rifle and a shotgun. Most airlines have a limit on the weight of ammo - usually 11 pounds. It must be packed in "original" cartons. Not easy if you take along reloads. She shoots black powder and usually ships her ammo to someone at the match location before the match.

She also tells me she get's to the airport an hour earlier than necessary just to make sure she has extra time in case of any problems.

Hope that helps

 

[M1911]

It must be packed in "original" cartons. Not easy if you take along reloads.

Just put the reloads in some factory ammo boxes. Trust me, they wouldn't know the difference even if they did check (which they won't).

 

[Jaxon]

I've never traveled with firearms but have several friends who do. The one bit of advice that I have heard and it makes a lot of sense is to have a copy of the TSA rules web site on traveling with firearms with you. Also have a copy of the airline rules you are traveling with.

+1. As I mentioned previously, I always carry the most current version of the TSA website policy as well as whatever carrier I"m flying. Even then, there is some interpretation on the airline part.

Be prepared. Follow the rules and just let them do their thing.

 

[digitech]

Once I was ready to go they took the bag, opened it, did a complete sniffer-sweep, asked for the keys to my locked gun case, opened it (with some instructions from me as the lock/key sticks sometimes), did a sniffer- sweep of the case, placed the red tag in the gun case, relocked it, gave me the key, Put a TSA sticker on the bag, placed the bag on the conveyor belt and I was on my way. The TSA personnel were very pleasant. No issues or problems.

You mean the sniffer picked up no powder residue. They must have been squeaky clean or the damn sniffer doesn't work.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

You mean the sniffer picked up no powder residue. They must have been squeaky clean or the damn sniffer doesn't work.

Or is very good at discrimination of chemical signatures. I would expect a double base powder (contains nitroglycerine) like AA7 would be more likely to set off the scanner than the more common single based (nitrocellulose) powders.

 

[Cherokee_Outlaw]

Just a quick FYI... First time taking firearms on a plane...

Flew out of Bradly last week... took 4 handguns and my personal defense ammo all locked in a rifle case... Flew American.. and the agent didn't even want me to open it up.. just had me sign a piece of paper saying they are unloaded... Then I had to take it over to the TSA.. they opened it up to take a quick look cause it was a slow day I think lol.. all friendly.. and EASY...

On the way home I left out of OKC via United.. had to sign the paper and lock the case.. he didn't even open to look.. TSA didn't even open it...

SUPER EASY... I was expecting more... maybe if I left Logan it would have been different...

 

[drew]

I flew on my badge and ID and that airline told me unloaded in my suitcase, no ammo whats so ever.... every airlone is different...

 

[namedpipes]

You should have handed them the keys and said just wait a second while I set behind that concrete pillar over there.

Fond of those body cavity searches are you?

 

[Davidk]

Last time I flew out of TF Green with my rifles, I had two AR with quad rails, Aimpoints, vertical grips and lights along with two handguns in a large rifle case. After hand checking them, the TSA agent (woman) came back to me with my key and said is a monotone deadpan voice "You ain't going hunting are you?" LOL I just said "nope"

 

[Cross-X]

I have flown out of Logan with firearms dozens of times and have never had an issue. Make sure you know the TSA regs and those of your airline.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

The "odd ball" state for flying with guns in NY. I have heard reports from three different parts of the state that airlines frequently call the police to verify that a checked handgun is legal - with varying degrees of success when the flier attempts to use FOPA86 or the NY exemption for possessing handguns for competition (NY 265.20-13b)