Photo by Politikaner, Creative Commons License. Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. We know that many of our readers will be traveling soon to spend Thanksgiving with family members. This article is for you if you plan to fly with firearms in November. Before you even get close to an airport, you should familiarize yourself with the current Federal Regulations for gun transport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a federal agency, has a webpage that outlines the requirements for airline passengers who are traveling with firearms* or ammunition. Visit the TSA Firearms and Ammunition page and take your time to read it. Before your trip, you should also check the regulations of any airline with whom you plan to fly. Some airlines have specific requirements, like weight restrictions. Here are the TSA guidelines for traveling with firearms.
Tom McHale wrote a great article for the Beretta Blog entitled Ten Things You Should Know About Flying with Guns. This story is available on the Beretta Blog. Tom McHale offers two travel tips: Weigh your gun and ammunition.
Most airlines allow up to 11 pounds. As with any luggage, if your bag weighs more than 50 pounds, you’ll be charged more. It may seem like a lot but, when I traveled to the Crimson Trace Midnight 3 Gun Competition last year, the case I brought with my shotgun, rifle and pistol, along with ammunition, tipped the scales past the 50-pound mark. Ammo should be packed in the same locking case
This is yet another area that is misunderstood by many and filled with internet myths. Ammo should be stored in a safe container, not loose. Although technically you can store ammunition in magazines, I would not recommend it. Although it meets the letter and spirit of the law, too many TSA and airline agents will be unhappy with you. You can carry your gun in a lockable case if you use a plastic ammo container or the original cardboard packaging. *SEE United States Code Title 18, Part 1, chapter 44. A “firearm”, as defined by 49 CFR 1540.5, is any weapon, including a starter gun, which will, is designed to or can easily be converted to expel projectiles through the action of explosives; the frame or receiver for any such weapon; a firearm muffler, firearm silencer, and any destructive device. According to 49 CFR 1540.5, a loaded firearm is one that has a live round or component of ammunition in the chamber, cylinder, or magazine.
