Constant guessing game

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flying home from New Hampshire and delta agent asks me to open my locked case so he can inspect...

I brought a 9mm LCR and 3 loaded moon clips. did not have separate ammo box so they were locked in the case w the revo. TSA rule is separate box for ammo.

almost had to throw away the ammo and clips...cop came by and convinced them it was ok since they weren't "loose".

they were right and I was wrong,but this is the 3rd flight of the trip...they never open the case at other airports

at landing sometimes on the belt sometimes in the office

always an adventure
 
I use one of those $3 plastic ammo boxes from HF.
 
TSA have never had an issue with my loaded mags locked in the box with my gun... Have they changed the rule?
 
It used to read "ammo in separate container and must be in original packaging."

Quantity allowed first was xx number per firearm, then changed to xx lbs total.

My reloads often magically transformed into Winchester white box.
 
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When I flew a few weeks ago I took a G43 and an LCP. I had a plastic 50 round ammo box and I put 25 rounds of 9mm and 25 rounds of .380 in it. I had the 2 guns in a lock box and the ammo box just packed in the suitcase with my other stuff. I had to open the box to put in a signed form. I was told I'd have to pick up my bag at the baggage claim office. Everything went as planned.

On my return trip back home, the same thing as before. I was also told I'd have to pick my bag up at the baggage claim office. My bag came down the conveyor to the carousel just like every other bag from the flight.

I will have to say that those few hours of not having a gun and/or knife on me was very uncomfortable. As someone that carries every minute that I'm awake, I did not like the feeling of being unarmed. Luckily, I don't fly very often.
 
Same experience here--it's never exactly the same. The rare occasion is a vastly different experience; but they all differ just a little bit. When I travel with my Shield 9, I empty the mags and put the rounds back in the original box (PDX Defender). DOn't wanna play games and be at the mercy of an activist warrior at the counter.

I fly out of Concord, NC on Allegiant often. They give absolutely no issue at all. THey've never asked to open the box to "verify that the gun is unloaded." I just sign the little slip and put it in the suitcase. Off it goes behind the curtain to see the wizard.

At CLT, you have to be escorted by a TSA staffer allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way to the far let of the check-in area to the pilot/crew check-in (pain in the ass if you're flying SWA as they're on the far extreme right of the check-in concourse). You go in, open the bag, open the box, show the expert-in-TSA-blue that the gun is unloaded, he says "ok", and you walk allllllllllllllllllllllll the way back to the counter. Then you wait for your bag to be special zapped/screened behind the wall, and the TSA hermit comes out to give you a thumbs up--like you're extra special dangerous if you're going through all the rigormoro checking a gun.

At MCO (Orlando), they make you show the gun at the counter (in the box), walk over to a special X-ray machine to zap your bag, then wait for an "all clear" from the elite bag zapping TSA crew.

Portland, ME gave absolutely no issues...didn't even want to see the case in my bag. Just sign the card and put it in the bag, and walk away.
 
very weird...

usually you have to open your suitcase and put the signed form next to the locked hard side container, not inside of it.

which airline?
American. On the way out, Myrtle Beach put the form inside the box and taped an "Unloaded Firearm(s)" sign on the box.
 
I fly out of Concord, NC on Allegiant often. They give absolutely no issue at all. THey've never asked to open the box to "verify that the gun is unloaded." I just sign the little slip and put it in the suitcase. Off it goes behind the curtain to see the wizard.

At CLT, you have to be escorted by a TSA staffer allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way to the far let of the check-in area to the pilot/crew check-in (pain in the ass if you're flying SWA as they're on the far extreme right of the check-in concourse). You go in, open the bag, open the box, show the expert-in-TSA-blue that the gun is unloaded, he says "ok", and you walk allllllllllllllllllllllll the way back to the counter. Then you wait for your bag to be special zapped/screened behind the wall, and the TSA hermit comes out to give you a thumbs up--like you're extra special dangerous if you're going through all the rigormoro checking a gun.

Good to know. My wife and I did not fly from 2002-2018 until my wife convinced me to go on a cruise out of Tampa. Since I used to live in St. Petersburg, and Allegiant flys from Concord to PIE, I decided to try them.
The low fare price was also a big factor. I was prepared for a nightmare scenario with the TSA.

Basically being newbies all over again, my wife and I tried to take her mega-Oz bottles of lotion, bug spray, etc. thru the security checkpoint.
We had our plastic baggies with all the little ones in our carryon luggage but of course a week trip with a woman....

Needless to say, we were immediately flagged for said mega-Bottles of lotion and aerosol bug spray (the horror!) packed just for the jungles of Belize....but I tell you right now, the TSA people at that airport were the most
kind, professional, and accommodating security people I have ever encountered. They allowed us (me) to take said offensive dangerous liquids and check the bags, then return thru security.

I wondered how they would have dealt with a firearm. I know that in CLT, having a gun in a carry-on is an arrestable offense, but somehow I think these people would know how to deal with it slightly better.
 
You are exactly right. Everything that is an arrestable offense doesn't have to end in an arrest. Most security and LEs are as nice as you let them be.
 
You guys should try flying with a competition grade shotgun. Not only is the gun itself suspect but the tube set (for shooting the smaller gauges) are treated as an individual firearm and there are 6 (six) of them...... Then let's talk about a backup gun set.... No damned wonder I have grey hair!!!
 
I did get special treatment at the arrival gate one time. I think it was Southwest arriving in Oregon. My bag never appeared on the carousel. As I'm running around searching and thinking someone stole it here comes a TSA troll to hand deliver it to me and escort me to the airport exit.
 
I did get special treatment at the arrival gate one time. I think it was Southwest arriving in Oregon. My bag never appeared on the carousel. As I'm running around searching and thinking someone stole it here comes a TSA troll to hand deliver it to me and escort me to the airport exit.
I picture a Vogon from the most recent film adaptation of HGTTG. Complete with the leather suit and randomly shooting laser.
 
My mother was in town for a visit recently and needed to borrow a backpack from me at the last minute for the trip home.. I checked it and checked it again but low and behold Wilmington TSA found my loaded spare mag that I had been looking for for a few months in the borrowed backpack in a secret pocket..

The amazing thing to me is that she actually made her flight after getting the TSA colonoscopy and apologized to me that I couldn't get my mag back.:p
 
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I used to fly weekly for business. Often enough to where I knew the TSA agents by name. This was in Lansing, MI. One counter lady that I checked in with EVERY week would flip out EVERY week and say "we don't get guns checked here often, I need to call the supervisor to make sure it's OK.". Every week. Then, she would flip out when the supervisor would have me open the locked box to "inspect" it asking me to be sure it "didn't go off".

So, one week I had the brilliant idea to calm her nerves somewhat. I field stripped the pistol. Separated the frame, slide, barrel, etc. and locked the components into the box. When I opened it for "inspection", the lady insisted she had no way of knowing if it was unloaded...and actually requested I put it back together so she could make sure it was not loaded.
 
I flew Delta once from Fayetteville and even after showing the baggage moron the printed policy from Delta's website, he insisted he had to place a large white sticker on the outside of my bag. I told him loudly so everyone could hear, "That's fine, even though you're violating your own company's rules. If my firearm is stolen, the first person I'll point the ATF to is you."
My pistol arrived unmolested in Scranton PA.


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