TSA Guidelines for Flying with Firearms and Ammunition
If you will be flying with firearms this summer, you should read this article. You need to familiarize yourself with current Federal Regulations on gun transport before you get anywhere near an airport. Thankfully, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a web page that states the important requirements for airline passengers traveling with firearms and/or ammunition.
You’ll want to visit the TSA Firearms and Ammunition webpage, and read it start to finish. In addition, before your trip, you should check the regulations of the airline(s) with which you will fly. Some airlines have special requirements, such as weight restrictions.
Here are the TSA’s key guidelines for travel with firearms:
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1. All firearms* must be declared to the airline during the ticket counter check-in process.
– The frame or receiver of any such weapon. – Any firearm muffler or firearm silencer. – Any destructive device. 2. The firearm must be unloaded. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 – “A loaded firearm means a firearm that has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm.” 3. The firearm must be in a hard-sided container that is locked. A locked container is defined as one that completely secures the firearm from being accessed. Locked cases that can be pulled open with little effort cannot be brought aboard the aircraft. 4. If firearms are not properly declared or packaged, TSA will provide the checked bag to law enforcement for resolution with the airline. If the issue is resolved, law enforcement will release the bag to TSA so screening may be completed. 5. TSA must resolve all alarms in checked baggage. If a locked container containing a firearm alarms, TSA will contact the airline, who will make a reasonable attempt to contact the owner and advise the passenger to go to the screening location. If contact is not made, the container will not be placed on the aircraft. 6. If a locked container alarms during screening and is not marked as containing a declared firearm, TSA will cut the lock in order to resolve the alarm. 7. Travelers should remain in the area designated by the aircraft operator or TSA representative to take the key back after the container is cleared for transportation. 8. Travelers must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. 9. Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. 10. Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber for a rifle or pistol and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as it follows the packing guidelines described above. 11. TSA prohibits black powder or percussion caps used with black-powder. 12. Rifle scopes are not prohibited in carry-on bags and do not need to be in the hard-sided, locked checked bag. |
More Airline Travel Tips from Tom McHale
Tom McHale has written an excellent article for the Beretta Blog, Ten Things You Need to Know about Flying with Guns. We suggest you visit the Beretta Blog to read this informative story. Here are two of Tom McHale’s Travel Tips:Weigh your gun case and ammunition
Most airlines will allow up to 11 pounds of ammunition. And, like any luggage, you will be charged more for any baggage weighing more than 50 pounds. This sounds like a lot, but when traveling to the Crimson Trace Midnight 3 Gun competition last year, my case with shotgun, rifle, pistol and ammunition tipped the scale past the 50 pound mark.Pack ammo in the same locking case
This is another area that’s misunderstood and full of internet myth. Your ammo just needs to be stored in some type of safe container and not loose. Technically, you can keep ammunition in magazines, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It meets the letter of the law storage requirement, but too many airline and TSA agents will give you grief. Use a plastic ammo box or original cardboard packaging and you’ll be fine carrying that in the same lockable case as your gun.
*Please see, United States Code, Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 44 for information about firearm definitions.
I suggest one make a copy of the rules posted and keep it with them. I had a scope in my carry on luggage and when I went through the inspection line there was a hullabaloo about it. The TSA people on the line said it was a gun part. They were going to have to call the local police, etc. Fortunately, I was able to talk with a supervisor and get things cooled down and get to the plane in time. I later went on the TSA website and found out rifle scopes were alright for carry on. You can come to your own conclusions.
TA
The Police state is not coming, it’s here…
I was traveling before 911 with a bullet mold in my carry on. went through I airport no problem second airport said I had to check because it was a gun part. how do they think I’m going to melt lead, machine a gun, do a reload on a hour and half flight? but if I said I was a sinker mold it would have been no problem
Security Theater is great. I hope people feel safer because TSA controls aren’t effective.
Note to all: TSA Agents are NOT MENSA candidates. Bring copies of ALL TSA Published Rules, relative to EVERYTHING that you are bringing on Board OR Checking in, to avoid unnecessary hassles (and pray that they can 1) READ and 2) Understand, ENGLISH)!
Also be prepared to have the rest of your checked on baggage ransacked by the TSA,
Hope your flight doesn’t leave the US cause the info above has a number of errors
If flying international, you will need a variety of different steps.
Check with your airline carrier and destination rules.
Most international process is the same.
The info above is really different.
YMMV.
Jerry
PS I am in Canada so if flying into Ottawa.. do the research.
The 12 guidelines are reprinted directly from the TSA web page here: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition
These may not govern international travel, but they correctly represent U.S. Federal policies with respect to domestic (inside USA) travel.