Flying with rifle and ammo

[weekender7]

I have never had a single person check my ammo. As long as they aren’t loose in the gun case or loaded in the magazine, it shouldnt matter

You Sir are a lucky traveler. I get checked ammo and firearm EVERY trip.

 

[hereinaz]

Airline has never looked at rifle case in the few times I have flown. Only weighed it and had me sign the form to put inside. Then walk me to TSA.

TSA has opened it to swab for bombs at some airports. The last time I flew, they didn’t even open the case, TSA had a new xray or scanner.

I packed ammo in my rifle case, never had an issue.

 

[hereinaz]

This is a great idea!

Agree, Apple tag in the bag is gonna happen.

Hmmm, maybe I may just put one inside the stock of the rifle…

 

[eaglemountainman]

Just check ammo in factory box or container specifically made for ammo. Pack your soft ammo wallet empty; I would not risk the hassle.

THIS^^^^^^^

Ammo in the wallet might be inviting problems.

 

[Cdnance]

My wife and I just flew American Airlines to Alberta. Going to, we had the ammo in the rifle case in its original box with cutouts in the foam for each separate box as we have many times before. On the return to the states, we were made to take the ammo out of rifle case a put it in a soft duffle bag, far less secure than it had been. The AA agent was obliviously new, ask her colleagues, was told it was good the way we had it in the rifle case, still made us shift to the duffle.

Unfortunately this kind of thing happens too often. I’ve had to explain the rules and regulations and even the airline requirements to some of the agents before. I usually try to keep it pulled up on a tab on my phone when traveling for that very reason.
I’ve even had my rifle come out on the general carousel a few different times.

 

[Cdnance]

I have never had a single person check my ammo. As long as they aren’t loose in the gun case or loaded in the magazine, it shouldnt matter

You can have it in the magazine as long as it has a cover on it. Kinda like the magpul gen 3 maybe? Just need a cap.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

I keep mine in a factory box and put that in a small Pelican type case in my checked bag. It can't be in the same case as the rifle. At least on Alaska Airlines.

When did Alaska change this? I flew Christmas break with magazines full of ammo in same case as my handguN.

 

[Cdnance]

Guessing it was just the counter agent. They typically don’t know their own rules.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

You Sir are a lucky traveler. I get checked ammo and firearm EVERY trip.

I probably fly with a firearm 5-8 times a year…

 

[PredatorSlayer]

In fact, I am typing this in the airport as we speak and just check a hunting rifle and handgun with the case full of ammo and they didnt even looked in the gun case. Just told me to slip the form in there and lock it up

 

[AK Troutbum]

I've flown a couple times with my rifle in a Pelican case along with the ammo in plastic containers.

Has anyone done the same but with a soft ammo wallet?

I’m flying right now with firearms and ammo, but ammo is in the original box or hard plastic ammo box, never in a soft ammo container.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mangata]

Good information to know. I was under the impression that ammo could not travel in gun case.
I fly monthly with rifle and have always packed ammo in separate checked bag. I am asked each trip if there is ammunition in the gun case as well if gun is loaded. Departed Kodiak yesterday and TSA had me unlock my case to check contents which I find is SOP for Kodiak. Fairbanks uses X-ray screening so case stays locked throughout. I will ask about ammunition in rifle case at both ends on my April trip.

 

[TheCougar]

fwiw, the other thing I do is discreetly place an Air Tag in my gun case and checked baggage. Gives me peace of mind to see if they make it on the plane and where they might be in the airport.

I do an AirTag as well. I won’t board until the gun is in the cargo bay.

 

[TheCougar]

fwiw, the other thing I do is discreetly place an Air Tag in my gun case and checked baggage. Gives me peace of mind to see if they make it on the plane and where they might be in the airport

I can’t speak for other airlines, but United has a baggage tracking system that is really good.
You can track the progress of the bag from the time you check it at the counter. When the baggage handlers scan it on the loader when putting it in the belly of the plane, you will see it in the United app as loaded on the plane. I’ve found it to be 100% accurate so far. I have yet to run into a problem, but it still watch it like a hawk.

 

[Macintosh]

This is whats on the tsa website verbatim:

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 (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal box specifically designed to carry ammunition and declared to your airline.
Ammunition may be transported in the same hard-sided, locked case as a firearm if it has been packed as described above. You cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they completely enclose the ammunition. Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be boxed or included within a hard-sided, locked case.
Please check with your airline for quantity limits for ammunition.

This reads to me as if it prohibits ammo in a wallet (not fiber, wood, plasticor metal, and not a "box"), regardless of whether it is in a hard case or not. The one thing that seems universal is that tsa and airlines will interpret the rules differently. I would be extremely wary of counting on the airline or tsa to follow their rules to the letter. At a minimum it's easy to interpret this as such, so you should be prepared for someone to demand different packaging other than the wallet. United airlines has had an 11lb limit for quite a while. I personally watched a dude get turned around becasue he did NOT have TSA locks on his rifle case, and I have also had TSA agents tell me they would not allow me to use TSA locks becasue I was the only one who was supposed to have access to unlock the case. After that, I started using my locks, but packing a set of TSA locks inside the case just in case. I have always used manufacturer ammo boxes (20-round cardboard box with the plastic shellholders inside) placed inside the gun case within their own cutouts in the foam, I've been inspected every time and no one has batted an eye at this.

 

[IdahoBeav]

Just check ammo in factory box or container specifically made for ammo. Pack your soft ammo wallet empty; I would not risk the hassle.

When I fly with my carry pistol, I just pull mag and clear the action at home, leave the mags loaded in the same case, and I put the loose +1 round under the foam on the back side of the case.

 

[Macintosh]

When I fly with my carry pistol, I just pull mag and clear the action at home, leave the mags loaded in the same case, and I put the loose +1 round under the foam on the back side of the case.

As I understand it this clearly does not meet the TSA regs. Do you think this is them simply not realizing the extra round is loose in the case?

Whether mags need to be “capped” or not in order to meet the “fully enclosed” requirement is a grey area that a gate agent or tsa agent could go either way on, but the loose round clearly isnt boxed.

 

[chanson_roland]

This is a great idea!

Yep, I do the same. Tape it to the inside of the case under the foam. You can also get hard cases for the airtag to make sure it's protected.

Nothing like landing and seeing your bag make its way to baggage claim as you walk through the airport.

 

[cowdisciple]

My wife and I just flew American Airlines to Alberta. Going to, we had the ammo in the rifle case in its original box with cutouts in the foam for each separate box as we have many times before. On the return to the states, we were made to take the ammo out of rifle case an put it in a soft duffle bag, far less secure than it had been. The AA agent was obliviously new, ask her colleagues, was told it was good the way we had it in the rifle case, still made us shift to the duffle.

A lot of the agents don't know their own rules surrounding firearms. It's really frustrating, because even with a copy of the actual rules you generally can't change their minds and they'll just do whatever they were going to do anyway. Also frustratingly true for shipping firearms.

 

[UKwildcatfan]

Have flown a 100 or so times with firearms the past 30 yrs. I always carry the latest airline requirements. Rules change. Some agents like to make up their own rules. Had an issue with a SW agent at BWI (show me the firearm is unloaded). Got the supervisor involved. She said we've always done that. Handed her the SW requirements and told her to call her boss if she didn't agree. This wasn't long after a elk hunter fired his rifle in the Denver airport showing it was "unloaded".
I always pack ammo separately.
Had a Northwest agent in Louisville that wasn't going to allow my plastic box of handloads to pass because it wasn't the "original" box. Then my Tufpack gun case wasn't an approved gun case per her. Asked her what's an approved gun case. She said one that locks. I lost it and said you frigging idiot, you watched me unlock it to put the firearm declaration in it, and then lock it back. She had to call a supervisor in Minnespolis. 5:30 am Louisville airport, I was ready to kill someone.