Be sure to pack a gun when flying?

[Casimer]

Here's some interesting advice..

From Top 10 Strategies for Surviving Airports and Airplanes

7. Pack a Starter Pistol (or Actual Gun) to Protect Valuables

Some savvy photographers have been using the tip that security expert Bruce Schneier suggests: pack a starter pistol in the same bag as your professional camera or other valuable equipment. You'll have to sign a card and declare the pistol, which counts as a gun under TSA regulations, but your firearm—and the other gear with it—gets some extra-special attention and storage during the flight. Now, a few huge disclaimers here—buying a firearm, even a starter pistol, is nothing to take too lightly, and if you're in a rush, it's probably not the most efficient way through security. But if you've got valuables you have no other way of transporting, it's worth looking into. Photo by Vince Alongi. (Original post)

Here's a fuller explanation - http://lifehacker.com/5448014/pack-a-gun-to-protect-valuables-from-airline-theft-or-loss

 

[ClydeFrog]

old chestnuts....

The "buy a starter pistol" bit is going to be somewhat dated as time goes by as fewer & fewer starter guns are made or sold.
Due to increased security & TSA concerns world-wide, newer "starter pistols" that are NOT working firearms or meet the same legal guidelines are now on the market. These new sporting devices are safe & include a bright flashing light to signal athletes as well as a loud noise.
Older firearm type starter guns may be around for awhile but I wouldn't rely on the "advice" for gear or firearms.
In my area, the ATF & FBI investigated and prosecuted groups of TSA & airline workers who IDed weapons by tags then stole them for networks in PR & Mexico. It was a big scandal that involved many layers of air industry workers.

 

[wally626]

The basic idea is if the case contains a "gun" then you can put a non TSA lock on it. On the one hand it makes it harder to break into, but the thief looking for non-TSA locks will also know it contains a gun making it a more tempting target.

 

[JohnKSa]

...but your firearm—and the other gear with it—gets some extra-special attention and storage during the flight.

Regulations prevent the airlines or TSA from marking the bag after it's been inspected to verify that the gun inside is being transported legally. Which brings up the question--How would they make sure it gets "extra-special attention and storage" if no one can tell from the outside that there's a gun inside?

 

[Crazy Carl]

I frequently deployed with 2 or 3 man teams, with our weapons. TSA may not be allowed to mark them, but danged if they didn't get me & my baggage some extra attention every time I flew into Stuttgart or Paris.

 

[Evyl Robot]

Sounds like it may be worth doing a little extra homework on.

 

[ClydeFrog]

TSA approved vs non-TSA locks for firearms & ammunition...

I'm not a regular airline passenger or " frequent flyer, " but to my knowledge, you are required by TSA/FAA regs & airline SOPs to use a TSA type lock for unloaded firearms that you declare & get tags on. I went through Southwest in the summer of 2007 with my Ruger GPNY .38spl this way w/o any problems. Air travel(for private citizens) with firearms/gear/ammunition shouldn't be complex or a major hassle.
Any changes or regulation issues that occur should be made clear by the TSA, FAA and/or the US airline.

 

[ScottRiqui]

but to my knowledge, you are required by TSA/FAA regs & airline SOPs to use a TSA type lock for unloaded firearms that you declare & get tags on.

The guidance on this isn't crystal-clear at the federal level. From the TSA website:

"The firearm must be in a hard-sided container. The container must be locked. A locked container is defined as one that completely secures the firearm from access by anyone other than you."

That would suggest to me that TSA-approved locks are NOT suitable, since anyone with a TSA key can open them.

Some airlines have more specific guidance. The United Airlines regulations, for example, specifically state that TSA locks are not approved for securing firearms, but American Airlines' site says that "TSA-approved locks are now accepted". (Assuming that's not a typo - it could be that they meant to type "not" instead of "now".)

Further, if you have the locked gun case inside another bag, I think that the outer bag must be locked as well, and for that lock you might have to use a TSA-approved model.

The rules notwithstanding, my best suggestion would be to have a couple of each type of lock handy, since even a lowly ticket agent can really mess up your plans if they interpret the rules differently/incorrectly.

 

[obiwan1]

Don't use TSA locks on either your gun case or your outer bag. Once you've cleared the bag at TSA, probably in your presence, no one has any legal reason to go in your bag.

 

[NavyLT]

What a whole bunch of gibberish on this thread!

1. The only extra screening and care luggage that has a firearm inside gets is screening by TSA to ensure the gun is unloaded/packaged according to regulations. Beyond that, marking luggage in a way to indicate that it contains a firearm is illegal, because that INCREASES the chance of theft! My bags containing firearms have always come out on the carousal with all my other bags. Once in a while, there will be a TSA sticker on my bag, which only means that TSA was in my luggage, but would not indicate any reason - it could be for random screening, or because they thought they saw something else.

2. A TSA lock is NOT approved for locking the case the firearm is in. Federal regulations (posted above) are very clear on that. But this is ONLY true for the actual firearm case itself and not for the luggage it is in. The firearms declaration tag goes inside your luggage, near but not in the locked firearms case. That way when TSA opens your luggage and finds both the case and the declaration, they know they can leave your locked firearms case alone and not force their way into it. If you are sending just the firearms case by itself, not in any type of luggage, then the declaration tag goes inside the case, because they cannot mark the outside in any way to indicate a gun.

3. As far as I know, you can put whatever kind of lock you like on your regular luggage - and the presence of the locked firearms case in #2 above has absolutely no bearing on that whatsoever. HOWEVER, if you do not use a TSA approved lock, and TSA wants to get inside your bag, they will do so. And they will do so by whatever means are neccessary to do so. If you use a standard lock and they want to get inside, typically you will find your lock in a couple of pieces inside your luggage and a TSA sticker/marker on the outside. I have also found TSA leaflets on the inside of my luggage as well, saying we were in here for inspection.

So, to sum up my humble opinion.... the presence of a gun does nothing to increase the security of your luggage in general. Lock the gun case with a non-TSA lock that the Federal regulations require. Unless you desire the TSA to enter your luggage forcefully, use a TSA lock on your luggage.

 

[Jim March]

Actually, they CAN identify bags containing guns - via an X-ray machine. That "firearms declaration form" you fill out and put inside the case shows up dead clear under an X-ray, as it's designed to.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Yes, bags with guns get special attention - such that one I had with three handguns in it, disappeared into the void for a few days.

They were in a nice gun case - yes, probably identifiable as such but that's the way, I sent them and my related gear.

When they didn't arrive, I told the airline rep. to call the law and the feds as someone in their organization now had three stolen firearms.

I wanted to make a formal complaint. Well, they found the guns three days later. They told me that the reason they didn't make it was that:

1. The plane was overweight.
2. Since guns are dangerous, they put they reduced weight by putting the dangerous guns on another plane.

So, get special attention - yeah, right.