Flying with a firearm in checked baggage.

Today I had to catch a few different flights to make it home (northern Michigan) for my parents 36th wedding anniversary, and I really wanted to bring my carry gun with me, as I don’t like to be without it. I did some reading about flying with a firearm in checked baggage, and I read some real horror stories.

One thing that tripped me up, was the giant “Firearms Prohibited” sign that I drive past every time I enter any entrance of RDU.

I called the general information line at RDU and asked about any procedures for flying with a firearm, and the lady on the phone totally dispelled any concern that I had by telling me to just follow the TSA and my airlines guidelines, and its no big deal.

Read the TSA guidelines and packed everything accordingly. I ended up using a small steel lock box that I keep in my car for securing handguns. This box has a braided steel cable that I wrapped around the frame of my luggage to keep everything together should the bag get opened, and to deter any theft attempts.

I was able to fit my Glock 19, two magazines, and two 25rd boxes of Hornady Tap FPD 124gr 9mm in the locked box. I was hoping for three magazines, as I would like to catch an IDPA match while I’m home, but that’s another story. I field stripped the pistol, just in case they wanted to verify it was unloaded, it would keep them from waving it around in the airport and causing a scene.

Anyways, I printed several copies of both the airlines regulations, and the TSA regulations, and placed one copy of each in my luggage, in the locked pistol case, and kept one of each on my person. Maybe that was overkill, but I wanted to make sure I had them if needed.

This morning I arrived at RDU with everything packed to TSA guidelines, and approached the ticked counter. I was greeted with a “Good morning” by the ticket agent, and I replied “Good morning to you, I have a locked, unloaded firearm to declare”. I was more than a little nervous, but it didn’t even phase the ticket agent. “Ok” he said, and he handed me a slip to sign declaring that it was unloaded, and asked me to place it inside the locked container with the pistol. He actually had a stack of the cards right next to his computer, leading me to believe a lot of people must fly with firearms. Now, I’ve read in several places online that the card is supposed to be inside the luggage, but outside the locked container, but the ticket agent seemed to know what he was doing, so I didn’t want to argue. After paying for my checked bag, the ticket agent called someone, and told them that he would be sending them a passenger with a weapon to check. He then handed me my receipt, and sent me down to the oversized baggage area where a TSA agent was waiting.

I greeted the TSA agent, and immediately informed him that the ticket agent had me place the declaration form inside the locked case, and the TSA agent said that did not matter, only mattered that I had it. Awesome. He personally looked through, and swabbed my luggage down, then closed it up, and sent me on my way. He didn’t ask to see the pistol, or even have me open the case. He did praise me on how well, and securely it was packed, with the steel cable locking it to the luggage frame. He then released the bag back to the airline, and sent me on my way.

It was truly a painless process. It was very routine, and it wasn’t a big deal to anyone. I fly back to RDU later this week from GRR, so I will report back again on how it goes with them.