Florida trip soon - unsure of some things

[antimatter 139]

So i am leaving for florida this weekend as was thinking of bringing my Nano with me.  I have never travelled with a firearm thru an airport before (i do have my Florida CCW).  

I know that i need to keep ammo separate and declare the gun at check in.  can i transport in the original beretta case in my luggage or separate checked bag?  i just need a TSA approved lock correct?  

I was thinking of leaving it at home but now i want to bring it so i am scrambling for info.  

 

thanks All!

 

 

 

[carl_g 568]

Good Luck!

[Cereza 106]

So i am leaving for florida this weekend as was thinking of bringing my Nano with me.  I have never travelled with a firearm thru an airport before (i do have my Florida CCW).  

I know that i need to keep ammo separate and declare the gun at check in.  can i transport in the original beretta case in my luggage or separate checked bag?  i just need a TSA approved lock correct?  

I was thinking of leaving it at home but now i want to bring it so i am scrambling for info.  

 

thanks All!

 

Be very, very careful.

 

Read about what happened to Mia Higginbotham:

 

Higginbotham and her husband carefully researched the necessary legal requirements for transporting firearms on an airplane. The TSA states on its website that a gun must be unloaded and locked in a hard sided container, and transported as checked baggage only.

 

When Higginbotham took the gun to the airport it was in the originally manufactured box, in a hard non-crushable suitcase that had double locks on it. She declared it at the desk, and it passed the TSA x-ray screening.

 

A counter agent stopped them and said that the firearm must be in a metal box, even though the TSA never noted that on their website.

 

Higginbotham decided to surrender the gun, but during the time that she was looking for an alternative, the sergeant called a New Jersey prosecutor and told them to arrest Higginbotham.

 

Police officers arrested her in front of her daughter and husband for illegally possessing a gun that she legally owned.

 

Even though she broke no federal laws and only a second-degree state felony, her bail was set at $50,000 because of “the severity of the crime.”

 

Full story at: http://redalertpolitics.com/2015/09/29/nj-woman-arrested-illegally-possessing-gun-legally-owns/

 

NRA video here:

[GRIZ 3,369]

Google and read TSA requirement.

 

Gun must be in a locked hard case with lock. Not TSA lock. Only you have key. Have ammo in factory box. I usually put gun and ammo in locked hardsided case and put that into a Halliburton suitcase with a lock. Declare at counter (no curbside check in). Put card you get from airline clerk in case with gun. Lock it up. Wait for TSA check and go on your way. Takes maybe 5-10 minutes.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

I've done this a couple times with no issues.

 

You need a tsa-approved case.  Beretta box is not sufficient.

 

I use a Gunvault NanoVault 300 to transport - comes with a security cable you can use to secure it to your luggage.  You should not be required to unlock the case.  You need to go to the check-in counter (Not just the kiosks) and declare that you have a firearm (not a gun, not a weapon) in your checked luggage.  They may re-route you to a special needs/special access type counter.  Note - this takes some extra time so plan ahead accordingly.  I usually go an extra hour ahead just to be safe.  Make sure the pistol is unloaded.  Ammo must be kept in the lockbox as well - no loose rounds - must be in a box of some sort.  I keep it in the original box.

[67gtonut 847]

Google and read TSA requirement.

 

Gun must be in a locked hard case with lock. Not TSA lock. Only you have key. Have ammo in factory box. I usually put gun and ammo in locked hardsided case and put that into a Halliburton suitcase with a lock. Declare at counter (no curbside check in). Put card you get from airline clerk in case with gun. Lock it up. Wait for TSA check and go on your way. Takes maybe 5-10 minutes.

 

All this is correct....

 

Ammo does NOT need to be in a lock box , but in original package..... anywhere inside luggage is fine

 

I have had zero issues with United/Continental and JetBlue out of Newark.... figure additional 30min depending on back-up at counter and TSA X-ray

 

Coming home will be even easier..... Airports in Florida don't make you do walk of shame to separate TSA area... you just declare, place card on gun case and they take luggage right from counter area....

 

I would NOT bring a firearm anywhere near JFK or LGA

[NJGF 375]

I would NOT bring a firearm anywhere near JFK or LGA

 

And this can be a real problem if your return flight gets diverted to JFK or LGA. Do not take possession of the firearm and then take a cab/bus/train/car to NJ.

[Vlad G 345]

Everyone panics about this but lots of people fly with guns in and out of NJ. I've done it with no issues. Read the airline guidelines, read the TSA guidelines, and you should be fine.

[NJGF 375]

No Flying with Guns

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376076/no-flying-guns-charles-c-w-cooke

 

Unhappily, New York and New Jersey have been helped on their nasty little way by the Third Circuit, which ruled somewhat bizarrely in 2013 that a provision in FOPA that refers only to “vehicles” could not conceivably be held to apply to commercial aircraft. The case was brought by a man named Gregg Revell, a resident of Utah who was arrested by the New Jersey police while on his way to Allentown, Penn. At Newark Airport, Revell missed his connecting flight, necessitating a night’s stay in a hotel. As is standard procedure, he was given back his luggage for the evening and instructed to recheck it the next day. When he attempted to do precisely this, he was arrested — and charged with illegal possession of a firearm.

[antimatter 139]

Thanks all!

 

i am leaving out of Atlantic city (spirit) and heading to ft Myers.

Looks like I need a new case then. Still debating the whole thing.

Wife wants me to leave it home but we shall see. The ccw class was a present from her!

[10X 3,296]

Everyone panics about this but lots of people fly with guns in and out of NJ. I've done it with no issues. Read the airline guidelines, read the TSA guidelines, and you should be fine.

 

 

I recommend printing out a copy of the airline and TSA guidelines and bringing it along.    Occasionally you'll encounter an airline or TSA rep who doesn't know the regs, but is so sure they do they'll refuse to discuss it with you. Having something to show them helps.

 

Points of confusion often include whether or not the hard-shell case can be a hard-shell gun box inside a soft-sided suitcase (it can, but I've heard it argued that the outer suitcase must also be hard-sided), and when to use TSA locks vs. non-TSA locks.   The inner box is supposed to be locked with a non-TSA lock, but I've taken to traveling with one of each to avoid a missed flight while arguing over the lock language.

 

Ammo doesn't necessarily have to be in factory packaging, the guidelines for most airlines typically add an 'or equivalent' clause, so plastic ammo boxes are fine for transporting reloads.   A ziplock bag, not so much.

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Google and read TSA requirement.

 

Gun must be in a locked hard case with lock. Not TSA lock. Only you have key. Have ammo in factory box. I usually put gun and ammo in locked hardsided case and put that into a Halliburton suitcase with a lock. Declare at counter (no curbside check in). Put card you get from airline clerk in case with gun. Lock it up. Wait for TSA check and go on your way. Takes maybe 5-10 minutes.

 

This is mostly correct but the orange card they give you goes on top of the case with the gun, not inside it, as the inside is only accessible to you with a non-TSA lock.  I have flown out of Newark with a handgun many times, and the procedure has often varied.  I don't know about Atlantic City, but at Newark a TSA official comes over to the luggage counter after your declaration and leads you with your luggage to the TSA office.  They may or may not ask you for your key, but they generally inspect your gun, either visually or with an X-ray, then will come out and tell you it's OK to proceed to the gate.  

 

I would also recommend locking the slide back, and possibly even putting a chamber lock through it, so they can readily see that the gun is unlocked.  That last part is not required, but I've found it can be helpful. 

[GRIZ 3,369]

Please clear this up for me as I have never done this ss well....

"Put card you get from airline clerk in case with gun."

This is mostly correct but the orange card they give you goes on top of the case with the gun, not inside it, as the inside is only accessible to you with a non-TSA lock.  I have flown out of Newark with a handgun many times, and the procedure has often varied.  I don't know about Atlantic City, but at Newark a TSA official comes over to the luggage counter after your declaration and leads you with your luggage to the TSA office.  They may or may not ask you for your key, but they generally inspect your gun, either visually or with an X-ray, then will come out and tell you it's OK to proceed to the gate.  

 

I would also recommend locking the slide back, and possibly even putting a chamber lock through it, so they can readily see that the gun is unlocked.  That last part is not required, but I've found it can be helpful.

 

I prefaced my first response with read the TSA regs to keep it short. More details requested? I'll fill that request.

 

You go to counter. Tell clerk you have a firearm to declare. Show ID. I've always just shown drivers license. The clerk can ask to show the gun is unloaded. If so, do this low key and don't put the gun on the counter. You handle gun they don't. The only place I've ever had that happen is O'Hare.

 

The clerk has you sign a card that days "declared firearm". You sign it and I've always put it in the hard side case containing my firearm. Never had any problem with this. I do this so if the suitcase breaks open the card won't be lost. The "declared firearm" card is printed with metallic ink so it shows up on xray. No one is given the key or touches the firearm but you.

 

I have the locked hardsided case in an aluminum Haliburton that's locked. I have the locked hard sided case inside a locked hardsided case. This is not required but I've never had any issues.

 

You wait for or walk over with the airline rep to take your luggage to TSA. Sometimes they tell you to wait at the counter. Sometimes they tell you to walk over to TSA with them. When TSA says okay you then go through normal security screening. This is what I've done at least a dozen airports including Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK.

 

A friend who is a retired LEO living in FL and was flying out of LaGuardia had an incident at LaGuardia. PAPD asked him where he was coming from which was NYC. He showed them his credentials as required by LEOSA and that was the end of the conversation. I've flown out of there and the only ID I've ever shown was my drivers license and never had any encounter with PAPD. I think what PAPD is interested in is people who come to NY and stay in NY with their handgun. No inside info on this just an educated guess.

 

The only issue I ever had was in Kansas City. They have private screener not TSA when I was there. The guy insisted on me giving him the combo to the suitcase and key to the hard sided case containing the firearm. The suitcase was not in my sight. I told him I'd give him the combo but not the key as that was a violation of TSA regs. He said neither my suitcase or I was getting on that plane without him checking it. I told him I was willing to open it as long as I was there but I wasn't going to violate TSA regs. I said I would report him to TSA and they could review all the security camera videos of him opening firearms containers without the passenger present. The screener had a brief conference amongst themselves then took me and my suitcase to a private area where I could open everything and be present during the inspection.

[GRIZ 3,369]

My take on the Higginbottom case is she was using a hard sided suitcase with a zipper. TSA requires a hard sided case "not easily opened". I don't know what the prosecutor was smoking but she clearly fit and was complying with the moving exemption under NJ state law.

 

JMO

[njpilot 671]

http://www.ammoland.com/2016/11/flying-firearms-legal-brief-ep-18/?utm_source=Ammoland+Subscribers&utm_campaign=a69a689a5e-Monday_Morning_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6f6fac3eaa-a69a689a5e-20726709#axzz4PNQLt45R

[PK90 3,570]

Save yourself the aggravation and worry by just mailing it to yourself at your destination.

 

Sent from an undisclosed location via Tapatalk.

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Just got back from Florida.  Flew with my Springfield Armory 9 mm subcompact without incident.  As I've noted elsewhere, the procedure is slightly different every time I go.  I don't know if it varies with the airline, or if the procedures are constantly changing.  I know it definitely varies by location.

 

We flew Jet Blue out of Newark.  Checking in, I was led to a screening area near the check-in counter, where I waited just a few minutes for my bag to be x-rayed, and was quickly on my way.  Coming back from Fort Myers was even simpler.  After filling out the card (and placing it on top of the locked box in both instances), my bag was placed on the conveyer with all the others.  It took zero extra time, other than the few seconds to sign the card and place it in the suitcase.