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3DocPop
PostPosted: Wed May 31, 2006 9:39 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: California

I am looking for advice, and experience with getting firearms safely transported through the air. Joining the Kansas 16'ers hunt this fall, and need to get my shotguns there. Taking the Ithaca M37, and the soon to arrive Sterly, both 16's. I have a Kalispel 2 shotgun, breakdown case that I just picked up.

I am reasonably familiar with the guidelines posted on airline sites, I just do not want to run into some airline clerk that has NO experience, because that would make two of us!! Anyway, I appreciate any and all recommendations as to which airlines are friendly towards our needs, and which to avoid. Or, should I FedEx/UPS/DHL to Kansas and pick them up there?

Thanks in advance.
3DocPop
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Wolfchief
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:29 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Posts: 782
Location: Indiana

Might be simpler to Fed Ex and pick 'em up in Kansas....I did that on a N. Dakota prairie dog hunt several years ago....took the hassle right out of it.....

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Steve Smith
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 8:31 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 29
Location: Traverse City, MI

I do quite a bit of flying with guns, and I've never had a problem getting one through. (Hint: At the counter, always say, "I'd like to declare a firearm," not, "I gotta gun." I did that once. Once.)

The law says you can ship a gun to yourself ahead of time, as long as you are the one who opens the box, at least that's what I make of it off the BATFE website's FAQ's. I like to UPS or FedEx guns ahead if I can because the airline baggage weight restrictions domestically are now set at 50 pounds per bag, two bags per passenger, and they enforce it -- 51 pounds and you pay $25 extra. Because hunting stuff is heavy, a gun case and one bag usually means the bag's overweight. What I'll do often is UPS my gun ahead as well as the ammunition (separate boxes), and then when I get back home, I'll have a call tag issued and the company will go pick up the gun. I leave any unused shotshells behind because I may come back someday. A friend of mine in Montana has about nine boxes of 16's I've left over the years, so I don't take any with me when I go there.

Of course, don't take a gun to Mexico unless you feel the need to donate it to the Federales' Retirement Fund, register your guns with US Customs before you take any international trip, and remember that you can carry ammuntiion for your gun in your checked baggage as long as it's in the maker's box and the box is taped shut. I think the total weight of the shells can't be over something like 11 pounds, but I've never been checked.

Hope this helps.

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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:14 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Glendale, AZ

3Doc and I have discussed this some and all the thoughts/experiences of others will be most helpful. I've personally found, esp. in the fall and headed toward pheasant country, Northwest and Continental to be pretty 'gun friendly' at the counter. Have a hard copy of THAT airline's rules in hand and if the ticket agent is clueless, ask for a supervisor. BE SURE the tag documenting an unloaded gun is placed INSIDE the case-NOT outside (as in PLEASE STEAL ME) THEN you can lock the case. I suggested to Stan placing some decals or stencil something like 'Stan's Engineering and Survey' on the case and beat up the outside alittle so it looks like it's flown alot. And the breakdown cases look less like GUN INSIDE. Stan's problem is likely to be leaving from CA-not returning home from the midwest.
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Steve Smith
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 9:17 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 29
Location: Traverse City, MI

My takedown Americase has "Smitty and the Polka Kings" painted on one side and: "Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Bar Mitzvahs" painted on the other.

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Coastie Chief
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 12:43 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Posts: 17
Location: South West Oregon

I just ordered a green Tuffpak, doesn't look like a guncase at all. Everybody thinks it has golf clubs in it. Golf.........can you imagine? What a silly game.(I know, it's heresy coming from a Scotsman) If you don't hit the little white ball you don't have to go find it!
BTW, the best way to knock over a bowling pin is with a .45
CC
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3DocPop
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:06 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: California

The Tuffpak looks pretty cool!

The Kalispel is an aluminum case, but without the pebble texture of other cases I looked at. Just plain sheet, with welded corners. It looks like it could be a tabletop display case for trade shows, etc. It also comes powder coated black, but more money, and not in stock when I bought.

I am definitely taking the Rev's suggestion of a decoy business name. The hardest part will be giving the thing some "character" Rolling Eyes

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks again.
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Twice Barrel
PostPosted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 7:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Leave it outside in the back yard and every time you walk by it give it a kick.

Should take the new off in a couple of months.
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:40 am  Reply with quote
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Another issue, and sorta on topic, is getting the pheasants home. 3Doc is going to have 10 or more pheasants that by law must still have a leg (for the spur) or neck (for the ring) attached (can't breast them out to save space) He'll need a cooler hard enough to survive the baggage gorillas that can also be securely closed but not locked. I've heard of guys losing Hallibut fillets coming home from Alaska and lake trout returning from Canada. AND you only get 2 checked bags (gun case and personal bag) I guess he could stuff them with his dirty clothes in his personal bag in xtra strength ziplock freezer bags? Or take the birds home in a cooler and I could UPS his personal bag from Phoenix?
Any ideas Question
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3DocPop
PostPosted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:51 pm  Reply with quote
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I talked to a friend this weekend, that I had not seen in a while. Cut to the chase - He is a world class pistol shooter, and has literally shot all over the world, nearly winning the Bianchi Cup one time.

One bit of advice he passed on that made a lot of sense is TRY to get a non-stop flight. All the less opportunity for precious cargo to go missing! Since non-stops to Kansas from California apparently do not exist, FedEx is looking better and better.

Anyway, he never had problems flying with his guns as checked baggage, but knows several that seemed to have trouble all the time.

3DocPop
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brdhnt
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:00 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 19 Aug 2005
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Location: Concordia, Kansas

I have never had any problems with Southwest Airlines. The biggest problem now is with the Thousands Standing Around (TSA) employees.

I have learned (the hard way) that when I check my gun at the baggage counter, I politely ask the ticket agent to have a TSA Supervisor meet me there. Then when the supervisor shows up, I explain that I have already checked my guns but want to be sure that the case is securely locked after inspection. It is also a good idea to mention to the TSA Supervisor at this point that since you are a hunter/shooter/reloader that there might be some residue on you baggage that will trigger the "bomb sensors".

Usually the Supervisor will walk your case through quickly and he will know which employee can handle checking guns. That way you don't have a GDY with a bronx accent holding up a foam cutout of a pistol and yelling "I have an undeclared gun here!" (Which happened to me coming back from the SHOT Show!

A tip for transporting your birds back. My vet is also a hunting buddy and I learned this from him. Vet's offices get a lot of medicine that is shipped in insulated containers. These are usually a very stout styrofoam cooler inside of a cardboard box. Place your shells, liquor, snacks etc. in this on the outbound trip and then use it for your birds on the return trip. We leave it open for inspection and then tape it shut in front of the before mentioned TSA Supervisor. We do the same on the return trip. Coming back from Alaska, it did cost us two trout filets (freely given to say thanks) to the TSA Supervisor who not only walked us through the process at the Seattle airport, but marked our cases with inspected, sealed, rush so that there was no chance that they would be opened when we changed planes in Denver and again in Dallas.

Another tip from years of transporting pheasants. If you clean the bird by cutting down the backbone, snip one leg off just above the spur, snip the other off just below the spur. Then snip off the very tip of the spur. It leaves the necessary identification and does not punch through the plastic bag. With the backbone cut out, the bird can be made into a neat package and a large number can be placed in the cooler.

Ask your vet if he gets containers like these and then ask him to save a couple for you.

TMB
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Last edited by brdhnt on Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
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onefunzr2
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:15 am  Reply with quote
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I had no problem flying with firearms on Delta on the domestic leg to Africa.

Personally, I would ship your shotguns using registered USPS. Much more secure and less expensive than big brown.
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525field
PostPosted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:36 pm  Reply with quote
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you wont have any proble getting your shotguns through in kansas just go to the ticket counter and give them your ID and they will give you your gun
Are you going into Wichata if so that time of year all you see in the airport is hunters
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3DocPop
PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:50 pm  Reply with quote
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A bit more information. Earlier in this thread, Steve Smith posted the following:

"The law says you can ship a gun to yourself ahead of time, as long as you are the one who opens the box, at least that's what I make of it off the BATFE website's FAQ's."

Pasting a link to the those FAQ's. They do indeed say you can ship a gun to yourself in care of another person, in the state you are going to hunt, and you are the only one allowed to open the case. Anyway, here is the link. http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b7

FAQ B7 is the specific one referenced above. A couple of others are pretty funny. For instance, it is illegal for a fugitive from justice to "legally receive or possess firearms and/or ammunition" Now, I know they had to put that in the law, just to CYA, but come on - give folks a LITTLE credit.

Thanks again for all the help, and suggestions. I am checking with the guide to confirm whether or not they will receive my shipment - as suggested several times above. The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of having my gun at the mercy of baggage handlers three times each way.

3Doc
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AmarilloMike
PostPosted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:44 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Posts: 370
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Last fall I flew from Amarillo-Texas to Dallas-Texas to Calgary-Alberta with two shotguns and three birddogs in two crates. I changed planes once.

The only trouble was the 16 gauge reloads I had in my suitcase were in plastic bags rather than a cardboard box. The TSA guy made me leave them in my truck and I bought 16s in Calgary and in Swift Current Saskatchewan.

I had the two guns in the Cabellas two-gun breakdown case. It is aluminum with piano hinge hinge an a 4 foot SS rod that went through the latches binding them in place. One padlock affixed it.

Thanks!

Mike
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