Air travel with a firearm

[Orion]

I just wonder what would happen if as some do place the ammo in a locked cash tin and placed in hold luggage the customs want to check it as per TSA guidelines when going to the US.

Probably wise to use TSA approved locks on all your luggage when flying into/over/from USA jurisdiction areas. They only cost a few quid on Ebay for the four tumbler combination padlocks, which also save faffing around with keys when having to present firearms/ammo to customs etc.for inspection in any areas of the world.

 

[tusker]

Im going to scotland next year and was going to go on the train but have been looking at flights from stansted with easyjet. What are the requirements for the rifle case? does it have to be airline approved?

I have an R93 and the original breakdown case it came with that does have locks on it. Really if I have to buy a pelicase or something just to go on the plane I may as well sit on the train for 5 hours as they are roughly the same price. Also on easyjet do I pack the ammunition with the rifle or is that a seperate bag. Flying with firearms is a minefield as I am discovering

Thanks guys

Your ammo must go in a locked box in your hold bagage. If you are going to travel regularly with firearms then a good case is an investment otherwise borrow one. My local gunshop (Rakers) hire me a Pelicase for a small fee. it is worth it as you wont believe what the bags handlers try to do to it.
Tusker

 

[Orion]

Also on easyjet do I pack the ammunition with the rifle or is that a seperate bag.

Your ammo must go in a locked box in your hold bagage.

That's not what it says in Easyjet's published T&Cs on their website:

"The ammunition may be packed with the firearm, providing it is securely boxed."

http://www.easyjet.com/en/dangerous-goods

I appreciate that there may be variations on this depending on the departure airport, but is there anything else that Easyjet themselves stipulate?

 

[Sikadave84]

I was hoping it could go with the rifle as flying to Scotland for 3 days I'm not going to have any hold luggage apart from my rifle! To be honest I'll probably go on the train and enjoy the scenery going up the west coast even if it does take 5 times as long, plus having lost luggage in airports before the thought of my rifle ending up on a flight to Tenerife isn't a good one. Cheers guys

 

[Orion]

I was hoping it could go with the rifle as flying to Scotland for 3 days I'm not going to have any hold luggage apart from my rifle! To be honest I'll probably go on the train and enjoy the scenery going up the west coast even if it does take 5 times as long, plus having lost luggage in airports before the thought of my rifle ending up on a flight to Tenerife isn't a good one.

Fair enough, but I'd almost be tempted to go the other way and put any or all of my other luggage in with the firearm! Anywhere in western Europe it's likely to be better looked after and signed in/signed out with the various handlers along the way, so overall much less chance of anything going astray.

 

[Sikadave84]

Fair enough, but I'd almost be tempted to go the other way and put any or all of my other luggage in with the firearm! Anywhere in western Europe it's likely to be better looked after and signed in/signed out with the various handlers along the way, so overall much less chance of anything going astray.

you are right that the chances are slim of it going missing, but I'd have to pay more money to check a bag in with it and then it's getting a lot more expensive. I just don't like the idea of handing an expensive rifle and scope over and praying that it gets on the right plane with me. I think it's my ocd haha

 

[McKenzie]

Why don't you just drive?

I do Edinburgh to London regularly in my car & it's usually about 7 hours (at relatively legal speeds) with a couple of stops & costs less than £50 in fuel each way with a full load.

 

[NorthDorset]

Hi North Dorset just read your page and it made me smile- if you offer accompanied stalking I would be very keen to learn from you.

Hi Basil. I haven't for a few years now. I do instruct at a club in Somerset and have been busy this last year or two getting a new range off the ground with all the restructuring that has required.

Thanks. Glad to have amused.

 

[Sikadave84]

Why don't you just drive?

I do Edinburgh to London regularly in my car & it's usually about 7 hours (at relatively legal speeds) with a couple of stops & costs less than £50 in fuel each way with a full load.

I would prefer to drive as ive never drove up to scotland but.....with a 4 litre V8 you can imagine the fuel costs

 

[Boarboy]

I travel four times each Winter to one or the other of the Baltic states each time there is a different procedure.
The average method is Cash box for ammo in my hold luggage and rifle, including the bolt, separately in a rigid secure, gun case.
This has to be declared when booking the flight, normally well before the due date.
Incidentally, EasyJet is one of the most efficient airlines I have used so far, and cheapest, to carry sporting rifles.

+ 1 eddy. It changes every time. And the staff seem to be none the wiser! I fly easyjet to Inverness often and there's always confusion. Best thing is to arrive early, declare that you have firearms, have your cash/ ammo box ready to go in or out of hold baggage as they phone back and forth and eventually make their minds up. Lately however, I've checked on my case, then firearm and ammo gone round to the seperate screening area and gone through as 2 individual parcels. So I suggest getting a strong ammo box, as its not always gone in my hold baggage.

 

[Dipper]

I recently flew out of Heathrow with Easyjet - whole faff about ammo even after I had checked with the 'outsize baggage' bloke what he wanted. In short - he told me to keep ammo with hold baggage and was very content with my metal box and ammo packaging, then bloke on the other side of the wall (that scan the baggage) phoned him to say he wanted to inspect the ammo as it hadn't been inside the rifle case (which seems barking mad to have the two together).

This bloke than appeared and told me that it should have gone with the rifle (which was now being loaded onto plane), and that as it wasn't then I should have the ammo contained in the manufacturers packaging (at this point my warning bells were sounding that the guy didn't have a clue). I explained that the manufactures packing was a thin cardboard box but he insisted that I had to have the ammo in this for travel - he refused to let the ammo fly as a result of me not having a Federal box. Given the choice of arguing for another 30 mins and missing plane, or giving in to somebody digging their heels about something they obviously knew little about there was unfortunately little choice but to give up.

+ 1 eddy. It changes every time. And the staff seem to be none the wiser! I fly easyjet to Inverness often and there's always confusion. Best thing is to arrive early, declare that you have firearms, have your cash/ ammo box ready to go in or out of hold baggage as they phone back and forth and eventually make their minds up. Lately however, I've checked on my case, then firearm and ammo gone round to the seperate screening area and gone through as 2 individual parcels. So I suggest getting a strong ammo box, as its not always gone in my hold baggage.

 

[devon deer stalker]

Ally H, sounds like you came up against the same type of guy i did!
Maybe even the same guy!
Cheers
Richard

 

[smullery]

I recently flew out of Heathrow with Easyjet - whole faff about ammo even after I had checked with the 'outsize baggage' bloke what he wanted. In short - he told me to keep ammo with hold baggage and was very content with my metal box and ammo packaging, then bloke on the other side of the wall (that scan the baggage) phoned him to say he wanted to inspect the ammo as it hadn't been inside the rifle case (which seems barking mad to have the two together).

This bloke than appeared and told me that it should have gone with the rifle (which was now being loaded onto plane), and that as it wasn't then I should have the ammo contained in the manufacturers packaging (at this point my warning bells were sounding that the guy didn't have a clue). I explained that the manufactures packing was a thin cardboard box but he insisted that I had to have the ammo in this for travel - he refused to let the ammo fly as a result of me not having a Federal box. Given the choice of arguing for another 30 mins and missing plane, or giving in to somebody digging their heels about something they obviously knew little about there was unfortunately little choice but to give up.

Always expect your ammo and rifle to be separate items, even if you are paying extra for them. I use a small Peli that I fit 6 boxes of ammo into "in manufacturers" boxes. What's in those boxes us a different matter. Weigh and weigh again, don't even get close to 5 Kg.

Now, what applies to the airline doesn't apply to the airport, nor does the outbound journey match your inbound.
If they want the ammo in your checked luggage you can put it in. If they want it in the hold then you should have a "small Peli". Just expect to go with the flow.

Expect the worst and things can only get better.

Stan

 

[Dipper]

Got my in out mixed - I was flying from Edinburgh to Heathrow; but yes, probably the same guy doing the rounds!

 

[Orion]

It appears that it would be prudent to print off and carry with you a copy of the carriers T&Cs and if possible anything similar relating to the authorities and airports requirements. Then produce them to any jobsworth who decided to go off piste!

This thing about ammo being in the manufacturer's packaging, (I note that Easyjet state, "A maximum of 5kgs of ammunition is permitted per passenger and it must be packed securely, ideally in the manufacturer's container"), runs out of steam when it comes to homeloads, where an MTM or similar box would surely suffice? Stick that as Stan suggests in a small foam lined Pelicase, and all eventualities should be covered.

 

[TH4]

I recently flew out of Heathrow with Easyjet - whole faff about ammo even after I had checked with the 'outsize baggage' bloke what he wanted. In short - he told me to keep ammo with hold baggage and was very content with my metal box and ammo packaging, then bloke on the other side of the wall (that scan the baggage) phoned him to say he wanted to inspect the ammo as it hadn't been inside the rifle case (which seems barking mad to have the two together).

This bloke than appeared and told me that it should have gone with the rifle (which was now being loaded onto plane), and that as it wasn't then I should have the ammo contained in the manufacturers packaging (at this point my warning bells were sounding that the guy didn't have a clue). I explained that the manufactures packing was a thin cardboard box but he insisted that I had to have the ammo in this for travel - he refused to let the ammo fly as a result of me not having a Federal box. Given the choice of arguing for another 30 mins and missing plane, or giving in to somebody digging their heels about something they obviously knew little about there was unfortunately little choice but to give up.

Where did you fly to from Heathrow with Easyjet ? Did not know they flew from Heathrow.

 

[Wrens Mews]

Where did you fly to from Heathrow with Easyjet ? Did not know they flew from Heathrow.

They don't!

 

[TH4]

They don't!

Rhetorical question, i have worked at Heathrow for 12 years. Wa hoping i had not gone blind or senile !!!!

 

[devon deer stalker]

It appears that it would be prudent to print off and carry with you a copy of the carriers T&Cs and if possible anything similar relating to the authorities and airports requirements. Then produce them to any jobsworth who decided to go off piste!

Correct, the first time with Delta i printed everything off, including emails from Delta, sod's law it went through without a hitch, they didn't even charge me for an extra bag, next time i didn't print anything off, my big mistake!

Cheers

Richard

 

[IanF]

Last african trip had me make up labels for my MTM boxes - Mbogo custom ammunition. This was then shrink-wrapped in clingfilm. Voila, original manufacturers boxes for my reloads. No problems.

Another flight to Italy had a last minute demand from the Alitalia desk that ammo should be packed in a metal container....... the assistant then produced a purpose made aluminium ammunition case, available to buy at £8 !!!!

Jumped at the chance and have used it since on many occasions.... including one trip to Canada that was blighted by finding out that a friend's 6PPC homeloads were still orbiting the carousel in Dortmund - as we landed in Alberta!

Best advice you have received so far is allow plenty of time to check in your luggage & carry printed extract from their T&Cs of carriage.

Arrive more than two hours before the flight - approach the desk and confirm you will be travelling with licensed sporting firearms (you HAVE previously advised them?!) ask as to the procedure for security handling with EasyJet. This normally results in the appropriate handler being located and brought to the check in. I then frequently get called to the front of the queue and luggage tagged before escorting the handler to customs/departures etc. as required.

Enjoy your trip! It is all good.

Ian