Flying with firearms and why it is a hateful thing...

[375win]

Whilst it is becoming ever more expensive and inconvenient, I for one will continue to travel with my rifle. Main reason is that I like it. Second reason is that the less people that do, the more this service risks being curtailed or abolished. Flight case in the overhead locker has served me for all my international travel.

 

[Skietindiekop]

We have shared cases when charges are applied. The 5kg ammunition limit should be enough for three taking 40 rounds each and a double rifle case also makes a big saving. Trigger locks and an external lock each covers the security requirements this end for sharing.

 

[Sika98k]

Good point: and one to remember for all fellow masochists.

Your post caused sufficient doubt for me to 'unpack', weigh the actual ammo. and check.

I think you will be impressed with my resolution to facilitate smooth passage through 'check in'....


View attachment 364144

I can only add that I’ve had grief weighing in at checkin. The ammunition, not myself. Those ammo cans weigh iirc 2.2 kgs. Now I have a rather gay plastic container in pink I got from Smartreloader. It stands out ! It is relatively much lighter.

 

[EMcC]

Good point: and one to remember for all fellow masochists.

Your post caused sufficient doubt for me to 'unpack', weigh the actual ammo. and check.

I think you will be impressed with my resolution to facilitate smooth passage through 'check in'....


View attachment 364144

This is what I use when travelling through airports.

 

[Stalker62]

Final fun fact before I throw a large G&T down my neck...


Despite the plethora of emails that BA will send you, telling you to 'check in' online...and the hour or so you will spend attempting to do so.



If you are travelling with firearms, you cannot do this, and you have to 'check in' in person, on the day of your flight.


Now.

Where did I put that lemon?

 

[csl]

This is what I use when travelling through airports.

Hi Eddy, is that a Lapua case I can see in your Norma box?



Just joking!

 

[EMcC]

Hi Eddy, is that a Lapua case I can see in your Norma box?



Just joking!

I have some very well loaded, 180grn .308 in Lapua cases, Cases given to me by a very good friend some years ago already used once with 150grn bullets to good effect and now loaded and packed in my other case ready for the driven season

 

[csl]

I have some very well loaded, 180grn .308 in Lapua cases, Cases given to me by a very good friend some years ago already used once with 150grn bullets to good effect and now loaded and packed in my other case ready for the driven season

Sounds good!

 

[Tinki]

Just back from SA , flying with virgin . No hassle at all with firearms . No extra cost . Everyone knew what they were doing . Dare i say it was as easy as checking in your hold luggage with an extra stop at customs . Straight forward both sides .
We heard all sorts of horror stories with BA (and no need to call them 3 days in advance to tell them ) . After my experience i am only traveling with VA from now on . Worth a look in the future for anyone going .

 

[Rory]

.

 

[Skinny Pete]

I was next in line at a Heathrow customs check when last flying out with firearms. Unfortunately for the gentleman in front of me ( not travelling with or known to me) he had failed to check the serial number on his licence matched his rifle. It didn't. More seriously though was the shooting jacket he was going to wear on the flight had a live round in the pocket , the same calibre as his rifle he was taking to Africa. This had been detected even before he reached customs so was not on a good footing already. Needles to say he didn't make his flights as it was a Sunday so no firearm departments open to verify the mistake with serial numbers.
Check , double check and then check again.

 

[Stalker62]

Border Force "Temporary Export of Firearms" Letter.

You will need one of these.


Obtained by emailing your request (see above) to the BF unit at the relevant port of embarkation. My experience with BF in relation to this additional piece of bureaucracy, (not of their making mind), was they were very helpful, and very quick.

Apply by email, they send you a stamped 'letter' to your H/A.

Nothing to do with UK law, but good luck trying to get a firearm into South Africa without it.

I think 50% weight of my luggage is paperwork and meds.!

 

[zambezi]

from SA , flying with virgin . No hassle at all with firearms

Mirrors my experiences on multiple trips.

And if you are hunting in Limpopo or similar area nearish to JNB, then your onward journey is by car. [Likewise, if landing in CPT you might drive to local west coast hunt areas.Langebaan for example]

But if your trip is based in the Eastern Cape, then you need to plan the domestic flight connection between CPT/JNB and PLZ where your PH will collect you. In this case be aware:

• NOT all domestic carriers accept firearms [using a travel agent to make booking is unwise IMO as they do not check firearms stipulations in detail]
• Domestic carriers that do take firearms may not guarantee that firearm is carried on your flight [limited secure-space of rifle case length on Embraer craft which make up much of the domestic fleet]
• Allow 2 hours ish to transition from arrival of international flight into CPT/JNB, process SAPS paperwork, walk firearm over to domestic terminal, check in with domestic carriage firearm handler and pay fee*

 

[Sika98k]

This is what I use when travelling through airports.

Good Lord Eddie ! That cartridge box is nearly the same age as yourself.

 

[NickJ]

I've always borrowed rifles in the past, however after an (in the end) hassle free trip with the rifle to Croatia this winter I was all ready to buy a Big Game rifle for our upcoming trip to Africa for a buffalo this June

We then learnt that the UK have an arms embargo with Zimbabwe so....back to borrowing

 

[maxtheflyinghorse]

When I moved to the states from the Uk I took 10
Of my guns with me. Shotguns and rifles. And it was the easiest and smoothest flight I ever had. I know it’s not the same as going for a hunt and coming back. Thanks to a couple of members here who guided me through. I took it with me as my luggage. They just charged me to extra luggage as I already had my personal luggage. It all costed me less than £650. The UK customs was surprised with the number of guns but they were super helpful. American customs were even more happier to see me moving in with firearms and was very welcoming. Except of lady officer asked why am i bringing so many guns. To which another officer replied. Why not? it’s his personal property and he just sorted it quicker. The ATF form which was approved was missing serial numbers. (ATF’s fault). The customs officer was like oh I will just write it myself don’t worry. And there I was all cleared and out of the airport. Knowing that I am an ex cop from UK they even asked why not join them but unfortunately they have an age gap of 36 and I’m 38 already. This was 9 months ago and two weeks ago when I came back from a holiday the same customs officer saw me and recognised me. Small
World.

 

[EMcC]

Good Lord Eddie ! That cartridge box is nearly the same age as yourself.

It was mostly black powder when I was young, or in some of the modern stuff in those days, strips of cordite if you could get it as most ammo in those days was going to the 2nd world War front

 

[TonyC]

Eddie
Thought you went back to bows and flint arrows

 

[EMcC]

Eddie
Thought you went back to bows and flint arrows

That was for the surfs Tony, we were a bit better off than them

 

[Heym SR20]

BA of course stands for “Bloody Awful”

I last flew with then in June 2016. I was flying back from London to Edinburgh with elderly father. Last flight of the day.

3 hours late to take off. And then when we arrived in Edinburgh after midnight it too two hours fir them to find a ladder to get us all unloaded.

It got to the stage where the Captain was so fedup with the incompetence of his employer that he gave out the CEOs email address over the address system so that all passengers could raise a complaint directly.

No compensation was forthcoming. They blaimed adverse weather. Meanwhile all the other flights from heathrow to Edinburgh that night were all on schedule.

When I lived down in Zambia in the early 1990’s BA had an appalling reputation. Most flew back to UK on Ethiopian, KLM or Lufthansa.