Shipping a long gun to and back to NY

[Openspaces]

Planning to fly up to visit some friends and wanted to squeeze in shooting while up there.

What’s everyone’s preferred method of transportation of rifles? And yes all rifles are NY compliant. Just wondering if anyone checks rifles at the airport or have them shipped to themselves, or other.

 

[flyfisherman]

Get in the baggage check line inside the airport, tell them it is a firearm and they will tag it to your destination. You sign an orange tag stating unloaded firearm and place it in the case. Use padlocks for the case - not TSA approved locks. Then walk over with the rifle in the case to the TSA room along the front wall (in Atlanta) across from the baggage check in and they will run it through a scanner. Rarely they may ask you to open it to inspect.
When you arrive, depending on the airport it either comes on the oversize bag carousel or you go to the baggage claim office. In Atlanta it comes off carousel 10. You have to show the checked bag claim check and your ID to claim the rifle.
The case has to be airline approved and have enough padlocks (usually 4) so that it can not be pried open. I believe TSA prefers you put the ammo in your checked luggage rather than in the case with the rifle.

 

[BHPSteel]

Just a hint here. If you're flying into one of the NYC airports - LaGuardia, JFK and possibly others, you ALSO need to pay particular attention and be in compliance with city and county laws. The five boroughs at least are far more restrictive than FOPA laws.

 

[gh1950]

I believe TSA prefers you put the ammo in your checked luggage rather than in the case with the rifle.

They don't just "prefer it", it's a rule.

Ammo doesn't have to be declared so it can go in checked baggage with the tidey whities.

I have flown around the United States with a long gun in checked baggage with no issues. But that was a while back, don't know if I would do that today, especially in NYC. Too many sticky fingers. However, in the spirit of truth and honesty, w-a-a-a-y back in the day I flew through La Guardia - so long ago, you didn't have to check guns, you could carry them on.

Another option is to mail it to yourself at the destination, "C/O whoever". Spendy, but registered mail is the safest way to ship anything.

 

[Mrs_Esterhouse]

They don't just "prefer it", it's a rule.

Ammo doesn't have to be declared so it can go in checked baggage with the tidey whities.

I have flown around the United States with a long gun in checked baggage with no issues. But that was a while back, don't know if I would do that today, especially in NYC. Too many sticky fingers. However, in the spirit of truth and honesty, w-a-a-a-y back in the day I flew through La Guardia - so long ago, you didn't have to check guns, you could carry them on.

Another option is to mail it to yourself at the destination, "C/O whoever". Spendy, but registered mail is the safest way to ship anything.

No, this is incorrect. Ammo can be in the locked gun case with the gun. I fly with secured, loaded mags next to my pistol all the time. Magazines count as "metal boxes".

Please see: "packaging ammunition" and "ammunition limits" sections below:

Special Baggage and Sports Equipment | Southwest Airlines

Discover what special baggage and sports equipment can go on Southwest flights. Read about our carryon and checked baggage policies for unique items.

www.southwest.com

Totally allowed:

These could be an issue since they are plastic and not metal:

 

[gh1950]

No, this is incorrect. Ammo can be in the locked gun case with the gun. I fly with secured, loaded mags next to my pistol all the time. They count as "metal boxes".

Please see: "packaging ammunition" and "ammunition limits" sections below:

Special Baggage and Sports Equipment | Southwest Airlines

Discover what special baggage and sports equipment can go on Southwest flights. Read about our carryon and checked baggage policies for unique items.

www.southwest.com

O.K. that's changed, because we always thought it strange we could put the ammo in our baggage.

But as I said, this was mostly all before TSA.

 

[gh1950]

But as I said, this was mostly all before TSA.

An idea of how long ago.

We had a group that went to Eastern Shore in Maryland to go goose hunting.

Maryland had adopted steel shot, Georgia had not, and was it was not federally required.

No one in Georgia carried steel shot. We knew we were going to get "tourist prices" if we waited until we got to the Eastern Shore.

So we got a local dealer to order a case of 3" steel shot. This was in the early days, and it was generally awful, but it had to be done.

I had this big, 3 suiter suitcase. I could put the whole case of steel shot in one side of that big ass suitcase. That was back in the day, no check baggage charge, no weight limit.

So we checked what must have been 40 pounds of steel shot loads into Atlanta in my suitcase. I think there was a limit of 4 boxes ( which I think still exists). We declared that we had ammunition in our luggage, the counter clerk asked "how much", with very straight faces, we said "4 boxes" - knowing he wasn't going to look, and apparently didn't think it odd that 4 boxes of ammo weighed nearly 50 lbs.

Any way, all of us and my suitcase ended up on the Eastern Shore, we had a most excellent time as we usually did, and our first exposure to steel shot showed how really badly it sucked. We could see it hit the geese, and they would fly away. Shots of that era were very limited in range, we just didn't know it yet.

 

[4ssss]

For all the anti gun legislation that NY has passed, like the "SAFE" act, I would leave the gun at home. All it takes is someone to complain, and you not knowing the law, or a piece of it when (not if) the cops show up. They don't have ranges up there better than here, believe me.

 

[Mrs_Esterhouse]

Sounds like people are trying to get you to cow to NY, Openspaces.

 

[Openspaces]

Interesting responses as expected. Not flying into the city but rather ROC. Really just wondered if everyone has had good experiences flying with their rifles or if shipping them is preferred.

May end up buying a rifle as well and wanted to make sure I actually receive it.