Airline & TSA Approved Gun Cases

[Richard Flanders]

You can fly with all the ammo in your case that you please, as long as it's not over 5kg total as per international regs, and is in "packaging designed for the transportation of ammunition". It doesn't have to be in the original packaging as some ditzy airline folks would like to tell you. We dumped a bunch of loose ammo in a 5.65 NATO ammo can once and checked it through with no problem, though I think that was a rare occurrence as most would likely not allow it, despite it following the actual letter of the regs. I stuff my dbl Americase with shotgun ammo every time I travel.... every time... and have never been given a hassle. As for their inspections, sometimes they do it on a separate counter with you watching, sometimes in an open room where you can see what they're up to but are kept out by a little fence(Denver), and sometimes it's in a closed room where you can't see what's happening(Fairbanks)but give them the keys for the case. I never use TSA locks; you can use whatever you please in my experience. Only once have I had a bad experience at all. The guy tasked with inspecting my Americase was about to open it a way that would have dumped everything out of the open side, which would have made a horrible mess. Generally, you're told to not touch the case while they do this inspection but I sure had to holler at him to STOP while I told him how to open it. He was an arrogant prick too and clearly didn't know anything about what he was doing. Some places like to rip the entire protective nylon cover off the Americase, which is a real PITA. Those places always tell you that it's a requirement, which it may be but most don't bother. Who knows? I can tell you that what they do is not at all consistent between airports. Some seem to have their own set of rules and many employees are clueless of the actual regs and treat YOU who travels with a gun often like an idiot, which can really fry ones azz. Most of them though are very polite and considerate and come out and ask questions if they can't figure out how to open the case or whatever. In Denver they put your case on a trolley to take it to the baggage loading and will even allow you to accompany the guy wheeling it there.