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When the ticket agent looked in my locked case, she said "Is that the clip?" I said no, that is the slide and barrell, the handgun is disassembled. She then said, "What is in the box?" I said that it was ammunition. She said, "That can't be in the case. You can put it somewhere else." So I just dropped it into my range bag that was also in the large suitcase that the hardsided case was in. Then she had me sign the card and put it in the hardsided case with the gun. I very politely told her that this was not how I understood things went, but she said this is the way "they" told her to do it. I locked everything back up, and she said she would call TSA. She said hang around here for about 5 minutes in case they want to talk to you, then you can can go. So I hung around a while, then got on the plane, flew through Chigago to Dallas, no problems. It just seems there is a great lack of consistency between what the written procedures are and what actually happens.

glockmav wrote: It just seems there is a great lack of consistency between what the written procedures are and what actually happens.

Yup!

Putting the tag inside the case with the gun is pretty much SOP. That's what they've had me do whenever I fly.

Some airlines require that ammo be in a separate container and some don't. It's no problem. I just follow whatever the policy is of whatever airline I happen to be flying.

I have flown several times with my handgun (including San Antonio to Indy and back), and yes, the way the rules are implemented varies by airport for no particular reason I can see. Some agents want to verify the gun is unloaded themselves, at one place the TSA did that instead, at others, agents just asked me. I always had to fill out the card.

So far I have always carried the ammo in the same hard case as the gun. TSA policy says this is legal. Airline polices can differ, but so far I haven't flown on one that requires the ammo to be outside of the gun case. I've been on American, Southwest, and I believe Continental, that I can remember. Some people have recommended putting the ammo and the barrel in separate checked bag so if one is stolen, the thief doesn't get the whole works, but I never have more than one checked bag.

I've usually put the ammo in a standard off-the-shelf 50-round cardboad ammo box that I reinforced with tape, but after some research it looked like leaving the ammo in the magazines is legal as long as the ammo is fully enclosed (and the mag is not in the gun, of course!). Last time I flew on Southwest, the ticket agent gal seemed not happy that I had my loaded magazines in a closed (i.e. flap that snaps) leather magazine holder, but I gently asked her "why not, the ammo is fully enclosed", she checked with her supervisor, and he said no problem. (I believe the intent of the rule about putting ammo in a container is to not have loose ammo with exposed primers rattling around in your luggage).

Anyway, I always check the airline's website and copy off their policy, as well as copying off the latest TSA policy as well, and have them with me just in case there is a discussion.



elb