imported post
So to whoever may be interested, I did fly with the gun. Declaring it at Seattle was beyond easy. I said, "I need to declare a.." and the baggage handler said "ok" before I could say "firearm." No problem, no showing clear. He just asked if it was unloaded and locked separately from ammo. Sign a little tag and we checked it in with oversize luggage at the TSA window.
Returning was a little different. I had expected Boston to be more of the hassle. I said that I needed to declare a firearm. The lady was on her fourth day on the job and had to get her manager. The manager said that she needed me to show that the weapon was clear. So to make sure, I repeated to her in a question, "you are telling me to open the case and physically handle the firearm in the airport to show clear, correct?" She said yes, so did as directed. The only hassle was digging through the suitcase and unlocking the cable lock to the frame of the suitcase (extra precautionary measure), then also the lock to the case. We were close to missing the flight as well due to weather/travel, so I was already somewhat nervous.
Other than that, it was hassle free... the way it should be. I realized when we were back home in New Hampshire that the idea of always carrying a gun on me was nowhere near as big an issue to me as it is over here in Washington. It is such a simple and different world over there, unless you are in southern New Hampshire which feels like it is ever so being Massachusettized (or becoming more urbanized)...
But anyhoo, we are back here now and resuming to always carry and be paranoid of living around so many people.
