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Checking in a firearm on an airplane

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rolexbenz190e

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I'm flying from AZ to CA, staying in CA for a few days, and then flying to VA. I plan on bringing 2 of my firearms (Kimber Ultra and SP101). How much earlier should I arrive at the airport aside from my recommended check-in time? Will this postpone me from loading onto the plane any further?

Oh, and what do they do when they check it? Any one ever go through this process before? This will be my first time, so I'm not too knowledgeable about it.
 
DrTodd

DrTodd

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I did get delayed out of Orlando last year; the agent had to get a senior agent which took about 15 minutes.
I wouldn't expect this as a normal occurrence and 5-10 minutes seems
about right. Just make sure the firearm is ready to go by checking
the links above.
 
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Carnivore

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Don't get excited if your firearm doesn't show up on the luggage carosel with the rest of everyones luggage, I've had em go to the lost luggage office before, and asked why, they said sometimes they do that to insure the proper owner claimes it and some other jon doe doesn't just grab it and walk away incase you don't make it to the carosel in time.. They've paged me over the intercom to come and claim luggage(gun cases) and verify ID before releasing it to you. I didn't mind the surprise, and was very appreciative of their concern for my property..



Whenyou arrive at the checked luggage counter, inform them you have a firearm to check and personell familiar w/ firearms will be summoned to check your guns. But before you enter the airportjust make sure all actions are open, bolts are removed,mags and clips empty and removed,trigger locks are in place, and ammo is in a separate piece of check luggage all usually goes real smooth for me..
 
Bill Starks

Bill Starks

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Carnivore wrote:
But before you enter the airportjust make sure all actions are open, bolts are removed,mags and clips empty and removed,trigger locks are in place, and ammo is in a separate piece of check luggage all usually goes real smooth for me..
Click to expand...
All that is required is that the weapon be empty and the ammo separated from the weapon. I have travelled with my 1911 and 3 mags in the same case. Never an issue. Al that is required of the ammo is that the primers be covered. I place the 3 mags in a leather spare mag carrier.
 
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WheelGun

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From NRA:

The District Attorneys in Albany County and Queens County (NYC)18 months ago issued an order to arrest anyone coming through the airports with a handgun in their luggage, regardless if the handgun was being transported properly by FAA regulations. The criteria is if you do not have a NY license, you are charged. So what's happening is 2 different scenarios:

1. People are flying into New York from other states, most but not all of whom have carry permits from their home states, and are carrying a pistol. When they go to fly home, they declare the gun, which has always been unloaded and locked up properly in their checked luggage, but if they cannot produce a NY license, they are promptly charged with illegal weapon possession, and their gun confiscated forever. (The Albany airport sheriff has been doing it as a lower class misdemeanor, the LaGuardia cases were charged as a felony.) As their home state permit is not reciprocal, and they were in NY state for an amount of time carrying a handgun, this group is screwed.

2. People are DRIVING to the airport from another state where the NY airport is their closest one to fly out of, and are getting popped right off the bat an hour or two from their home. In these cases, we are going to war for them being covered by FOPA, even the Sheriff's office and TSA in Albany have argued over that with the DA, but he won't budge. He did, however, blink on the two cases from Albany, with the people getting a walk. Didn't get their guns back, though, either time.


[align=left]Bottom line, UNLESS you are in possession of a VALID New York pistol license, DO NOT bring a handgun in your luggage to the airport, you will be charged.[/align]

[align=left]LaGuardia and JFK Airports are both in Queens County, New York City. [/align]
 
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rolexbenz190e

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What?!?! And when were they going to inform me of this?! This even applies when I'm not even touching my luggage and my luggage is just being transferred from plane to plane in NY? My layover is at JKF and I had no clue that they did that at all! What should I do?
 
C

Carnivore

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rolexbenz190e wrote:
WheelGun wrote:
NOT IN NEW YORK!!!!

You will be in a heap of trouble!!!!
Click to expand...

I have a layover in new york... How does that work?
Click to expand...
Just a layover is nothing more than you reboarding /or staying on your plane and your luggage stays in the belly of the plane and at your departure time, everything is the same to your destination, if you are changing flight numbers the luggage will be transferred to your conecting flight and you board your connecting flight and all will remain the same.. as long as you don't have possession of your luggage and have to recheck your bags, you shouldn't have any hitches.
 
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WheelGun

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On a return flight (going home) I would Fedex the gun to myself at my home residence. Going is a different matter. You should be OK if you do not have to declare anything, such as a quick transfer between planes.

But what happens in the case of really bad weather or a broken airplane?

What if they have to switch-out airplanes, and can not replace the airplane quickly?

They may have to take the luggage off the plane, give it to you, and tell you to cool it in the airport lounge (or a lovely hotel in south Jamaica, Queens) for an overnight.

Now you are in posession of an illegal weapon.

That would not mean much to many of the residents of south Jamaica, Queens, but if you are a law abiding citizen, you will be in, as the British say, 'quite a pickle.'
 
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Carnivore

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My flights are 99% of the time just from STL.Lambert to BWI Baltimore I always fly Southwest, and love the service and proceedures that I've experienced, I have in years past used Philly airport, and didn't incur any hitches there either, but that was some 20 yrs. ago.. My son left out of STL. once w/ 3 rifles, and 3 handguns, and all were prepped as i described earlier, and no one even blinks twice.. just relax, you're just as legal as the lady next to you with a hair dryer blow gun that resembles a S&W 500:celebrate
 
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rolexbenz190e

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My layover in NY is about 3hrs.... I will just be transferring planes and don't plan on leaving the secured part of the airport. In this situation should I be fine? What IF bad weather occurs, a plane breaks, etc etc.... What should I do? Should I NOT pick my bags up at all and then have the airport send then bags to me via lost luggage van? I like to be prepared for everything, even for the things people say don't happen often (hence me OCing/CCing).

Also why hasn't anyone sued the crap out of the sheriff's office yet for such obsurd infringement of our legal right? Does that mean the pilots get arrested and charged with illegally transporting a firearm? The pilots might as well be charged and arrested as well if we are, as law abiding citizens, going to be charged and arrested as well for being within our rights.
 
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WheelGun

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In New York City, law enforcement decisions are not carried out by a Sheriff's Department.

They are carried out by an agency known as the Geheime Staatspolizei or Secret State Police.

Wait, wrong agency....

In the County of Queens, NY, the county District Attorney's office has decided to criminalize the transportation of firearms through airports located in that county, despite the legality at the federal level. It is their decision.
 
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rolexbenz190e

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This is all not fun news to me.... How am I supposed to legally defend my self in VA if I'm too scared to be arrested in NY? Any one have a layover before in NY recently and was carry firearms (without an NY permit)?
 
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Carnivore

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I personally don't think you should have any problems/and I wouldn't hesitate to travel in transit through Newyork w/ firearms in the normal fashion that luggage would be transferred within an airport. But I, if time is allowed would make an effort to avoid the entire state if your business doesn't need to transpire in the borders of the sheep pen. Thats unbelievable, their worse than Illinios.. What carrier are you flying with, there's got tobe a more relaxing way to get to VA.
 
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