Nothing to worry about
Flying to Colorado next month. Anybody know the procedure for sending a firearm with you?
Assuming you are flying from a reasonably gun decent area, the procedure is nearly trivial.
Your airline will have specifics, but in general, you need a hard-sided lockable case for the gun. In theory this can be a hard-suitcase that locks. In practice, a gun case that will fit inside a regular suitcase is a better option for handguns. Long guns you probably need a high quality gun case that will offer a measure of security since it is obvious what the case is for. For handguns, a plastic carry case from Walmart will a couple of luggage locks suffices for the regulations. You may want higher security, but not required.
Easiest way is to have unloaded gun in case. Empty magazines can be with it. Put your ammo into factory boxes inside the suitcase, but outside the gun case. For most carriers, you can load up your magazines so long as they are not in the gun and the top round is covered. For Delta I've never had a problem if I put loaded magazines, top down, into a nylon magazine holder.
Go to the counter to check your bags. Tell the counter agent, "I need to declare a firearm in my checked bag." She should hand you the orange tag for you to date and sign. She will sign it and then it goes inside your suitcase. There is sometimes some confusion about whether it should go into the gun case or not. I prefer to put into the case, but not a huge deal if it goes outside the case but inside the luggage.
Now, depending on the airport, it goes a couple of different ways. The agent will know how. Some airports you lock everything up and she takes your bag and you wait a few minutes to sure TSA doesn't need to inspect. In other airports, you go to a special table and TSA comes out, inspects the bag, then you lock it up and they take it. In yet others, the xray machines are out front and you walk your bag over, tell the agent it has a declared gun, and they have you wait a moment while they run your bag through.
One way or another, be sure the gun case is locked with non-TSA locks before it leaves your possession. I've never had a problem using non-TSA locks on the luggage itself when I have a checked gun. On rare occasion in some very small airports, TSA will ask for the key so they can inspect back in their area. Tell them you are happy to have them inspect, but you can't give them the key, you have to maintain the only access to the gun. They will either bring your bag out to you, or walk you back to your bag.
In total, checking a gun has never taken me more than 10 extra minutes above and beyond checking a bag without a gun. That said, I've never tried checking a bag in a gun hostile State, though I know others who do so without problem. I've never had a problem in Denver. I can't imagine Nevada is going to be an issue.
Charles