Taking your weapon on vacation

[Crossfire]

I just read in my local newspaper today an articule about what you can and can't take with you on an airliner. One of the columns was firearms, and I expected to see a bunch of nos, but there were a bunch of yeses. Apparantly, it is LEGAL to to bring along a bb gun with you. The only thing is that it must be with you luggage in the under compartment of the plane you cant get it. If you do decide to take a replica, you must be able to proof to airport security that it is a replica.

Here is the column. The dark boxes with all the NOs are carry on, and the boxes with all the YESes are check-in.

[DeltaSniper]

This surprises you??

Its long been that way. The idea is that the stuff is stowed in a compartment below the passenger hold, and you cant get at it to take the plane over or something.

Think about the guys who maybe CCW, or use firearms in their line of work.

[Jedigreedo]

I'm sure if it was field stripped or something in the bag so they could see the innerds then that would be alot easier for them to check.

[DeltaSniper]

Why field strip it? If youre checking it as baggage, which either way, you have to, they wont care. So long as its not carry on luggage, you can put anything short of something that could explode or cause a fire in your bag. Ammunution being the exception.

[Soultek]

Originally posted by DeltaSniper


Think about the guys who maybe CCW, or use firearms in their line of work.

Most people who use firearms in their line of work would be police or other government positions, as such they would special priveledges and permits to carry guns places where civilans could not.

And an airline will defiantly care if any kind of real looking replica firearm is coming on to the plane whether its stowed or not, so dont be posting how you can just check it without doing anything and no one will care.

[notabob]

no, you can check it without doing anything. you can check real weapons and not have them field stripped and they wont care. as long as you declare that you have a weappon in your bag, anything goes. you can also take 2 lighters and 4 books of matches on a plane with you, incase you feel the need too. why would people care if you checked a real looking fake gun if they didnt care if u checked a real one? (rhetorical question)

[Glaeken]

Everyone:

Please be sure and use your head prior to attempting to carry/transport/ship airsoft weaponry.

Don't assume that there will not be problems or questions regarding checked baggage.
Be honest and don't get an attitude with those that ask. Don't try to be 'cagey' about what you are doing or what you are carrying. This will only arouse their curiosity and make them wonder what you are trying to hide.

Also, make sure the orange muzzle is affixed to your gun BEFORE you take it with you.
US laws clearly state that the orange MUST be present before anyone transports an airsoft gun. (Yes, I'm paraphrasing here.)

Contact the airline prior to your travel date and make sure they allow such things. Find out what you MUST do to comply with any and all regulations concerning replicas/bb guns/pellet guns or however the airsoft gun is classified. (Different airlines may classify them differently)

Also, be careful of how you approach the ticket counter. Don't just blurt out "I have a gun!" - have a clear and concise statement prepared that explains what you are doing, how the airline classifies what you are checking, and how you have complied with the regulations.

Lastly, think long and hard about whether you actually NEED to take your gun with you for whatever reason you are flying. Do you really need to show it off? Pictures may well provide the same effect and be less of a hastle.
If you need to take it with you for gaming purposes, check to see how much it would cost to simply ground-ship the items to a secure location near where you are planning to play. Out-of-state games (ie: Lion Claws III, California) have retailers (or the organizers) that may be more than happy to secure your packages and have them available to you on game day. Ask first, of course. Make arrangements, call them if necessary, ask permission, etc.

In conclusion:
Don't assume that the general public will know what airsoft is and that you intend no harm. Be responsible. Act responsibly. And take responsibility for your actions.
Remember, you are responsible for your own fate. If you act like a jerk, the authorities and those in charge will treat you as a jerk.

[Jedigreedo]

Originally posted by DeltaSniper
Why field strip it? If youre checking it as baggage, which either way, you have to, they wont care.

Considering he said:

Originally posted by Crossfire
If you do decide to take a replica, you must be able to proof to airport security that it is a replica.

Since Airsoft guns are usually replicas, it would probably be easiest to just have it field stripped, open the bag, let them look at the parts (assuming they know real steel innerds very well) to see it can't fire real ammunition and then just close the bag back up.

[Kaiser78]

Easiest way that I have found is if you use the postal service or UPS and have it insured. Send it to the hotel you are staying at or have a contact at the field you will be playin at. In most cases it costs about 10 bucks to ship.

[necronomicon]

I will be in California this coming Friday, for 9 days. I plan on visiting Airsoft Extreme and some other retailers while I am out there. So this means to say if I buy something from them, I can fly it back without Federal Marshalls humping my leg?

Awesome :)

[Tripod]

Have fun here in California. Just let me warn you that there are alot of STRANGE people here... And AEX isnt the best place IMHO. Anyways, I wish I knew about this last summer. I went to montana and was staying on a HUGE ranch and it would have been lots of fun =( oh well.

[DeltaSniper]

okay and the point im making is, just check it as baggage. they wont stop you with a fully set up gun if its checked. i just dont see the point of stripping it, youre not making things easier, just making a mess of your gun. Considering they wouldnt bother you with a real steel one if you checked it, why bother stripping your airsoft replica to check it.

unless youre talking about stripping it so you can carry it on, which still sounds like a poor idea to me.

[Hudak]

I brought mine from MA to AZ over the summer, it's an M4 RIS and I had to bring it to the airport two weeks before my flight. It went through numerous x-ray machines and it had to be inspected by airport security, then stored and loaded onto the plane by airport security. It was a hastle but def. worth it for playin in AZ.

[Glaeken]

Hudak,

How did you learn of the fact that you needed to take your M4 to the airport 2 weeks prior to your flight date?

That would be good info for this thread.

Also, how did they act about it? What questions did they ask? How was your M4 packaged for transit? Orange muzzle? Did you have to leave the weapon with them for the 2 weeks until your flight? How did you pick it up upon arrival at your destination? Was in on the conveyor with the rest of the checked baggage?

[Crossfire]

Glaeken, to answer you question about packing, the attachment on my post stated that the weapon whatever it may be, must be unloaded and, packed in a Hard Case.

I dont beleive you have to field strip the weapon unless the airline really insistes on it. My father just said take the mag out and show them that it feeds bbs, and then show them the battery and the gear box.

It might also be nice to have a statement from a well-known, trusted airsoft retailer/manufacture that states that the replica cannot be transformed to fire real ammunition.

As Hudak mentioned, he needed to inform the airline two weeks in advance that he was bringing his replica along. I think that is a good idea, also with letting the airport security place it on the plane. It would seem a little awkward walking around the turminal with a long rifle case. Some people might get a little scared.

[Hudak]

My parents looked into it I guess. I'm not quite sure, I think my dad might have called the airline to ask about it and they said somethin about bringin it in early.