Traveling with pistol and powder

Hey everyone, im planning a trip from New England to Puerto Rico in august and looking for some feedback on traveling with a black powder pistol. I have a colt cap and ball pistol that I’m fond of and would like to take with me. I understand I can take the colt if I declare it and it’s in a locked case, but am having a hard time finding definitive answers on whether I can bring powder with me. They allow ammunition in a separate locked case, but can’t find anything on powder specifically.
Has anyone travelled with powder before?
And any ideas as to what primitive firearms laws are in Puerto Rico? I can’t find anything on line. Don’t want to get the the airport and have everything confiscated

I do not know the answer but I guess if loose powder is not allowed you could put it in large cartridges and pull the bullets to get the powder when you get to your destination.

If it was me and I had a BP pistol I really didnt want to lose, I would forego bringing it. I mean, unless you moving there permanent, there is no reason to take a prized possession just for shts and giggles. Leave it home.

Leave it home unless you have a real need.

Post 911 the airport search nazis crawl up our butts with microscopes, limit our liquids to mere ounces, make us take off our belts and our shoes and feel us up and down and all around and you're asking about taking highly explosive black powder on a commercial airplane.

Film at 11.

and dont forget, it only takes one TSA guy to say this is not legal and take your stuff. He is the legal authority at that point, your pistol is now gone, you gonna spend thousands on a lawyer to maybe get it back. Maybe? if they can even find it, because your beautiful pistol (to you) is now down some federal rabbit hole in some evidence locker somewhere someplace that nobody can find. You really want to go there?

If flying, here are the TSA guidelines:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition
Any type of propellant like BP or a substitute would be Verboten.

Yeah general consensus is just leave it at home so that’s what I’ll do. As someone above stated I’d be at the mercy of a single tsa agent and who knows what kind of day they’re having.
Still curious about the laws and regulations regarding the whole thing, but for this trip I’ll refrain. Thanks for all the input

My friend is from Puerto Rico. Don’t bother. It WILL be confiscated and you will be arrested. Anything other than a pellet rifle needs a hard to get police permit.

Sam squanch said:

My friend is from Puerto Rico. Don’t bother. It WILL be confiscated and you will be arrested. Anything other than a pellet rifle needs a hard to get police permit.

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This is helpful, thank you

Puerto Rico residents have no 2nd amendment rights there. It’s not a state. It took my friend 5 months to get approved for a shotgun. It took his grandfather a year to get a 38 revolver.

I've flown plenty with muzzleloaders: black powder and caps can not be taken on a plane anywhere in the world.

The firearm is no problem in a proper locked case but unless you can find propellant and caps in PR you will be out of luck.

Probably the best way to get a gun into Puerto Rico would to imitate the criminals and shop the black market. Me, I would bring a hammer for protection.

nihton0504 said:

Hey everyone, im planning a trip from New England to Puerto Rico in august and looking for some feedback on traveling with a black powder pistol. I have a colt cap and ball pistol that I’m fond of and would like to take with me. I understand I can take the colt if I declare it and it’s in a locked case, but am having a hard time finding definitive answers on whether I can bring powder with me. They allow ammunition in a separate locked case, but can’t find anything on powder specifically.
Has anyone travelled with powder before?
And any ideas as to what primitive firearms laws are in Puerto Rico? I can’t find anything on line. Don’t want to get the the airport and have everything confiscated

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Are you planning on traveling for a short vacation or for a long period of time? Due to my job I have done two four-year stints there and do have knowledge of the law there which changed in 2020, to comply with DC v. Heller. Now they have have one of the most relax gun laws in the nation but lots of caveats. I am not a lawyer nor provide legal advice but I waded the raging river there. And yes, P-Ricans do have 2A rights stronger than in most liberal States. Let me know what you planning on doing and I will reply accordingly. I hope I can help you.

https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/168-2019.pdf
I have attached the link to the new law. It has been revised as August 2022. Sorry, is in Español as the legal lingo in PR is very well founded in Spanish law with American “modernization”.

I would look at it this way:

As an avid Skydiver from 1990 to 2007 we had major issues flying commercial with our gear, it kept 'Not reaching destination' and often would show up at Pawn Shops either at point of departure or arrival.

Our rigs had serial numbers so when stolen a report could be issued to USPA (sister to FAA) and listed in our monthly magazine.

After a couple serial numbers were recovered and the person who Pawned it was tracked down: it turned out to be the Airport's own Baggage Handlers doing all the thefts!

The FAA pressured by USPA finally allowed us to 'Carry On' our rigs (But any 'safety devices' had to be disabled - long story, I refused to use them). However, if an Airport Official wanted to 'see' the chute the we HAD to unpack and show it for inspection (with exception of the Reserve - I only had one time they hassled me over that).

But, after 911 they reversed that and said we HAD to check our rigs again....

Conclusion: I valued my $1,000.00 rig Greatly - I left it Home and rented.

Personally; in today's WOK world and Anti-Gun culture and criminals going free even for murder - I would Not even think of flying and expect my valued firearms to greet me at me destination.

Heck, more often then ever before even common Luggage don't make it through....or you find some degenerate government worker wearing a dress and posing with your beloved revolver in some fashion magazine!

Just my thoughts....but it's your revolver.

Puerto Rico may seem 2nd amendment friendly now, but according to my friend’s family, the cops can confiscate them at a whim.

nihton0504 said:

but am having a hard time finding definitive answers on whether I can bring powder with me.

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Short story from TSA. No blackpowder or percussion caps allowed.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/gun-powder

open carry illegal, concealed needs a permit. what are you going to do with it if you get it there.?? dont seem worth the risk .

Sam squanch said:

Puerto Rico may seem 2nd amendment friendly now, but according to my friend’s family, the cops can confiscate them at a whim.

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…and here in the US they don’t?? Sam, just because they are friends and family doesn’t mean they are well informed.