Air travel with a longrifle?

[fort fireman]

Last week I was in Montana visiting the in-laws. My wifes cousin invited me for elk season in 2010. He found out I hunt with a flintlock and was really excited to have me bring it out and hunt with it. My question is if I decde to do that is how much of a pain in the butt is it to fly with. I'm worried about finding a case for a longrifle without costing a fortune. Also transporting the black powder could be a problem along with my shooting bag andstuff. Has anyone flown with a longrifle and what are some of the things I need to addresss to make it go smoothly?
Andy

 

[jmforge]

Any firearm will get special treatment unless you fly through Denver, where some of the PETA-heads who work in the baggage handling area might try to run over the case with a forklift. You may have difficulty with real black powder because it is legally classified as an explosive and not "regular"ammunition.

 

[gmww]

I've traveled with modern rifles. Make sure it is unloaded with the ability to lock the case. Check and double check the TSA site and also he airline site on what they want. As far as BP you might have some shipped to your destination. Or, if you can load the powder into 45/70 cartridges and kept in a cartridge approved container I think you will be safe.

At the ticket counter check in declare your long rifle. The clerk will open the case and place a form in it. You will be sent to the TSA inspector who will inspect it.

To save yourself a lot of head aches I'd just have the powder and percussion caps if you bring a percussion gun waiting at your destination.

 

[flintlock75]

The first thing to do is get a hard case that will fit your gun. Depending on the barrel length a case for a 42 inch barrel gun from Cabelas is about $350 dollars. As for powder, you cannot put it on an airplane. You will need to clean out your horn and bags to remove powder debris. Flints and balls are ok. Your gear will still set off all the detectors at the airport because of the powder residue on your stuff. I put my horn and bag in the guncase with the gun. It caused less trouble the second time i flew with them.
The gun case gets handchecked by TSA anyway so there is less hastle.You will need to have someone get you powder when you get to your destination.Trveling with a longgun is the same trouble as a modern gun. If you do any shooting prior to flying, wash your clothes before packing them or put them in a sealed plastic bag. Even the residue from shooting that gets on your clothes will set off the detectors, and lead to lots of questions and delays.
Good Luck

 

[jmforge]

The first thing to do is get a hard case that will fit your gun. Depending on the barrel length a case for a 42 inch barrel gun from Cabelas is about $350 dollars. As for powder, you cannot put it on an airplane. You will need to clean out your horn and bags to remove powder debris. Flints and balls are ok. Your gear will still set off all the detectors at the airport because of the powder residue on your stuff. I put my horn and bag in the guncase with the gun. It caused less trouble the second time i flew with them.
The gun case gets handchecked by TSA anyway so there is less hastle.You will need to have someone get you powder when you get to your destination.Trveling with a longgun is the same trouble as a modern gun. If you do any shooting prior to flying, wash your clothes before packing them or put them in a sealed plastic bag. Even the residue from shooting that gets on your clothes will set off the detectors, and lead to lots of questions and delays.
Good Luck

If you fertilize your lawn or spill diesel fuel on your clothing before you go to the airport, it will set off the detectors as if you had been firing a machine gun. :grin:

 

[ohio ramrod]

It can be done, but I find it is much easier to just ship your stuff ahead of you by ground. Especialy with black powder unless you know someone there who has it.

 

[dlpowell]

It's easier to ship it to your destination via UPS or FedEx. Just insure it and ship early.

 

[sprucefly]

I've travelled (flown) w/ml's twice and had no problems. You can get a longrifle hard case (62" long)for $129.99 from Cabelas. Although not a high quality case it did the job and both times it did the job. I had a custom duffle made that just fits the case. I don't like travelling with a "naked" gun case.

 

[cakes]

I don't remember the last time I flew without a gun. And I fly quite often. Checking a firearm is not a hassle at all. Just be sure it is in a hard case. The case does not have to be anything fancy. It just needs to be able to lock with a TSA approved lock. I've even used those flimsy plastic cases that cost $10-12. Never had a problem.

Ship the powder or find a local source.

 

[cakes]

For a long barrel, I would disassemble the rifle and put it in a 'shorter' case.

 

[Dphar]

Last week I was in Montana visiting the in-laws. My wifes cousin invited me for elk season in 2010. He found out I hunt with a flintlock and was really excited to have me bring it out and hunt with it. My question is if I decde to do that is how much of a pain in the butt is it to fly with. I'm worried about finding a case for a longrifle without costing a fortune. Also transporting the black powder could be a problem along with my shooting bag andstuff. Has anyone flown with a longrifle and what are some of the things I need to addresss to make it go smoothly?
Andy

Better check what the oversized "luggage" will cost. Much cheaper to build a shipping box and mail it each way. Probably safer for the rifle too.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

In addition to taking the barrel and tang out of the stock, to shorten the gun, consider removing the lock, and lock bolts, and packing them in separate luggage. That keeps the thieves from making any money if they do get your gun, but most of all, it keeps the gun from being fired. The Luggage gorillas at Airports have a habit of rolling over gun cases with tractors, I believe, and more than one gun has arrived at its destination with the Hammer broken off. Put the hammer with the lock, and bolts in your suitcase, to be carried separately from the rest of the gun.

 

[texcl]

I would ship the powder and all your shooting supplies for certain, well ahead of your arrival. I have had better luck with the postal service than with the airlines. The airlines has damaged several of my weapons and lost my service weapons (for a couple days)once while I was on business, boy I was sweatin that one. I have shipped over 50 weapons through the mail with only one cracked handguard, and that was probably a packing error. Now UPS has damaged a couple more but still not as bad as the airlines I think. I you fly with it I'd look into a SKB case it is the only case tha airlines hasn't been able to destroy.

 

[Dphar]

You can have 5 pounds of powder shipped in from Buffalo Arms in Idaho if necessary or buy it in Billings at Sagebrush Trading if you fly into there. Don't know about powder in other places .
Everything else is generally available in the bigger cities.

Dan

 

[jmforge]

In addition to taking the barrel and tang out of the stock, to shorten the gun, consider removing the lock, and lock bolts, and packing them in separate luggage. That keeps the thieves from making any money if they do get your gun, but most of all, it keeps the gun from being fired. The Luggage gorillas at Airports have a habit of rolling over gun cases with tractors, I believe, and more than one gun has arrived at its destination with the Hammer broken off. Put the hammer with the lock, and bolts in your suitcase, to be carried separately from the rest of the gun.

Paul, I was told that the luggage gorilla incidents at Denver are no accident, but the work of PETA people that workas baggage handlers for United. Of course, the union contract probably prevents them from being fired. I'm not sure where else they have that problem.

 

[Zonie]

"...the work of PETA people..."
-------

Might be, but, I find it difficult to believe that a hoard of lurking PITA people have been hired by the Denver airport and they are just waiting to destroy anything that has a gun in it.

That sounds like something that was dreamed up by some hunter who had his gun damaged and used the incident to create another damming web comment.
Those PITA idiots do a fine job of creating legitimate negative comments all by themselves.

I would be somewhat concerned about theft though.
Here again, its hearsay but I have heard of enough guns becoming "lost" at airports that it may have some validity.

 

[Mulebrain]

It's easier to ship it to your destination via UPS or FedEx. Just insure it and ship early.

Yup!

That is how I do it! I just ship guns and ammo early, and just ship them back!

They will hit you over the head with that extra baggage fees as well!

Much hassle can be avoided!

You should have seen me trying to transport two un bored cannon barrels in carry on! The TSA had a fit, and claimed I could use the barrels to bludgeon people to death! Eventually they let me through with them :grin:

 

[Dphar]

For a long barrel, I would disassemble the rifle and put it in a 'shorter' case.

If its a full stock this will save about 1/8".
The added plus is a greatly weakened forestock.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

If you can't get a pretty substantial hard case...
Make a case from Masonite or 1/4" plywood & 1x4s.
Glue and screw one side let the glue dry 2-3 days, fill with 2 sheets of mattress type foam that fill the box with slight compression. Screw on a sturdy handle or pair them for extra strength, preferably one that folds.
Wrap the rifle in Saran wrap, place in box and screw on the lid. Tape all edges with duct tape or cover with cardboard boxes from some appliance store. Address the box with a Magic Marker. Then label the cardboard if used.
I usually run an angled piece of 1x4 to
compartmentalize & give a place to put more screws. With a tight foam fit the box will tend to bow otherwise. This is how I would ship ANY gun of any value. I have 2 shipping boxes upstairs in the shop right now just like this description. I label over my address so the customer just pulls off the label and sends it back.

Ship *insured Priority Mail*, issure for $500 more than you think its worth. UPS and such are not as reliable. UPS only ships handguns next day because there employees tend to steal them, yeah, this tidbit right from a UPS Store owner.

Ship an empty horn and 100 balls, patches etc with a flat rate box insured or in hold baggage, or in the rifle box.
I would really not put a valuable long rifle on an aircraft as baggage when they are legal to mail.
If its a factory made 1/2 stock, break it down to barrel and stock. Put it in a decent hard case with good locks and call it baggage. But expect the case to get beat up and to be gouged for extra baggage if its larger than the airline likes.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

Tape a broom handle in the barrel mortise to give support and strength to the forestock during shipping. It doesn't add much weight. :thumbsup: