It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here, but I thought this was too important to keep to myself.

I recently traveled on American Airlines on a non-stop flight from PDX.  I properly checked my bag with a firearm in it, and that’s where the shit show began.  When I arrived at my destination, the AA baggage office couldn’t find my bag, but they did find a different bag with my bag tag on it.  After a couple of hours at the airport with AA, TSA, and local law enforcement, I decided to move on with my vacation.  Later that night, I received a call from Mexico notifying me that my bag had traveled out of the country and was in Mexico City.  All said and done, I got the bag back without the firearm.  The current theory is that the firearm was stolen out of my bag in PDX and bag tags were switched with another bag.

I typically remove the firing pin and send it in a different suitcase, but failed to do it this time.  There is now a functioning firearm in the wrong hands.  If you’re traveling through PDX with a firearm, please be aware that this activity is taking place behind the scenes and, if possible, please make the firearm unusable in case it’s stolen.  Also, take your serial numbers with you so you can immediately file a police report.

Is the airline going to replace it?

AA said they'd compensate me for the current value, which won't replace it.  The bigger issue is that there's now another firearm in the wrong hands.  TSA told me that, though this is a rare occasion, it does happen and they have limited video in the handling area.  This isn't a "poor me" post, rather a heads up that if you travel with a firearm, there's a chance that you will lose it.

There is always a chance you will lose items when traveling.  When it comes to firearm, rarely will I put them in checked baggage anymore because of situations like this, I normally ship them to myself at my final destination.  That way I can fully insure them for full replacement cost and they are handled differently than checked baggage is in flying with them.

I'd go out on a limb and say, if a firearm was sent to Mexico by American Airlines...  it was confiscated by the Mexican customs authorities when they screened the luggage.

There is no way they would accept a bag with a firearm into the country and then send it back out.  I'm sure it would violate a shit load of Mexican laws to just stick a firearm back in a suitcase and fly it out of the country on a common carrier.

I suspect current thought is a Pdx baggage handler stole the weapon and swapped tags to confuse things. Pretty smart actually.

Sorry for the op’s loss and here is hoping for an nd into the perps nuts...

I used to fly almost monthly and I would bring a firearm to / from every time.  And I did this for 5 or so years and I never had an issue.

I think I got lucky.   Alaska Air changed my flight and sent my bag on the flight without me.  I asked about it before they did it and they were like, "no, it will be secured and waiting for you."  when I got to my destination it was out in the middle of the floor in the baggage claim area w/ 10 or so other bags with a little rope around them.  I just walked up and took my bag from the pile and walked away.  

I got the same song and dance when I checked a pistol in. I show up at PDX and it's just sitting there, unwatched and unsecured.

@Tacer

Maybe they caught the cocksucker that stole your gun?

Thief busted at PDX, get a rope.

How do the baggage handlers know a firearm is in a bag? Does the airline set these bags aside for special treatment?

They got him!  Scary to think that he likely would've gotten away with it if he hadn't gotten greedy.  So relieved that my gun is off the streets...

TSA tags it for special handling.  Apparently the system is flawed.

How do they tag the bag? I thought the tag goes in the bag and not on it.

Just came here to post the same link.

Sounds exactly like what happened to OP’s bag with switched tags and everything.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/29/airport-baggage-handler-accused-stealing-firearms-from-travelers-luggage.html

You get your gun back or it is tied up in evidence forever?