Need some legal advise seeing as our local airlines offices are CLUELESS [whacko]. I will be traveling to the mainland from Hawaii here in a month to do some hunting. I read on the news links provided by the board here that a dude was arrested for having a rifle in his car while it was being parked by a valet (WTF was the valet looking in his truck for is beyond me). Anyway, the dude was arrested and told the cops he forgot it was there [whacko]. Anyway, I'll be traveling with the firearm (like I've done many times in the past) and two boxes of ammo in my checked luggage (used to be ok) and dont wanna get [stick]. Anyone know the FAA and Feds rules on this nowadays? Thanks! [bounce]

Call your airline and confirm the procedures they are currently using. Make sure that you explain that you wish to transport an unloaded firearm in a secure hardcase, in checked baggage.

Here is what I expect when I fly to Virginia this week. When I check the gun case at the ticket counter, they will ask me to open the locked case. I will open it, then the clueless and possibly scared shitless airline employee will visually look at the gun and ask you if it is unloaded or if any ammo is stored with the gun. The correct answer is no to both questions. They may actually look at the gun, which in my case I store the gun with the action open so I don't have to work it in the ticket line. I leave the gun in the case and point to the open chamber. You then fill out a small federal form, red color, place the form in the gun case with the guns, lock the gun case, and turn to see the looks on the faces of the people in line behind you. That is my favorite part. That is how it should go, assuming your airline allows guns. I use SKB cases!! Mil spec all the way. If that guy had left a handgun in his truck instead of a rifle, he would probably not have been charged because the Valet would have stolen it and sold it. Hotels are not responsible for itmes stolen from parked cars.

I flew a couple of weeks ago with an AR15, SKS, Glock 26 and a 1911 Mouser. (Big double case) Never had to open the case until I left Tampa to return home. Then all that happend was the guy picked up a blank red tag, wrote "unloaded rifle" on it and had me sign it. He then asked me to put it in the case with a little of the top showing - about 1/4 inch of red. I just unlocked the master lock on the handle and pulled the thing open enough to slide the tag in. Ammo is a pain in the ass. It's not worth it.

I've had no troble in the past with ammo, just as long as it was in factory boxes or the hard plastic ones normally used for reloaded ammo. Can't remember how many boxes your allowed in checked baggage but I do know it's more than the 40 rounds I'll be taking. My main concern was at the security checkpoint here in Honolulu International (living in the PRH don't make things easier either). I've taken firearms on as checked baggage before but with the stiuation now was a little concerned. like I said in my earlier post the Airlines are clueless........

Federal law prohibits airlines from marking checked luggage containing firearms in any way. Leaving part of the red tag exposed [b]is[/b] marking that luggage. Hmmm... Something new for the times, or an airline employee that has no clue?