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I just flew yesterday from Dallas to San Francisco. I told the guy at curbside checkin that I was declaring a firearm in my checked luggage. He didn't know what to do, but his partner told me I had to go upstairs to the counter. Then the first guy goes and puts a baggage tag on my bag with the firearm and is about to put it on the conveyor belt. I said to him that I have a firearm in the bag; without a word, he rips off the tag and tells me to go upstairs.

At the counter, I declared my firearm and the agent gave me a bright flourescent red tag to sign and date. Then he walked me over to the TSA agent around the corner. The agent made me stand outside a secure area and then opened my luggage, took out the hard case in which my unloaded firearm was and asked me for the combination. I told it to him and he opened the case and inspected the gun, even though the slide was back and a gun lock was locked through the gun. After inspecting the firearm, he put it back, closed the case, scrambled the combination and put the case back in my luggage. I then asked him if I could lock the outer luggage and he said something like "Why bother, they can open the zipper with a pencil." In any case, I locked my bag and then worrried for the next four hours whether I'd ever see my gun again.

Well, everything worked out and gun and daddy are back together. My recommendation - leave plenty of time, get a sturdy hard-shell piece of luggage and lock everything after the inspection.