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bronco78 wrote:If the traveler is using just a single container (suitcase) and the firearm is in his unlocked sock, placed in a locked hard side container (suitcase), with a lock only he has access to, then the . declaration is going to be just placed in the suitcase.(with the firearm)

That's the way I pack a pistol. At IAH, it gets hand-inspected by a TSA agent while a Continental ticket counter agent stands by. When the hand-inspection is complete, the Continental agent hands the bag off to a pair of Continental baggage staff. I've always wondered where they go with it, to ensure it doesn't run afoul of some standard inspection process downstream.

Now, I've got a friend who works on the ramp throwing bags & turning around planes. He's told me that occasionally baggage staff will hand-deliver bags to him at the ramp, and he has to sign off on a delivery receipt to him. Signature required, apparently, because those bags contain firearms.

So, at least at IAH (and Continental), the firearms bags get hand-delivered to the ramp where your plane will load, after their TSA inspection in the terminal.

CEOofEVIL wrote:Hmmm very interesting stuff. I wonder why exactly the TSA allows either or? Personally, I feel safer with a Non-TSA lock on the Suitcase/luggage that the Locked Container containing the Firearm is in, simply because it makes me feel a bit better that no one is going to "disappear" the gun out of my suitcase. Its good to know that there is a degree of flexibitly in the regulations though, as it seems to provide a choice based on preference to the owner of the gun/traveler.

Many people use a cable lock to secure their smaller hard case within the suitcase, if there's some suitably strong anchor point - like the housing for the extending handle in a lot of rolling luggage.

TexasTransplant wrote:

RoyGBiv wrote:I believe you need to have a TSA lock on the outside of your bag. I have always had one, so I'm not sure what happens if you do not.

Are you saying that you have a locked container inside your regular luggage, then you lock the luggage with a TSA-approved lock?

My luggage is a steel 81mm mortar case, and the pistol(s) are locked inside of it (along with my clothes, toiletries, camera, etc) with a NON-TSA lock. Once in a while you get a confused airline staffer or TSA agent who are so used to seeing a small lockbox inside of a conventional piece of luggage, that they'll try to tell me I can't fly that way. I've always resolved those misunderstandings amicably and to my satifaction.

wgoforth wrote:Traveling out of Abilene:
Me: "I want to declare a handgun" as I pull out the locked case.
She: "Don't bother, it's fine" as she handed me the card to fill out.
Me: "You don't need to see it and that it's unloaded?"
She: "This is Texas! If this were Chicago maybe" as she taped the card on the outside of the box

Not surprised, considering it was Abilene. Austin, perhaps a different story.