Having just returned last night from my third round trip with a checked handgun, perhaps the following observations/thoughts would be helpful to others..
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer... this is just my observation and opinion, not legal advice.
I've found that the TSA folks tend to know what to do, but the ticket agents don't always know the proper procedure. Here's what I do and how I manage the process. First bit of advice..... DON'T assume the person at check in knows the proper process, but, be nice about giving advice to them...
1. Packing your luggage.
Choose a good hard case (I use a nano vault) with a lock. Key lock or combination, either is ok as long as the case is "difficult" to pry open from any side and locks securely. As a bonus, the nano comes with a cable lock that I wrap around the inside metal bar in my wheeled luggage. This will not prevent someone from stealing your luggage, but they will have to take the whole thing, not just the gun case.
Use a strong medium-to-heavy tie wrap and "disable" the weapon. Try to imagine how the gun will appear on x-ray, and tie-wrap it in a way that might be more easily seen on X-ray. This serves two purposes, actually.... 1. The TSA screener will be less likely to ask you to open the gun case if they can "see" it's disabled and, more importantly, IMHO, if you are checking in at an airport that prohibits firearms on its property (there's a big "NO FIREARMS" sign at RDU, for example, and this sign has force of law), having the weapon "disabled" is, IMO, more likely to help you avoid issues with local LE should you be pulled over for a traffic violation on airport property.
Pack it all up in your luggage before you leave for the airport.
2. Checking In....
The ticket agents I've met with ranged from "Done it a million times" to "obviously scared"... Here's my procedure... First, in a clear but
not-loud voice say "I have an unloaded firearm to declare". The ticket agent "should" 1. make a call to TSA and advise them you are heading over to the TSA checkpoint (more on this later), 2. Give you a bright orange card to sign and date (card says "Unloaded Firearm") 3. Put the normal luggage stickers on your bag. and 4. Place the signed orange card inside your bag, but NOT inside your locked gun case.
I am not certain whether the ticket agent will ask you to open the case and verify that the weapon is unloaded. In my case, I have never had the ticket agent ask me to open the gun case. It seems from reading the airline regs (AA and DL), that the ticket agent should be verifying that the weapon is unloaded...... I do not ask them about it if they do not ask me about it, I just move along.
Yesterday at RDU, the ticket agent sent me on my way without the orange card. I said "I think I need to fill out the orange card", and the agent said "Oh Yes.. Thanks.".. I filled out the card and she handed it back to me. On the way over to see TSA, I put the card in my luggage on top of my gun case. On other occasions, the ticket agent always put the card in my bag.
3. TSA Screening...
Next step is TSA screening. You will be sent over (in my case I always had to go over to a special area for TSA screening of my bag, I hear in some places the TSA agent will come over to the ticket counter.... I have not seen this yet) to a special TSA screening area. In DFW, it's usually just outside the normal screening area. In RDU yesterday, they sent me to the "oversized bag check" station where I was met by TSA. The ticket agent will tell you where to go. If they don't tell you, ask them....
The TSA agent will (every time for me) ask you if you have the orange card in your luggage. Yesterday, the agent asked me if it was inside my gun case and I said "No, it's in my bag but not in the gun case" and he said "Good, that's where it's supposed to be."
The TSA agent will put on some fresh gloves, grab a new swatch of clean fabric and swab your luggage everywhere, inside and outside. Be prepared for wrinkly clothes when you reach your destination. Then they'll check the swatch in the chemical detection machine. Sometimes they'll do a separate swabbing of your gun case and check it again. Honestly, I'm surprised every time my gun case comes up clean. I'm certain there's enough alarms at this step that there's some routine way to clear the bag, but, I can't tell you what happens if you set off the alarm. Consider wiping down your gun case with windex (non ammonia version) and a clean cloth before you load a clean weapon inside.
During the TSA inspection and afterward, you cannot touch your luggage. If the agent needs to see inside the gun case for some reason, be prepared to hand them the key. Once they clear the bag for loading, they will close it up and send it on its way. 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. In some cases, the TSA agent has unlocked the lock using a TSA key and installed it onto my bag. In other cases I handed them an open lock and they put it on, closed it and spun the dials.
4. Picking up your bag.
Other than the TSA lock, there is nothing special on the outside of your bag to ID it as containing a firearm. The bag should come out on the same luggage carousel as all the other luggage.
I suggest waiting until after you pick up your rental car to reload and re-arm. Perhaps a restroom stall would be ok, just make sure the airport you're in doesn't prohibit weapons. As I know it, DFW allows CC outside the TSA checkpoints.... Be sure to know the laws for the areas you'll be traveling in.
That's it...
