Airplane travel approved cases?

[[TASF]Overkill]

I may be doing some travelling soon, airborne, with my XD.

What are the requirements for the case it travels in?

Anyone have any recomended cases for an XD or two?

[theanswriz42]

I think it just has to be in a locked rigid case such as the SA case or glock tupperware.

[So Flo]

Check the airline or TSA website for specifics.
A couple years ago when I flew with a handgun, they were not letting people lock their cases, so it had to fly in an unlocked hard case...I think you can lock them now using a TSA accessible lock.

[KyXD40]

I just flew via Delta recently and used a standard non-SA XD case...and since it has to be lockable I drilled two holes on each side of the handle, threaded the cable lock through there and called it good....so did Delta and TSA.

Cost me all of $8.00

[KyXD40]

So Flo Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:23 pm Post subject:

I think you can lock them now using a TSA accessible lock.

I was advised that the lock has to be yours. The Airline clerk watches you lock the case after you sign a form verifying and demonstrating that the gun is empty. The form is placed into the case with the gun and locked up, with you keeping the key.

Here in Louisville I went straight to the TSA baggage screening area where I again declared the gun. I was asked to open the checked baggage in their presence after xray...I was told not to open the gun case. After they did their thing the bag was shipped with me to FLA. At the FLA airport it was the same thing except that they screened somewhere away from the front counters. In that case I was advised to sit aroung the front area in case they paged my name to again open the case. I was not called.

Bottom line, get a cheap case and lock it up, make sure you have some sort of document readily available to declare the price of the gun in case you have it lost somehow, and then plan on being there early in case some TSA official takes a little extra time with you. In both cases we were at the airport 3 hours before our flights and had plenty of time to sit and eat, read and be generally bored.

[Corey G]

I have a Nice alumin case with a combo lock built into it, anyone know if this would fly or only key locks.

[j2fast]

There were pictures in this thread that showed how one of the guys (Shred) used an SKB case inside of a wheeled bag and used a cable lock to connect the pistol and the case to the bag. Pics don't work now but still good info.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/inde...showtopic=9377

Couple of posts down in this thread there are links to a bunch of discussion on the topic:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/inde...howtopic=27033

[JimLongley]

I spent the last three years as a TSA screener.

First of all, it is a Federal Law that any gun case must be locked, and it reads that the key or combination must be only in possession of the owner, which in my way of thinking rules out the cheap locks that come with baggage and the cheap combo locks on some cases. This would also possibly rule out the TSA Sentry locks.

Use a good quality keyed or combination lock. Good locks are better, plus TSA is really not authorized to break a lock on a case or bag containing a gun, they MUST secure every bag they open to the same level as it was when it came into their possession.

Secondly, the inspection procedures vary from airport to airport, but you have certain rights, so let the airline know that you want to witness any inspection and ask TSA the same. TSA has never told anyone to send a gun that was not loacked, not as a policy, but there may have been unknowing or just stupid screeners that interpreted things that way, in most airports all they want is for the gun to arrive at screening unlocked in order to expedite any inpection of the bag, and then it goes on its way locked.

At my airport we insisted that the passenger accompany the bag to the screening area so that they could witness the operation and lock the gun securely when we were done.

Don't get silly and try to make it tough for TSA to get into your bag, they've been around too long. It would chill you to the bone to know how easy it is to get into baggage. Let's put it this way, I just took a new job which involves 100% travel, and I am not locking my bags unless I take a gun.

[law_n_4_zer]

I picked up a bunch of guns from home California last time I visited and brought them back. I brought back 2 handguns and a shotgun. I also brought back some handgun and shotgun shells with me. The shotgun was a seperate case with locks on it. The handguns were stored in my suit case in a hard lockable case. The ammo was secured in both cases with the guns. I got there early and fille out a form watched it go through the screener and was good to go. Got to my destination rifle case came off and then my bag and guns were good to go. Just my experience. I bought one of those cheap hard cases with foam from walmart and then a small lock on the case and that was it.

[Majk]

Also they are not to mark your case that it contains a firearm. FYI