Air Travel with Air Pistol

Beckett · Post by **Beckett** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:14 pm

Hi everyone,

I am moving to England soon and would like to take my air pistol with me so I can practice during my stay.

Because air pistols are not considered firearms in the US, do I need to declare that as a firearm when I check in at the airport? If not, what do I declare? And does it need to be in a LOCKED hard case like actual pistols? I am using the original Morini plastic case which does not even have slots for locks.

Also, I've heard horror stories about compressed air cylinders... what's the deal with that? Do I need to ship them separately?

I am flying with Delta Airlines out of Boston. So if anybody had any similar experience, I'd really appreciate your input!

Thanks for your help

Beckett

Gwhite · Post by **Gwhite** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:35 pm

Others can hopefully provide a more definitive answer, but given that the Morini cylinders have a pressure gauge, I would think you could transport them empty without too much hassle. As long as you can prove that you are not transporting compressed gas, you should be OK. Of course what makes sense & what the rules are can be very different.

I had good luck contacting the airline I was traveling on when I had a question recently about traveling with a cartridge firearm. If you do it via email and can print out the answer, you can show it to the folks at Logan if they think otherwise.

GOVTMODEL · Post by **GOVTMODEL** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:28 pm

Better check with TSA and the airline. Cartridge guns are easier to travel with than air cylinders.

Beckett · Post by **Beckett** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:23 pm

guys I just spoke with a representative at Delta Airlines on the phone this afternoon. First thing she asked me was 'sir, what is an air pistol?'.

Then after checking with her supervisor, she came back to me and said I wouldn't be allowed to bring my air pistol because, and i quote 'it has a GAS TANK'.

I guess I'll have to check with the TSA. I don't think these airline people know what they're doing. Unfortunately I don't have a point of contact there.

Richard H · Post by **Richard H** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:34 am

You really need to be more careful with your words when talking to people with authority that have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Choose your words so they are accurate yet benign, your job isn't to educate them. It's a pellet gun, they might ask "what like a bb gun", you say, yes. You tell them it's empty and unloaded, don't talk about removable cylinders and such. Take one cylinder make sure it's empty and attach it to the pistol, do not remove it to prove anything. The Morini original cases that I've always seen had a hole by each latch which you can put a lock through (maybe your's is older or they stopped putting them in).

This is definitely a situation where less is more.

I usually put the pistol in it's locked case inside my checked bag with it locked (it will need to go in checked luggage).

You say your moving are any of your other belongings going? If so I'd ship it with your other stuff.

Another option is sell it and buy a new one there.

peterz · Post by **peterz** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:07 am

You cannot take a cartridge rifle to the UK without a UK license (firearms certificate or FAC).

You cannot take a cartridge pistol to the UK, period.

An air pistol with an attached tank is permitted if you read the TSA rules because the tank is an integral part of the gun. Might be best if you shipped the second tank separately, but I just took mine through Frankfurt w/o problem.

pz

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:01 am

peterz wrote: An air pistol with an attached tank is permitted if you read the TSA rules because the tank is an integral part of the gun. Might be best if you shipped the second tank separately, but I just took mine through Frankfurt w/o problem.

pz

Agreed with the above and with Richards comments. It seems that it's the spare air cylinder that may cause problems. I would probably avoid the risk by either just taking the one cylinder - empty and screwed onto the gun, or post the spare to the UK.

We have to transport airguns in a separate case from luggage when flying out of the UK so I would advise doing that even if it's not a requirement that end - you could well have problems flying home otherwise.

<edit> Just made the connection - have you been training with Patrick Haynes, and are you moving to Cambridge in the UK ? - Patrick messaged me - so if you're the same Beckett, I'll drop you an email.

Rob.

Beckett · Post by **Beckett** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:02 pm

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! I'm gonna try to put a lock on my case and just take one cylinder, attached to the gun. Hopefully I will not get in any trouble that way.

Rob, yes I am the Beckett Patrick mentioned in his email. I am currently in Boston for grad school and will be moving Cambridge for half a year in about 2 weeks. I'd like to get in touch but don't have your email. Please email me at beckett.y.zhou@gmail.com Thanks.

Gwhite · Post by **Gwhite** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:16 pm

Richard H wrote:The Morini original cases that I've always seen had a hole by each latch which you can put a lock through (maybe your's is older or they stopped putting them in).

I live in Massachusetts, which has it's own silly laws about transporting firearms in locked cases. Even though an air pistol is not technically a firearm, the law is fuzzy (and constantly changing), so a lot of cops may not know that. To be safe, I put a lock on the case. To do this, I use a large padlock like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-1534D ... 000ONVJ2G/

The shackle goes all the way around both halves of the handle, and you can't open the case with the lock in place. Works on Steyr & Pardini cases as well.