Air Travel with an Airgun

[shaky hands]

This website has an article on the subject:
http://www.pilkguns.com/airtravelwithairguns.shtml
It advises to leave your spare cylinder at home because "the one attached to the gun is OK, since it is attached to the TSA permitted airgun, but the spare cylinder is not." Is this an outdated advice? The TSA website
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information ... ammunition
appears to state exactly opposite that detached cylinders are OK while attached are not:

Compressed Air Guns, including rifles and pistols (to include paintball markers) - Carried in checked luggage without compressed air cylinder attached.

Anyone flown recently who could clarify?

[jhmartin]

Unless you are flying out of Colorado Springs, just declare as an unloaded firearm w/ EMPTY cylinder attached.
If you think you may need to use a spare. I'd mail that.

No one I know really travels w/ a spare. Even overseas. Worst case, you would probably be able to borrow a cylinder from a shooter in another relay. Shooters really are nice people.

[shaky hands]

But the uncertainty is still relevant if you buy a gun on your overseas trip and attempt to take it back home. With 2 cylinders.

[Rover]

Let us know how you make out with your new purchase.

[kaban56]

This seems to be a nice change...It's been a while since I've checked, but I recall that the ammo had to be packed in a separate hard-case and checked in separately.

"Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber for a rifle or pistol and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as it follows the packing guidelines described above." (from the same TSA website)

[nglitz]

Here's a helpful site. http://deviating.net/firearms/packing/

I've flown out of C-Springs with air pistols: detachable cylinder, Baikal and Alfa Proj types. Got the most questions about the Baikal. Never had a firearm of any type turned away.

For some reason, TSA doesn't seem to consider pellets as "ammunition". I've always kept a tin in the same box as the pistol. Cartridge ammo, yes. That goes in a seperate checked bag. The plastic ammo boxes qualify as "factory boxes or equivalent". Most of the time, they don't even look. Not even in Newark NJ. Easiest airport has been Trenton NJ.

[jhmartin]

I've flown out of C-Springs with air pistols: detachable cylinder, Baikal and Alfa Proj types. Got the most questions about the Baikal. Never had a firearm of any type turned away.

This is super interesting .... when was the last date you flew out of C Springs with a cylinder?
Wondering if they have changed their attitude recently?

[wasatch]

I recently flew Southwest from Salt Lake to Buffalo. At check-in counter I declared the air pistol to the ticket agent. She filled out a TSA fire arm declaration form and taped it to the outside of my locked pistol case (it was the original case with a TSA combination lock through a hole in the latch). Then I took my bag to TSA and I was good to go.

My air cylinder was attached to the pistol.

[jhmartin]

I recently flew Southwest from Salt Lake to Buffalo. At check-in counter I declared the air pistol to the ticket agent. She filled out a TSA fire arm declaration form and taped it to the outside of my locked pistol case (it was the original case with a TSA combination lock through a hole in the latch). Then I took my bag to TSA and I was good to go.

My air cylinder was attached to the pistol.

You can do that at just about any airport in the USA no problem.
The issue is Colorado Springs ... and has been since WAG in 2010.

[SamEEE]

I recently flew Southwest from Salt Lake to Buffalo. At check-in counter I declared the air pistol to the ticket agent. She filled out a TSA fire arm declaration form and taped it to the outside of my locked pistol case (it was the original case with a TSA combination lock through a hole in the latch). Then I took my bag to TSA and I was good to go.

My air cylinder was attached to the pistol.

I think strictly if it has been tagged as a firearm under your law it must have a proper padlock on it.

[nglitz]

My last trip through C-Springs airport was 2014 for the JO. In 2015, we flew through Denver for some reason. The TSA guy at C-Springs seemed like an ex-cop. He had the "attitude". He asked questions & I answered that the tanks were empty. He seemed convinced that they were CO2 pistols, but I told him compressed air. He asked "what's in them now?" Me, "They're empty." That satisfied him. If worse comes to worse, there's a store in the airport that has FedEx envelopes and can ship small items for you. TSA was more than willing to let me ship a pocket knife that I forgot (duh) to put into my checked bag.

As for locks and tags on pistol cases, the outer hard side luggage needs a lock that no one but you can open. A "proper padlock". Federal law. TSA locks can be opened by any TSA agent. The firearm tags have to go INSIDE the outer hard case (suitcase). Again, Federal law. Also, if you can unlatch the case latches and pry open the case enough to touch the pistol, that's not good enough. May very well need a lock at both ends. On my long rifle case, I use a set of four keyed-alike padlocks. Home Depot or similar carries them.

Go read the site I posted earlier about packing in the friendly skies. He may not be an Olympic air pistol shooter, but the same laws apply. Lots of info there, including references to and quotes from the specific federal laws.