Travelling with Firearms

Since 1996 we have been arranging hunts in Africa, South America, Europe and North America.
One of the more frequently asked questions is, “How do I go about taking my firearm with me?”
 

It’s a fair question and since 9-11, the Patriot act and the forming of TSA, the rules and laws have been a moving target. Some of the problems that have arisen have not been so much from travelers not adhering to the laws and Airline regulations, as from TSA agents. Many of these agents are new to their career and are sometimes not current on the regulations themselves.
 

This played itself out with me a few years ago when returning from a Trip to Africa. I arrived in JFK airport New York and was clearing customs. They pulled me aside for a random baggage check. The young lady that was going through my bags had been working for TSA only a few weeks. As she started to unpack my luggage she came upon the plastic cases that held my ammunition. I had two plastic ammo cases each holding forty rounds of 30-06 and .416 ammo.
 

She immediately pulled these out and set them aside. She politely said,” I am sorry sir these cannot be allowed to continue with you.” When I asked why, she told me they were classified as explosives and not allowed on aircraft in the United States. I knew this was incorrect and as politely as I could, stated I believed she was incorrect when classifying them as explosives. I explained to her that I had left from the states with more ammo than I was returning and had no problems when I was departing. She apologized again and simply stated that the ammo should not have been allowed to go on the aircraft.
 

I was eager to be polite as possible for fear of having everything from my toothpaste to my underwear confiscated but was not prepared to leave behind over a hundred dollars worth of ammo. I knew what the laws were regarding travelling with firearms and ammunition and kindly asked if we could talk to a supervisor. She was somewhat put out with the fact that I wanted to escalate this issue but she agreed to call her supervisor. Within a few minutes an older gentleman showed up looked at my ammo and the cases they were in. He pulled a manual out of the table that she had my items scattered about on. I began to think he was going to point out some new addendum causing me to lose my ammo. He turned to a particular page and directed the new TSA agent to a paragraph on the page. She silently read it for a moment, turned to me and said, “I’m sorry sir, and you’re all set. She repacked my bags, including the ammo, and wished me safe travels.
 

In fairness to TSA some of this confusion comes from the airlines themselves. TSA states that ammunition must be in fiber, wood or metal boxes designed to carry ammunition. TSA rules go on to say that this ammunition can be stored in the same case with your firearm. While TSA may have no problem with this policy most airlines require that ammunition be in a lockable case and travel separate from the firearms. This means in your checked baggage. This regulation enacted by most airlines is fairly recent and is more stringent then the TSA rules.
 

The amount of ammunition you can travel with is also dictated by the airlines themselves. For instance, Delta states that you can travel with up to eleven pounds of ammunition. You will want to check with the airline you are flying on in order to be in compliance with their policies. In the case of ammunition there’s an added element to be aware of. Each country has its own laws regarding the amount of ammunition you can bring in. For example, South Africa allows for a total of two hundred rounds of Ammo. Two hundred rounds of ammunition would most likely weigh more than eleven pounds, so the airlines rules in this case would be the determining factor in the amount of ammo you could bring. One other lesser know fact regarding ammo is the requirement to have the head stamp on your ammo match the caliber of rifle you are travelling with. This is a rule of several African countries, not the TSA or airlines.
 

I use a .416 Taylor which is a wildcat cartridge. The cases for this round can be simply made by necking down a .458 Winchester Magnum to the .416 diameter. I am left with .416 Taylor ammo, (this is the marking on the barrel of my rifle), but have ammunition with a head stamp indicating .458 Win. Mag. This can cause major problems when clearing customs in another country. When taking my .416 abroad I have brass that I ordered with the proper head stamp for my rifle and use the .458 win. Mag. for use at the range or here in the states.
 

In regards to gun cases the TSA has tightened up as well. Until recently most hard cases that are lockable were sufficient to transport firearms on an aircraft. This included the cheaper hard plastic cases that can be bought at most department stores. TSA now states that the case must be of a construction that cannot be easily pried open. This requires the use of a stiff case that cannot have one corner spread open while a center latch is still latched. This restricts you to a metal gun case or a thick plastic case such as the Pelican brand sold at Cabelas and other major sporting goods stores.
 

Whether travelling within the United States or abroad the rules of the airline you’re travelling on will supersede the TSA rules. Airlines can have more restrictive rules than TSA but obviously not less. An example of this is in regards to ammo. As was stated above, TSA only requires that ammo be in a container designed for this purpose but most airlines are requiring a lockable case. The lockable case must then be included with your checked baggage.
 

For you muzzleloader hunters, you cannot transport percussion caps or black powder on an aircraft. This is a TSA rule so regardless of airline rules you cannot transport these components. If you have booked a muzzleloader hunt and are going to be flying to your destination you will have to make arrangements to buy your components when you arrive.
 

If leaving the country with a firearm there is additional paperwork requirements that need to be adhered to. You will need to take your firearm(s) to the nearest customs office. These offices are usually located at major airports. If you are not near a major airport you can check for the nearest office on the US Immigration and Customs website.
 

Upon arriving at the Customs office you need to tell the officer working there that you will be travelling out of the country with your firearm. He will copy the serial number off from your firearm and enter it into Homeland Securities computer system to ensure it’s not stolen. He will then have you fill out a form #4457 and the customs officer will stamp the form. This form should be kept with you during your travels. The #4457 becomes your proof of ownership if you are asked for it. Upon arriving back into the States customs will ask to see your #4457 form. This is done so customs can confirm that you are bringing the same firearm into the States that you left with and you are the rightful owner.
 

In fifteen years of arranging hunts around the world we have never had a problem with transporting firearms. The key is being aware of and complying with the TSA regulations and rules of the airline you flying with. If you adhere to these laws and airline rules you should have a seamless trip with your own firearms.