Tips for Commercial Airline Travel with Your Guns

By Ryan Domke

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and not necessarily those of The Armory Life. Readers should understand the relevant laws and seek out legal advice from a qualified attorney as needed.

I used to work for a property preservation company that managed foreclosed homes for banks. We would source and manage all of the necessary trades and contractors to bring the home to marketable condition for the banks to sell. At the time, I wasn’t married and didn’t have any kids, so I jumped at the opportunity to travel all over the United States for them.

The Vaultek LifePod has been the author’s travel safe for the last few years and he has no complaints. No airline has complained either.

What didn’t come to mind when I agreed was that in the areas where we had the most business, these were cities with the highest foreclosure rates — and could be in some dangerous locations. Suffice it to say, I quickly realized that I needed to carry while traveling for work wherever was legally allowable for me.

[Don’t miss the Alan M. Rice article on How to Fly with a Firearm.]

tips for commercial airline travel 6 — A friendly reminder from the TSA is typically posted in the check-in line at the airport. Always ensure your firearm is being checked and never attempt to carry it on!

Thankfully, flying with firearms has become much less of a hassle than it used to be, and is much simpler than most people probably think.

Quick TSA Tips

I’ll preface this section with reminding you all to check your respective airline rules and regulations for the most up to date instructions.

tips for commercial airline travel 4 — The author keeps a 50-round MTM Case-Gard ammo container among his ammo cans, in case he can’t find the manufacturer’s ammo box at the time of need.

To save you some time Googling, here are links to several of the larger airline’s rules around weapons and ammo:

I’ve now travelled with most of the major airlines and have found that even though they all have slightly different preferences, there are a few simple standards that haven’t failed me yet.

tips for commercial airline travel 7 — The firearm declaration tag from the author’s most recent flight spells out the rules and that there are consequences if they are broken.

In no specific order:

Ensure your gun and magazine are unloaded PRIOR to stepping foot into the airport
Place your ammo in the manufacturer’s box or a hard ammo case
Use a hard case that locks and is TSA-compliant (I typically use a Vaultek LifePod)
Declare that you have a firearm to check immediately upon walking up to the counter to check your bag

Again, these are simple steps that I’ve personally found to work well. It’s also good to remember that not everyone is as comfortable with guns as you may be, so don’t be alarmed if the airline representative seems nervous. Stay calm and confident.

My Travel “Kit”

Now that we got that section out of the way, let’s take a look at one of my most frequent loadouts when I travel. My set-ups vary from trip to trip, but they often revolve around my Hellcat Pro.

tips for commercial airline travel 1 — The author always makes sure it’s incredibly obvious that everything is unloaded. That usually means keeping the slide locked back.

I recently attended the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and the following gear accompanied me on the trip for additional security: Hellcat Pro with an Inforce WML, Tyrant Designs knife and a Streamlight Microstream USB.

Why did I choose these specific items, you ask? Simple…

Nevada knife laws require the blade on your knife be shorter than four inches…check!

The Streamlight Microstream is very compact at just under four inches and still puts out 250 lumens for an hour and a half. Plus, the smaller the light, the more room for poker chips I have in my pocket!

The centerpiece, a.k.a. the Hellcat Pro, has been nothing but reliable and accurate for me.

tips for commercial airline travel 8 — The author’s hotel nightstand isn’t complete without his Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro.

Those three pieces and a box of ammo fit perfectly inside of my Vaultek LifePod. Aside from being water-resistant, airtight and lightweight, it also has a feature to disable the key opening to prevent lockpicking. You can never be too safe.

Parting Points

Most airports have plenty of signs posted before and after the check-in lines to remind you that you cannot bring weapons past a certain point and they must be transported in your checked baggage. And even if you did remember everything and are completely prepared, it can still be a bit nerve-wracking to fly with guns. That’s normal and it means you care enough to follow the rules!

If you follow the rules, you should have no issues. At that point, all you’ll have left to do is “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!