Checked firearm at airport for the first time. Very positive experience

[Caspian]

The wife, baby, and I flew to Utah and back this week. It was my first time checking a firearm at the airport and honestly I was quite nervous about dealing with potentially ignorant Delta and/or TSA employees. I wanted to post this to potentially ease the fears of others.

I walked up to the area where you check your bags and get your boarding passes and immediately went up to the delta employee that looked like they were monitoring the line/area and said "I need to declare a firearm". Without any sign of terror or even surprise I was taken to the front of the line where the "usher" told the person that weighs your bag and gives you your boarding passes that I had a firearm to declare. I opened my luggage and the "gunvault micro" that contained my sig p238 in a Blackhawk pocket holster, plastic ammo case, and 2 empty magazines thinking they would ask me to prove that it was unloaded. They hardly glanced at it, but made me sign a "firearms unloaded declaration" which is placed in the luggage with the case. I was then sent to a TSA employee who ran the little explosive swabs through my suitcase. I was told that this is done in front of me because all bags are exposed to random inspection and if that was done randomly to my bag it would show positive for explosives due to the firearm. They then put a "checked and cleared by TSA" tag in there to show any potential TSA agent that searched it that it was clean. Upon reaching our destination the bag ended up on the same carousel as regular bags at our destination (I thought it might end up in oversized bags or something)

This whole process was repeated almost identically on the way home.

The whole experience was very pleasant and I will no longer have any hesitation about checking a firearm in the future. Next time I will check my primary carry gun.

[PowerPM]

Good post. Thanks.... Reciprocity is a wonderfull thing.

[BestDefense=StrongOffense]

No mention of the .gov manditory TSA anal probe??? I call B.S.

[Caspian]

Didn't even want to see proof that I could have it in Utah (pa ltcf or Utah permit, I have both)

[jacksnack]

I carried last year for the fist time while flying to Florida.

Declared as required by rules and guidelines...no sweat.

Very pleased.

[comsubin61]

Thank you for this post. I have been thinking about taking my gun on a plane but dreaded the philadelphia airport checking in.

The only thing that it is bothering me in your post is how the bag ended up on the carousel. Not sure I like that considering that now the firearm could end up in someone hand if they pick the wrong bag or perhaps just helping themselves. I know it doesn't happen that often but....

[96D]

Thank you for this post. I have been thinking about taking my gun on a plane but dreaded the philadelphia airport checking in.

The only thing that it is bothering me in your post is how the bag ended up on the carousel. Not sure I like that considering that now the firearm could end up in someone hand if they pick the wrong bag or perhaps just helping themselves. I know it doesn't happen that often but....

I'll 2nd this!

[customloaded]

The only problem I have ever had is the bag with the checked firearm had been "LOST" a couple times. I recieved the bag the next day but I was not a happy camper while in "LOST" status.

CL

[Ludwig12of45]

Which airport was this?

[PaleDriver]

I did this for the first time last Oct. and was shocked how blase' the gate agent was. You do have to have the firearm in a locked hard case so that is of a little comfort, but I watched that carousel like a hawk and verified it was still there before leaving the airport.

I am definitely taking it next time.