Just got back from LV yesterday (round trip on  Hawaiian Air) and let me share my experience with everyone. Had my handgun in a soft sided case along with 2 factory boxes of 20rd ammo stored in a Pelican 1750 rifle case (yeah over kill for a handgun but had lots of gifts to take to family). Checked in at HNL and ticket agent asked about the ammo and I explained the handgun was in it's own case within the Pelican case, agent said no problem. Signed orange card, inserted card into Pelican case and dropped off case at the drop off. Waited about 20 mins had no one from airlines or TSA get back to me so proceeded TSA checkpoint and to gates. Now on my return flight this is where I encountered something different. Checked in and walked with the ticket agent to the TSA office like usual but was told that I had to hand over my keys for the locks on my Pelican case to the TSA agent and they would open, inspect and then lock my case ( in the past they would take my case and xray without taking my keys) in their office and I was not allowed to enter. They would then send my Pelican case thru (which meant that I would not see my case again till I got it in HNL) and hand me my keys back and I could proceed to the TSA checkpoint and head toward my gate. According to the TSA agent their policy has changed recently and when I double checked the policy this is what it stated

"Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks."

In the past when traveling with firearms I've always printed and kept a copy of the TSA Firearms policies with me and I do not recall the section with "unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations." so this is where the policy has changed, and opening and inspecting my case outside of the TSA office was not an option.  Both the TSA agent and Hawaiian Air agent did explain that if I so wanted to I could head over to the main TSA office at terminal 1 and get a pass to enter the office/inspection area for terminal 3 (Hawaiian Air).

So that being said, for those of you traveling to LV you might want to consider taking the extra time to get a pass from the main TSA office at terminal 1 and or taking pictures and making an inventory of everything that you're putting in your case that contains your firearms. Hope this helps....

Just got back from LV yesterday (round trip on  Hawaiian Air) and let me share my experience with everyone. Had my handgun in a soft sided case along with 2 factory boxes of 20rd ammo stored in a Pelican 1750 rifle case (yeah over kill for a handgun but had lots of gifts to take to family). Checked in at HNL and ticket agent asked about the ammo and I explained the handgun was in it's own case within the Pelican case, agent said no problem. Signed orange card, inserted card into Pelican case and dropped off case at the drop off. Waited about 20 mins had no one from airlines or TSA get back to me so proceeded TSA checkpoint and to gates. Now on my return flight this is where I encountered something different. Checked in and walked with the ticket agent to the TSA office like usual but was told that I had to hand over my keys for the locks on my Pelican case to the TSA agent and they would open, inspect and then lock my case ( in the past they would take my case and xray without taking my keys) in their office and I was not allowed to enter. They would then send my Pelican case thru (which meant that I would not see my case again till I got it in HNL) and hand me my keys back and I could proceed to the TSA checkpoint and head toward my gate. According to the TSA agent their policy has changed recently and when I double checked the policy this is what it stated

"Firearms must be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container and transported as checked baggage only. As defined by 49 CFR 1540.5 a loaded firearm has a live round of ammunition, or any component thereof, in the chamber or cylinder or in a magazine inserted in the firearm. Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks."

In the past when traveling with firearms I've always printed and kept a copy of the TSA Firearms policies with me and I do not recall the section with "unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations." so this is where the policy has changed, and opening and inspecting my case outside of the TSA office was not an option.  Both the TSA agent and Hawaiian Air agent did explain that if I so wanted to I could head over to the main TSA office at terminal 1 and get a pass to enter the office/inspection area for terminal 3 (Hawaiian Air).

So that being said, for those of you traveling to LV you might want to consider taking the extra time to get a pass from the main TSA office at terminal 1 and or taking pictures and making an inventory of everything that you're putting in your case that contains your firearms. Hope this helps....

Awsome info SA594!!!  Very helpful. I have to remember this.

I've known people who have had to had their guns inspected by TSA/Sheriff.  This is why we wait the 20 minutes before we go thru the check point.  But I've never heard of having to give them your keys.

What does happen is they take you and your case to a separate area and you unlock it for them in the presents of TSA.  If they wish to handle the gun, TSA doesn't touch it.  A Sheriff has to be there and they are the ones who handle the gun.  The post I've read this from is nationwide and usually for a rifle, revolver, or handgun that the slide was not locked back.  They want to make sure no round is chambered.  This is why I also run that cable and lock that comes with all handguns thru my barrel so it's obvious under X-ray that there is no round in the chamber.

TSA took your case into their office and opened the case while not in your presence?  While I guess that's not in the printed TSA policy, sounds hinky. . .

I've had airline agents state that my locks needed to be TSA locks before.  That's about it.  I've had TSA agents ask to open the case so that they could swab for residue, but that was in my presence and I both opened the case for inspection and locked it up prior to the case "going below".

In any case, thank you for sharing!  All great information!

I agree that I would be hesitant to allow anyone to open my case outside of my presence,  however, the TSA rules don't go into that.  So it will be up to the TSA agent requesting the key I guess...

I know it has been posted before but here is the TSA rules with the new wording that SA594 mentioned.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

I agree that I would be hesitant to allow anyone to open my case outside of my presence,  however, the TSA rules don't go into that.  So it will be up to the TSA agent requesting the key I guess...

I know it has been posted before but here is the TSA rules with the new wording that SA594 mentioned.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

I'd have to dig up what I have from that last time I traveled, but yeah, it doesn't mention anything about TSA being able to open up the case and owner needing to be present.  I always thought that NO ONE besides the owner opened the case, hence no TSA locks.  Interesting. . .

I wonder what they would say if you asked them to video to document that TSA took your case with the firearm and ammo inside into the TSA "backroom" with the keys.  I mean I would think that probably all good, but I've heard so many stories of stuff in luggage getting jacked.  Golf clubs.  Sometimes entire golf bags.  Cameras in Pelican cases.  And more.  Besides the entire firearm case going missing, I never was worried about stuff getting jacked from my firearm case because of the non-TSA locks and I was the last one to lock the case prior to being accepted by the airline. 

Rules doesn't state that you have to be present, but it also doesn't state you can't either.  So I would ask to be present or speak to a supervisor.  How do you know that your gun and ammo don't go missing?

I had TSA take 1 JHP 9mm from my box of 50.

The last four times I went to Vegas within the past two years I have always held onto my keys and was never asked to have the contents visually inspected. Waited somewhere between 15-30 minutes from TSA to run my locked firearms case through XRay and give me the thumbs up that I was in compliance so I could head over to security.

If I was asked to hand over the keys for physical visual inspection, I would definitely want to be present. If this is going to be the norm I would actually want to be at the airport sooner than I already have been. Never know what luck you might draw with the interpretation of the requirements you might get on any given day.

Believe me when I say that it was quite a surprise to me and thankfully everyone involved kept our attitudes and tempers in check over this whole thing. Once again this was just a recap of my experience at McCarran airport in Terminal 3 while traveling on Hawaiian Air and others may experience a different scenario (since TSA is never consistent in their procedures and/or trustworthiness) there or elsewhere. In the future when traveling with firearms to LV,  I'll either look into the option of getting a pass from the main office in terminal 1 or possibly just leave a duplicate set of firearms in LV, leaning more toward the 2nd option. Fortunately there are  a lot of shooting ranges there so I can run thru whatever firearms I leave when I first get back to function test everything.....Hope this helps everyone.......