For those of you who fly commercially with their handgun, what's the best handgun case?  Is pelican good and tsa, airline approve?  What's a good lock that goes with it too. 

I currently use a Pelican 1470.  Its a briefcase sized case that fits in my checked bag.  I check the firearm in with TSA lock the case then stick it in my checked bag.  This way, if my baggage gets to the destination before I do, people dont see a single gun case that would tempt them to walk away with.  This case comes with its own locks.  If you decide to not place the case within your own luggage, buy the biggest case you can handle.  This makes it harder to discreetly walk away with unauthorized.  The flip side to this is a big case "screams" gun/rifle!

Can you put ammo in the same case?

As far as ammo is concerned, it is really dependant on the airlines regulation.  When I fly Hawaiian its all in the same case with ammo being in its factory box.  Just be sure ammunition does not exceed 10 pounds.  Call your airline a few days before, get specific instructions along with the persons name you talked to and print out TSA rules and regs from the internet.  The airline and TSA employees are sometimes on a different page.  You may have to refer to a document when they tell you you can or cannot do something.  Half the time i have traveled, I had to tell them what the rules are.

On another note, when you tell the airline agent at the counter that you are declaring a firearm, be sure he or she does not give you the LEO form and assume that you are CARRYING a firearm on the plane.  Specify that you are declaring a firearms in "checked" baggage.  This happens to me all the time.  The only form you should be filling out is an "unloaded firearm" declaration which is placed in your case before TSA inspects.  Also, every TSA agent is different.  Some will have you open the case to verify contents and some will not.  Either way, most if not all will verify that your case is locked before going through to baggage.

Hope this helps and have a good trip!

One more thing!  If you have ammo in the same case through the airline, be sure that at some point you discreetly separate the two once at your destination as it is our state law that the two are not together while transporting in a vehicle.  Also when traveling to other states, check the state and local laws in the destination you are traveling to as laws vary from state to state!

One more thing!  If you have ammo in the same case through the airline, be sure that at some point you discreetly separate the two once at your destination as it is our state law that the two are not together while transporting in a vehicle.  Also when traveling to other states, check the state and local laws in the destination you are traveling to as laws vary from state to state!

I'm a little confused by this.  I read the law as saying the firearm must be unloaded (no ammo chambered, or if magazine inserted no ammo in magazine.  Am I misunderstanding it that it doesn't prohibit from having the ammo and firearm in the same rigid "enclosed container"?  I figure better safe than sorry (or LEO misunderstanding leading to arrest) and separate them anyway, but I'd be interested in how the letter of the law is interpreted.


On a slightly off-topic, what is your guys experience/opinion on a rigid enclosed container for ammo?  Is ammo in it's original box, within a closed duffle bag ok?  It's not exactly completely "rigid".  What if the ammo was instead in a plastic ammo case, within a closed duffle?


I'm finding it tricky to figure out what's "ok" where law interpretation is required..  Info from those of you who have to deal with this issue consistently is invaluable to a newbie like me.

I'm a little confused by this.  I read the law as saying the firearm  must be unloaded (no ammo chambered, or if magazine inserted no ammo in  magazine.  Am I misunderstanding it that it doesn't prohibit from  having the ammo and firearm in the same rigid "enclosed container"?  I  figure better safe than sorry (or LEO misunderstanding leading to  arrest) and separate them anyway, but I'd be interested in how the  letter of the law is interpreted.

check out this thread.
http://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=132.msg387#msg387

Good questions, though only Tom_G replied regarding the ammo transport question and thinks it would be ok to transport in the same case as a firearm.  That's the same way I read the law.  I understand the reluctance in giving personal interpretations of the law.  Perhaps I'll run a list of questions through a friend who's a LEO next time I see her.

According to the TSA website, transporting ammo inside the case is okay as long as you follow a few rules. Of course, airlines may have their own additional requirements on the carriage of firearms and the amount of ammunition that you may have in your checked baggage. Therefore, you should also contact the airline regarding its firearm and ammunition carriage policies.

You must securely pack any ammunition in fiber (such as cardboard), wood or metal boxes or other packaging that is specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.
You can't use firearm magazines/clips for packing ammunition unless they completely and securely enclose the ammunition (e.g., by securely covering the exposed portions of the magazine or by securely placing the magazine in a pouch, holder, holster or lanyard).
You may carry the ammunition in the same hard-sided case as the firearm, as long as you pack it as described above.