Traveling with Airguns
From time to time I'll take a trip somewhere for a hunt, or maybe to see family. And I usually pack along an airgun or two for some fun shooting with kinfolk, or if I'm on a hunting trip, for the express purpose of taking game.
Traveling with airguns has gotten a little more tedious since the events of 9/11. Airguns are now treated as firearms for most practical purposes when it comes to traveling with them. On an overseas trip in 2006, my friends and I were going on a 7 day safari with each of us carrying along 3 different airguns. To satisfy the airlines as well as other governmental rules, we each had to purchase a lockable gun case that was made for this purpose. We opened them at several checkpoints along the way to veryify serial numbers, etc. We also learned that if you are traveling with a high-pressure container, such as a scuba tank or air tank you plan to use for filling the airguns, then you need to empty it and remove the top so that inspectors can see down inside the tank. We had one of our tanks confiscated, even though it was empty. The fact that they couldn't see inside it was the deciding factor in its being seized. The owner eventually got it back, but we had to make do without it on the hunt.
If you are traveling by car, check the rules of the states you will be traveling through. The best way to carry your airguns would be out of reach of any of the occupants, such as in the trunk, unloaded, though you could leave air or gas in the reservoirs if they are a PCP or CO2 gun. The use of gun cases will help protect them from shifting and the usual bumps along the way, as well as protecting the finish on the gun itself. A case such as the Doskocil Gun Guard is a great way to protect your guns during travel.
One factor that needs to be addressed is security. A friend of mine stumbled upon the fact that two slim plastic gun cases will fit quite nicely into one of the rolling golf cases, which helped disguise the fact that he was traveling with airguns. The security at one of the airports he used even commented on how neat a disguise it provided, which of course added to the safety of his airguns and lessened the chance of them being stolen.
When you arrive at your destination, before shooting in earnest, take a few practice shots to ensure that your scopes and sights haven't shifted during the transportation. Nothing messes up a hunt than to have your sights unknowingly out of whack. It's a frustration to you, the shooter, and less than ethical to hunt with a gun that isn't shooting straight.
So on your next journey, pack your guns well, check the rules of the route or mode of transportation you are using, and above all, be safe. And if you have the chance, teach someone else the joys of airgunning at your destination.
Traveling with airguns has gotten a little more tedious since the events of 9/11. Airguns are now treated as firearms for most practical purposes when it comes to traveling with them. On an overseas trip in 2006, my friends and I were going on a 7 day safari with each of us carrying along 3 different airguns. To satisfy the airlines as well as other governmental rules, we each had to purchase a lockable gun case that was made for this purpose. We opened them at several checkpoints along the way to veryify serial numbers, etc. We also learned that if you are traveling with a high-pressure container, such as a scuba tank or air tank you plan to use for filling the airguns, then you need to empty it and remove the top so that inspectors can see down inside the tank. We had one of our tanks confiscated, even though it was empty. The fact that they couldn't see inside it was the deciding factor in its being seized. The owner eventually got it back, but we had to make do without it on the hunt.
If you are traveling by car, check the rules of the states you will be traveling through. The best way to carry your airguns would be out of reach of any of the occupants, such as in the trunk, unloaded, though you could leave air or gas in the reservoirs if they are a PCP or CO2 gun. The use of gun cases will help protect them from shifting and the usual bumps along the way, as well as protecting the finish on the gun itself. A case such as the Doskocil Gun Guard is a great way to protect your guns during travel.
One factor that needs to be addressed is security. A friend of mine stumbled upon the fact that two slim plastic gun cases will fit quite nicely into one of the rolling golf cases, which helped disguise the fact that he was traveling with airguns. The security at one of the airports he used even commented on how neat a disguise it provided, which of course added to the safety of his airguns and lessened the chance of them being stolen.
When you arrive at your destination, before shooting in earnest, take a few practice shots to ensure that your scopes and sights haven't shifted during the transportation. Nothing messes up a hunt than to have your sights unknowingly out of whack. It's a frustration to you, the shooter, and less than ethical to hunt with a gun that isn't shooting straight.
So on your next journey, pack your guns well, check the rules of the route or mode of transportation you are using, and above all, be safe. And if you have the chance, teach someone else the joys of airgunning at your destination.
posted by Randy Mitchell at
5:28 AM
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