How strick is Delta about the 11 pound ammo rule? Do they ask for it to be unpacked/ weighed separately or as long as the checked baggage, which the ammo is packed , doesnt exceed the 50 pound max?

I've never had any airline weigh it, although they can certainly decide to strictly enforce the rules any time they take a notion.

Last year I flew 40 rounds of .375 plus 110 rounds of 20 ga on four flight segments, and was pretty certainly over.....

I fly almost exclusively BA. It depends on the gate agent checking your bag. Some here in PHX just ask but some since they know you have guns want to weigh it. So I just make sure I'm "about" 11 pounds.

Never had it weighed in 7 safaris. But then, I don't flirt with disaster either, and stay within the bounds.

On six Delta flights with rifles and ammo so far, I've never even had them ask if I had any ammo, let alone check it.

But they might. Who knows? That's why I've always been under the limit. On my last trip I took 50 .300 magnums and 50 .458s, totalling just under the limit. That was plenty. I ended up leaving most of it with the PH.

Five years ago, a Northwest ticket agent decided she wanted to be a jacka$$ and wanted to weigh my ammo and my friend's ammo. I was two (2) .470NE rounds over 5 kg. I told her to just keep the two rounds, or I could just put them in my buddy's bag. She insisted that a sheriff take possesion of the two rounds and issue a property voucher. This process took over an hour and course we missed our flight.

I got on the phone and called Debby Gracey at Gracey Travel and explained what had happened. She was incredulous. She had, that very week, received a letter from a V.P. at Northwest asking, in effect, what Northwest could do to garner more of the "safari trade". Debby contacted that same person and relayed events. We were told to go back to the airport the following AM and check in. On arrival in line we were met by two gentlemen in black suits, taken out of line, handed our tickets, baggage tags, and vouchers for free drinks, then wisked through security. BTW we connected with our originally schedualed Joberg to Harare flight. We were told by one of the two gentlemen that the ticket person had been "counseled and reassigned".

A long story but just be aware that there are "haters" out there.

Geronimo

Kelly,

Put your extra in bottom of suitcase and if asked to weigh ammo take out the stuff on top.... 11 lbs. worth... Make sure they are in plastic boxes...

Mike

I will be departing Jackson intl-Altanta-Joburg. I wont see my checked bagage until I Hit Africa(hopefully!!). So if I can make the check in at Jackson I sould be ok, right? I am 5 pounds over which is the ammo requested by the PH (same caliber as mine of coarse). I will have my wife wait a few minutes so at least I could leave it with her.

Hi Mike, Thats exactly what I am doing. The extra ammo is in my new camera box and my ammo is in 2 mtm cases taped together. Thanks for the suggestion!

We are very excited! Leaving early in the AM. I am certain I will have a BAL!

The best to you two guys and make the shot... Drink all of Africa in...

Mike

On a return trip I had "Security" at Cape Town airport weigh all the ammo, including boxes and empty brass to verify the 5 Kilos!

Keep in mind that almost all the bags are
X-rayed these days, so nothing is really "hidden", they likely will not compute the overweight ammo, but they could.

AND, don't even THINK about trying to take the ammo into the African countries without declaring it, even components, brass and/or bullets! Particularly Zimbabwe.

Les

After traveling on dozens of flights with guns and ammo, I did have a Delta rep in SLC once ask to weigh the ammo. I complied, was under the 11 lb limit, and had no further hassle. It is rare to be asked to weigh the ammo, but it does happen.

Remember that you are allowed 11 lb per person. If you are traveling with your wife / kids, they can have 11l bs as well. No one suitcase is soupposed to have over the 11lb limit, however.

Bill

I have been weighed once out of three trips when flying out of SFO so best to be prepared. Btw when we left Tanz last year, they counted each loaded round and brass to make sure we were taking the same amount out as we brought in. Luckily, they only counted the rounds for Mrs. Blacktailer's 308 cuz I had given all of my ammo to the PH!

Guys,

This ammo question has come up several times but the bottom line is if want to have a hassle free safari only bring your 5kg limit and a little less to be safe. "You probably will have no problem" is simply not good enough.

At anytime checking on any flight you may have your ammo weighed, headstamps checked and rounds counted. All this has happened to me at one time or another.

Another thing to consider is that 11 pounds of ammo is a shit load equalling about a hundred 375 rounds. I've shot upto 23 animals on one safari and never fired over 43 rounds and I definitely am not Davie Crockett.

Mark

Mark,
You hit it square on the head. with enough you'll probably be ok's somethings bound to get TIA'd. Your always, always better off to play it safe. when I hit 11 pounds, I take one more .470 round out just to be safe.
Steve

I have been across the pond 4 times now w/ rifles & ammo. I have never had ammo weighed, but one guy I traveled with did. So you roll the dice if you go over. Depending on th airline, you are supposed to pack it separately but I threw in an ammo wallet of 10rds inside my guncase last trip, just in case the checked bag went missing.

I really have lost track of how many times I've flown with guns and ammo, certainly in excess of 30 times. I've never had ammo weighed, but I've always been prepared just in case. Always stay below the 5kg's.

One other thing, I always put the ammo in manufactures boxes. I'm usually asked if the the ammo is in orignial containers and I can respond positively if their in the cardboard ammo manufacturers boxes. No plastic boxes for me and I've never had a problem with tem breaking.

It's 5 kilograms. Live with it or stay home!

quote:

Originally posted by Mississippian:
How strick is Delta about the 11 pound ammo rule? Do they ask for it to be unpacked/ weighed separately or as long as the checked baggage, which the ammo is packed , doesnt exceed the 50 pound max?

THey always ask me what my ammo weighs and I tell them. And that is the end of it.

Mostly I've just been asked and I say under 5 kilos (or about 10 pounds, depending on the location). Only time they checked me was on return flight from Tanzania and my biggest concern is that the paperwork showed what I bought in and what I was leaving with and somehow I had misplaced a couple of boxes of .375's. It was under the weight limit and noone ever asked.