I flew home about a month after Sept 11. I thought it was going to be a big hassle, So I got to the airport couple hours early just in case I ran into any problems I was really surprised the ticket agent asked me to unlock the guncase and show her that the gun was empty and the bolt was removed from the gun just like buiseness as usual I was sitting at the airport for a couple hours waiting for my plane so my experience was very good.

I have traveled many times with one or more rifles before and after Sept 11 and I can assure you that basically nothing has changed and that traveling with a firearm is easy and safe...



Like always: you have to declare that you have a gun, and you have to declare that it is unloaded (it is best to remove the bolt and lay it next to the rifle in the case so that the person with the least experience with guns can easily determine that the gun cannot function as intented in its current state). You will have to sign a statement making your declaration and place that signed document with the gun. You will need a government issued ID card to check and pickup your gun, but you will need the same ID to get your airplane ticket as well.



Usually it is required that ammunition must be carried in other luggage separately from the gun.



The gun has to be in a hard-sided locked guncase, approved for airline travel.



It is best to ask the TSA folks to examine your firearm when you check your baggage at the start of your trip (once going and once coming home) so that they will not open the guncase at some other time during your travel....they can and will break the locks on your case...so just ask them to look at your stuff while you are present. I put an extra open (unlocked) padlock inside my guncase with a note asking TSA to relock my case with it if they have to cut the lock on the case to look inside.



The only time I had trouble traveling with gun related stuff is when I was traveling with ammunition and no gun...that bothered TSA.



And, usually, you are allowed to travel with 5 kilograms (about 11 pounds) of ammunition.



It is easy to travel with guns if you follow the rules. The only down side to traveling with a gun is that it is counted as an extra piece of luggage..so you might figure out how to carry as much stuff in your guncase as possible to reduce the number of pieces of luggage.