I am flying on Delta from Atlanta to Canada this week for an elk hunt.

Does anyone know what the current weight limits are for bags?

Does it matter if one of your bags is a "gun case" stuffed with a rifle and many other things so that it now tips the scales at 65 pounds?

Can I lock my gun case? If not, how do you keep things from being stolen?

Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure on Delta but United has a weight limit of 50 pounds per checked bag. A friend and I came back on Delta and we were okay. There was no extra charge for a rifle case. United also has a 62 cubic inch rule on checked bags while one piece for sporting equipment larger than this is okay. Leave your gun case unlocked until you check your bags. Make sure you declare that you have a firearm and ammunition when checking in. They will give you a tag that says the gun is unloaded that you sign and put in the case with your firearm. You will then be told to lock the case. TSA may still want to inspect your gun. Once they are thru it will then be put on the plane. Check the website for Delta as they will probably have all the information for baggage that you need to know or call them. It is a good idea to have everything in writing because a lot of the people working there don't know what the regs are. United limits you to eleven pounds of ammunition. Hope this helps.

I am not positive what Delta is but I know that American is 50 pounds for each checked bag. I was on Delta the other day coming home from Montana and mine tipped 49lbs on the nose. You will be better off using a tuffpak or even a heavy golf club case for your rifle. Keep your gun in a soft case and place it and all of the other things you will need inside. They will lock the case for you or allow you to after they inspect it. I fly almost weekly with guns and have never had a problem. Good luck on the hunt!

Doug

Delta limits;

Domestic: 50 lbs
International: 70 lbs

All the airlines for demostic flights are using the TSB recommendations i.e. 50 lbs per checked bag, 2 checked bags per passenger.

A tuffpak usually get to heavy, easy to stuff too much stuff in.

A double gun case and 2 rifles usually is too heavy also.

Yes, you can lock your gun case. Actually you have to after check in. They will look it over, you fill out the RED firearms tag and you lock it up. I put my ammo in the case with the rifle to cut down on trouble with it in my luggage. (explosive scan)

ED

EO
From the flights that I have been on, ammo in the same case and the rifle was a giant NO NO. Not allowed on any airline I have ever heard of.

I should have made the search that I just did before posting this. The first 2 I read said it was okay to have the ammo in the same case as long as the firearm is not loaded. Is this a new reg or have I been messed up all along. (wouldn't be the first time) I do see where United wants it in a separate one.

[ 09-25-2003, 07:31: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Chic,

Several airlines have changed their policy and now allow ammo in the guncase. I thought that TSA regs required the ammo to be in the guncase, but it only says that ammo "may" be transported in the guncase. It's up to the airlines to determine the final rule. I got into a discussion with a Northwest Airlines ticket agent about this in June. She said the ammo had to be separate. I said TSA required it be locked in the guncase. TSA official at the airport told me to do what Northwest directed.

When I got back, I looked up Northwest's website and it says,

"Gun and ammunition may be in the same piece of luggage. However, ammunition must be within its own packaging."

So the ticket agent was operating under the old rules. I should have copied the info from their website and had it with me. Next time I will.

Regards,

Terry