quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
A suggestion: I had the airport here ship straight thru to Harare. They never opened the rifle case anywhere, as it was checked baggage. No opportunity for anyone to open and inspect.

Rich
Buffalo Killer

All good and well, if it makes it to Harare.
This procedure is often the cause of missing bags (nightmare for Harare PH'S) somewhere in Jo Burg international airport.

I personally don't remove bolts unless specifically requested to do so by TSA, etc. I pack my guns inside reasonably padded foam gun cases/slips in a Tuffpak and pack all the spaces around them with clothes boots, etc.

So far, it has worked ok but I'm not sure anything is airline gorilla proof forever. They run educational classes daily to improve their techniques for screwing up passanger's luggage and contents. I think, but have never seen a ceremony, that they award performance medals for best gorilla.

I have not removed them here in the USA, only to subsequently be told to remove them in South Africa. I now remove them every time as a precautionary measure, as I think that removing them might also help prevent damage to the wrist of the stock should a TSA gorilla attempt to rough play with the gun case.

Jorge was first with the right answer. The "pressure point" created by a bolt remaining in the rifle has been responsible for more damaged scopes and broken walnut stocks than all the gorilla luggage handlers put together. Even when placed inside a soft case and packed in a Tuffpack - the absolute best solution for a travelling gun case - surrounded by clothing, that 'pressure point can be the cause of a ruined hunt.

On a SF to Alberta Moose hunt, after arrival at camp one of the hunters found a broken stock after removing his rifle from his Tuffpack. I asked him if he shipped with the bolt in the rifle. Yes, that's what did it. No spare stocks in camp but there was a spare rifle for him to use.

I've used Tuffpack since 1995 and always remove the bolts, drop them in an old wool sock and pack them at the top end of the Tuffpack. Done that on more than a dozen safaris plus Canada. Still works. I honestly thought everyone knew this but obviously not.

BTW, in the early days of TSA, I watched them drop my Tuffpack from the inspection table, height of four feet, to the floor, TWICE. Really pissed me off and I let them know it. I'd never own any traveling gun case other than a Tuffpack and give them the highest recommendation to my clients. Now that airlines have lowered the old 70 lbs weight restriction to 50 lbs, they make even more sense. Boots, jackets, vests, etc. go into the Nalpak Tuffpack along with my rifles.

There's no legal requirement to remove the bolt from the rifle but it's always a good idea to get a hard copy of the individual airline's rules for carriage of firearms etc and take that hard copy with you when you travel. For example some airlines including BA require at least days notice that you're travelling with firearms........ it's also important with all airlines that you have a comment in your booking that you'll be travelling with SPORTING FIREARMS.......... note the exact phrase.

That said, it's not a bad idea to remove bolt and scope and pack in the riflecase in a padded container.

For further info, you might like to visit www.shakariconnection.com or this link in particular. http://www.shakariconnection.c...l-with-firearms.html

Hope that helps.

Steve - Excellent work on your new site. Quite the resource and the format makes for easy navigation. I've been directing some traffic there in an attempt to orient the disorieneted...Sarah Palin could have won the election for her party if only your site had been launched before the campaign...

I remove my bolt and attach it to the sling with a couple of heavy zip ties. Keeps TSA happy and the bolt stays with the rifle if something happens.

quote:

Originally posted by Macifej:
Steve - Excellent work on your new site. Quite the resource and the format makes for easy navigation. I've been directing some traffic there in an attempt to orient the disorieneted...Sarah Palin could have won the election for her party if only your site had been launched before the campaign...

Thanks buddy, glad you like it and hope it's of use to hunters everywhere. - We went public with the site on the 10th December and visitor traffic (not even hits but proper visitor traffic) increased by 2000% in the first 10 hours!

About the only thing we hadn't foreseen was the amount of advertising interest. We hadn't planned on any interest for the first 6 months at least but had our first enquiry 2 hours after launch........ so it looks like we'll at least get most of our costs covered etc!

Even though we're still building it, the conection bookshelf is proving a bit of a problem though....... The idea is to offer a huge range of hunting related books at a variety of prices to hunters, but every time we add a page of books, I want to buy a bunch of em myself! - Looks like I'll be building myself a whole bunch of new real bookshelves to go with the virtual one on the site!

Good stuff!! Great to see a quality site have a successful launch. I feel ya on the book situation. I have hundreds of books I haven't read as my eyesight went away about two years ago - I keep buying the books out of habit so guess I'll have to open a library or get some glasses.....

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
. . . but it's always a good idea to get a hard copy of the individual airline's rules for carriage of firearms etc and take that hard copy with you when you travel.

I don't know what good that'll do you. In 2006 I travelled to New Zealand and back on Air New Zealand. When I checked in for the LA-Auckland leg I was told that the bolt must be in the rifle, per airline regulations. Then on the Auckland-Christchurch leg that the bolt must be out of the rifle and locked in the same case, those were the rules. And finally on the Christchurch-LA return that the bolt must be out of the rifle and in a seperate locked case! No ifs, ands, or buts.

Each time the person acted like I was a complete idiot for not knowing ahead of time what rules they were going to make up.

Fortunately, I brought along a small (empty) pistol case and an extra lock.

Removed Yes, packed seperately, No.

FWIW

When I flew from Oz to RSA I had the bolts in the rifles and the NSW Police didn't care. No one else checked.

Leaving RSA with Qantas, no one checked anything, including the RSA Police.

On the way back into Australia, Australian Customs were glad to see I had removed the bolts (which were in the gun case with the rifles).

quote:

Originally posted by Arild Iversen:
As Huglu mentioned above, some air companies require the bolt to be removed, and packed in a separate checked in bag.
The SAS and Air France have this policy to mentioned two I have used resently.
They state that a VITAL part shall be removed from the firearm, making it a NO FIRE device.

I will be travelling with a Ruger No1 from Norway to England i March.
It will be interesting to se which VITAL part I have to remove from the No1, most probably the forend stock

My sentiments exactly.
My gun is a m/ 1895 Winchester - needs a gunsmith to take ANYTHING off it!
I read an article about this and one hunter traveling with SAS actually had to take the stock of his shotgun out of the riflecase and put it into his check-in suitcase.
So SAS can sometimes check, and they will follow the rules.

When flying to Austria in Dec it was Austrian Airlines on a co-shared flight w/ SAS and the girl at the counter knew f**k-all about the guns.
She followed policy which she read on the screen and asked if the bolts have been removed. We said "yes" - no-one checked to see. (The Winchester, of course, was in one part only.)
She actually had to call a supervisor, as we had 2 guns in one case, and we had pre-notified the airline (as you must do with SAS) that both travelers are traveling with guns, so she wanted to see one case per traveler... Swell... But this was no problem, as the guns had been pre-notified.
SAS also requires the ammo to be packed in a separate bag that is checked in. No problemo if you have a standard caliber, but as has been discussed on the forum before: what if not...?

On the way back it was Austrian Airlines all way, and very smooth.
Upon leaving Austria, there was a police check that the guns matched the licenses. This to make sure no firearms are exported illegally.
In Finland, not one authority knew we were transporting guns, and as no-one asked, we told no-one. This I find to be an extremely unhealthy policy.

If flying SAS again, I think what I'll do is carve out little hideout in the soft material of the case and put the bolt handle there, as SAS is notorious of losing your bags.
On a trip to somewhere, or like my trip to Austria was, only for a couple of days, your hunt w/o the bolt will be ruined.