Firearm Fiasco: Southwest’s Serious Security Slip-Up Spotlighted [Roundup]

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Comments

  1. That is not a properly packed firearm. The weapons case needs to be inside another case.

  2. @Walter
    They have to be placed in a locked hard sided case which is exactly what is shown. I’ve flown multiple times with firearms on hunting trips and just used a standard hard sided case. I always had the outfitter supply the ammo on arrival. Not sure what you’re referring to with a second case.

  3. @Walther I found this on Southwest’s Discussion board and it is marked as the “solution”.

    “”Only the gun case must be locked and hard sided. It can be in a soft or hard sided suitcase, or checked on its own.”

    Further research seems to say that the firearm must be in a locked, hardside container and declared, per TSA. Beyond that I gather it is up to the individual airlines to determine when it is small enough to require it to be packed inside of another container. Long guns, of course don’t fit in luggage and their cases are sometime long enough that they do not go out on the carousel.

  4. @Walter:
    A properly packed firearm **may** be inside another bag. You’re not required to ship it separately but you’re allowed to. (Assuming, of course, that the case is otherwise suitable for checking.)

  5. Pilots don’t eat stranger’s snacks , because they are not supposed to eat stranger’s food .

  6. There was no security slip-up at all.

    Checked firearms are not treated any differently than regular checked luggage, which is why the registration card is placed INSIDE the checked suitcase so ground handling will not automatically know there is a firearm inside.

  7. Southwest did nothing wrong. The Passenger traveling with a firearm must declare that to the agent at the counter when checking a bag. A form is filled out and the agent checks to see that the firearm is in a locked, hard sided case which accommodates only the gun and a copy is placed inside the luggage with the firearm case. Ammunition in small amounts is to be packed separately. This fool apparently did not declare the gun had TSA caught this when that checked bag passed through their system, it should have been stopped.

    Sure would like to see this smartass arrested or at least lose his weapon ownership capabilities. A shining example of “You can’t fix STUPID!”

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