Posted: 5/30/2025 7:30:17 PM EDT
|
...and planning on taking a pistol in checked baggage. While I've flown with firearms in checked baggage many times in the past, it's been a while since the last time, and I wonder what procedures American & TSA have at Logan these days. Is it the throw-it-on-the-belt-wait-10-minutes routine, or do they escort you to a screening station? Obviously the latter is much preferred! |
|
Flying into Logan in a few weeks. Any issues with flying in with a handgun in checked luggage? I do not have a MA LTC but will be driving up to NH and Main where I would like to carry with my MO CCW License. The handgun would remain locked up in the airline approved case while traveling around MA. |
|
Originally Posted By drobs: Flying into Logan in a few weeks. Any issues with flying in with a handgun in checked luggage? I do not have a MA LTC but will be driving up to NH and Main where I would like to carry with my MO CCW License. The handgun would remain locked up in the airline approved case while traveling around MA. |
NRA Firearms Instructor
Moved to NH!
Moved to NH!
|
Originally Posted By drobs: Flying into Logan in a few weeks. Any issues with flying in with a handgun in checked luggage? I do not have a MA LTC but will be driving up to NH and Main where I would like to carry with my MO CCW License. The handgun would remain locked up in the airline approved case while traveling around MA. - Be the "gray man". No gun shirts, hats, stickers, etc. Don't wear "tacti-casual" or "tac-leisure" clothing while in MA. - Pack the handgun locked case inside of an otherwise "normal appearing" bag. I.e., don't travel with a cool-guy Pelican case. I.e., nothing that would draw any special attention. - Pack the ammo separately from the gun case. Again, put the ammo case/box inside the normal appearing bag. - Buy any required snacks and drinks for the road and hit the bathroom at the airport before picking up the luggage and getting the rental car. - Don't mess with the luggage at all from where you get it in the terminal to when you put it in the rental. - Make sure the rental has a completely separate trunk compartment that is inaccessible while driving and put the luggage in there with the locked gun case still in it. - Travel non-stop in the quickest path possible from the rental place to the NH boarder. Under no circumstances do you want to be accused of having MA as a "destination". - Obey speed limits, drive conservatively. Once you get into NH you are GTG in NH, ME and VT. If you want to get geared up immediately just stop somewhere, grab your stuff from the luggage, and put it all on in the car. |
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum."
|
Originally Posted By drobs: Flying into Logan in a few weeks. Any issues with flying in with a handgun in checked luggage? I do not have a MA LTC but will be driving up to NH and Main where I would like to carry with my MO CCW License. The handgun would remain locked up in the airline approved case while traveling around MA. Understand that if you have an interaction with MA police you could end up like Kyle. https://www.goal.org/kylefree |
|
The entire "dangerousness" thing was and is total bullshit. But let's not forget that Kyle did indeed break multiple MA laws. He was literally residing in the state. MA was his destination. That put him afoul of the hated, but nevertheless so-far continued legal, MA gun possession and registration laws. And he attracted attention to himself by not having a registered vehicle. And then he attracted more attention because he moved a container that was "interesting" to law enforcement. @drobs will not be driving a car without proper registration or licensing. If he is stopped for a traffic violation (unlikely, because of course he is a good driver, right, drobs?  ) in MA he has no duty to inform the officer of any weapons in the vehicle. With the weapons out of sight in the trunk, there will be no reason for a search.Finally, if somehow, someway, there was a stop and drobs did something so dumb as to give the cops a reason for a search, or (more likely) the cops broke laws to make a search, any weapon would be found in proper order for interstate transport (unloaded, locked, inaccessible, ammo separate), and his destination is not MA. I'm not seeing a problem. There is risk in getting out of bed in the morning. This it pretty much at that level of risk. MA is not a big deal for me because I have a MA Class A Unrestricted non-resident permit. But I wouldn't hesitate to cross the state non-stop. Similarly, I have transported firearms non-stop a very short distance across NY into PA without breaking a sweat. There NO WAY I would go through NJ, those people are CRAZY. And I would not want to take possession of any weapons arriving into any NY or NJ airport. But Logan is OK. Just for completeness in this discussion, it's worth nothing that if you ever have a flight diverted into a MA, NY or NJ airport, do not take possession of any checked bag during your delay or overnight stay. Make the airline maintain possession. That can get you in trouble, otherwise. |
"Cogito, ergo armatum sum."
|
My flights were cancelled as result of the shut down and I drove. Took 2 & 1/2 days to get out there. Picked up a MA small game license and brought a cased and unloaded Remington 870 with me in my pickup. I also brought a pistol with me but unloaded and locked it up in a pelican vault case in Pennsylvania before entering MA. Carried it in Maine and unloaded locked it up before passing through MA at the end of the trip. Laws be damned, I'm not driving cross country without a handgun. I had no issues. Did stop for a night in MA on both ends of the trip - breaking the law. Some thoughts. I really liked the mountains in Pennsylvania, and if I had to live up there PA or ME would be my choice. Drove through PA on the way out. On the way back Google kept trying to send me through Northern NY and I found a town in PA to force google to send me back that way. I really wanted to drive through West Virginia but google maps killed that option on the way home. That tunnel in Boston with the LED lights in the ceiling was annoying. I got that "Am I about to blackout?" feeling driving through it. On the way back from Maine we went around Boston and skipped that tunnel. My friends leave their house unlocked on the Cape in MA. That's just odd to me growing up in the Chicago area and living in rural Missouri. I keep everything locked up. Excluding Boston, I noted most drivers were doing the speed limit in MA & ME. On a divided highway I like to do 4mph over and felt like I was really exceeding the speed limit in those states. All those ocean front towns are dead in the wintertime. Freeport Maine was hopping and we checked out the LLbean store. The LLBean store had a ton of rifles and shotguns but no AR15's or handguns. They did have a couple Mini-14s. We stopped at Kittery Trading Post on the way up and they had a ton of guns (all kinds). Had some good food and a great time. Next time I go out there we will hit Northern Maine. Some pics: Beaches in Maine:   Surfers in 30F weather. The water did feel warmer than the air.  Light houses in Maine:    I did see the Mayflour 2 and Plymouth Rock in MA. My family claims a signer of the Declaration of Independence plus supposedly we arrived on one the ships after the Mayflower.     There's a really good Mexican restaurant up the hill from there. I drove up the Plymouth Rock Beach Peninsula to it's end.  I wanted to visit the Light House west of Providence Town but you need a sticker to drive on the beach and it didn't fit into the timing of the trip. I probably needed a beach driving sticker for that peninsula but I figured I could play off the dumb tourist if stopped. I only saw a couple other vehicles and had no issues. I got back to warm 70F SW Missouri yesterday afternoon. Neat area up there but a little cold for my liking. |