So They Want A Lock In Each Hole?

Hogpatrol said:

@phillip Glass, This IS a good discussion. I am going to revisit my whole lock setup and buy six that are keyed the same. My gun case takes two, ammo box takes two and I'll have two for spares which will go in my carry-on with spare keys.

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I think ammo box they want TSA locks.

wesheltonj said:

I think ammo box they want TSA locks.

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In the U.S., locks aren't required on ammo. You can put a box of ammo in your gun case or in your checked bag. It just has to be secure, i.e. no ziploc bags.

(8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ammunition clips and magazines must also be securely boxed. This paragraph does not apply to persons traveling under the provisions of 49 CFR 1544.219.

Philip Glass said:

THis is why I recommend not using key locks. This can come up where you are not present and they must open the case. This happened to me on my first safari where the guns came three days later.
Philip

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Well I am guessing that your journey started at a small regional airport without international flights? In an international airport such as Denver or Boston, after checking in at the counter, you are asked to follow an airport worker who has your gun case and go over to a TSA room where you give your key or combo to a TSA agent as you watch the agent open and inspect your gun case in your presence. The TSA agent then places a sticker on the gun case that shows it has been inspected. After this procedure you are not allowed to touch the gun case again until claimed at your next destination. Perhaps your small regional airport is not setup for this and that is why you were called in Boston? Either that or when you checked in at Boston, the airline worker was not informed that you had to be escorted to the TSA room to have the gun case inspected by TSA? In this instance, the TSA then discovered your gun case (now in the baggage system) had not been inspected properly (the case was not marked and sealed with a sticker) so they had to call you?

As for cable ties, these are not locks and can be opened by anyone with a knife or pliers. They are not legal on gun cases and would impede the above procedure. After TSA inspects your gun case, you cannot touch it again before it is loaded on the aircraft so how the heck would you be able to attach cable ties after the TSA Inspection procedure? Doesn’t make sense if procedures are followed correctly.

Hogpatrol said:

In the U.S., locks aren't required on ammo. You can put a box of ammo in your gun case or in your checked bag. It just has to be secure, i.e. no ziploc bags.

(8) Small arms ammunition for personal use carried by a crewmember or passenger in checked baggage only, if securely packed in boxes or other packagings specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition. Ammunition clips and magazines must also be securely boxed. This paragraph does not apply to persons traveling under the provisions of 49 CFR 1544.219.

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Yes but if traveling outside of USA, use only TSA locks on ammo case so it can be inspected in the baggage system chain without you being present.

@Scott CWO, I use cable ties on my checked bags not my gun case. TSA locks are useless.
Outside the U.S.? All bets are off.

Hogpatrol said:

@Scott CWO, I use cable ties on my checked bags not my gun case. TSA locks are useless.
Outside the U.S.? All bets are off.

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Gotcha. Agreed they aren’t very secure.

I use bags that are zippered so even with a lock for Fort Knox, they can be opened in an instant. The airport theives won't bother with locks, they'll just pop the zipper.

Hogpatrol said:

I use bags that are zippered so even with a lock for Fort Knox, they can be opened in an instant. The airport theives won't bother with locks, they'll just pop the zipper.

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I did a little looking this year and found a piece by Samsonite that has the older style hard frame edge with locks. Not cheap, but well made. My SKB bow case has simple TSA locks in the latches and I have two decent non-TSA combo locks for the holes. Will they prevent theft? Nope, not if someone really wants in. But most theft is a speed thing and I figure they're tougher to get into than most others on the belt, so I have a little better chance of survival. So far, so good.

Also I have a couple white stripes painted across my bow case (and rifle case) and a bright pink luggage belt around my suitcase. The don't advertise what's in it (I've had a few people think it was a guitar, not a bow or rifle) but they look a little different than everyone elses to find them a lot faster. Just a little trick I learned in the Air Force when everyone is flying with the exact same luggage.

Somewhat off topic but discussing gun cases, I was in line at Philly with mine and a carry-on and a woman in front of me asked if it contained a musical instrument. Without blinking an eye and still wondering how I came up with it so fast, I told her,"it depends on your definition of music". She smiled and said "I think I understand".

Great discussion. I’ve always figured that if anyone wanted to steal my guns they’d just take the case, so I’ve used TSA locks on all my trips with no issue. Canada, Alaska, Ireland, Africa, Scotland. Probably north of 20 international trips. You guys have me rethinking my locks now. What a nightmare to show up and have your gun case rejected!

Philip Glass said:

See I do not agree with that interpretation. And I am aware of that language. TSA is not a person but the federal government.
That said due to my TSA locks getting broken so many times I am considering just using combo locks. Key locks are not the best idea in my opinion.
Good discussion!
Regards
Philip

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I don’t know about the USA but in Canada TSA is the lowest bidder and they pay their untrained personal peanuts, I wouldn’t trust TSA with anything of value

Generally speaking, I've never had what I would call a problem with TSA personnel. I believe that dealing with the general public can be an exasperating job, especially when travelers don't do their homework on security protocol.

I just returned from the East Cape, traveling United/South Africa Airways (hunted 6/23-6/30/2018). I took my Pelican case with only two locks in the outermost, metal-clad holes. No questions were asked about the other holes not being locked, but perhaps I was just lucky.

Why create a problem for yourself. Fill all the holes with a lock so that when you come across the TSA agent that follows the letter of every rule you are covered and have no hassles. My goal is to make my flights as painless as possible. Travel is stressful enough. Why create problems?

I know this is a year old but I saw something on the TSA site that may have changed? There was a discussion on another forum about the use of TSA locks or not on firearms. So I double checked it says the usual about only the owner should have keys etc, but should give them to TSA to inspect etc. Nothing new there. Then it says any kind of lock is OK, INCLUDING TSA "recognized" locks. Now this got me to thinking, dangerous I know. Most of us have always gone by the NO TSA locks on gun cases,, period, and figured they were not even legal, but according to this new blurb, they are acceptable, but not mandatory, thank goodness. So is this a new thing or has it been there a while?
from the TSA site below.
"personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks"

So all that's really telling the traveler is if you're stupid or naive enough to use a TSA lock on a gun case, you can do it.
What they don't say is your locks can be opened by just about anyone, by a 3D printed key or removed with a pair of bolt cutters. Google TSA lock master key for sale.


https://www.extremetech.com/computi...-approved-locks-and-the-tsa-couldnt-care-less

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/luggage-locks-useless

I agree but is this something relatively new, the TSA lock option?

Pardon my ignorance but isn't there a way you can find a gun case with minimal holes?

tigris115 said:

Pardon my ignorance but isn't there a way you can find a gun case with minimal holes?

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I have an SKS and it has two holes. In my opinion, I wouldn't go with less than that amount.

You are to place a lock in each hole the case has. Mine has four and I use 4 Brinks locks.