Coming back with rifle

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Speedster

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I know what I need to do to take a rifle with me. What is the procedure once I get back to my home airport in the US? Is there anything special to do to claim the rifle?
 
Atlanta is where I always enter/return to the US of A. There you stand in line to go through Customs first, then stand in line at the office where your gun is checked after getting your suitcase. They call your name. Then you unlock your gun case. Then they check the serial number to your 4457. After it’s OKed, you lock it back up. Then you give them your hunting boots and they spray them down. Finally outside the room you get your gun in a locked case unless you have another flight. Then they walk you to a check-in station where you check the gun case in.
I believe that is all I can remember. It can be confusing no matter how many times you do it.
 
So yes, I have another flight out of Atlanta. If I follow you, I get the rifle checked in Atlanta and then check it back in at another station for the final destination, correct?
 
Ridgewalker said:
Atlanta is where I always enter/return to the US of A. There you stand in line to go through Customs first, then stand in line at the office where your gun is checked after getting your suitcase. They call your name. Then you unlock your gun case. Then they check the serial number to your 4457. After it’s OKed, you lock it back up. Then you give them your hunting boots and they spray them down. Finally outside the room you get your gun in a locked case unless you have another flight. Then they walk you to a check-in station where you check the gun case in.
I believe that is all I can remember. It can be confusing no matter how many times you do it.
Click to expand...
Ridgewalker didn't leave anything out. In this case Atlanta is your port of entry. Your port of entry regardless of which airport it is, is where you go through these formalities. Then when you get to your final airport if other than Atlanta, you will pick up your rifle in a small office close to or next to the conveyor belts the checked luggage is delivered on. No formalities here, just show your ticket stub and I.D. Then off to your car or taxi.
 
With Atlanta being the port of entry, you go thru customs to return to the states and then do the wait in line again for the process described above. If you have time and travel often, look into global entry to expedite the customs entry. The info above is spot on from my experience three times through Atlanta and hitting connecting flights.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As you enter before customs oversize counter to far right to collect your rifle
 
Speedster said:
So yes, I have another flight out of Atlanta. If I follow you, I get the rifle checked in Atlanta and then check it back in at another station for the final destination, correct?
Click to expand...

Correct. You will follow the officer along with everyone else who has a guncase to where you check it in for your next flight.
 
Speedster said:
I know what I need to do to take a rifle with me. What is the procedure once I get back to my home airport in the US? Is there anything special to do to claim the rifle?
Click to expand...

You will need a copy of your 4457 proving the rifle belongs to you at your port of entry. Atlanta, JFK, Houston, LA exec etc. Customs agents will inspect your rifle and the 4457 in a closed off area. Once that is done you put the rifle back into the luggage system to be sent to your final destination.
 
Ridgewalker said:
Atlanta is where I always enter/return to the US of A. There you stand in line to go through Customs first, then stand in line at the office where your gun is checked after getting your suitcase. They call your name. Then you unlock your gun case. Then they check the serial number to your 4457. After it’s OKed, you lock it back up. Then you give them your hunting boots and they spray them down. Finally outside the room you get your gun in a locked case unless you have another flight. Then they walk you to a check-in station where you check the gun case in.
I believe that is all I can remember. It can be confusing no matter how many times you do it.
Click to expand...

That is exactly what I did, but I would add, it was not a fast process. I had about 90 minutes between flights and missed my connection.
 
I typically don’t fly through Atlanta, so I have never experienced the boot spraying nonsense - as if your boots we’re hermetically sealed from everything else in your baggage?!? At final destination, some airlines and baggage handling operations will hand carry your rifle to the airline luggage office (American). Others will bring it to you personally (Emirates). Others simply dump it onto the oversize luggage conveyor (United - usually). The easiest drill is coming out of a location with US customs on site - like Vancouver Canada. All clearing is done there with far less of the organized chaos at a major US port of entry.
 
I can only speak for JFK, my experience departing has always been a non event with Port Authority police always professional and pleasant. Coming back I’ve gone out without any one stopping me and other times I’ve been directed to customs after I retrieved my gun from the belt to have them inspect the serial numbers and show my 4457.
 
slam8031 said:
. If you have time and travel often, look into global entry to expedite the customs entry.
Click to expand...
If you don't travel often, look into the "mobile passport" app. It's from Customs and Border Patrol. You complete all your entry paperwork on your phone and add a selfie within like 3 hours of landing. This puts you in shorter line. We were at the gun room behind one global entry person, but there were a few global entry people behind us as well.
 
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