Bringing spent cartridges on plane in checked bag

[Muntjacer23]

Hi all,
I have my first African hunt coming up in a few months and I intend to bring back the spent cartridges to get engraved (similar to the pic below).
Has anybody on here previously brought back spent cartridges successfully in their checked bags to the UK before? Or has anybody had any trouble doing so? Or can suggest an alternative method to get them back to the UK.

For reference I will be flying back from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg then home to London Heathrow using British Airways

Any advice is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom

 

[Rafiki]

Not a problem. BTW, good idea.

 

[K-man]

If you are transporting ammunition already simply put the empties back in the same box. If not, it causes consternation among airline personell and tsa agents that can't understand the difference between a live round and an empty. Treat it like a live round and you will be fine, declare it to the airlines, put in a locked box, etc. Good luck on your trip and bring back several empties!

 

[Philip Glass]

Hi all,
I have my first African hunt coming up in a few months and I intend to bring back the spent cartridges to get engraved (similar to the pic below).
Has anybody on here previously brought back spent cartridges successfully in their checked bags to the UK before? Or has anybody had any trouble doing so? Or can suggest an alternative method to get them back to the UK.

For reference I will be flying back from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg then home to London Heathrow using British Airways

Any advice is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom
View attachment 736029

Not sure about UK but Please, Please for the love of all things Safari pack them back in the locked box with the ammo! DO NOT be that smart ass (seen it too many times to count now)and think it's just inert brass and carry it in your carry on!
PS. I like your engraving idea!

 

[Rafiki]

Not sure about UK but Please, Please for the love of all things Safari pack them back in the locked box with the ammo! DO NOT be that smart ass (seen it too many times to count now)and think it's just inert brass and carry it in your carry on!
PS. I like your engraving idea!

Yes, absolutely correct, I thought this was obvious.

 

[Muntjacer23]

Not sure about UK but Please, Please for the love of all things Safari pack them back in the locked box with the ammo! DO NOT be that smart ass (seen it too many times to count now)and think it's just inert brass and carry it in your carry on!
PS. I like your engraving idea!

I’ll be using the PH’s gun so won’t be bringing any ammo with me. I was just intending to put it in my checked bag. Certainly not in my carry on bag!

Thank you! At the moment I’m trying to complete “The UK 6” and engrave a cartridge from my first of each of the 6 UK deer species! So thought I’d do the same for African animals too!

 

[Green Chile]

If you are transporting ammunition already simply put the empties back in the same box. If not, it causes consternation among airline personell and tsa agents that can't understand the difference between a live round and an empty. Treat it like a live round and you will be fine, declare it to the airlines, put in a locked box, etc. Good luck on your trip and bring back several empties!

This is key advice! Treat it like loaded ammo and it goes with the loaded ammo. Do not separate it, even in the same bag. I have been in a little locked room with no windows and seven (7!) SAPS officers in Joburg airport because I had loose brass. Some of you know the room!

 

[spike.t]

Not sure about UK but Please, Please for the love of all things Safari pack them back in the locked box with the ammo! DO NOT be that smart ass (seen it too many times to count now)and think it's just inert brass and carry it in your carry on!
PS. I like your engraving idea!

Yeah had some fun here with daughter and father clients.....they had rented rifle so obviously no visitors firearms permit....I had watched them go through to security so headed for car park....git phone call from unknown number...was airport security police....so luckily having not left I headed back to terminal...clients were standing there with 3 police....the dad had kept a few empty cases as souvenirs...but had them in his coat pocket.....so empty cases no visitors firearms permit...mmmm....took a bit of talking and explaining....police eventually let them head....also said we could make you bring back your blue book...our firearms permit...which would have been a pain....but let me go without doing it....could have been a sticky situation if they wanted to push it....

As said put in the box with the other ammo that's not been used....no probs

 

[Muntjacer23]

This is key advice! Treat it like loaded ammo and it goes with the loaded ammo. Do not separate it, even in the same bag. I have been in a little locked room with no windows and seven (7!) SAPS officers in Joburg airport because I had loose brass. Some of you know the room!

I won’t have any loaded ammo with me. Just a few empty brass cases. I presume if I thoroughly clean it and pack it in my checked bag I should be okay.

 

[Muntjacer23]

Yeah had some fun here with daughter and father clients.....they had rented rifle so obviously no visitors firearms permit....I had watched them go through to security so headed for car park....git phone call from unknown number...was airport security police....so luckily having not left I headed back to terminal...clients were standing there with 3 police....the dad had kept a few empty cases as souvenirs...but had them in his coat pocket.....so empty cases no visitors firearms permit...mmmm....took a bit of talking and explaining....police eventually let them head....also said we could make you bring back your blue book...our firearms permit...which would have been a pain....but let me go without doing it....could have been a sticky situation if they wanted to push it....

As said put in the box with the other ammo that's not been used....no probs

Do you think it would have been okay if the empty cases were packed in his checked bag?

 

[Green Chile]

I think you could easily have a problem if I understand what you are wanting to do. You want to exit South Africa without having a gun permit and wanting to have empty brass in your luggage. SAPS will consider brass to be the same as loaded ammo and you have no gun permit. You might get through ok but there is a real chance that you will get pulled from the gate after having passed security. It has happened to me at OR Tambo. Your PH will be gone and not able to help you in that scenario. I'm not saying any of this is logical but TIA (this is Africa).

 

[Muntjacer23]

I think you could easily have a problem if I understand what you are wanting to do. You want to exit South Africa without having a gun permit and wanting to have empty brass in your luggage. SAPS will consider brass to be the same as loaded ammo and you have no gun permit. You might get through ok but there is a real chance that you will get pulled from the gate after having passed security. It has happened to me at OR Tambo. Your PH will be gone and not able to help you in that scenario. I'm not saying any of this is logical but TIA (this is Africa).

Good to know. Would say drilling through the base of the empty cartridge make any difference do you think?

 

[dogcat1]

Don't try it. You stand a chance to get them taken and you could be held for a thorough search. How do I know this??? I did it.
The gunpowder residue is the problem.

Put them in your ammo box that is locked. Last resort, put in checked bag after a very thorough wash.

 

[Green Chile]

In my experience, it would make no difference. They count loose bullets or bullet heads (components not ammunition) as ammo. Brass, bullets or loaded ammo is the same to them. It's not logical but they just see things a certain way. You will say it's not ammo and they will say but you put it in a gun and shoot it. You will say it's already been used and isn't dangerous. They will say but you put it in a gun and shoot it.

I don't want you to think that WHAT you are trying to do isn't a cool idea. It's a great idea but I'm curious how to accomplish it. Someone might post and say I've done it, no problem. I've had issues trying to do it. I'm curious to hear others who have done it. I've even had problems bringing back recovered/deformed bullets. I think the key is, it has to travel like ammo. Not having a gun permit is what makes me pause on this scenario. I'm not a lawyer but the way they operate is not logical.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

Being a newbie when we made our first safari last year, I asked the PH if I could have my empty brass from the camp rifles we rented as a souvenir. He said “no way”, you will get stuck at the Joburg airport and likely have to pay a bribe if they are feeling generous. If you get the wrong agent, he said it would be a larger problem.

 

[Muntjacer23]

Don't try it. You stand a chance to get them taken and you could be held for a thorough search. How do I know this??? I did it.
The gunpowder residue is the problem.

Put them in your ammo box that is locked. Last resort, put in checked bag after a very thorough wash

Being a newbie when we made our first safari last year, I asked the PH if I could have my empty brass from the camp rifles we rented as a souvenir. He said “no way”, you will get stuck at the Joburg airport and likely have to pay a bribe if they are feeling generous. If you get the wrong agent, he said it would be a larger problem.

sounds like it’s not worth the risk. I wonder if there would be a way to have the empty brass shipped perhaps

 

[Dudders]

If your taking a gun and ammunition with you no problem.
If not taking a gun and ammunition big problem.

 

[spike.t]

Do you think it would have been okay if the empty cases were packed in his checked bag?

Probably.....problem was they were renting a ride so did have a visitors permit...so bo reason at all to have empty cases...you will have a visitors permit...stop stressing...just put in the ammo box/packet ..no probs

 

[Muntjacer23]

Probably.....problem was they were renting a ride so did have a visitors permit...so bo reason at all to have empty cases...you will have a visitors permit...stop stressing...just put in the ammo box/packet ..no probs

I also intend to rent a rifle so wouldn’t have an ammo box

 

[Firebird]

Have your ph mail them to you or find the same caliber at home and have those engraved. Don’t risk the airport.