Share your "BAD" experience when travelling with firearms

[londonhunter]

Hi

 

I think it will be useful to share any BAD or GOOD experience members have had in the past when travelling with firearms on planes, ferries or the CHUNNEL

 

This thread if approved by moderator should be pinned for future reference for members travelling or planning to travelling abroad in future

 

Nothing beats real life experience than rants

[londonhunter]

Your trip to Turkey sounds familiar by any chance you went with Mr. Carr???

 

Great keep these experience going most interesting

 

londonhunter

[Wsm]

Six of us flew out of Liverpool with Easyjet going to Spain for a bit of partridge shooting.Going out no problems (except easyjet stitching us for another £60 despite already being booked for weeks beforehand)

Coming back we checked in and asked to see the spanish old bill to check the guns but we were assured that we only had to check them in as luggage by a rep that spoke perfect english.We questioned this and had a 20 minute arguement at the check in kiosk but eventually a "manager " confirmed that this was right.

Five minutes before take off we were all recalled back to check in and got a royal bollocking from old bill for breaking airport regs regarding firearms while the tosser that checked them in stood behind them and suddenly couldn`t speak a word of english.The dibble then went through us with a fine toothcomb and we lost the slot for an hour which wasn`t too bad

Got back to Liverpool and got to the carousel to find six pairs of guns going round.It was pretty obvious what they were with bright red Firearm stickers plastered all over them.Anyway we pick them up and then get a armed copper come up to us and ask where we`ve got them from.When he found out that they were just thrown on with normal luggage he went ballistic with the carriers on the desk

[stag1933]

Went to Co. Wicklow, Eire last Oct. by Stena via Holyhead to hunt Sika Stags with a friend.

Irish rifle permit, hunting licences etc. all in order.

Were stopped by OUR police and Stena employees at Holyhead.

Our Police confiscated my friends expensive lock-blade hunting knife and Stena refused to carry the ammo for the .270 so more had to be purchased there and the rifle sighted in again as the other ammo was `home loads`.[ his knife was in the same locked box as the ammo.]

Mine with bone saw etc was guarding my camera gear and I did not declare it !

 

We had NO problems with the Irish either arriving or departing and a good productive hunt was enjoyed there.

 

Upon our return after a lengthy visit to the Police the knife was recovered.

 

The moral of this is do NOT go over with an odd-ball calibre via Stena or you may have to fix bayonet.

Buy or borrow a lock-blade over there and do not bring it back here.

If you can arrange to use a friends firearm there it can save some hassle.

 

HWH.

[londonhunter]

Hi my turn I suppose

 

I travel to Italy every 07 - 08 weeks training in Brecia since my main shooting dicipline is Olympic trap.

 

I find the best time to travel is when Italy is playing an international football game.

 

In the past 02 years on 02 seperate occasion I have been waved italian police and customs without them even taking a look at our guns or permits they are glued to their portale TV sets

 

So check the football schdule when you travel to Italy it really helps and make dam sure you dont arrive after the result if they are playing against England............ha boys

[casts_by_fly]

Hi Guys and gals,

 

This is my first post over here and this thread was too good to pass up. I posted it when it happened over on pigeon watch so I'm linking that whole thread here for all of the details. But I'll put the summary below.

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...c=48701&hl=

 

Some of you may recognize me as the recent transplant from the states. I moved over here in July for work. I'm an avid shooter and hunter (american definition) so naturally I applied for my FAC and SGC. I applied in time to have them granted before Christmas. My plan was to buy a 4-gun case and bring back 4 guns at Christmas time when I went home for a break. I figured it was easier and cheaper to bring them as checked baggage than ship them through an RFD/importer. The first mistake was planning to bring 4 guns at once. Virgin was fine with it, but I had a Delta connection to Pittsbugh and they only allow 2 guns. So I took back the 4-gun case and got a nice 2-gun (to house my O/U and 17 HMR).

 

Next was the traveling. I checked in the guns and was fine in Pittsburgh, until security. I had been told to render the guns inoperable by taking the bolt out and putting it in another bag. I put it in my carry-on. Big no-no. I got pulled from the security line and we had to do an incident report. They were nice about it and allowed me to keep the bolt and I wasn't arrested or fined. I had to go back to check in though and check my carry-on. I did so and checked through onto the plane. After 2 flights we got to Heathrow and were called to the baggage desk. Seems 2 of my bags didn't make it- one with 2 guns and one with ammo. But it was to come on the next BA flight and would be delivered that day.

 

A few hours later and no calls. After a bunch of calls to Virgin, one of the baggage reps finally said that it was marked for delivery and that I could pick it up if I wanted (since I had to have it that night). We drive back to heathrow from west london to find that the guns aren't there. 'Marked for delivery' doesn't mean 'ready to be delivered'. I give them my home address and phone numbers up north. The next 3 days were spent calling Virgin and BA trying to track my bags. No one knew where they were. No one had an update. Virgin says that BA in Newark has them (my connection was through JFK BTW), BA has no clue of them and none of the operators from either company are in either country. You can't get through to anyone at the airport baggage desks. Finally after some sweet talking and cajoling I got a phone number for the baggage desk manager at Newark for BA. He searched around, found the bag, and had it on the next plane to Heathrow.

 

When the bag landed I got a call from Heathrow that it was safe and would be delivered on Saturday morning. On Saturday I got a text message from the company that it had been picked up (at 10 something AM) and was on its way. Not only did they not make it in the 12-5 window they gave me, it didn't get there until after 7 PM. Also, since it was a bag of ammo and a bag with guns, they were supposed to be delivered in 2 separate vans. One van pulls up with 2 bags. He doesn't ask for ANY ID, let alone my FAC/SGC. Finally though, I have my first two guns in the country.

 

The second round was much better. I went home for a wedding in Feb. and brought my 22 and 223 back with me. It was a direct flight and there were no problems. Next time around we'll see. I still have a 30-06 on my ticket to come over and a bunch of shotguns laying at home (3 are section 1).

 

Thanks,

Rick

[Orka Akinse]

Went to Germany boar shooting with a name mentioned above and one other who gets a mention here every so often. Comnplete disaster, ended in court and he then declared himself bankrupt to avoid paying out.

 

I still have the court papers and evidence bundle just incase the blancmange wants to sue me for liable.