Thread: Ammo in checked luggage- domestic flights

Just some advice in advance. I’ve applied for and received a permit to travel with some ammo (Jetstar).

Can anyone advise how they’ve actually packed this into their checked baggage?

If I use a normal lockable metal case that’s going take up a lot of the maximum 5KG of weight of the allowance for ammo.

I do know that the airline states that ammo has to be packaged in the original style boxes, i.e. not put into a Ziploc bag and loose etc.

Any advice on the actual containment of the ammo packaging with your checked Luggage? Do you lock the luggage itself etc? TIA


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MTM boxes are fine, and are specifically shown in IATA info.

Don't need to be locked and neither does the checked bag that the ammo container is in.

My experience with Jetstar has been via Qantas, and the firearms/ammo requirements of both airlines are identical, although the knowledge of those requirements may differ between staff.

Occasionaly a POLITE, FRIENDLY conversation may be necessary.

As always, confirm with the butcher, as I (and anyone else here) am/is the maggot on the block

Have not flown with Jetstar. But plenty with Air NZ. The intent of the regs is that the ammo is safely & securely packaged such that it can not be accidentally discharged. No need for locks. The MTM cases or commercial ammo boxes that have plastic inserts are fine. You could expect that soft case ammo pouches are equally effective & safe but I’ve had experience of these not being accepted by AvSec which resulted in them removing all but 3 rounds of ammo ….. which I only discovered while preparing pack for the helicopter ride in.
Different airlines may use different language to describe what they deem acceptable but the intent is consistent. Then you can get hugely different interpretations by check in staff, who mostly have no technical knowledge of firearms or safety as it applies to ammo. In absence of knowledge they tend to defer to the letter of the rules written for them to follow. For example in flying home this week the Air NZ check in staff asked “Is the ammunition in original unopened packaging?” To which I had to rely “no”. It’s packaged in secure plastic ammo boxes designed for ammo transport. This seemed to throw a spanner in the works but after a polite discussion she decided it was ok. Having passed that hurdle you still run a risk of AvSec having yet another view of matters. Good luck.

If I still have the right of this, the packaging needs to ensure that each round is separate to the one next to it - rounds can't be touching. This means that some commercial "original unopened" packaging is not OK - Sako Gamehead 50-round bulk packs are one here but the same product in the 20-round boxes that have the plastic slip insert are fine I believe.

The plastic cases are OK as others have noted - if asked I would phrase my reply as "it is packaged in commercially produced plastic ammunition packaging as it is safer and more secure than the factory cardboard boxes...".

Originally Posted by No.3

If I still have the right of this, the packaging needs to ensure that each round is separate to the one next to it - rounds can't be touching. This means that some commercial "original unopened" packaging is not OK - Sako Gamehead 50-round bulk packs are one here but the same product in the 20-round boxes that have the plastic slip insert are fine I believe.

The plastic cases are OK as others have noted - if asked I would phrase my reply as "it is packaged in commercially produced plastic ammunition packaging as it is safer and more secure than the factory cardboard boxes...".

Haha I bet THAT would confuse check in staff even more. Ill be polite and helpful of course, but if they say 'original unopened boxes' Ill have to say no, and advise I opened each box to check the platic separators were intact them (which I've done btw).

I wish there was clear concise rules for these scenarios and mentioned that in my Arms Act submission.

Don’t fly with Jet star would be advice. Just tell staff less than 5kg bags will be X rayed

Originally Posted by Mrfants

Haha I bet THAT would confuse check in staff even more. Ill be polite and helpful of course, but if they say 'original unopened boxes' Ill have to say no, and advise I opened each box to check the platic separators were intact them (which I've done btw).

I wish there was clear concise rules for these scenarios and mentioned that in my Arms Act submission.

It actually is clearly set out in IATA rules for DG on aircraft - it's just that it doesn't really happen often enough to get attention that it needs. The issue is the local staff not knowing that it is in fact ok and giving passengers a harder time for it than they really should. It's the same with medical oxygen that some passengers need to fly with - the rules are quite set and all above board but it's still hard work.

Example of the drama that can happen, I had a passenger spill a beef glycerine health product in the form of a white powder on an aircraft, the container had got squashed and the lid popped off in her bag and the safety seal let go and it leaked. White powder down the aircraft aisle, and on the apron... That was dramatic with a full white powder incident about to be called and the cavalry charging in which is when I got asked for advice. Stupidly I just asked the passengers if anyone had a white powder type thing in their bags - "oh, yes I do - my health supplement. Oh, it's leaked...". That was a bit embarrassing for the people involved as they were left standing there with a stick vac and a lot of people wondering what the panic was about.

Originally Posted by Mrfants

Just some advice in advance. I’ve applied for and received a permit to travel with some ammo (Jetstar).

Can anyone advise how they’ve actually packed this into their checked baggage?

If I use a normal lockable metal case that’s going take up a lot of the maximum 5KG of weight of the allowance for ammo.

I do know that the airline states that ammo has to be packaged in the original style boxes, i.e. not put into a Ziploc bag and loose etc.

Any advice on the actual containment of the ammo packaging with your checked Luggage? Do you lock the luggage itself etc? TIA


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Their concern is around packaging, not security. So a lockable steel container is zero advantage.
5kg is the threshold for the ammunition to be carried under the limited quantity (personal quantity) limits. Anymore and the airline requires a shippers declaration and has to be stored and separated accordingly and all the other complex (expensive) requirements.
Much like they wont remove a single can of pressurised deodorant from your checked bags. However, if you checked in a carton of them with your luggage, the carton would then require a DG declaration, have packaging, labelling, separation and storage requirements.

They just want to see all the ammunition separated individually from each other round either by cardboard in an original packet, or something like an MTM case.
I guess their process is an extension to the DG declaration every passenger makes at check in.

Also, FWIW Jetstar are the devil.

A few years back I travelled with rifle and ammo, packed some of the ammo in original containers after I had reloaded it and some in MTM containers cos I was the manufacturer and those were the "manufacturers" containers. No hassles at all so long as each cartridge is separated. If asked always say it is in the manufacturers containers, no need for explanation and the airlines are happy.

Hi, I flew from Auckland to qtown with 25 x reloads last week with no issues.
They did initially say they have to be in the original packaging.
Once I explained they were factory loads they checked the case (mtm style) they were fine with it once they checked with someone higher up.
If you are taking factory rounds then keep them in the main box, otherwise they have to be in a box the keeps each bullet separate, and obviously in a checked bag.

Why this insistence that the bullets be kept separate?

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Why this insistence that the bullets be kept separate?

Apparently as it reduces the chance of them going bang, by providing a buffer between cartridges.

I believe it is pretty much a historical thing back when ammo was made using things that didn't like being vibrated together. Nowadays it's not so much of a thing obviously, as we get a lot more factory ammo in boxes with the ammo touching.

There is an outfit called IATA (I think it's international air transport assn) that sets the DG carry rules, they set the amount you can carry on what type of aircraft and it's completely separate to the airlines and civil aviation outfits and even local Govts. This is the same group that is currently fretting over powerbanks and lithium ion batteries as an example - there are a lot of arguments going on at the moment between IATA and the member companies about the carry rules for powerbanks after a few incidents lately that have destroyed aircraft.

Make sure your bag containing the amm is taken to the O/Size screening area with your firearm, if travelling with one.

Flew pornstar once and they put my bag containing my correctly packaged ammo on the the normal checked in luggage carosel at departures - where it was picked up by avsec and pulled. Bag was then not delivered to me at destination for several hours. The ground staff told me that it was fine in my checked in luggage and booked in with the other passengers luggage.

Take it to O/size where AVSEC x-ray, label the bag correctly and give the thumbs up or can come out and discuss with you any issues they have with your bag, allow you to rectify if required and you'll be on your way.

Gold info there!