Thread: ammunition on national flights

When I travel overseas with firearms and ammo I notify the airline concerned well in advance. It's all in there Dangerous Goods rules and regs on the net.
They reply back with an email approval, I print off a couple of copies and bring them with me to the checkout.
Basically make sure firearms are in locked cases, and ammo in a separate locked container. To save weight all my ammo is lose in plastic clips with no packaging simply so 5kgs of ammo is 5kgs. I weigh the ammo on the cooks kitchen scales before leaving.
Never had a nosey parker want to open my ammo container.
A few years back I inadvertently packed a rifle bolt into my hand carry and some officious prick at the xray screening pulled me aside and got me to open the container, he went off his nut, he called the airport police and every other fucker that needed to know. It all started when I rocked up at Business Class check in and was over weight with 2 x rifles, ammo and gear so I pulled some gear from my check in and placed it into my hand carry. Must admit the Copper was really good about it and didn't have a problem but the young arsehole at Aviation Security had other ideas, he lost his rag when I told him to step on it and get it sorted or else I'll miss my flight.

The rules themselves don't seem to refer to the packaging:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammu...eduled_flights
But in my experience they've always wanted it so the rounds can't touch one another. When we flew out one time I watched the X-ray screen and the guy manning it said all he was looking for was that the rounds weren't touching one another / bulk packaged. Any packaging that achieves this is fine though - doesn't need to be "original" packaging


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Originally Posted by stug

I am quite happy to follow their rules, I would just like to know what they are.

Well the rules will all be continuously made up on the spot and changed at will. Maybe they are all Arms Officers "in training" and practicing their "interpretation skills

Originally Posted by Munsey

So shot gun ammo would not be aloud in original packaging. ? It's not separated . Very confusing

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Well if you take a slab its separated into ten boxes of 25

Interesting, I tried to take a rifle on the train and asked about it and got told no ammunition under any circumstances and the gun had to be kept with the driver. zSp the Q is if ammo can be transported on an airplane why not a train?

Remember also that all domestic baggage is X rayed now at the main ports, I picked my mate mate up at Queenstown airport after he had flown down from Auckland the other day & he had a note in his pack from Aviation security saying they had removed bic lighters out of it.

Originally Posted by stug

@38 South that is the issue. Air NZ gives mixed messages. When you book and tell them you have a firearm all you are told is the ammuntion must be in a separate bag. On their website with info about dangerous goods there is no mention of having to be in original packaging or any other sort of container. Then at check in you are surprised by someone saying it must be in an original container. You have booked the trip 6 months ago and paind over $1000 for your hunting, and cannot take your ammo, and cannot buy any one the way as you are flying in to he block on the Sunday. Plus you are sighted in for handloads, not commercial ammo.
Air NZ needs to get their act together and state clearly the requirements on their website and train their call centre staff properly.

@stug Give them a serve up on there Facebook page as that's mointoried 24/7

Originally Posted by A330driver

Mate,any chance that when you receive such replys from the head "dudes",they could be put into a sticky file,so that one could print and carry.....thanks in advance

Yep sure will

Originally Posted by zimmer

Mate I will put money on it that they will not commit themselves in writing. It's just not how the game is played
Best of luck at any rate.

No but I will have printed out all the email correspondence which will have the head dude pointing out there regulations.
Now if at check in stage they want to get funny I'll hand that lot over with his number and say "So good sir! Your not going with what the boss say's hmmm let me get him on the line....."
It's been listed here you need to do your home work and be prepared. Then if a shit fight dose start you have at lest start with the upper hand.
Most a check in don't give a monkeys but you do get the one who is a vegan our safe member now and again.
Last time I came into nz all the cop wanted to know was my X spot funny bugger

I've had mixed experiences, fine flying with ammo in plastic box one day, next day wanted it in factory box, when I queried them on why though they looked at the plastic box and decided it held everything sufficiently securely so got there in the end

Originally Posted by Sideshow

No but I will have printed out all the email correspondence which will have the head dude pointing out there regulations.
Now if at check in stage they want to get funny I'll hand that lot over with his number and say "So good sir! Your not going with what the boss say's hmmm let me get him on the line....."
It's been listed here you need to do your home work and be prepared. Then if a shit fight dose start you have at lest start with the upper hand.
Most a check in don't give a monkeys but you do get the one who is a vegan our safe member now and again.
Last time I came into nz all the cop wanted to know was my X spot funny bugger

Most of my flying issues have been entering of leaving NZ. Mostly no probs elsewhere although I did have the Oz Federal Police temporarily confiscate my guns once on arrival there. But that’s another story.

The average cop here unfortunately knows nothing about FAs. That was proven on one of my flights out from Auckland where I contacted the cops to advise of my departure with a FA. The young guy came to me in departures area, read heaps of people, to do his thing. Unbelievable. On getting the rifle out of the case a clear zone of 15 meters around me immediately occurred. The rifle in question was a muzzle loader. He instructed that I “break open the action” (shotgun speak maybe) so that he could determine the rifle was not loaded. I said it was a muzzle loader and it didn’t open up like a bolt gun. All that did was cause him to instruct again in a louder voice and the people free area around me expanded. Eventually I was able to convince him by using the ram rod down the barrel that the rifle was charge free.

When we eventually returned to NZ to live I had 5 FAs with me. They took me off to one side and thru a separate lane, showed no interest in the rest of our goods, and sent us on our way miles ahead of all the other poor passengers.

Sorry, bit off topic.

Thanks Rushy I look forward to my speedy boarding

Right just got my confirmation that I can take my firearms on the Flight.
Emirates have been most helpful. Even emailed me when they could not open my jpegs of licenses etc. Looks like a good service so far
Emailed the head Dude about the ammunition.
His reply was fairly bog standard so I've gone out and brought a small lock box which I can fit the packets of ammo in and lock.
Sterling -Hook Cash Box | Portable & Diversion Safes | Screwfix.com
Weight is bugger all. This will then go in my suitcase, which is what they want anyway.
Can't do much more than that. I'll let you know how I get on

Can't open a JPEG file? Cripes what computer are they using, an abacus?

Originally Posted by Ryan

Can't open a JPEG file? Cripes what computer are they using, an abacus?

Ryan you are normally quite particular about accuracy of statement but I see a flaw in your post. An Abacus is not a computer coz it doesn't have a USB port.