flying through Chicago with firearms

[Slavex]

So a friend of mine is looking at flying through Chicago with handguns and mags. I don't believe he is taking possession of his bags, but it is possible I suppose. Anyone have experience with this?
And what if he did take possession, say to drive to his next destination?

[Malamute]

I think one thing to keep in mind, under absolutely NO circumstances to take possetion of his bags, even if his flights are all cancelled, delayed, or anything else, and he had to walk home across the country naked. I would positively totally refuse. You may be better off if you never saw them again rather than accept possesion.

If he had to drive as part of his trip, he should end his flight somewhere else so he didnt take possesion there, or make the airlines deliver them somewhere else. Having a hop to Indy or something may be better. The drive (or never seeing his bags again) would be cheaper than attorny's fees if he was discovered in possesion in Chicago.

My comments arent from personal experience, but I recall hearing of a couple instances where someones flight was delayed, misrouted, cancelled or something in New York or New Jersey and they "made" him take his bags. It got ugly.

I think Tamara wrote about it some also.

[Nephrology]

So a friend of mine is looking at flying through Chicago with handguns and mags. I don't believe he is taking possession of his bags, but it is possible I suppose. Anyone have experience with this?
And what if he did take possession, say to drive to his next destination?

I flew through Chicago with firearms (layover). It was fine. I got to my connecting flight on time, picked up my bags at my final destination, had 0 issues. Was exactly like flying without them (i.e. O'Hare was still a dystopian nightmare of an airport...but I got where I needed to go )

[Trav]

Ditto what Malamute said. No way in hell would I touch a bag containing a firearm in Chicago or several other airports. (Boston, NJ, NYC, & DC come to mind.)

[Sensei]

I flew through Chicago with firearms (layover). It was fine. I got to my connecting flight on time, picked up my bags at my final destination, had 0 issues. Was exactly like flying without them (i.e. O'Hare was still a dystopian nightmare of an airport...but I got where I needed to go )

Like Malamute said, the risk comes if your flight gets cancelled and you are stuck overnight in Chicage. Your bags would be offloaded in baggage claim and need to be rechecked on the next departure. NY was famous for arresting travelers in Laguardia as they tried to recheck their bags since it contained an unlicensed gun within the city. It was a bit of a shakedown since offenders were offered plea deals to disorderly conduct or similar nonsense with a fine. A NC State senator got busted and had to spend 24 hrs in the can and then travel back to NY to get his case dispositioned. The real problems come when there is ammo in the same bag because the gun is then considered loaded in NY which subjects the traveler to a felony. I'm not sure in Chicago is as draconian as NY, but I would not put myself in any situation where I could find out...

http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/processInputRequest?HTMLVersion=5.0&loc=en_US&Requester=UPSHome&tracknum=1ZX86529A669608065&AgreeToTermsAndConditions=yes&ignore=&track.x=23&track.y=15

[GardoneVT]

So a friend of mine is looking at flying through Chicago with handguns and mags. I don't believe he is taking possession of his bags, but it is possible I suppose. Anyone have experience with this?
And what if he did take possession, say to drive to his next destination?

When I lived in Chicago, I always flew out of Mitchell in Wisconsin . It was faster to drive north then it was to take 190 into OHare even though it was technically in the same city. In your friends case, the local laws in Wisconsin are also much better.

[RevolverRob]

Wow. Scared much? Posession of a cased, unloaded firearm, even on you person, for transport is perfectly legal in Chicago. Despite their best efforts, they have been unable to legally enforce their assault weapons ban, because of a legal injunction. The state level concealed carry law pre-empts Chicago and thus Chicago no longer has ANY regulations on possession of handguns (except the illegal carry of concealed, loaded, handguns, not being transported per state definition). The state regulates concealed carry.

http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/transgun0-000.pdf

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Illinois

If your friend is from the US AND has a concealed carry license, any handguns can even be transported, loaded, while inside the car. Transportation has no legal definition, moving a firearm from place to place, anytime, to anywhere, is legal. As long as you are legally allowed to own the firearm. Transportation to, from, or around "restricted" places is also legal. As long as the firearm is being legally transported per the Illinois State Rules.

If your friend is stuck overnight in Chicago. It is perfectly legal to collect his bags and go to a hotel. It would even be legal to transport them via public transit, although I would probably take a cab or rent a car.

ETA: It would help to know what kind of firearm(s) your friend is transporting. There are Cook County ordinances for transportation that might be an issue for specific weapons (e.g., an AR15). But the long and short of it is your friend should unload, disassemble, and lock into a proper case, for transport. Separately, he should bring ammunition in a different case. That should keep him from running afoul of any transportation issues in Illinois.

-Rob

[Slavex]

Canadian, bringing handguns and likely ammo. Has his Form 6 NIA

[Suvorov]

Wow. Scared much? Posession of a cased, unloaded firearm, even on you person, for transport is perfectly legal in Chicago. Despite their best efforts, they have been unable to legally enforce their assault weapons ban, because of a legal injunction. The state level concealed carry law pre-empts Chicago and thus Chicago no longer has ANY regulations on possession of handguns (except the illegal carry of concealed, loaded, handguns, not being transported per state definition). The state regulates concealed carry.

http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/transgun0-000.pdf

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Illinois

If your friend is from the US AND has a concealed carry license, any handguns can even be transported, loaded, while inside the car. Transportation has no legal definition, moving a firearm from place to place, anytime, to anywhere, is legal. As long as you are legally allowed to own the firearm. Transportation to, from, or around "restricted" places is also legal. As long as the firearm is being legally transported per the Illinois State Rules.

If your friend is stuck overnight in Chicago. It is perfectly legal to collect his bags and go to a hotel. It would even be legal to transport them via public transit, although I would probably take a cab or rent a car.

ETA: It would help to know what kind of firearm(s) your friend is transporting. There are Cook County ordinances for transportation that might be an issue for specific weapons (e.g., an AR15). But the long and short of it is your friend should unload, disassemble, and lock into a proper case, for transport. Separately, he should bring ammunition in a different case. That should keep him from running afoul of any transportation issues in Illinois.

-Rob

Thank You,

I was based out of ORD for many years and had sever gun shooting buddies use ORD without an issue.

For the OP,

I assume he will be flying into ORD from Canada Eh? If so, the very best way to avoid missing a connection is to take the earlier flights as they tend to run a lot more on time than flights later in the day that have been affected my maintenance or ATC delays.

[Alpha Sierra]

Illinoins in general, and Chicago in particular, bear zero resemblance to places like NY and NJ when it comes to gun laws.

All the suggestions to avoid contact with the guns while travelling are based on incorrect information or flat out ignorance.

[Odin Bravo One]

I got stuck on an overnight layover at O'hare due to a cancelled flight......with firearms....including high capacity magazines, dare I say a "silencer", and one of those evil "assault rifles", by the actual definition, not the political one.

Returned in the AM to check my bags and not a single person looked at me funny or was remotely concerned.

[GardoneVT]

Illinoins in general, and Chicago in particular, bear zero resemblance to places like NY and NJ when it comes to gun laws.

All the suggestions to avoid contact with the guns while travelling are based on incorrect information or flat out ignorance.

Indeed. As a matter of fact, pre-CCW the Cook County ordinance banning 10 round mags was routinely flouted by the big box retailers in the county....

That being said, the Ohare "experience" in general sucks bad enough that one should avoid it regardless of firearms .

[Suvorov]

Indeed. As a matter of fact, pre-CCW the Cook County ordinance banning 10 round mags was routinely flouted by the big box retailers in the county....

That being said, the Ohare "experience" in general sucks bad enough that one should avoid it regardless of firearms .

The "ORD" experience is quite an experience. From my perspective the place is a mess and only the amazing quality of the controllers keep the place running. The airport often operates on the edge in good weather, add bad weather and things go to pot. If you have to deice, then all hell breaks loose. The terminal is a hodgepodge of gates and God forbid you are on the United side have have 30 minutes to make a connection from the "F" gates to the "C" gates. Add to that the fact that if the ground handlers cared any less, they wouldn't show up to work. That is on the United side, on the American side YMMV.

So like GardoneVT has said - if your friend has yet to purchase his tickets, ORD is an experience that is better avoided regardless of any firearms concerns. On the United side, DEN would be the preferred connection as it typically runs well and no gun drama. On the American side, DFW would be a better option.

[walker2713]

I lived in Chicago for 27 years, and flew in and out of O'Hare and Midway many times with handguns, with no problems whatsoever. Chicago isn't New Jersey, Maryland or New York. Sure, not the gun friendliest place around....but I wouldn't be concerned, as long as he follows airline rules on packing and declarations.

George

[Nephrology]

The "ORD" experience is quite an experience. From my perspective the place is a mess and only the amazing quality of the controllers keep the place running. The airport often operates on the edge in good weather, add bad weather and things go to pot. If you have to deice, then all hell breaks loose. The terminal is a hodgepodge of gates and God forbid you are on the United side have have 30 minutes to make a connection from the "F" gates to the "C" gates. Add to that the fact that if the ground handlers cared any less, they wouldn't show up to work. That is on the United side, on the American side YMMV.

So like GardoneVT has said - if your friend has yet to purchase his tickets, ORD is an experience that is better avoided regardless of any firearms concerns. On the United side, DEN would be the preferred connection as it typically runs well and no gun drama. On the American side, DFW would be a better option.

That squares with my experience through ORD too. 80% of my flights involve a connection through O'Hare (flying from SE Minn., either RST or MSP) and it seems like any time it flurries all hell breaks loose at ORD. I have had at least 5 or 6 cancelled connecting flights through ORD in the last calendar year alone.

[Alpha Sierra]

It's not ORD, it's the entire US air traffic control system that is tasked to near capacity 100% of the time. When any major hub (not just ORD) experiences even the slightest disruption the repercussions travel through the system like a wave.

Best analogy I can come up with are those mysterious slowdowns in LA freeway traffic for which there is no apparent reason.

[RevolverRob]

Canadian, bringing handguns and likely ammo. Has his Form 6 NIA

Yea, no problem. If they are semi-autos just have him pull the slides from the frame and lock the case. And he can lock ammo in a separate case. Then he should have essentially NO issues. He will be overly in compliance with required transport regulations (the ISP link from before).

-Rob

[Suvorov]

It's not ORD, it's the entire US air traffic control system that is tasked to near capacity 100% of the time. When any major hub (not just ORD) experiences even the slightest disruption the repercussions travel through the system like a wave.

Best analogy I can come up with are those mysterious slowdowns in LA freeway traffic for which there is no apparent reason.

You are right, the US ATC system is over taxed. That will result in delays for volume into large metro areas as airports can only receive so many flights per hour. The East Coast from PHL up to BOS and the EWR/JFK/LGA trifecta are the worse as far as volume of departures and arrivals goes. That said, some airports are more prone to delays (and delays = missed connections) than others. Hub airports in the Midwest and West (not including SFO) tend to be far less prone to delays due to less traffic density, generally better weather, or both. ORD on the other hand is not so limited as far as ability to get into and out of as it is get to the gate or off the gate once you get there. Each airport has its own way of operating and ORD is best described as controlled chaos. No other airport in the US or Canada operates as close to the edge of the FARs as ORD, but the controllers do an amazing job of pushing tin (in my opinion, they are the best in the World). The big problem at ORD is not ATC, but the airport itself. Gate space is very limited, especially for United and American that have huge regional operations out of the airport. When weather strikes, airplanes get delayed due to enroute delays, ramp closures (anytime lighting strikes an airport, the entire ramp operation shuts down to ensure safety for the ground personnel), or any of a host of other things and that start screwing up the entire gate plan. This is all compounded by the fact that in winter operations, aircraft deice at the gate, thus even though they have technically "departed" they are still waiting up to an hour to get deiced and clear the gate so the inbound aircraft can occupy it. Add to this the fact the ramp on the UAL side (and from listening to my American counterparts, their side as well) is so poorly managed and short staffed that I have waited up to 20+minutes just to have someone marshal me the final 50 yards to the gate (apparently it was a "shift change"). I could buy a brand new Wilson Combat 1911 if I had a nickle for every passenger of mine that has missed their connection despite the fact that we landed on time but by the time we blocked in, their connecting flight had already departed or there was no way anyone could make the 1 mile run to the other end of the terminal complex to catch it.

So to try to bring my post back into the sphere of relevance for the OP. IF you are traveling with guns and want to avoid any gun related drama due to a missed connection or cancelled flight, then:
1) Take a direct flight if at all possible.
2) Avoid any NYC area airport (EWR,JFK,LGA).
3) Avoid ORD (at least when traveling on UAL).
4) Take the first flight of the day to avoid any "creeping delays" impacting your flight.
5) Give yourself a MINIMUM of 1 hour for your connection. Also, by taking an early flight you give yourself more flight options if you happen to miss your connection.

[JAD]

Two and a half million miles with UA and about a million with everyone else. Airports are like TC says about pistol makes -- they all suck, but not nearly as much as we think. Despite being based in the Midwest and having the vast majority of my flights go through ORD I have spent more unplanned nights in Newark than anywhere else -- and I can count on one hand the number of overnight delays since 1994 when I started this gig.

[Drang]

The only airports I have ever heard of anyone routinely having problems with are those run by the Port Authority of Noo Yawk and Noo Joisey. FWIW. Apparently, if you try to check a firearm at one of those 5 airports, they expect yo to prove same is legally registered there. Hard to do if you're not from there.
I knew one guy who got stranded at (I think) JFK, so he (said he) rented a car, drove to Philly, and flew out of there.

[David Pennington]

I've had the same experience at ORD--- zero issues.

Speaking of the New York thing, I flew out of Ft Lauderdale last week with guns and the clerk at the JetBlue counter had just transferred from LaGuardia. She was disturbed that I could check a gun without the Port Authority Police checking me out first. She told me that that's how it should be handled. Those poor folks are so conditioned to hate freedom.

[jetfire]

Like Malamute said, the risk comes if your flight gets cancelled and you are stuck overnight in Chicage. Your bags would be offloaded in baggage claim and need to be rechecked on the next departure.

This isn't always true. I've had flights cancelled in Chicago and gotten rebooked on the next morning flight, and they just changed my bags for the next morning's flight. I never saw them, never had anyone ask me to take them. I just asked the United agent "So my bags are automatically checked for my next flight?" She said yes, I booked a room in the O'Hare Hilton with points, no muss no fuss and everything was rad.