Airsoft enthusiasts: how do you fly internationally with your equipment?

Airsoft forums seem to be fairly divided (and unreliable) with opinions on flying with airsoft gear, so I was hoping to see if any Dopers have experience moving their equipment around. In particular, I have a freaking awesome airsoft gun (JG BAR-10 spring sniper rifle :D) that I would really like to be able to take to the US when I’m there. So here’s the rub: obviously I can’t bring airsoft stuff as carry-ons, but is there an established/common procedure for checking them as baggage? I’ve heard some people simply put them on top of their bag with the receipt stapled on, while others go so far as to declare them as a firearm (:smack:) and have the TSA/gate agents lock them in a hard case before checking them. So, what’s the straight dope? Can I simply put my toy gun in checked baggage and make sure to declare it to the customs agent, or do I actually have to go through the huge PITA of declaring it as a firearm at the ticket counter, filling out the firearm transport form, and having agents inspect it at either end?

Despite what the TSA might say, airsoft aren’t weapons. The BATFE doesn’t consider them weapons. Just put it in your checked luggage, it’ll be fine. I don’t even think you need to declare it unless you’re going out of the country. I don’t know how that would work though.

You can absolutely not carry them on, I can’t find much on if you have to declare them.

Prohibited items list.

Section on compressed gas (if relevant to you).

International travel may be odd, call ahead.

What TSA says is all that matters. Sure you can argue with them but when are you going to do that? After you get to your destination and find you have no luggage? If you want to get your crap to your destination what any random TSA might say matters.

The options are send it without registering it, if you do that I’d recommend having the instructions for the gun taped to it so if they open the bag and find it, you have a better chance of them determining it is not an actual gun. With this you still run the risk of it setting off a flag and my cause yourself issues.

The other option is just registrar it as a firearm. Not only would you have to comply with TSA’s requirements, you need to check to make sure your airline doesn’t have any additional restrictions.

In either case CO2 canisters are not allowed so you’d need to buy them at your destination.

I’d take my chances with TSA and keep my fingers crossed they don’t get caught up with the stupid and flag it on you.

Thanks for the links! I’m definitely not bringing anything with compressed gas: my main airsoft gun is spring-loaded, so it’s all mechanical, and I have a smaller pistol which is battery-powered. Both are pretty obviously not real guns (all plastic, and a cursory x-ray can show that it’s totally a toy), so I was hoping I could get away with putting it in checked baggage with receipts and a little “Toy pellet gun” label taped to both boxes.

What I’m not sure of is how TSA responds-if they wig out and decide it’s problematic, would they just confiscate and/or destroy the stuff? I just don’t want to deal with getting put on a watch list/arrested/fined or any other stupidity arising from the off chance that they decide it’s a threat.

(If it helps, I’ve talked to at least one TSA guy who told me that their official policy on airsoft is “no problem, as long as its checked,” but he also said not every agent was aware of that policy.)

As i said that’s what I’d do. Include the manuals though. Do not put ‘pellet gun’ however pellet guns and bb guns have to be shipped as firearms. ‘Toy gun’ would suffice

Nothing so dramatic normally. The usual result of things they have questions on is they hold it until the questions have been answered, this can be a pain in the ass getting your bags to you though, hours on the phone with your airline convincing them they need to pick up your bag from TSA and send it to you.

Agree, don’t call it a “pellet gun.”

Airsoft fires these, right?

Pellet guns fire these.

One is capable of killing small animals and even people if hit right. The other is not.

Ups should have no problems shipping it to your destination.

Kind of a nitpick, but BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives) doesn’t determine what’s a weapon (hell they don’t regulate poisonous gases or shampoo bottles either - TSA considers shampoo a potential weapon). :smiley:

I’ll try to remember to ask a family member when I speak with him tomorrow - he’s a TSA manager type guy.

ETA: the trick getting the Airsoft gun into the country wouldn’t usually involve TSA; it would involve CBP. Getting it out of the country, on the other hand, is a different story. TSA could give a fart if you bought the thing or stole it; their role is to make sure that folks are boarding with things deemed “safe.” Again, the receipt would be something that customs would be more likely interested in.