Anyone ever travel through BWI with a checked weapon?

[mugsy]

Hello,

In a couple of weeks I will have to travel through BWI enroute to Virginia and would like to bring my personal weapon in my checked baggage.
I have traveled through Dulles and Richmond many times without incident but Maryland doesn't recognize the OK carry license.

Does anyone here have experience traveling through BWI?
Any problems?
Tips or best practices?

I assumed that following the Federal guidelines for transporting weapons would be sufficient but now I am wondering if that is true.

Any insights appreciated.

 

[VladdDImpaler]

I have flown through multiple airports in states/municipalities that do not recognize the OK carry permit. The TSA agents at these airports that I have talked to told me the following:

Airports are governed be federal law. So, the location of the airport will not restrict your ability to travel with a firearm in your checked baggage. However, once you leave the airport you must be sure that it is legal for you to possess said firearm at that location and be sure to follow all laws in regards to transport of the firearm.

For example, I travel through PDX (Portland, OR) on a regular basis to visit family in Washington right across the Columbia. I am not permitted to carry in OR, so my sidearm remains in my checked baggage as allowed by OR transport of firearms laws. Once I'm in WA, which recognizes my permit, my firearm is loaded and placed in my holster.

 

[Shoot Summ]

I was in and out of BWI last week, I did not take a weapon with me.

I will tell you that it is a slow airport, slow buses to the rental car facility, slow check in at Delta, slow security lines, so plan accordingly on your time.

 

[Rod Snell]

I used to live in Laytonsville,MD and BWI was my most used airport.

Leave the handgun in your baggage and drive to VA, and you will be in compliance with MD law.
MD honors travel in and out, but has restrictions against just driving around with a gun in the vehicle.
Thus, you can't have your gun in the vehicle and play tourist in MD and comply with the law.

The law specifies you may only transport the gun between authorized destinations, such as ranges, gunshops, residences, hunting, competition, training, travel in and out of the state, so I could not put a gun in the car, go to work, and go to a range after work. I had to go home, get the gun, and then go to the range.


http://www.mdsp.org/FAQs.aspx

They must be unloaded, in a carrying case, holster with a flap and the ammunition should be separate. It would be best to keep the unloaded weapon in the trunk where you do not have access to it. There are further regulations but essentially you can only transport a handgun between residence, to and from a repair shop, a shooting sporting event, between a residence and place of business if substantially owned and operated by the person.