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My flight is from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to London Heathrow , with British Airways.

Important Details

“de-activated firearm” means an imitation firearm that consists in something which was a firearm but has been so rendered incapable of discharging a shot, bullet or other missile as no longer to be a firearm.

  • I have no problem in handing the case to the flight crew and getting it back upon arrival but I am not willing to ship it as an extra bag and risk losing it.

Is it possible for the security to stop me from having it on board even that it's allowed on the aircraft?

The real size

The compact size inside the case

JoErNanO
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Ulkoma
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    Most entertaining question I've seen on this site in a long time. Looking forward to the answers. – Polynomial Jul 13 '15 at 11:54
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    "Is it possible for the security to stop me from having it on board even that it's allowed" - I'm sure that answers will cover this, but security can stop you from boarding/taking objects on board for pretty much any reason they like. – CMaster Jul 13 '15 at 12:00
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    I'm giving you a +1 just for the bazooka. – Burhan Khalid Jul 13 '15 at 12:13
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    I'd stop you just for the hoodie, let alone the bazooka :) – jwenting Jul 13 '15 at 12:17
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    Without reading the details, think the answer is; OF COURSE NOOOOO – yaya Jul 13 '15 at 12:27
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    -1 I'm sorry but I do not believe your questions are serious. You've recently asked about bringing deactivated bazookas, bullet-proof vests and gold bars on planes. It seems vanishingly unlikely that any single person would be interested in bringing such items on planes in such rapid succession. – David Richerby Jul 13 '15 at 13:35
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    I don't know about bazookas but this is what happened when someone tried to transport a medieval-style cannon barrel. Is the bazooka a precaution in case the bullet-proof vest isn't enough to protect the solid gold bar? – user56reinstatemonica8 Jul 13 '15 at 13:50
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    In any respect, it is nothing to do with BA. The TSA not allow you airside with weapons, inert or otherwise. – Calchas Jul 13 '15 at 14:15
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    @Calchas If the OP is a courier, he should know better than to trust professional and legal matters to strangers on the internet. "Oh, I'm sorry your bazooka didn't turn up. People on the internet said it would be OK but the TSA confiscated it," really doesn't cut it as an excuse to a client. – David Richerby Jul 13 '15 at 14:16
  • @DavidRicherby You're quite right of course :) – Calchas Jul 13 '15 at 14:19
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    http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/22740763#22740763 @DavidRicherby. – TRiG Jul 13 '15 at 14:42
  • Interesting question I have to say... - Whether it's disabled or not, it's not going to get through an airport –  Jun 06 '16 at 21:03

4 Answers4

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BA's website is crystal clear:

All firearms (including replica and decommissioned) and ammunition are restricted under UK law and may be carried only with advanced notification and with the appropriate licences and documentation.
...
Each case containing firearms or ammunition is subject to a £50 charge at check-in each way to cover the cost of our specialist firearms and ammunition handling partner.
...
All passengers intending to travel with firearms or ammunition must ensure they have the required documentation and licences for them. This includes export/import licences and authorisation from local and national authorities.

And no, you won't be able to carry it in the cabin, it will have to be checked into the hold.

jwenting
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    Thanks for your answer, however it looks like the security guys can stop me from getting through even if BA allowed it. I would appreciate more details about that and why I am not allowed to have it as a handbag, the case is not much different than a suitcase – Ulkoma Jul 13 '15 at 12:36
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    @User Possibly because you could scare the living c**p out of other passengers and crew if you brandished it. – Spehro Pefhany Jul 13 '15 at 12:40
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    @SpehroPefhany if it was even a replica of a gun I would not have bothered asking the question but I can't scare people with a Bazooka! They would beat me to death when I open the case and it's take few minutes to assemble it – Ulkoma Jul 13 '15 at 12:45
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    @User: That's why you assemble a Bazooka in the bathroom. Duh. – Jonas Jul 13 '15 at 13:23
  • @Jonas ok, then what? why would I go out of the bathroom to scare them? surrender or I shoot? you kidding right? replica firearms are banned for a reason but defiantly not a bazooka – Ulkoma Jul 13 '15 at 13:31
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    @User: Yeah, you would kick open the bathroom door and scream "Kaboom suckers!" (or something more sensible). On a more serious note, a Bazooka is scary - if people are afraid of a small bullet, they sure are not going to take a portable rocket launcher lightly. Anecdotally, I've seen the face of some idiot officer who stood behind a bazooka when giving the command to fire; since then I know that it's scary on both sides. – Jonas Jul 13 '15 at 13:44
  • @Jonas I grew up around them (and thats why I am buying one because I want my son to see a real one) and you can easily tell if it's loaded or not – Ulkoma Jul 13 '15 at 13:47
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    @User: you and I can. That doesn't mean people who have never held one can, as well. – Jonas Jul 13 '15 at 13:50
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    Seems to me that a bazooka IS a firearm. – CGCampbell Jul 13 '15 at 14:48
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    There was a funny case in 2012 where a passenger in the US tried to bring a petrol-powered chainsaw on board as carry-on. They had to chuck away the petrol (because it's explosive) and they weren't allowed the chainsaw in carry-on (it's useless as a weapon without fuel, but it's still a freaking chainsaw... might be alarming...) but they were allowed to check the chainsaw in to the hold. Here's the TSA's blog about it, other news outlets report that they had to check it in but I can't find a quality link. – user56reinstatemonica8 Jul 13 '15 at 16:40
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    @user568458 If you really have a son and you really want him to see a bazooka, take him to the Imperial War Museum. – David Richerby Jul 14 '15 at 01:55
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    @user568458 A chainsaw, even one that's not running, can do quite serious damage when swung at someone or something. They don't allow you to take baseball bats into the cabin for the same reason, and larger photography and video tripods. – jwenting Jul 15 '15 at 03:54
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Ignoring the fact that it's a bazooka, are you sure it isn't too big for cabin baggage anyway ? Even dismantled, it looks quite long.

BA's maximum size for cabin baggage is: 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (see: http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/hand-baggage-allowances )

Is it less than 56cm long dismantled and boxed up ?

If not, you don't have to worry about security, as BA won't let it on.

Alun Thomas
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TSA isn't going to let you anywhere near the gate with that. They don't care about deactivated. Looks real/it's real as far as they are concerned.

Since someone complained about a lack of sources:

https://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/firearms-and-ammunition

Realistic replicas of firearms: No.

Edit: They've changed the page. Now it says:

Replica firearms, including firearm replicas that are toys, may be transported in checked baggage only.

Loren Pechtel
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In a case of life imitating art (or rather Stack Overflow), unsurprisingly it would seem that you cannot take a missile launcher (close-ish to a bazooka) in checked luggage, let alone as hand luggage.

Key quotes from the BBC article in case the link goes stale (cut to leave only parts relevant to this answer):

US airport security officers have confiscated a missile launcher from a passenger's luggage in Washington.

The Transport Security Administration (TSA) said ... "Fortunately, the item was not a live device."

Military weapons are not permitted in checked or carry on bags.

abligh
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