Checking rifle from Atlanta to Botswana without clearing SAPS?

[autofire]

I've travel Atlanta to Jberg multiple times with rifles and always had to clear rifle with SAPS upon arrival and recheck rifles with Airlink next day when flying to Bots/Namibia/elsewhere in RSA.

I've recently read on a different website that someone stated they flew Delta from Atlanta to Jberg, spent the night and next day to Botswana on Airlink and did not have to clear rifles with SAPS when arriving.

Does Delta have an arrangement with Airlink that rifles can be held overnight and loaded on Airlink flights to Botswana without need to clear rifles upon arrival in Jberg and spending the night, catching Airlink flight next day?

Thanks

 

[kpoynter]

You will need to clear your gun and recheck the next day. Get a service and you will be done quickly.
Last year I was checked straight through same day..didn’t matter as they mishandled in my case.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I've travel Atlanta to Jberg multiple times with rifles and always had to clear rifle with SAPS upon arrival and recheck rifles with Airlink next day when flying to Bots/Namibia/elsewhere in RSA.

I've recently read on a different website that someone stated they flew Delta from Atlanta to Jberg, spent the night and next day to Botswana on Airlink and did not have to clear rifles with SAPS when arriving.

Does Delta have an arrangement with Airlink that rifles can be held overnight and loaded on Airlink flights to Botswana without need to clear rifles upon arrival in Jberg and spending the night, catching Airlink flight next day?

Thanks

Internet misinformation. Some people get their jollies messing with other peoples' lives.

 

[375Fox]

I think that is misinformation or possibly his rifles were incorrectly tagged as luggage instead of firearms. My last flight through Johannesburg was in March. My bag stayed overnight and was put on airlink the next day (from United) but I was still required to claim my firearm for the night and recheck the next day.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I think that is misinformation or possibly his rifles were incorrectly tagged as luggage instead of firearms. My last flight through Johannesburg was in March. My bag stayed overnight and was put on airlink the next day (from United) but I was still required to claim my firearm for the night and recheck the next day.

I think it's extremy unlikely the guns were incorrectly tagged. How would they get the guns back to US? Incorrectly tagged on return leg too? I don't think so.

Gun running in Africa is a serious offense. That is the business of authorities (I was told on my last safari that 6,000 RSA police weapons are "lost" or "stolen" every year). Anyway, I would rather get run over by a steam roller than spend a day in a South African jail. Anyone who wants to attempt shortcuts by packing guns as regular luggage should think about packing soap-on-a-rope in carryon.

 

[375Fox]

I think it's extremy unlikely the guns were incorrectly tagged. How would they get the guns back to US? Incorrectly tagged on return leg too? I don't think so.

Gun running in Africa is a serious offense. That is the business of authorities (I was told on my last safari that 6,000 RSA police weapons are "lost" or "stolen" every year). Anyway, I would rather get run over by a steam roller than spend a day in a South African jail. Anyone who wants to attempt shortcuts by packing guns as regular luggage should think about packing soap-on-a-rope in carryon.

If it’s not identified as a firearm in the airline’s system it just means it will be treated as luggage unless someone catches the mistake. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t have your name and destination on the tag. You aren’t breaking any rules unless you try to leave airport with firearms or ammo without declaring it. I’ve had firearms come out as regular baggage returning to US. I still walked to customs with it. Customs said the airline would pay a fine for their mistake. My last trip where my bag stayed in transit overnight. It held ammo because it’s not identified same as a firearm in US like it would be in South Africa. It got sorted out at the airport by the individual who helped me with the permit for my gun. Again unless you try to leave airport with a firearm or ammo without declaring them you aren’t breaking any rules. For someone who just said some individuals get their jollies off spreading misinformation your comments about gun running are really foolish.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

If it’s not identified as a firearm in the airline’s system it just means it will be treated as luggage unless someone catches the mistake. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t have your name and destination on the tag. You aren’t breaking any rules unless you try to leave airport with firearms or ammo without declaring it. I’ve had firearms come out as regular baggage returning to US. I still walked to customs with it. Customs said the airline would pay a fine for their mistake. My last trip where my bag stayed in transit overnight. It held ammo because it’s not identified same as a firearm in US like it would be in South Africa. It got sorted out at the airport by the individual who helped me with the permit for my gun. Again unless you try to leave airport with a firearm or ammo without declaring them you aren’t breaking any rules. For someone who just said some individuals get their jollies off spreading misinformation your comments about gun running are really foolish.

Accidents can happen with airlines but the individual on another forum claims to have made the trip to Africa and back without checking guns through police at RSA Airport. Somehow this was supposedly planned. It is my understanding that the onus is on the gunowner to ensure his guns are properly checked in at departure and then checked with police at Tambo. It is also my understanding ALL guns coming into Tambo must go through police station there. Is that not correct? Anyone attempting to hide guns in other checked baggage to somehow avoid having them checked as guns (which I believe is required by international agreements?) can be in trouble if it's discovered anywhere during the trip. Correct?

Anyway, the probability that the misinformer managed to get the airlines to screw up twice (coming and going) by failing to tag/check the guns properly or failing to offload them at Tambo for police inspection seems to me unlikely. My advice is don't count on it. If the passenger has copies of check-in documentation proving he checked his guns properly at the start, then he's okay no matter what the airlines do or don't do with them during the trip. But what if he can't prove he checked them properly? Then he's caught in a pickle. Is it the airline's fault or his fault? Or both (= both planned it = gun running)? At the very least the guns would probably be confiscated. Could he be charged? Good question. I wouldn't want to risk it.

Almost certainly the person on the other forum who posted this "tip" was a bullshitter.

 

[WAB]

It’s many years ago, but I checked my guns from Atlanta to Lusaka on Delta without clearing SAPS in Jo’Burg. They were properly declared. Unfortunately the bag with my ammo did not make the connection and caught up with me about three days later.

This is old info so take it for what it’s worth.

My learning from this was to avoid connections with guns and ammo at all costs. I now fly into Jo’Burg on a direct flight, clear SAPS, spend the night at Africa Sky, and then catch a flight to my destination the next day.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve always cleared SAPS on my way to Mozambique as I overnight at either City Lodge or Afton. Then on the way home I check my rifle from Beira to Atlanta straight through because I’m only transferring through Johanasburg and not spending the night. But it’s been a few years since I’ve done this.

 

[375Fox]

It’s many years ago, but I checked my guns from Atlanta to Lusaka on Delta without clearing SAPS in Jo’Burg. They were properly declared. Unfortunately the bag with my ammo did not make the connection and caught up with me about three days later.

This is old info so take it for what it’s worth.

My learning from this was to avoid connections with guns and ammo at all costs. I now fly into Jo’Burg on a direct flight, clear SAPS, spend the night at Africa Sky, and then catch a flight to my destination the next day.

I have in past too. If you are strictly transiting through South Africa to another country and not overnighting you don’t need to claim your firearm but they won’t hold firearm overnight at Johannesburg.

 

[375Fox]

Accidents can happen with airlines but the individual on another forum claims to have made the trip to Africa and back without checking guns through police at RSA Airport. Somehow this was supposedly planned. It is my understanding that the onus is on the gunowner to ensure his guns are properly checked in at departure and then checked with police at Tambo. It is also my understanding ALL guns coming into Tambo must go through police station there. Is that not correct? Anyone attempting to hide guns in other checked baggage to somehow avoid having them checked as guns (which I believe is required by international agreements?) can be in trouble if it's discovered anywhere during the trip. Correct?

Anyway, the probability that the misinformer managed to get the airlines to screw up twice (coming and going) by failing to tag/check the guns properly or failing to offload them at Tambo for police inspection seems to me unlikely. My advice is don't count on it. If the passenger has copies of check-in documentation proving he checked his guns properly at the start, then he's okay no matter what the airlines do or don't do with them during the trip. But what if he can't prove he checked them properly? Then he's caught in a pickle. Is it the airline's fault or his fault? Or both (= both planned it = gun running)? At the very least the guns would probably be confiscated. Could he be charged? Good question. I wouldn't want to risk it.

Almost certainly the person on the other forum who posted this "tip" was a bullshitter.

Again until you try to walk out of airport with a firearm without declaring that firearm you’ve done nothing wrong. There is no paperwork to say the airline properly tagged your gun case as a firearm. If for some reason my rifle was to come out the regular carousel at Johannesburg I’d get an airline employee to get police or have them contact right individuals to come collect it to take to police office to go through the regular process.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It’s many years ago, but I checked my guns from Atlanta to Lusaka on Delta without clearing SAPS in Jo’Burg. They were properly declared. Unfortunately the bag with my ammo did not make the connection and caught up with me about three days later.

This is old info so take it for what it’s worth.

My learning from this was to avoid connections with guns and ammo at all costs. I now fly into Jo’Burg on a direct flight, clear SAPS, spend the night at Africa Sky, and then catch a flight to my destination the next day.

Direct flight is handy but, as you know, rarely practical. An interesting thing happened returning from my last safari in 2023. I have android phone so I rely on my daughter here with her Apple phone to follow my guns with AirTag. She texts me images of their location. So I'm in the plane to depart Zurich and she sends me an image of my case's location as at the plane. Away we go across the Atlantic and my phone is turned off per regs. Arriving at Toronto I turn on my phone and see a text from my daughter informing me the gun case never left. Crap! I contact Air Canada desk and they say don't worry about it. Go ahead and catch my connecting flight home. But how will the gun get through customs/security? Again, don't worry about it. "The gun case will be delivered to your house." I don't think so! Been quite a scandal here in Ontario with couriers just dumping guns on doorsteps. So I was at the local terminal when the next two flights came in from Toronto. Case was on the last one just before midnight. No one at customs. No one checked to see if I had a gun possession license. Oh well.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Again until you try to walk out of airport with a firearm without declaring that firearm you’ve done nothing wrong. There is no paperwork to say the airline properly tagged your gun case as a firearm. If for some reason my rifle was to come out the regular carousel at Johannesburg I’d get an airline employee to get police or have them contact right individuals to come collect it to take to police office to go through the regular process.

A copy of the proper paperwork is placed inside the case during check-in inspection, presumably so it can be seen with x-ray later if needed.