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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

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  • 36
    Most entertaining question I've seen on this site in a long time. Looking forward to the answers.
    – Polynomial
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 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
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 12:00
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    I'd stop you just for the hoodie, let alone the bazooka :)
    – jwenting
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 12:17
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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
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 13:35
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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
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 14:16

4 Answers 4

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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.

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  • @Lohoris The point is the question was looking at a non-issue. It doesn't matter what BA would do as he won't get it there for them to do anything about it.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 22:19
  • @DavidRicherby Look at bullet point #4.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 23:55
  • @LorenPechtel Oops. I missed that.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 0:34
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    Warning. Warning. @LorenPechtel Clearly has bullet points... :P
    – Zizouz212
    Commented Aug 17, 2015 at 5:31
  • I think the content of the linked webpage has changed since you last quoted it. If this is the case, care to update the answer?
    – JoErNanO ♦
    Commented Feb 9, 2016 at 14:02
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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.

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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 'speff' Pefhany
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 12:40
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    @User: That's why you assemble a Bazooka in the bathroom. Duh.
    – Jonas
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 13:23
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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
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 13:44
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    @User: you and I can. That doesn't mean people who have never held one can, as well.
    – Jonas
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 13:50
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    Seems to me that a bazooka IS a firearm.
    – CGCampbell
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 14:48
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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.

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    He could buy a seat for it!
    – mkennedy
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:53
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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.

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