Preliminary planning for AK flight

("jgalban" wrote)
snip
FWIW, I never once made it on time for Customs inspection in Skagway.
Customs is not onsite at the airport. They send someone out from the
highway station. If you're a few minutes late, they leave and you have
to call them back out when you arrive. Apparently, this ticks them
off.


What's the skinny on carrying a gun when flying in Alaska?

Regs or recommendation?


Montblack

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("jgalban" wrote)
snip

What's the skinny on carrying a gun when flying in Alaska?

Regs or recommendation?

Inside Alaska? I don't think the state requires a permit even for concealed
carry of handguns, and IIRC the state laws used to require carrying a rifle
or shotgun as part of survival supplies on commercial air taxis, though they
now only stipulate "reasonable supplies" or something like that. I think the
real issue is crossing in and out of Canada. Long guns properly secured and
declared shouldn't pose a problem but I don't think the customs guys will
take nicely to handguns.

-cwk.

("Colin W Kingsbury" wrote)
snip
I think the real issue is crossing in and out of Canada. Long guns properly
secured and declared shouldn't pose a problem but I don't think the customs
guys will take nicely to handguns.


I thought this was an issue until recently, when there was one of those
letters of understanding things issued between the two countries - since to
get to Alaska from the Lower 48, flying through (or into) Canada sometimes
happens.


Montblack

I remember driving from Glacier to the International Peace Park in 1981.
At the border checkpoint, the Canadian Customs officer was searching the
car.
We watched as his eyes opened wide and his body went stiff as he was
feeling under the drivers seat.
Inquiring what was wrong, he replied in a disappointed tone that he
thought he had found a handgun under the seat, only to learn that the
pistol grip and trigger were attached to a bottle of Windex.

"Montblack" wrote in message
What's the skinny on carrying a gun when flying in Alaska?
Regs or recommendation?

"Colin W Kingsbury" wrote in
nk.net:


"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("jgalban" wrote)
snip

What's the skinny on carrying a gun when flying in Alaska?

Regs or recommendation?

Inside Alaska? I don't think the state requires a permit even for
concealed carry of handguns, and IIRC the state laws used to require
carrying a rifle or shotgun as part of survival supplies on commercial
air taxis, though they now only stipulate "reasonable supplies" or
something like that. I think the real issue is crossing in and out of
Canada. Long guns properly secured and declared shouldn't pose a
problem but I don't think the customs guys will take nicely to
handguns.

-cwk.



I've heard horror stories from the RV (campers) crowd of whole RV's
being confiscated when a gun was found. I think I would Fedex my gun to
AK if I needed it....


--
-- ET :-)

"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

Montblack wrote:


What's the skinny on carrying a gun when flying in Alaska?


Regs or recommendation?

There have been changes in both Alaska's and Canada's regs since I
went up. 5 yrs. ago, Canada had no problem with pilots taking a long
gun (IIRC 36+ ") on their way to Alaska. I read a few years ago that
they would be requiring either a multi-day "gun safety" class or you
can waive that by paying a fee for each firearm. I can't say for sure
whether or not that policy became a reality. Anyone made the trip
recently?

Alaska regs no longer require you to carry a firearm, but they highly
recommend it (as do I). I took a 12-gauge with slugs. The regs still
do require you to carry a detailed list of survival gear.

John Galban====N4BQ (PA28-180)

wrote in message
ups.com...

Alaska regs no longer require you to carry a firearm, but they highly
recommend it (as do I). I took a 12-gauge with slugs.

Hmm, never hunted brown bear, but my gut instinct is that I'd go with
buckshot in that use case. I'd much rather hit Yogi with one pellet of 00
than whizz a slug right past him. Maybe load a slug or two first and then
2-3 rounds of 00 and hope you never need them.

If you're talking real survival you might want to carry a box of birdshot
too to use for hunting. Hit anything smaller than a deer with a 12ga slug
and there isn't going to be much meat left.

-cwk.

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:

Hmm, never hunted brown bear, but my gut instinct is that I'd go with
buckshot in that use case. I'd much rather hit Yogi with one pellet of 00
than whizz a slug right past him. Maybe load a slug or two first and then
2-3 rounds of 00 and hope you never need them.

I did a photo trip with L.L. Rue once, and he described going after bears in
Alaska. He said the outfit that flew them in provided them with short shotguns
for defense. IIRC, he said the first two shells were buckshot and the last was a
slug.

He and his son were trying to get in a good position, and one of the bears
started heading for his son. He said that after the bear moved off, he didn't
know until the film was processed whether he had reached for the camera or the
shotgun (turned out it was the camera). His son didn't seem to be real pleased
with that story.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.

Colin W Kingsbury wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

Alaska regs no longer require you to carry a firearm, but they highly
recommend it (as do I). I took a 12-gauge with slugs.


Hmm, never hunted brown bear, but my gut instinct is that I'd go with
buckshot in that use case. I'd much rather hit Yogi with one pellet of 00
than whizz a slug right past him. Maybe load a slug or two first and then
2-3 rounds of 00 and hope you never need them.

An 00 pellet would just make a brown bear really mad. I'd definitely
stick with the slugs. Personally, I'd prefer a .338 Win Mag or larger,
but a slug at close range would like be effective.


If you're talking real survival you might want to carry a box of birdshot
too to use for hunting. Hit anything smaller than a deer with a 12ga slug
and there isn't going to be much meat left.

Yes, that is one advantage of a scattergun ... you can carry a variety
of ammo. Personally, I'd probably be just as happy with my Super
Blackhawk. It is much more compact than a shotgun and you can get shot
loads for the .44 Mag as well that are adequate for small game.

The .44 is marginal for bear, but better than a stick!

Matt

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 13:23:22 -0500, Matt Whiting
wrote:
An 00 pellet would just make a brown bear really mad.

That was my reaction, too.

Personally, I'd probably be just as happy with my Super Blackhawk.

I have one of those, too, that I've used for deer hunting, but I took
a 12 ga. pump and slugs on my Alaska trips. Handguns are forbidden in
Canada; but I'd have carried the shotgun in any case.

A fellow I know hunts bears (successfully) here in PA with a .44, but
our bears aren't grizzlies. Besides, he was a member of the USMC
pistol team. (I wasn't.)

you can get shot loads for the .44 Mag as well that are adequate for small game.

I have no evidence, but I'd guess that's an extremely short-range
weapon.

vince norris