# Slingshot on a airplane



## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Can you bring a un banded slingshot on a plane ?
Anybody have experience with this is it legal ?


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Do not bring it in your carry on bag . Put it in your check in luggage .


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

They will never know unless you get checked for something else.

Store the bands seperately and they probably wont even know what it is unless it's shaped like a traditional "Dennis the Menace" slingshot.

I don't know what the law is but I've never been in a situation where they would bother with one. Black HDPE especially.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Maybe I should just bring some bands and a pouch and learn to PFS shoot.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

Mail it to your destination or check it.

Even if it make it through carry on one way, it doesn't mean it won't get confiscated coming back.

They are not allowed on planes, don't take a chance.


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## JTslinger (Jan 26, 2015)

I travel for work and always put the frames in a checked bag.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

JTslinger said:


> I travel for work and always put the frames in a checked bag.


I'm going overseas to Europe in a few months was wondering if I should bring one with me .


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Probably could take it banded - but in hold luggage. Think unbanned even carry on would be risky. Too be safe unbanded - hold...


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

romanljc said:


> Can you bring a un banded slingshot on a plane ?
> Anybody have experience with this is it legal ?


Um, shouldn't you be asking the TSA?

Their toll free phone number is not unlisted.


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## JTslinger (Jan 26, 2015)

I traveled last week on a plane to New York, had about ten banded frames in my checked luggage and had zero issue. When I went to ECST last year, I had about 20-30 frames in my checked luggage. Again, had zero issues.

I always throw a frame in a checked bag when traveling.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

JTslinger said:


> I traveled last week on a plane to New York, had about ten banded frames in my checked luggage and had zero issue. When I went to ECST last year, I had about 20-30 frames in my checked luggage. Again, had zero issues.
> I always throw a frame in a checked bag when traveling.


Cool 
Maybe I will just tell them ahead of time .
Just Like people do with firearms that go on hunting trips


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## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

As long as you are prepared to have it confiscated, it is probably worth trying. I recently flew internationally and went through various security checks in the US and S/E Asia. My observation is that ea. of the security officers had complete discretion to use his/her own judgment w/ regard to any item. For example, I was able to go through security wearing suspenders in Denver, San Francisco, Singapore and Indonesia w/ no problem. On the return flight, they caused a problem in San Francisco. Ditto a bottle of bug spray, that was confiscated on the return flight in San Francisco. A friend of ours, who traveled internationally w/ a manicure scissors for years w/ no problems, had it confiscated in Singapore.

I really doubt that many security officers would locate, let alone question you about a non-metal, un-banded frame. I also doubt that bands and pouches in a separate area of the same bag would cause any alarm. You may want to be prepared w/ a reasonable, rational and honest explanation, such as "recreational equipment" "toy" or "craft object."

As stated above, shipping and checked-in luggage is your best approach.


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## brucered (Dec 30, 2015)

I don't agree it's worth trying.

You don't want to be "that guy", who is pulled over and found with a weapon you are trying to smuggle on a plane.

Be prepared for a thorough search and possibly Red Flag attached to your name every time you travel. If they deem it a " weapon", which they probably will, you're screwed.

I can easily purchase and auto-knife or Balisong in the USA and get it passed CAD customs in my pocket when I drive across the USA border. It doesn't make it worth the risk, doesn't make it right and it's not legal.

Call and ask.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

I just tell the guy got a toy slingshot frame in here is it a problem I just will bring one that I don't care much about I have plenty anyway no big loss
With security honesty is always the best policy or else they will think you're hiding something else or up to something.


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## inconvenience (Mar 21, 2016)

If flying in the US I doubt they would even know what they are looking at if it's unbanded. And usually they are looking for metal. These aren't exactly rocket surgeons manning the checkpoints.

I'm not suggesting you risk it. But I've never had a situation where they wouldhave found it traveling domestically.

And they definitely wouldn't know what a PFS is.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

Lol


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## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

After reading Brucered's post, I am changing my response to - it is not worth the risk. Ship it or put it in checked luggage. Why take the chance? In fact, why not ship several and leave them w/ your host to encourage new sling-shooters.


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

I wouldn't mention you have a slingshot - you be into getting a lot of awkward questions as its not a 'general' sort of object. Just been trough that posting a slingshot from the UK to the US. Its not a firearm but not a toy...

I would have it in checked in luggage (NOT carry on)

You can take a crossbow on a plane as long as arrows separate luggage and not strung - so I would follow same advise - unbanded. I would take no ammo.

I would not take a wooden (esp. Natural) fork - commercial plastic/aluminium would be better.

I would doubt considering the above you should have any issues. But take one you don't mind loosing (to be absolutely safe).

I always have a knife in my checked in luggage - and never had an issue with international flights. Though worth noting last few flights the security in EU is pretty tight so be there as early as possible, we almost missed our last flight, stuck in passport control.

Happy travels. Matt


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## bradclark1 (Jan 26, 2016)

I know that you cannot ship to Germany with the bands attached. Just play it safe and put your slingshot and bands unattached in checked baggage and don't worry about it anymore. PP won't ship to Europe with bands attached.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

This is giving me a new I idea for a take down slingshot something that looks like nothing until put together im thinking 2 sticks a spacer and paracord .

Really all I need is to bring a pouch and bands .
Make the rest where ever I go easily


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## JTslinger (Jan 26, 2015)

I bring my frames banded, just wrap the bands around the frame. I've also traveled with BBs and the Wasp ammo in the same checked suitcase with zero trouble. I've done so for over three years.


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

As treefork says the simple way is to put it in your check in luggage. To me that is one of the safest ways to travel with a slingshot.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Actually - checked this like 2 weeks ago.

Carry on - slingshots are actually mentioned as forbidden.

Checked - had like 5 frames in there at least 2 banded - went through a scanned (overweight) checked luggage just fine.


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## Cogar (Nov 5, 2017)

Thank you for the updated information mattwalt. (Also glad to hear that you didn't lose anything.)


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## TARDIS Tara (Jul 28, 2017)

The problem is that airports are never consistent in their checking policy.

I've had some checks where I went right through and some checks where they looked at EVERYTHING.

And this is at the same airport. Some days are more pissy than others. Some checkers are more pissy than others. Some airports are more aggressive in checks, other are more lax. How busy they are also is an issue. You'd think they'd be more likely to stop you on a high traffic day- I've found it to be exactly the opposite.

Being cheerful and friendly goes a huge way. Also acting clueless. "It's for my niece/nephew/son/daughter/kids." Is a great cover.

I would not have a band on any Slingshot either checked or in a carry on. The less something looks like a weapon, the better.

Some of my "prettier" frames are passed right through. My more aggressive looking frames often get a through looking over, especially if they have a compartment in the handle to hold something-even if it's empty.

And keeping bands, ammo and frames as far apart from each other as possible also helps. I prefer to take my ammo bags and buy ammo at my destination or ship it ahead. But I have had a bag of ammo in my checked luggage go through with no problems.


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## JTslinger (Jan 26, 2015)

I travel extensively for work all over the country and carry slingshots in my checked suitcase all the time. I’ve carried banded and unbanded and have never had any issues in three-four years.


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## fred45 (May 15, 2014)

I have taken an unbanded frame in my carry on across the US into and out of LAX 3 times in the last year, did not tell them and had no problem at all.


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## Covert5 (Feb 7, 2018)

I never had a problem with my slingchucks wherever I went!


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## THWACK! (Nov 25, 2010)

romanljc said:


> Can you bring a un banded slingshot on a plane ?
> Anybody have experience with this is it legal ?


Mr. Sprave brought a bunch of them from Germany to the USA re: a competition. He arrived by airplane. He wasn't arrested.

Moral: Where there's a Sprave, there's a way.


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## Allst (May 12, 2018)

Never had a problem with frames in the checked luggage. I have had lead shot in the carry on and had to explain once that it was fishing weights - which it was.


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