Alaska Major Sporting Good Stores
Bears
Never been to Alaska yet but plan on it someday and with these bear and handgun protection topics and transport issues with air travel and handguns, was thinking it might be better or simpler to just buy the gun and ammo up there…
Since most flights stopover in Anchorage, are there any major outdoor sporting goods stores like Cabelas, ProBass, etc. up there, or only mom and pop gun shops to purchase a handgun and ammo?
Z...... there are plenty of both! You won’t have trouble finding gun & outdoor shops. For heavens sake , you’re in Alaska.! Population in Anchorage is over 300,000. Have fun and hunt hard.
Handgun is no issue to fly with, just don't stop in Canada. As for your question, hopefully one of the AK guys can answer that.
There's a Sportsman Warehouse in Anchorage.
You might want to check if they can legally sell a non-resident of that state a handgun. It might be easier to send your own pistol to an FFL holder there to pick up when you get there.
My daughter just moved to Alaska and when we went up there in July for her wedding, I took a pistol (that boy wasn't going to get a chance to run). I had zero issues with putting the gun in my checked bag. We actually had more issues with the dry ice in the fish cooler on the way home. You do have to go to a separate place to retrieve that bag and that takes a bit longer. The bag will have been opened but we didn't have anything taken.
You won't be able to buy a handgun out of state (legally).
We have Cabela's, Bass Pro, and Sportsmans. There is also lots of gun shops. Anchorage has over 300,000 ppl.
btnbuck,
I can answer that question right now, NO! That is a Federal Law. Handguns can only be purchased in your home state, for a direct buy for a new gun or used gun, from a dealer. Even with on line purchases, the FFL holder you have the handgun sent to, the paper work has to be filled out in your home state, not else where, in the presence of the FFL holder, then the backround check is called/sent in by that FFL holder in your home state at the time of pick up from them. You don't pass the backround check you don't get it or go through the 3 day waiting period, or if FFL holder "suspects" it is a straw purchase, they don't have to give it to you, if they "suspect" your are planning on using it to cause bodily harm to someone by something you say they don't have to give it to you, and then you get to deal with the place you bought it from, to try and get your money back. Long guns, it is your home state and any state touching your home state (providing you meet their laws, such as New York), or as stated above if purchased on line. What you could try is have your handgun shipped to someone or business who has an FFL in AK (I would call and work out the details for proof of your ownership before you went to pick it up) and pick it up there, and then ship it back when you are done being there. DANNY
Lots of luck being from out of state and trying to buy a handgun.
"You won't be able to buy a handgun out of state (legally)."
Is that for real, never knew or heard that before...
Found the Anchorage locations- Sportsmans Warehouse, Cabelas, and ProBass…. Thanks folks...
Google maps can show you where they all are. Plan on these places being out of all the types of ammo you'd want at the time of year you'd want it.
Zbone, how do you not know? Does the Federal Firearms Act of 1964 ring a bell. I have know this since I have been able to purchase Firearms and I'm 63. Goes with the same law that says you can't legally own/purchase a Handgun till you are 21 years old and a Long gun till you are 18 years old. Am I the only NRA member here that reads their magazines? Somebody should have jumped on that comment before I did. DANNY
This is Bowsite not Gunsite Linecutter. How we supposed to know all the gun rules?
No handgun sales if you are out of state. There is no shortage of them on the informal economy. Send it well in advance to an ffl is your best bet. If you find a good deal on a Glock 20,29 or 40 in the lower 48 you could probably sell it and break even with how popular those guns are up here. Ammo supplies havnt been bad for a year or 2. Definitely not like 2014 when you had to drug deal up here to find ammo.
Russell,
If you own firearms of any kind you should know these laws, especially the above. If you don't, never have, and don't intend to own a Firearm, then I understand why you might not. A Firearm question was asked on the Bowsite. We aren't ignorant to the 2nd Amendment and we shouldn't be ignorant to these laws as gun owners/buyers. Especially the Straw Purchase Law which will land you in jail and "I didn't know." isn't going to get it. All these laws are Federal Laws, not State Laws. A lot of the gun laws we have today, are due to the Kennedy Assassination or inspired by it. Maybe I shoulda kept my mouth shut, let him have found out on his own when he got up there, and then he woulda been stuck with nothing. What I don't understand is how firearm owners don't know these laws. Why we can have what we do, why we have the restrictions we do, and how/why it got that way. As an Atta Boy for the NRA, why we don't have more restrictions than we do. What we take for granted for the type of firearms we can have, I'll use the Ruger 10/22 as an example, because it has a box magazine it would have been outlawed along with all other box magazine semiautomatic rifles, if someone wasn't there fighting to stop it from happening. Almost all firearm actions have come from military weapons: Muzzleloader, Lever Action rifles, Bolt Action rifles, Revolvers, and Semiautomatic rifles and pistols. You need to know history. Because when enough people tell a Lie long enough, it becomes the truth, and the Truth becomes the lie. Yes Russell your response to me irritated me. It is about the Rights we have, what we should know, and how it can be lost, because of not knowing history. The 2nd Amendment is about our right to own firearms. What it doesn't say is what kind, how many, how much ammunition we can have, what type of ammunition, and what hoops you will have to jump through to obtain any of it. Yes this is the Bowsite about bow shooting and hunting. These are not a Right by our Bill of Rights. These are Laws that allow us to do it. You need to know what are Rights and what are Laws. The Hoop Zbone what about to try and jump through going to AK to purchase a firearm there, was slammed shut a long time ago. So know your history. DANNY
Okay DANNY, I get it...
Now what about a black powder revolver, no FFL needed? As for ammo that time of year, surely could find some black powder and round balls somewhere?
i wouldnt trust black powder for protection in wet weather. i dont trust it in wet weather deer hunting.
I have taken a pistol on the airlines no problem the last 3 years . Both to Fairbanks and anchorage !!
I just put my pistol in its locked case inside my bowcase and check the whole thing like you would a gun. It's easy. You won't have problems coming to AK with guns - there's bucket loads of guys that do it every year. And I've shopped at Anchorage Cabelas for ammo during hunting season and you will not find Buffalo Bore or other grizzly rounds in stock in any caliber.
Okay guys if its that easy to air travel with firearms, I'll just take a handgun and shotgun with me… I didn’t know it was that easy since I’ve never flown with a handgun or any kind of firearm before, although I have flown with bows...Thanks
So I just walk up to the airlines counter and first thing I tell them is I declare I have a unloaded handgun and an unloaded shotgun in this luggage bag/case along with a bow and ammo? Years ago when I check, I believe the ammo was required in a separate luggage bag/case...
Talking these bear protection topics lately, I’d heard horror stories of trying to get a handgun up there, and since I don’t have a Taurus Judge now and plan on buying one someday, my thought was maybe to just buy one there, that was my reason for starting this thread...
My apologies DANNY for not keeping up with the gun laws… I’m a NRA life member, and only shoot firearms every once in a while and never tried to buy one out of state...
Black Powder Firearms no problem they will be single action pistols only. There maybe larger caliber pistols but 44cal is as big as I know of. If you go this route you will want to find someone who makes alloy lead balls or make your own (wheel weights) that don't flatten out, so you can get the deepest penetration possible, pure lead on that size animal will not be the best. Why, because the ball will flatten out and you will have reduced pentration especially if it hits bone. That is why those FMJ 9mm pentrated as well as they did in that article. Use the hottest 3F charge you can get away with in the pistol that will shoot accuratly. In doing so I would suggest getting a revolver that has a back strap for strength like the Uberti 1858 Remington pistol 44cal. It still wouldn't be my pistol of choice but if you want to go that route that is what I would suggest. I imagine you could get it up to around 44 special specs. You can mail the Black Powder revolver to your outfitter there (since you don't want to carry one on the plane) through the postal service, no FFL required it is considered an antique, pack your round balls and grease in your luggage, and buy your powder and caps there. I would still call up there to make sure one of the stores have what ever powder you practiced with Goex Black Powder, Pyrodex, Triplle 7 and the caps (those can be a bugger to find sometimes). You can practice with it at home, mail it and have it there when you arrive.
Zbone I would listen to these guy who are telling you they have had no problems, they have done it before. I know my buddy borrowed my S&W Mountain Gun in 44mag, flew with it when he went to AK to Salmon fish 2 years ago, and he had no problems going or coming home with it and the ammo. The ONLY problem was, he did everything he could to try and talk me out of giving it back to me he like it so much. He even tried to shame me into letting him keep it. DANNY
Check the airlines website for traveling with firearms for details. Also ck the TSA website.
I asked a TSA agent several years ago prior to traveling to AK with my pistol and ammo.
Cheap lockable case, ammo in original box worked for me. Declare during check-in.
Forgot to add: Put this case inside a larger checked bag.
Here is a link to TSA's website on firearms transportation. I put my pistol in a TSA approved lockable gun case inside of the checked bag. Ammo was also in the case since I didn't take much. The gun must be unloaded, and I unloaded the mags as well. The case was on the top inside the checked bag where the inspector could see it when they opened the suitcase. I did not have to open the gun case for them. In fact when I declared it on the way up, they just said "great" and stuck a tag on the suitcase, didn't even look inside. It was a lot less hassle than I was afraid it would be but then again when I checked it at the starting point in Arkansas, I never saw it again until we reached Anchorage. ;)
Yeah DANNY, am familiar with black powder revolvers, sitting beside one right now, its a F.LLI Pietta Model 1851 Navy .44... Kinda why I brought it up, but after help from this thread, hearing the simplicity I'll just take small autoloading pistol and shotgun with me...
Last questions - So there is no need for any special paper work to get them up there?
And does ammo have to be in a separate case/luggage?
Cyper space post... I see you guys answered my ammo in same case question while I was typing...8^)
So ammo can be in same case but has to be in manufactures box? Same with shotguns? No Reloads?
Thank for the link Salagi...
Ammunition Ammunition is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage. Firearm magazines and ammunition clips, whether loaded or empty, must be securely boxed or included within a hard-sided case containing an unloaded firearm. Read the requirements governing the transport of ammunition in checked baggage as defined by 49 CFR 175.10 (a)(8). Small arms ammunition, including ammunition not exceeding .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge, may be carried in the same hard-sided case as the firearm.
Zbone, show up an extra hour early - a good two hours before your flight is scheduled to leave. Ammo has to be in its original box - it can't be in magazines or rolling around in luggage. Technically, the case the gun is in is supposed to be locked with NON-TSA locks that only YOU have keys to and they can have you open it if they need to. The case that the gun is in cannot be openable to the width of a finger or else it's no good.
Sorry to jump so hard Zbone, seriously. It is just I take firearm ownership seriously and believe every firearm owner should know this stuff and not take things for granted. I guess it is also because I get tired of antigunners/media, showing us as not knowing the laws and always trying to circumvent the laws to get our firearms. Congratulations on being a NRA Life Member also. DANNY
IdyllwildArcher - "Ammo has to be in its original box"
Are reloads allowed in plastic bullet cases?
I’m fairly certain the verbiage on ammo is “in a container designed to hold ammunition” aka the original box or a plastic ammo box and not some ziploc bag or something. I’ve flown with ammo in plastic ammo boxes atleast 10 times with zero issue. In fact, I rarely have the factory box along even though I never use reloads. I just always use the plastic ammo boxes from cabelas in camp and in travel.
The fun part is flying withOUT a firearm in a firearm case and trying to explain that to the agent (how your firearm case is empty).
Thanks TEmry - What I needed to know...
I learned a lot from this thread, think I got it now, my appreciation... Thanks everybody...
This is the pistol box I bought (or similar to it). Had no trouble at all from TSA .
I recently traveled to Anchorage from Philly. Alaska Air. No issues what so ever with firearms. Had a handgun and rifle in the same hard sided gun case w/ TSA locks (never read where they need to be non-TSA locks). Had to open the case at the counter and put in a firearm declaration form (a 2x4 little card that I had to sign). Agent took the case to TSA. We waited after being checked in while TSA checked and then the agent came back and said good to go. Pretty much the same thing flying back in Anchorage except we could see the TSA folks check the cases there. They did not open them but swabbed them and ran some kind of test. My ammo was in original box in other checked baggage. Partners ammo was in original packaging right in the hard sided case w/ the firearm. All the firearm info. is on Alaska Air's website.. same for United when I flew with them 2 years ago. Always see security/cops outside the terminal and inside and they don't even bat an eye at the fact you are walking in with firearm cases. That is typically not the same reaction you get at the counter when you open the case from some of the other travelers standing in line/around you.... :).
If big guns are your thing for sure you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to the ALASKA BUSH FACTORY;)
Lol, the ABC...used to have a t-shirt from that watering hole back in the early 90's. My ex never liked it tho.
It's "company," not factory.
Russel, I have one of those T-shirts that I only wore once of twice soit is still like new.
Looked more like a factory when I was there in 97 (allegedly)!!!
