My big bad moustache siccors in Frankfurt

[Rocky Raab]

Madman, there's no paperwork. It's probably easier to fly with a firearm than with frozen fish.

You simply declare that you have an unloaded firearm. They inspect it and place a tag inside the case, then you re-lock the case. That's it. You might garner some funny looks from the people behind you in line, but those are idjits. The counter people are mostly in the know and studiously neutral towards gun owners.

I did have one area of confusion the last time I flew with a rifle. In one direction, they insisted the ammo had to be inside the gun case, but flying home, they insisted it couldn't be in there. No sweat. I just moved it - both times.

Oh, one hint: If you shoot at all, wash your hands completely before you touch your baggage. That helps reduce the chance that your bag will have "explosive residue" on it.