Obviously this only works on domestic flights but the airline will not lose your luggage if they know they are dealing with a legally declared gun. If they do, they get sued by the ATF. Your luggage will be given first priority if you just throw a shitty cheap gun from Walmart in there.
My problem is that I always get nervous around any kind of pig. Even without doing anything wrong, I dread the customs and security checkpoints. Their entire job is vibes-based so I'm opening myself up to punitive searches if I'm the nervous guy with a gun.
You won’t have the gun by the time you reach the security checkpoint. It would be part of your checked baggage.
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Probably not much of a distinction for you, but it may help to keep in mind that TSA are not sworn officers, they have as much legal authority as mall cops (ofc there's a CBP officer just down the hall if needed)