How to bring airsoft pistol from UK to India in checked baggage

[Rahul9547]

Hi there! I'm in the process of moving back to India. I'm seeking assistance regarding particularly concerning my airsoft pistol that shoots 6mm plastic BB ammunition. This pistol is made entirely of metal and features a 2-tone colour. I'm wondering if anyone can provide guidance on whether bringing the gun in my checked baggage to Hyderabad airport would pose any issues at the airport. Specifically, I'm concerned about potential flags or difficulties during the security check.

If bringing an airsoft pistol is allowed, do I need to declare it beforehand to ensure a smooth process? Any insights or experiences related to Hyderabad Airport regulations on airsoft guns would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

[Vikram]

This has been covered in great detail. Please go through this link and also older threads on this topic.

viewtopic.php?t=2315&start=690

[GVS]

Hi there! I'm in the process of moving back to India. I'm seeking assistance regarding particularly concerning my airsoft pistol that shoots 6mm plastic BB ammunition. This pistol is made entirely of metal and features a 2-tone colour. I'm wondering if anyone can provide guidance on whether bringing the gun in my checked baggage to Hyderabad airport would pose any issues at the airport. Specifically, I'm concerned about potential flags or difficulties during the security check.

If bringing an airsoft pistol is allowed, do I need to declare it beforehand to ensure a smooth process? Any insights or experiences related to Hyderabad Airport regulations on airsoft guns would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

Is it Co2 operated or spring operated?
Do you have to manually reload for every shot by pulling the slider?

[Rahul9547]

It is a green gas-operated blowback action pistol, so there is no need to reload every shot by pulling the slider.

[GVS]

It is a green gas-operated blowback action pistol, so there is no need to reload every shot by pulling the slider.

Hi Rahul,

to bring it into the country , you will need the following:

1. Purchase receipt of the gun from a toy store
2. Dont load the Co2 Canister or plastic BB
3. Declare at the airport checkin that you have a toy gun that looks like a real gun and produce copies of the receipt. Take an acknowledgement from them , if you can

If you don't follow this, the gun will get scanned in the baggage xray and raise redflags.

Case in point:

7-8 years ago, I was in hongkong on business. The day I was to return to India, I went to a toy store looking to buy a toy gun for my daugther as a birthday gift. In a Toys R Us store I found a BB gun, where plastic BBs can be loaded in the magaine, but each shot has to be loaded by pulling the slider as it is a spring loaded gun.

I put the purchase receipt along with my passport in my jacket pocket and went back to my hotel and put the gun along with the box in my checking luggage and thought nothing more of it.

I went to the airport and checked in my baggage, finished security checks and immigration and went to the boarding gate, opened up a novel and was waiting for the flight announcement.

30 mins into the wait, I saw wary looks on the faces of my co-passengers and turned to see 2 fully armed commandos accompanying a very nervous looking Cathay pacific staff. She approached me and asked for my name and when I nodded in confirmation, the 2 commandos moved into position behind me and the lady nervously asked me if I had put a gun in the check-in bag.

You could see the shocked look on the faces and stares of the other passengers within hearing distance and see them move slightly away from where I was. I was confused at first, then I suddenly realised that the BB gun had a metal body , including a metal barrel and slider. It must have looked like the real deal on a scanner. I was amused, despite the fact that I had two gun toting commandoes standing behind me.

I explained to the lady that it was toy that I had purchased that morning as a gift and that she could check it. The serious faced commandoes then asked me to go along with them and open the bag myself . I was escorted down the aerobridge, down a flight of stairs that ended directly below the nose of the aircraft. There a windowless van with a door open was waiting. First one of the commandoes boarded the van, retreated to the back and then beckoned me to enter.

When I was in the van, I could see a table in the center on which my suitcase was placed and in the corner where the army guy was standing was a video camera mounted on a tripod and recording. The lady was still pacing nervously while I opened the bag. Right on top was the box with the gun in it. I opened the box and handed it to one of the armed guards along with the plastic bottle of BBs. After removing the magazine and confirming that it was indeed a BB gun, he asked me for the purchase receipt. Luckily, I had it in my jacket pocket which I promptly produced. After they were satisfied that the purcahase was genuine and the gun was really a toy, the cathay staff lady felt completely relieved and told me that I can proceed for boarding. She also told me that in the future, if I am inclined to purchase a toy gun, it would be in my best interest to declare it at the baggage counter.

I was amused by the whole episode, but at the same time thanked my stars that I was not arrested or anything like that, which would have been very inconvienient, to say the least

The next time I went to hong kong with my famiy and friends for a holiday, my friend bought an umbrella that had the handle in the shape of a rifle stock. On pulling the trigger, the umbrella would open.

At the baggage check in counter, I informed the airline staff that we had an umbrella that looked like a gun and she said that it was alright.

So long story short, better to inform the airline staff that you are checking in a toy gun. Once you are thru with checkin there, you wont have any problem with customs in India.

Hope this experience helps.

cheers
GVS