WATCH: An American in Paris… with Guns for Competition

You traveled to France with guns?

It’s a question I have been getting a lot lately after returning from the World Shoot hosted by the brand new National Shooting Center in Châteauroux, France.

When it comes to flying with firearms to compete overseas, there’s a good bit of planning involved. From an organizational standpoint, shooting sports like the International Practical Shooting Confederation have to be ahead of the game when it comes to selecting countries for world-level competitions. Host countries within these organizations must also have procedures in place so that competitors can attend their events as well.

As a participant, traveling to compete in a World Shoot, or any other international competition for that matter, is hardly a last-minute decision and it too takes months of planning. Competitors must provide passport info, firearm and ammunition details, flights and addresses well in advance. Once completed and approved, shooters receive an invitation to compete which in many cases serves as a permit to travel with firearms.

When it’s time to fly, it’s the competitor’s responsibility to meet all the requirements for the airline for declaring firearms in advance and at check-in. The same goes for Customs upon entry into the country as well as re-entry back into the United States. Sometimes traveling with ammunition is more complicated than flying with guns. Limits on ammo weight and difficulties with importation are often reasons why many international events offer “match ammo” that shooters can purchase.

Sound scary or way too complicated? It’s not so bad. No, really! Here’s a video walking you through how I recently traveled to France… with guns.