Pack it carefully and it should be OK. Bubblewrap is indeed your friend and ally, as well as your regular clothes :)
An additional tip to consider: I went to a panel about costume travel run by two local TSA agents, and some advice they gave us was to attach a photo to your questionable item, particularly one of you in costume with your props, and include your contact information (cell numbr works) if they have questions. If my memory serves, people in the 501st have done tghat to reduce issues in transporting their blasters to long-distance events.
It's not absolutely foolproof, but I did this in 2006 with a wooden sword packed in a cardboard guitar box. The sword went both ways without incident other than a few confused glances at first from the X-ray guys.
(Sadly, that packing arrangement did not prevent thieves from stealing it from our storage unit two years later, but that's another conversation entirely, and I am sure their faces were embarrassed when they tried to take it to a pawn shop...)
no subject
An additional tip to consider: I went to a panel about costume travel run by two local TSA agents, and some advice they gave us was to attach a photo to your questionable item, particularly one of you in costume with your props, and include your contact information (cell numbr works) if they have questions. If my memory serves, people in the 501st have done tghat to reduce issues in transporting their blasters to long-distance events.
It's not absolutely foolproof, but I did this in 2006 with a wooden sword packed in a cardboard guitar box. The sword went both ways without incident other than a few confused glances at first from the X-ray guys.
(Sadly, that packing arrangement did not prevent thieves from stealing it from our storage unit two years later, but that's another conversation entirely, and I am sure their faces were embarrassed when they tried to take it to a pawn shop...)