Never took a rifle on board as carry on luggage but used to ALWAYS carry a large lockback Swiss Army knife on board. Part of my camera kit, as it had screw drivers etc.

Coincidently only ONCE had it taken off me, on a British Airways or could have been Kenyan Airways flight from London to Nairobi in 1988. I think it was BA. The blade length was longer than they allowed for carry on luggage (ie it is a lockback longer Swiss Army knife). It was also deposited in the cockpit and returned to me as I exited the plane.

Ha ha, a rifle is something extra, but still, deposited in the cockpit, NO RISK to anyone, and surely won't go missing or get into the wrong hands. Makes sense to me anyway.

I remember when I flew London to Madrid once, I needed to wait for two hours in Madrid airport for a visa to be issued, and the Spanish hunters were walking around with their side by side shotguns (I presume shotguns) under their arms or over their shoulders, not in bags or covered in any way ... 1988 as well.

Different times and places.