I brought a .177 air pistol in my check in last year. They were waiting for me layover must have informed them in Japan. Had about 10 guys ripping through my bags and they were all disappointed it was not a real gun. Took it and the pellets. I pleaded to keep the scope and I kept that. Probably helped I spoke Thai with them. Didn’t cost me anything and they didn’t bother I had one too many bottles of tequila. They just did the usual photo of me dropping it in their lock bin and off I went.