Ok, So I have been in California for work for a couple of weeks. Did some shooting out in the Mojave which was nice. Threw all my dirty clothes into my bag and flew home to Texas on Wednesday. Cleaned clothes, folded clothes threw all clothes into bag for flight to Germany on Thursday.

Flew to Koln via El Paso, Houston, Newark-Liberty and into Koln and stayed till Yesterday morning when I checked back into Koln Airport for the flight home. Walking to Passport Control I hear a message over the loudspeaker for me to come to security control. So I walk over and was escorted to the underbelly of the airport where I was greeted by a rather large and stern Polizi Officer who asked me to open the bag.

I asked what the problem was and he said an x-ray showed " some sort of munitions". Nervously, I ruffled through my bag and in the front pocket of my BDU blouse there was the offending article. A Black Hills .308 BTHP, 1 round I might add. So I said "Oh, Shit" and the Police man said "Ja, Oh Shit"

I was escorted up the stairs into the police station and had to explain why it was there and what I did for a living etc etc. I told them I put it there weeks ago in the desert and forgot it since and that it had been through a number of Airports since.

The interogation quickly turned into a group hug and when my Texas I.D. was produced I got a ton of Yee Haws from the now growing band of Policeman and women. I was told that they could not give it back and that it would be destroyed which I told them was a shame as it was a great bullet. I also asked if I got the idiot of the week prize they said I was pretty close in the running

So I held up my plane, became a munitions smuggler and sweated all the way back to El Paso 16 wonderful hours.

The moral is 2 fold. 1... TSA sucks as this "munition" went through 5 airports before it was found 5000 miles away.

2...... Check your pockets before you fly or you to will get to dance with the local police.

That had to pucker your butt when you saw them pull that out of the bag.

No taz or screaming,"BOMB BOMB BOMBBADAD BOMB!!!!!!!!!"



Glad it went well for you though.

Reminds me of when I tried to get on a international flight with my leatherman on my belt.....  

Seriously, I'm so used to it and the flight was at 5 am, I totally forgot it was there.  At least they gave me a chance to run back and if I could get my lugage, throw it in there.

Quoted: That had to pucker your butt when you saw them pull that out of the bag.

I still find it rather difficult to sit. The first few rows on the Koln to Newark flight found great joy in telling me that the Police would probably greet me on the ramp. Oh man, what a screwed up day that turned out to be.

I am driving across the border in a few days and I am sweating just such an adventure. I even bought a new backpack so I don't have to sanitize my old one.

I'm hoping for two things: One, that I got all the loose bullets out of the car and two, that I don't get searched just in case.

All's well that ends well.

My bags have come up hot on the explosives scan a few times from using the same bags to transport shooting gear and handling them without washing my hands

Atleast thats what TSA told me was the most likely cause

LOL glad to see that we texans are international heroes. if enduring some horrible foreignly accented "yeehaws" was your price of freedom, then thats not too shabby

Quoted: My bags have come up hot on the explosives scan a few times from using the same bags to transport shooting gear and handling them without washing my hands Atleast thats what TSA told me was the most likely cause

One of the bags I used for luggage on my trip to Vegas late June doubled as a pistol/range bag whenever I go to the indoor range by my house (it gets real thick in there when lots of people are shooting)...I throw spent brass, dirty guns, etc in it.  While I made sure there were no empties, I halfway expected it to set off the machine that they do the "residue" tests with the little paper biscuits.

But nope!  (not sure if that's a good or bad thing?)

DID THE SAME CEPT it was in my carryon...course i got the lecture of how i cant bring that through and I said ,no shit...

let me go mail it back for 15 bucks...

If it makes you feel any better, I used a range bag as luggage going down to the Bahamas once.

Imagine my suprise when I'm digging for something in it, and find ~100 rounds of .22LR in a side pocket

I'm really, really happy whoever was checking shit was totaly incompetent.

Quoted: My bags have come up hot on the explosives scan a few times from using the same bags to transport shooting gear and handling them without washing my hands Atleast thats what TSA told me was the most likely cause

My favorite was visiting a friend in California a few years ago, we go to a garden store and greenhouse.

Around the corner comes some dipshit with a bag of fertilizer, catches it on the edge of the display case, and zillions of little white bb's and dust scatter all over my feet, my pants, my shoes, etc.


"What is that," I say.

"Oh, its ammonium nitrate.  I'm sorry," he responds.

"What?!  I thought you can't buy that after Oklahoma City," I retort.

"Well, you can't.   But we can.  We use it in the green house."  he explains.

"OMGWTFBBQ!!!  I've got a flight in two hours!  ARghhhh." I say exasperated.


As luck would have it, I was indeed pulled into the sniffer line, where I lit up like a christmas tree.    I proceeded to hand the TSA guy the business card from the guy at the garden store.   They didn't call, but just laughed at my story.

Quoted: I am driving across the border in a few days and I am sweating just such an adventure. I even bought a new backpack so I don't have to sanitize my old one. I'm hoping for two things: One, that I got all the loose bullets out of the car and two, that I don't get searched just in case.

Yep. Planning a flight for next March. This has me worried. I have ammo all over the place, and plenty of fired cases rolling around.

Seems like a cheap new piece of luggage is the safest way to go, rather than miss some small item that could really ruin your day.

For old luggage that you are "sterilizing" it might be a good idea to pass a metal detector over it just to see what turns up. Hopefully nothing but rivets and zippers.

Good luck.

"Ja, Oh Shit"

I bet you had to at least think about that dude that was jailed in Russia for importing ammo


I would have probably passed out right then and there

Glad it turned out OK.

Shortly after 9/11 I walked through the metal detector with my knife still clipped in my pocket. The TSA guy was ok about it, he even made a big point about me  not trying to conceal it when the cops turned up.

The cop that ended up dealing with me knew how much knifes like that cost, so held on to it for my to collect on my way back home.

Sometime later (same airport) I had taken a newbie out shooting, and of course there had been FTFs etc. and I totally forgot about the loose rounds in my pocket until after the metal detector went BEEEEEP I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out one 9mm and one 223 round.

The TSA guys said "You can't take those on the plane!!, want to go back abd rop them in your car?" -- I looked at the LONG line behind me, and just handed them ovcer for them to dispose of.

Another time, I flew to San Francisco, and when in the hotel was looking for change in my pocket, and pulled out a 9mm round ...

Quoted: The moral is 2 fold. 1... TSA sucks as this "munition" went through 5 airports before it was found 5000 miles away.

Do you think?  Security in this country is and always will be a joke.

OOppss

Thats a big fucking oooppsss

Just think if it had been Japan instead. You would have shut down the entire Country and caused an international incident.

I made it to the Netherland and then on to Austria with a few 9mm HPs rolling around in my backpack that was in my checked bag. After an "oh shit" moment I gave one to the girl I was staying with and tossed the rest down a storm drain.

Quoted: It's the middle of summer, you're Cannukian and probably crossing at Niagra Falls.  They are not gonna search you. Well............ That is they were not going to search you.

Crossing at the falls eh... hmmmmm

They don't put TSA at the landborder, dee dee dee.  If you have a ton few rounds on you crossing the border... no one gives a crap.

I flew to California with a mag of .45 ammo in my camera bag. I did not find it tell I went to Mexico. I said , oh shit and threw out the ammo.

TSA is all for show. They hire as many incompetent people as they can pass through their so called background checks. My grandpa (WW2 vet) was practically strip searched last time he flew. I've seen "suspicious" characters clear faster than Grey haired veterans through TSA security.

I don't fly unless I have to anymore.

DOnt be hatein on tha TSA gangstaz yo!


weeeerddd

Quoted: I am driving across the border in a few days and I am sweating just such an adventure. I even bought a new backpack so I don't have to sanitize my old one. I'm hoping for two things: One, that I got all the loose bullets out of the car and two, that I don't get searched just in case.

Rent a car.

ETA: I thought you were headed into Mexico. Canada, eh? Phtttt!

I always make it a point to check my bags before I fly. A few years ago I carried a small pack with me that I had used shooting one time and sure enough when I checked it before I packed it I found a loose round and some spent shell casings.

height=8

Quoted: DOnt be hatein on tha TSA gangstaz yo! weeeerddd

sweet jesus!   hock.gif

thank god you weren't a priest flying into russia....

When I was in ROTC I went to advanced camp at Fort Lewis. Graduation day roles around and we are dicking around bored and waiting for it to begin so I start futzing with my bag and in this little zippered pouch inside I find a Wolf .223 and XM193 round... I nearly shit myself not wanting to get hosed by the TSA on the way back, but more so not to get seen so some dimwitted cadet thinks I stole ammo from the range. I grabbed my battle buddy, told him whats up and we high tailed it to the porta potties where I non chalantly pitched them into a dumpster. Same deal as everyone else, I use this bag for my range bag and didn't know it was there. I was kind of amused that the TSA did not find it the first time when I flew out.

The number one reason why I check and double check all my pockets on my TadGear cargo pants. LOL

I also have stopped using my Eagle pack for travel etc AND the range.

So my mom gets a free week on Carnival cruse for our whole family paid by a company she works with.
We all make the 10 hr trip down and get all crunk up for the trip.
Standing in line I realize that I still have my Zippo lighter in my pants pocket so I throw it into my go every ware backpack.
As my bag goes through the X-ray I see the operator get this panicky puzzled look and call over additional security.
At this point I say “mam that’s my bag if there is a problem” thinking the whole time that it seems to be a bit of a big deal for a lighter.
So the head of security with two other guys grabs my bag and asks me to follow them to a side table.
At this time he asks me if I have a handgun in my bag.
I keenly remember my guts turning into a block of ice at this point.
I reply “I certainly hope not”
He ask me what type of hand gun would be in the bag.
I reply “ well I brought a Russian Markarov with me but I left it under the seat of our vehicle which is out in the parking lot.
He then pulls out  from one of the small side pocket…..my loaded S&W 38.….my brother and my mom are like “what were you thinking!”
I’m like uh…this isn’t going to go well for me.

So he ask me to follow him into another room where we begin the whole process of interrogation.
I tell him that I had used this bag on a trip to a suburb of Atlanta while I was taking my EMT-I exams
And had used this same bag and placed the hand gun in the pocket at that time and forgotten to remove it later.
He asks to see all my CCW (which I had) and other forms of ID.
We begin a conversation on Volunteer Fire Departments and what not and he tells me he’s going to see what he can do.
Longer story short: the week before Carnival had created a zero tolerance policy and I was denied entry to the ship. (understandable)
So my mom leaves carrying on like she will never see me again.
My whole family leaves without me for a week on the cruse.
I have no car so I wonder Coca beach for 4 days.
Rent a car and get my handgun out of evidence.
Drive down further south and hang out with some friends.
Drive back up to Coca beach and get to see the Shuttle blast off.
Hit up a pretty good Air craft museum.
And have all in all not a bad vacation…albeit a bit more expensive than I had planned.
I guess it could have been worse I could have been at an Air port when I learned my lesson.

Lesson learned: Always empty every travel bag pocket pre trip!
                         If you have multiple carry guns keep up with them.
                            Make sure to keep a bit extra on the credit card.

There was a Texas FFL that got busted in Mexico with ammunition. Prison time in Mex and loss of his rights to own a gun in the US resulted.
Yall got lucky.

Quoted: Ok, So I have been in California for work for a couple of weeks. Did some shooting out in the Mojave which was nice. Threw all my dirty clothes into my bag and flew home to Texas on Wednesday. Cleaned clothes, folded clothes threw all clothes into bag for flight to Germany on Thursday. Flew to Koln via El Paso, Houston, Newark-Liberty and into Koln and stayed till Yesterday morning when I checked back into Koln Airport for the flight home. Walking to Passport Control I hear a message over the loudspeaker for me to come to security control. So I walk over and was escorted to the underbelly of the airport where I was greeted by a rather large and stern Polizi Officer who asked me to open the bag. I asked what the problem was and he said an x-ray showed " some sort of munitions". Nervously, I ruffled through my bag and in the front pocket of my BDU blouse there was the offending article. A Black Hills .308 BTHP, 1 round I might add. So I said "Oh, Shit" and the Police man said "Ja, Oh Shit" I was escorted up the stairs into the police station and had to explain why it was there and what I did for a living etc etc. I told them I put it there weeks ago in the desert and forgot it since and that it had been through a number of Airports since. The interogation quickly turned into a group hug and when my Texas I.D. was produced I got a ton of Yee Haws from the now growing band of Policeman and women. I was told that they could not give it back and that it would be destroyed which I told them was a shame as it was a great bullet. I also asked if I got the idiot of the week prize they said I was pretty close in the running So I held up my plane, became a munitions smuggler and sweated all the way back to El Paso 16 wonderful hours. The moral is 2 fold. 1... TSA sucks as this "munition" went through 5 airports before it was found 5000 miles away. 2...... Check your pockets before you fly or you to will get to dance with the local police.

I LOLed at the red part.

In the U.S., you would have been arrested. In the Russian Federation, you would have been convicted.

A very senior member of one of our local police agencies (senior, but not well known in the area) made it from here to Miami AND BACK (post 9/11) with 4 12-gauge shotgun shells in her carry-on.

No buzzing, no alerts. She was flabbergasted when she got back here and found the shells.

Quoted: Ok, So I have been in California for work for a couple of weeks. Did some shooting out in the Mojave which was nice. Threw all my dirty clothes into my bag and flew home to Texas on Wednesday. Cleaned clothes, folded clothes threw all clothes into bag for flight to Germany on Thursday. Flew to Koln via El Paso, Houston, Newark-Liberty and into Koln and stayed till Yesterday morning when I checked back into Koln Airport for the flight home. Walking to Passport Control I hear a message over the loudspeaker for me to come to security control. So I walk over and was escorted to the underbelly of the airport where I was greeted by a rather large and stern Polizi Officer who asked me to open the bag. I asked what the problem was and he said an x-ray showed " some sort of munitions". Nervously, I ruffled through my bag and in the front pocket of my BDU blouse there was the offending article. A Black Hills .308 BTHP, 1 round I might add. So I said "Oh, Shit" and the Police man said "Ja, Oh Shit" I was escorted up the stairs into the police station and had to explain why it was there and what I did for a living etc etc. I told them I put it there weeks ago in the desert and forgot it since and that it had been through a number of Airports since. The interogation quickly turned into a group hug and when my Texas I.D. was produced I got a ton of Yee Haws from the now growing band of Policeman and women. I was told that they could not give it back and that it would be destroyed which I told them was a shame as it was a great bullet. I also asked if I got the idiot of the week prize they said I was pretty close in the running So I held up my plane, became a munitions smuggler and sweated all the way back to El Paso 16 wonderful hours. The moral is 2 fold. 1... TSA sucks as this "munition" went through 5 airports before it was found 5000 miles away. 2...... Check your pockets before you fly or you to will get to dance with the local police.

It was only a bullet, I was taken to the dark recesses and had my Zippo of 30 years taken away from my checked baggage. Fuckers.

Quoted: A very senior member of one of our local police agencies (senior, but not well known in the area) made it from here to Miami AND BACK (post 9/11) with 4 12-gauge shotgun shells in her carry-on. No buzzing, no alerts. She was flabbergasted when she got back here and found the shells.

The same thing happened to me with two rounds of 147gr 9mm but I didn't find out until after I had arrived home!


I don't know why they didn't set off the metal detector... (But I'm glad they didn't)

Year before last I "lost" my CRK&T M16 knife.

I was traveling a lot for business.  I figured I left it in Maine.  I flew about 4 times after that (round trips).

TSA at the Fayetteville NC found it at the bottom of my carry on pack.  I'd gone through "security" 5-6 times with it there.

My wife took it home for me.

Quoted: . TSA sucks as this "munition" went through 5 airports before it was found 5000 miles away.

Only 5?  They're getting better.

A former coworker of mine accidentally walked through the metal detectors at Reagan National Airport with a loaded USP mag in his pocket.  Whoops .

Luckily, he didn't get charged with anything, but got a NASTYGRAM from TSA a couple of months later.

Quoted: "Ja, Oh Shit"

Well, if you need a knife, there sure are a bunch of them on ebay from those TSA auctions. I know I got a bunch of leathermen and Gerber multitools for cheap from those things.

Seems everyone forgets they have a Swiss Army knife in their pocket and ends up getting it confiscated...

Quoted: My bags have come up hot on the explosives scan a few times from using the same bags to transport shooting gear and handling them without washing my hands Atleast thats what TSA told me was the most likely cause

When I flew down to Virginia in April I packed my pyrotechinics license just in case any of my stuff showed up hot on the explosives scan. I didn't need it but it would have made explaining things easier.

I inadvertantly smuggled a full magazine to a .22 hi-standard into england using my wifes luggage.

We found it after we arrived and started unpacking.  She was not happy with me and the prospect of being caught and the potential questioning/cavaty probing.

this was in 1998 btw