So TSA found a loaded mag in my carry on.

[dennishoddy]

That is who I fly with all the time. Most of the time it is a non issue with them.

Thats what I get from their website.

I have a plastic pistol case with double locks on it. Is that ok? My only question.

 

[n2sooners]

No, in a sane world they would have just handed it all back to you because without a gun, it is just a metal box with a spring and bullets in it.

I was just giving them some leeway. After all, bullets do contain gunpowder and can be made to go off without a gun. But what can a magazine do? It's all pretty silly really which is why I haven't flown in years and do my best to avoid ever flying again.

 

[vvvvvvv]

I was just giving them some leeway. After all, bullets do contain gunpowder and can be made to go off without a gun

And even then, it's nothing worse than a Black Kat.

 

[n2sooners]

And even then, it's nothing worse than a Black Kat.

They could be hand loads and be completely packed with powder and then the guy could pull a magazine full of them apart and use all that powder to do something dangerous like set his crotch on fire.

 

[gillman7]

Thats what I get from their website.

I have a plastic pistol case with double locks on it. Is that ok? My only question.

Yes, I always just leave my ammo in the mag outside of the gun, locked in the same case as the gun. They usually ask you to wait around for 5 or 10 minutes to make sure that TSA doesn't want to open the bag. They fill out the card, you sign it, put it in your bag as close to your hard sided locked case as possible, and zip it back up.

 

[daytomann]

Doh!!!!

 

[dieseltech09]

Well I made it back. To my surprise or disappointment, no "special treatment" of any kind going through security in Knoxville.

 

[BikerHT]

You must not have been "sweating bullets"!

 

[gunmut]

You will get a letter from TSA letting you know they are going to fine you $400; they will also offer to reduce the fine to $250 if you do not choose to Appel the charge.
Once you pay the fine; there should not be any other action taken by TSA. Now if it happens again ........

 

[Glocktogo]

I feel like such a dumb-ass. Flying out of Wichita KS this morning and I had decided to take my Maxpedition gearslinger as a carry on. I haven't used this bag in over a year and thought I searched through it pretty good. Well as I'm going through the check point the lady working the x ray machine calls for a supervisor. He looks at the screen, looks at me and asks if I forgot something. After fondling the bag for a few mins he unzips the small compartment at the bottom of the shoulder strap, which I forgot was even there, and pulls out a loaded 1911 mag. My heart sank and I said oh ****. He smiled and said come with me. After 20 mins of questioning by the TSA and another round by the PD they got all my contact info copied my DL and my CCL and ran me for outstanding warrants they sent me on the way. Luckily I made my flight. Now just to see if I get "special treatment" on my return flight. I'm sure I'll be getting a nasty letter from the TSA and hopefully not a fine along with it. I will say the TSA agent and the officer were very cool about the situation and the cop even asked me a bunch of questions about the bag and said he was going to buy one after seeing mine. I'm just glad they found it it Wichita and not in Chicago where I had a lay over.

That sucks.

You'll get a "love letter" that gives you a Warning Notice (1st offense only), but no fine. You won't be on any list other than an internal only, searchable database in the event you ever do it again. No one will ever look at your file unless that happens.

Nah, local property room silent auction among the employees.

That's very bad juju if you get caught. Seriously. I'd never in a million years jeopardize my career for a $35 mag.

I guess since you have to play by the rules or simply don't fly, you will have to get used to not carrying certain items or face confiscation and I don't have much of a problem with that. What I have a problem with is losing this property forever and then learning that they can and do sell this stuff for profit or simply keep it.

All prohibited items left with TSA are considered "Voluntarily Abandoned Property" (VAP). If it's confiscated, such as a gun, it's by the local law enforcement authority. All VAP and unclaimed lost & found is turned over ot the state's surplus property unit (with the exception of items illegal under state law, which are also turned over to local LE). TSA gets nothing for these items, so you're essentially donating to the state, not the feds. At TUL, the property room is across the hall from my office. It's under video surveillance and anything used for any purpose such as training, requires signing a voucher and filed. Any misappropriation of VAP would be subject to a joint internal/criminal investigation.

Sorry you got "busted" I really feel bad for those who like in this situation you just forget or overlook it. I know the couple times I've flown I completely emptied everything and looked for any casings and such. I was always worried that being in the garage with my cleaners, powder and other residue that it would set off alarms also.

Superdave if you were at Will Rogers and had a magazine and ammo taken from you then you should have handed it over to an officer, TSA does not take any ammo there whatsoever now an empty magazine I'm not really sure.

Correct. here at TUL, if you want to "donate" mags or ammo to the LEO's, that's perfectly acceptable. You have to suggest it though, it's not offered as an option.

This is from TSA.gov.

There's some splitting of hairs here. But generally a magazine is considered "other packaging" unless you fly American Airlines they are a bit more strict here and you have to have it basically in some kind box. This may be different at other airports though too. But I would think a baggie would cause problems.

Partially correct. Ammunition loaded in a box magazine in a mag pouch that covers the top round, or a dust cover such as a P-Mag is acceptable by the FAA. However, so few airline agents and TSO's are aware of this that I always counsel against it to avoid hassle.

You would be surprised at how common it is for ammo to be found.

Every...Day...

Thats what I get from their website.

I have a plastic pistol case with double locks on it. Is that ok? My only question.

Perfectly fine, so long as the gun is unloaded.

You will get a letter from TSA letting you know they are going to fine you $400; they will also offer to reduce the fine to $250 if you do not choose to Appel the charge.
Once you pay the fine; there should not be any other action taken by TSA. Now if it happens again ........

Incorrect. As I said before, this is a Warning Notice level offense. The NOV program allows a person to pay 50% of a proposed fine if uncontested an paid within 30 days of receiving the notice. So if a loaded gun on person or in a carry-on bag is $3,000, you pay $1,500 and it's closed (on our side, plus whatever criminal charges on the state/local side). I'm not aware of any $400 offense, absent aggravating or mitigating circumstances. The first step up from a Warning Notice is $250, which would be $125 on the NOV program.

I hope this helps everyone understand the process. My advice is to always dump your bag, then do a "crush & feel" search of the bag to ensure nothing remains before packing.