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RHenriksen wrote:

cubbyjg wrote:Are they checking for something other than gun powder?

That's what I'd imagine... any of a slew of other compounds which can be used for explosives. Ammonium nitrate, anyone?

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You wouldn't need a swab test to detect an explosive mixture based on ammonium nitrate. The smell of fuel oil would be pretty obviously out of place in passenger baggage.

cubbyjg wrote:

InfoTechCHL2007 wrote:The TSA guy took the bag, wiped the outside of my
pistol case, and ran the explosive chemicals test.

This is going to sound dumb, but what is the purpose of running an explosive test ? Its a firearm and there is ammo either in the lock box or somewhere in your luggage. Are they checking for something other than gun powder?

Yes, but the likelihood that anyone who is trying to sneak a high order explosive through would put a firearm that would guarantee the bag would be opened and screened for explosives in it would limit that tactic to the nonexistent subset of sophisticated terrorists whose IQ falls in the single or low double digits.

The short explanation for the practice: security theater to impress the hopelessly gullible folks who think things like this make them safer, and job security for TSA agents.