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I flew out of Abilene last week. TSA agent came to check-in counter and examined open gun case with the attendant. They only asked if it was unloaded and never removed gun from case. He asked where I was flying back out of, and I told him Phoenix Sky harbor. He said to make sure everything was by the book for them. Flying back out of Phoenix, I told attendant I wanted to declare a firearm. She handed me a form to sign. I asked if she wanted me to open the case for her, she said no, TSA would do that. Keep in mind this form said she had inspectedthe gun and it was unloaded. She took me and the suitcase to a TSA room. TSA agent swiped the inside of the suitcase with the explosive patch. I asked her if she wanted to see the gun or me open the case, and she too declined. Though I am delighted it was that easy, I am disturbed that the form declaring it to be unloaded apparently means nothing...yet they sign affirming it.

wgoforth wrote:TSA agent swiped the inside of the suitcase with the explosive patch.

$5 says it was positive for gunpowder...

Dave2 wrote:

wgoforth wrote:TSA agent swiped the inside of the suitcase with the explosive patch.

$5 says it was positive for gunpowder...

Nope! It was negative!

BTW... funny joke told on the Sky Harbor TSA... "How do you get ahead in TSA? Open a suitcase!" Seems a few years ago, a TSA agent opened a suitcase to find a human head wrapped in a plastic bag. It was in a Drs luggage and was legal, but gave them a fright.

wgoforth wrote:

Dave2 wrote:

wgoforth wrote:TSA agent swiped the inside of the suitcase with the explosive patch.

$5 says it was positive for gunpowder...

Nope! It was negative!

How?!?

Dave2 wrote:

wgoforth wrote:

Dave2 wrote:

wgoforth wrote:TSA agent swiped the inside of the suitcase with the explosive patch.

$5 says it was positive for gunpowder...

Nope! It was negative!

How?!?

I had even gone shooting the day before and had not cleaned it. Had 3 boxes of ammo in suitcase. I have read before that these do not detect gunpowder, but some other form of explosives.

Modern smokeless powders used in ammunition are not explosives.

I have never been asked to open my locked gun case for inspection.

Same thing happened to me last year flying out of Phoenix. Declare a gun and get an explosive patch ... note to terrorist:

"Do not declare a firearm when planning to bring a bomb in your luggage".

Jumping Frog wrote:Modern smokeless powders used in ammunition are not explosives.

Actually they are, just a different level, at least for the purpose of such classification.

The explosive residue test tests for the ionization products of the components of explosives, for the sake of simplicity: the patch is put in an oven and the product of cooking it is analyzed for an explosive signature. Gun smoke has already been "exploded" (or burned, for purists in that respect (actually deflagrated)) and the precursors for explosives are gone, what is left is the byproducts of burning. That is a vast over simplification, but it serves to make the point.

In my opinion, having spent several years using and adjusting those machines, if it didn't go off when your gun case was swiped, it means the machine was: a) out of calibration; b) adjusted a little off; or c) the user didn't do it right. In my experience, c is probably the most likely answer.

The TSA agent is not authorized to handle your gun. When I was still with TSA, I flew to San Antonio to take a federal test (got a 96) and went and shot with some friends. On my way back, TSA "threated" my gun (against TSA policy) merely because it was a gun and the x-ray was being used in the wrong mode. Then the agent handled the gun (against TSA RULES!) while doing an explosive residue test on it (not the best idea anyway). I wrote both of them up

The shirt I had worn the day before was also on the top of the suitcase. I had worn it to go shooting with the guys for two hours and even smelled like gunpowder... yet swipe was negative. Go figure...

wgoforth wrote:The shirt I had worn the day before was also on the top of the suitcase. I had worn it to go shooting with the guys for two hours and even smelled like gunpowder... yet swipe was negative. Go figure...

Like I said, the ionization test that the machine conducts doesn't test for the byproducts of combustion.

Every time I have flown with a firearm, the procedure has been slightly different. I have had some ticket agents want to see the gun in the case, some put the filled out form in the case, some taped it to the outside of the case, some don't look, sometimes they have taken me to a small room where a TSA person examines it, sometimes not, sometimes I've been asked to standby near the ticket counter after the bag is x-rayed in case there is a question, sometimes not.

If applicable to where your going, you could always consider taking a train. I have checked a firearm with Amtrak several times with no trouble at all. Plus, at present, you do not have to deal with TSA, Searches, body scanners, ect.