My most embarassing carry moment yet...

[McLovin]

or, how I carried 5 rounds of Speer Gold Dot through airport secirity.

I flew to Las Vegas from Richmond, VA. on Tuesday. Just before leaving I removed my Glock 23 and S&W 642 from my briefcase. I had just been in a meeting and carrying wasn't so practical so the next best thing for me is keeping them in my briefcase back-flap.

I flew back yesterday and while I was in the security line in Vegas my hand ran over the back of my briefcase and I felt a bulge. I knew right away what it was- a speedloader with 5 rounds in it. I slipped my hand in and wrapped it up nice and tight and then threw it away in a trashcan before getting to the x-ray screening.

I had just bought the S&W a few weeks ago and the speed-loader last week so they're not a comfortable part of my routine.

Needless to say I'm really embarrassed about doing something so stupid that might have carried some serious legal ramifications.

It also means that I got the 5 rounds of ammunition through airport security in Richmond.

Anyone else have a bad experience like this?

[Daryl in Az]

I'd have thrown the 5 rounds away, and kept the speedloader.

Without ammo, the speedloader really poses no threat.

Daryl

[McLovin]

I thought of that as soon as I did it.

[rvrctyrngr]

Yeah, the first time I flew after 9/11. Knives up to 4inches used to be fine for flying, and I always have at least one knife on me (usually more), so I don't normally think about it.

I was flying out to DFW to pick up a K9 I had just purchased. I was standing in the scanner line and stuck my hand in my pocket to get my keys out for the basket. Felt the S&W auto knife still clipped in my pocket. Got out of line and dumped a $40 knife in the trash.

[FLRon777]

Lucky you caught it. This could have turned out bad. Remember, you're not a celebrity! :winkie:

[cloudbuster]

Yeah, the first time I flew after 9/11. Knives up to 4inches used to be fine for flying, and I always have at least one knife on me (usually more), so I don't normally think about it.

I was flying out to DFW to pick up a K9 I had just purchased. I was standing in the scanner line and stuck my hand in my pocket to get my keys out for the basket. Felt the S&W auto knife still clipped in my pocket. Got out of line and dumped a $40 knife in the trash.

I did that once, but instead of throwing it out, I went to a maildrop at the airport and mailed it back to myself.

[Buckaroo]

Had to throw out a can of Fox one time when I was in line. Wife asked what I was doing then laughed in relief with me that I had discovered it in time.

[B-Dog]

Yeah, the first time I flew after 9/11. Knives up to 4inches used to be fine for flying, and I always have at least one knife on me (usually more), so I don't normally think about it.

I was flying out to DFW to pick up a K9 I had just purchased. I was standing in the scanner line and stuck my hand in my pocket to get my keys out for the basket. Felt the S&W auto knife still clipped in my pocket. Got out of line and dumped a $40 knife in the trash.


I did the same thing... this is just plain BS! I had just checked my luggage and it was happily riding along the conveyor when I realized - DOH! I HAVE MY KNIFE IN MY POCKET! It was too late to get my luggage back (or was it?) and so I tossed my knife in the trash... not sure how much it cost since it was a gift but it was my favorite knife.... damn! This thought really pisses me off! I'm sure the janitor goes through the trash and takes home some good crap at the end of the day. How has it come to this?

Funny thing: Just a few months prior 9/11 my wife and I happily skipped through a security checkpoint in the middle of the night by a SLEEPING GUARD.... Yes, a snoozing bozo so we just skipped merrily, hand in hand, right past him at around midnight or so....

[rvrctyrngr]

[quote=cloudbuster;10720597]I did that once, but instead of throwing it out, I went to a maildrop at the airport and mailed it back to myself.[/quote

If I'd had the time, I would've done just that, or gone back and checked it through. I only had about 20 minutes to make the flight, and the gate was on the other side of the planet.

Glad you didn't have to dump yours. I felt like a jackass.

I leanrded my lesson! At least it wasn't one of my $$$$$ Benchmades!

[kensteele]

whenever i travel with firearms and weapons, i do a thorough pat down, everytime. because i know i'm not infallible, it's a must to avoid accidents. i once had a rifle with a permanent stuck cartridge in the chamber, happened during the trip....really didn't know if i could get that weapon back home if they checked the chamber. they didn't. then i realized that if they had checked the chamber and saw the shell (even though it was spent), there was no way for me to prove it and i might have to answer to why i declared an "unloaded" firearm. :whistling:

[rvrctyrngr]

whenever i travel with firearms and weapons, i do a thorough pat down, everytime. because i know i'm not infallible, it's a must to avoid accidents. i once had a rifle with a permanent stuck cartridge in the chamber, happened during the trip....really didn't know if i could get that weapon back home if they checked the chamber. they didn't. then i realized that if they had checked the chamber and saw the shell (even though it was spent), there was no way for me to prove it and i might have to answer to why i declared an "unloaded" firearm. :whistling:

Wow! That would have been an interesting conversation!!!

[Skintop911]

Carry a SASE with sufficient postage to drop in anything you're likely to forget.

[BMPregler]

Have had 2 similar knife experiences.

1st - Had my gerber in my pocket as always, getting ready to go through security and noticed it. I was walking to the trash can to toss it when an elderly lady realized my plight and offered to take it and mail it to me. I gave it to her, knowing I would never get it back, but lo and behold 2 weeks later it came back to me with a nice note from here about her dad, husband and son's love of knifes. This lady rocked.:cheerleader:


2nd - Had a mini-leatherman key chain. Approaching security when I realized I still had it. I knew that security probably would not catch it, but I did not want to take the chance of spending some time in a small room with some large angry men. It got tossed into the trash.:crying:

[ol' scott]

I once was standing in line at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta and discovered I had two knives on me. Instead of mailing them to me or tossing them I went over to one of the big planters in the lobby and buried them. When I came back a week later they were still there under and inch of dirt, right where I had left them!

[Caver 60]

Decided to use my Smartcarry as a money belt once. Took out the spare magazine and pistol and stuffed the money in the pouch.

Just before leaving for the airport, I decided to do one more check. A single 9mm round had became lodged in the bottom of the magazine pocket. Don't know if they would have found it, but I sure was glad I found it first.

[blackjack]

Many years ago (over 20) I had vehicle trouble in Ft. Worth while traveling back to Okla.City and decided to fly back to OKC rather than wait for the vehicle to be fixed. I got my luggage, caught a ride to Love Field to fly Southwest, and was lucky to be able to get on the first flight. It was then, pre-CHL, my habit to carry a firearm in my luggage when traveling by car. I had forgotten this fact until arriving at the X-Ray where it was "suggested" I might want to check my luggage rather than carry it on.:wow: Different world then...:crying:

[crashmcwhly]

Now I don't feel so bad. I flew to Seattle on Frontier, but last minute changes caused me to fly back on United....whooooo...those peeps are uptight! Frontier goes by TSA's firearm standard, but United does not! They have their own twist on ammunitions. I packed my full clip in a closeable pouch (as per TSA), but United wanted me to leave the airport, go to a sporting goods store, purchase a container specifically designed for ammunition and come back. I sighed, then laughed, then told Mr. I Got A 2x4 Stuck Up My You Know Where, to hold out his hands as I emptied the (14) 180gr Federal Hydra-Shok II's in front of many fellow passengers LOL! I bet there are very well armed janitors in our airports these days.

[SKYWLKR]

I was in NYC and forgot a Knife in my pocket.

I wanted to go to the Statue of liberty but the security caught it, said I had to forfeit or get rid of it.

... I ran out to the Battery park restroom, pulled a TP roll off the mount and stuffed it in the roll, it was a brand new roll.I got back Several hours later and went back, the TP roll was now almost empty and knife was still there!!! Yea Me!!!

[Pierre!]

I did have an "incident" at a local Washoe County Court entry screening site...

I was on Jury Duty, and carrying my notebook computer. Now, I didn't recall that at the last USPSA match I ALSO had my notebook bag with me when I had to offload my CCW G19, and then use it in the match (due to leaving my usual competition pistol in the safe... WTF?!? Anyway...) so I dumped the hi-cap mag with the expensive carry ammo into my notebook bag.. and forgot about it.

Went through on Monday and Tuesday No Problem. Wednesday - Whoa! You woulda thought that I had attempted assassination! Big to do! "HEY You have ammunition in you computer case (as he puts his hand on his pistol - Puh-Lease!)

I was quite surprised till it all came back to me... and I asked (very loudly) why they hadn't caught it the first 2 days due to the circumstances.... They had no answer for me.

Another LEO came up to me and let me know that I certainly could check my legal CCW pistol upon entry simply by declaring it.

I will give you three guesses (first two don't count) what I did the following day to the same crew... (grin)

Hey, the way I figure some one on their side should help train em!

As a good American YOU should do your part too!

HTH

Next!

[Harrisonp]

My dad, as straight-arrowed as they come, does not travel much at all. In fact I believe the last time he flew was when he and my mother went to England 25 or so years ago. He flew out to Colorado with my mother last year and has his breifcase checked on his flight back. They pulled him out of line and took them to be interviewed. They had found some stray .22 caliber rounds in the bottom of his breifcase that he emptied from an old revolver he gave to my cousin.

I have flown once in my life and did not know something like this was such a big deal, but they threatened him with someting like a $10,000 fine. Ended up just taking his information and confiscating the bullets, but it really scared them. They sent him a letter in the mail like six months later saying they declined to proceed with any charges, but from what they told me airport security made a huge deal about it.

[Pinetop]

Had a similar situation in Phoenix Airport when going through security with my Dillon Computer Bag. I had left a Bianchi Speed Strip in one of the pockets, with 6 Remington 38spl+P 158gn LSWCHP in it. TSA called the cop over, and he made a big deal about it, but an older TSA guy (who must have been a gun guy), just said, while smiling, we can't let you fly with those. The cop was a little pissed off when I said, "OK, you keep the cartridges, but I'ld like the speed strip back".

Luckily I had remembred to take my S&W 642 out of the bag, even if I did forget the speedloader.

[Elmer Fudd]

I wouldn't mess around. Dump it and move on. The potential legal ramifications are too severe and your right to carry too important to try to save $50 or $100 or whatever.

Glad you found it and acted decisively.

[geekboy]

I had a similar incident, however, I didn't notice the 15 rounds of Federal HST 9mm JHP until the X-ray technician was showing me my combined mag/flashlight holder... which contained both my Pelican M6 lithium flashlight... and, yup, my G19 mag fully loaded. I'm sure I went ghost white, and all he could say was "umm, you can't have this."

It ended well because I produced my permit. However, the TSA guys did give me a scare. I did have to talk with the police. The Airport Police told me, so long as my permit comes back active and I have no wants/warrants or prior arrests, I'm okay with them. It's nice to be the "good guy" sometimes.

FWIW, the TSA fines can be very punitive for carrying ammunition through. It can be $1,250 (because it's considered an "explosive"... yeah, that's what they told me). And, if you "artfully" concealed it OR you gave them attitude, they can double or triple the fine. They are the only government agency that can modify a fine based on your behavior and whether you gave them attitude.

[G-30Jet]

Last year I flew from Pasco, Wa. to LasVegas. I had a Leatherman Micra that I forgot in my pocket when I was leaving my truck. When I went in to pass through the metal detector I thought well I'll just throw it in the tray and see what happens. I did so and passed through the detector.
I reached out for the tray that the security gal was holding for me, that had my keys and the Micra. She smiled and said have a good flight. I pocketed the Leatherman, walked outside and got on the plane. Not even a question.

I still dont know the answer to that one.

[Ender]

I fly a lot. I have also packed guns in my suitcase or briefcase when I'm driving to a client.

I've had a few "moments of panic," just before I pushed the items into the X-Ray machine. Typically what I do if a situation like that arises is empty EVERYTHING out of my travel items, and repack after verifying that everything is cool. Still and all, airport security ain't that big of a deal any more as a general rule....

[franktait]

Knives - I forgot to put my Kershaw twice - once in Tampa - I realized as I did my pat down before going into the security line (they have a very nice service to let you mail things to yourself - only cost me a couple bucks - well worth it.

the other time in Philly - went through the metal detector - did the self pat down and went whoops - forgot to leave something in my car - since i go through there every week - they let me get my stuff and go back to my car and drop off the Kershaw then go through again.


as told by a friend - happened several years ago was unpacking backpack in Atlanta after flying Delta from Philly. Pull out a binder and see something shiny in bottom of backpack - pull out full G17 mag with 17 shiny rounds of 147gr hydrashock :faint:

Fortunately person in meeting in Atlanta was avid shooter and was glad to relieve distressed traveler of ammo and put it to good use :crying:

When friend went back to Philly (with empty mag in checked bag) - told TSA date, time and lane and what they let through - TSA guy wanted to do report- but friend didn't want name on paperwork to get himself in trouble.....:dunno: