A cautionary tale - Traveling with ammunition in luggage

[Hogpatrol]

At least 4 Americans facing prison in Turks and Caicos over ammo in luggage. This doesn't fly in Africa either.​

 

[JimP]

There is a article on Fox News web site about one of them, the security found a couple empty cartridges in their carry on.

When are people going to learn to check everything in their bags.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

When you're not in your homeland you had better be aware of the laws of the county you are visiting. I don't know of the circumstances of the story but never assume that the laws of the country you're visiting or transiting through are the same.

 

[Hogpatrol]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

 

[K-man]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

The one charged couple flew out of Will Rogers in OKC. There is an ongoing investigation as to how those rounds got through TSA. Turks and Caicos has been of record in the last 6 months as being intolerant of offenses in this area. Previously offenders paid a fine and were allowed to leave the country. A judge there has decided to crack down on the offenders. I fly out of Will Rogers frequently and will again next week. It is nice to have a bit of friendly faces at our local airport but I wouldn't want anyone on my flight to have a banned item on their person. Humans make mistakes and there were several in this scenario.

 

[Trogon]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

Hard to figure. Going through the airport in Eugene OR awhile ago with a brother, had a P-38 can opener in his wallet from fishing/ camping, TSA caught that. That is a small scrap of metal!

 

[WAB]

You would be shocked what gets through TSA. My son was flagged with a live cartridge in his backpack in San Antonio. It was a .22 PPC round that had worked its way between two lines of stitching. We don’t have a .22 PPC! I realized that a friend had varmint hunted with us in Delta, AK three years prior with a .22 PPC. That backpack had been on 30 or 40 flights in the interim.

I saw someone find 15, 12 ga. Shells in their pocket at the gate, after going through TSA screening.

 

[thi9elsp]

TSA screwed up and is doing an investigation to figure out how the live rounds got by them. I do not use my hunting gear for general travel. And, I never leave loose cartridges, etc. in bags. T&C changed their laws from fine to up to 12 years as I understand. One of them will be sentenced soon and others can expect that to set a precedent.

 

[cash_tx]

I have had a long standing personal rule to never use bags or luggage that I would ever carry on a plane for vacation as a hunting or shooting range bag, or vice-versa. Too many stories like this going back for literally decades.

 

[JimP]

I don't see any problem using the same gear for flights as you use for hunting.

You just need to check your equipment and know what is going on.

But in today's world I can understand not wanting to be responsible and knowing what is in your baggage.

 

[cash_tx]

I don't see any problem using the same gear for flights as you use for hunting.

You just need to check your equipment and know what is going on.

But in today's world I can understand not wanting to be responsible and knowing what is in your baggage.

I just know of one too many many guys who "just knew" they had gotten everything prohibited out of their bag... until they found out they hadn't.

 

[Scott CWO]

This happens in MX all the time. I’ve seen it twice. One was an American desert sheep guide from AZ. It took a lot of money to get him out of MX jail. I think it was $13k.

 

[Rez Exelon]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

TSA has an absolutely abysmal failure rate when tested. Conde Nast published an article indicating a 70% failure rate.

TSA Fails to Detect Weapons More Than 70 Percent of the Time

And believe it or not, that's an improvement.

www.cntraveler.com

Having been in and around airports a lot I'll just say there's a reason they call it security theatre. I know I've gotten by with plenty of "banned" items before. So much that I'd take them on purpose (accepting that they might get tossed if found) because the chances of losing them were so low.

IMHO the only reasons that TSA exists are:
1. To give the illusion of security to the American public. Can't have people realizing how fragile that infrastructure is.
2. Had to do SOMETHING after 9/11
3. (and this is a big one) TSA meets the minimum requirements of the ICAO treaty which grants overflight rights to participating member countries. In other words, if you're not a member your birds can't fly over members airspace.

 

[RR 314]

Too bad they are not giant WNBA players. The administration would have them out in no time.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

Happened to me flying through IAH. Live round, primer dented fell through a small hole in my bino harness and got wedged under the fabric and lining. I was pig hunting at night, it didn't go off so I wanted to save it and look at it in the light. Made it through TSA 3 times that trip in my carry-on backpack due to needing to exit and unlock my gun case, before it was caught in Doha ...

 

[baxterb]

One of those locked up had live ammo in his backpack. I'm trying to figure out how they got through TSA security in the states?

I flew through Dulles once using a bag that had been used as a range bag while shooting clay pigeons. The lady rubbed the cloth all around it, put it in the machine - positive for explosives!

Suddenly I realized why. I told my wife not to say anything.

She ran the test again - another positive!

"Hmm," she said, as she threw away the piece of cloth, "This things always acting up when it's hot and humid, you're good to go,"

I grabbed my bag and walked to my plane. The curtain closed and the play was over.

 

[bakerb]

This is a worry of mine. I recently bought a new backpack just for traveling. The worst thing is I have a Maxpedition "man purse" that I use for both. Guess I just need to get a second one and use one for traveling and one for hunting. This crap is too scary to risk it.

 

[Hunt anything]

I had a buddy “detained” for a couple of hours at OR Tambo for having a spent 7mm brass in his carry on. Ever sense then before heading to the airport I shake every bag vigorously just to make sure nothing has been left in them.

 

[Rimbaud]

I once wore a field coat to Chicago one winter. Passed security, etc, and it was only when I got to Chicago that I realized a .308 was in the cartridge loop in the pocket. No one caught it.

 

[Rez Exelon]

My travel luggage are no-foam pelican cases. It's easy to make sure they are empty ---- usually that's done when I'm spraying them with a hose to clean them