I found out what happens when you accidentally put ammunition through the airport x-ray machine

[smoothy8500]

Yeah, I use the same bag when traveling, whether by car or air. I can see putting ammo in the carry-on bag when driving for a week-end trip to visit the son and then a few days later go on a flight leaving LAX.

Although I probably would empty the bag to remove dirty clothes and pack clean underwear.....

 

[shojivic]

One time I went into the CA Court of Appeal building in San Francisco without realizing that they had moved the metal detectors right up to the entrance, so you can no longer get to the clerk's office without going through them. I had an empty holster and a badass knife. They let me check in the knife and keep the holster. They were very polite about it also. I think I gave them a Yelp review after that, because it was unexpected.

It's something I try to do as much as possible these days. In my opinion, recognizing the professionalism or positive interaction with the employee via positive review, is a worthwhile endeavor, especially when the employee probably has his/her share of more mundane or negative contacts in general.

And BTW, even off-duty cops forget and make mistakes regarding screenings at airports... allegedly. But it only takes ONE incident to change behaviors/procedures for good! LIve and learn I say! Err.. "Live and learn," they say!

 

[Jimi Jah]

Exercising a basic right is fraught with pitfalls.

Imagine if everything you say was treated the same way?

 

[Eatdirt]

This ^.

A fellow I know used his range bag as a carry on bag on a trip to Ireland. He was careful - no guns, gun parts, ammunition etc in the bag.

However, they swabbed the bag at security and it came up positive for residue. They detained him. Took his checked bag off the plane and swabbed/searched that too. They accepted his explanation but informed that they have to check such positives very carefully. He missed his flight.

Same incident happened to a good friend of mine going to Baja 1,000 a few years ago [ He's a Major engine builder for race trucks ]
Used his Gear bag for a carry- on bag / Nothing gun related inside .....
Got detained....Had to go to Secondary search....
Had a lot explaining to do ......They went thru Everything with Great vigor !!!
He barely made his flight .....

 

[Warpspeed]

@raellic SFO or ?

 

[BigBossman]

I once returned from an Oklahoma turkey hunt, and inadvertently carried three 12ga turkey rounds in my carry-on. TSA did not detect them, and it wasn't until I emptied my backpack after returning home that I discovered it.

 

[raellic]

@raellic SFO or ?

Yes, it was SFO on Wednesday evening last week. Glad to still have my PreCheck access and won't make this mistake again.

 

[NATEWA]

If you ever go to another country for a hunting trip, double check your pockets and gear. I like to keep my shotgun shells in a separate belt pouch so I don’t accidentally put them in my pocket.

 

[Jimi Jah]

My wife has 38 special case earings. She could be arrested wearing those 46 miles south in Mexico.

I won't drive my Jeep down there because I know there's a .22 case or two down in the cracks. Americans have been arrested for cases down south.

 

[Number9]

Yes, it was SFO on Wednesday evening last week. Glad to still have my PreCheck access and won't make this mistake again.

I've had pleasant dealings with SFO's contracted security firm that deals with firearms at check in (Covenant?) and have no issues since.

I know it's a immense load of paperwork and to have SFPD come to write a ticket (the lesser of the evils) so it's nice to see private security exercise more spirit of the law rather then the letter of the law.

I used to work a detail something similar on a private strip and rarely ran into issues with clients in regards to prohibited and/or restricted items.

 

[Dvrjon]

But the supervisor was very easygoing and said "obviously, you forgot about this. They recently changed the limit to 50 rounds, so if you had brought in 51 rounds, this would have been a much different experience. Let's be more careful next time." […]The junior officer told me he didn't even know what would happen if someone brought 51 rounds through, but it would not be good.

Let’s address this “50 round limit”, as some may believe, based on your story, that one can carry ammo onto aircraft. They can’t.

SB 2 made it clear that you can’t carry any amount of ammo into the sterile areas.

(Penal Code) 171.5.​

(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Airport” means an airport, with a secured area, that regularly serves an air carrier holding a certificate issued by the United States Secretary of Transportation.
(2) “Passenger vessel terminal” means only that portion of a harbor or port facility, as described in Section 105.105(a)(2) of Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations, with a secured area that regularly serves scheduled commuter or passenger operations.
(3) “Sterile area” means a portion of an airport defined in the airport security program to which access generally is controlled through the screening of persons and property, as specified in Section 1540.5 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or a portion of any passenger vessel terminal to which, pursuant to the requirements set forth in Sections 105.255 and 105.260(a) of Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations, access is generally controlled in a manner consistent with the passenger vessel terminal’s security plan and the maritime security level in effect at the time.
(b) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly possess any firearm in any building, real property, or parking area under the control of an airport, except as provided for in subdivision (b), (c), or (e) of Section 26230.
(c) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly possess, within any sterile area of an airport or a passenger vessel terminal, any of the following items:[…]
(11) Any ammunition as defined in Section 16150

And, this 50-round limit also shows up in various discussions about the amount of ammo one can import into the state. Prop 63 changed the statute to preclude importation of any amount of ammunition acquired outside of the state. (Exceptions apply.)

(Penal Code) 30314.​

(a) Commencing January 1, 2018, a resident of this state shall not bring or transport into this state any ammunition that he or she purchased or otherwise obtained from outside of this state unless he or she first has that ammunition delivered to a licensed ammunition vendor for delivery to that resident pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 30312

 

[axhoaxho]

Years ago, I flew to Maui for a scuba diving vacation trip. I packed all my diving gears in my carry-on luggage, and I forgot that my dive-knife was still attached to my Buoyancy Control Device. (note: divers carry knife when diving, in case they were entangled by fishing line or such.)

Of course, the Customs officer at the airport saw my dive-knife on the x-ray machine, pulled me aside, and took my scary looking big dive-knife out of my carry-on luggage. Luckily, she also saw all my diving gears and knew I was a diver.

She nicely asked that if I wanted to voluntarily abandon my knife, and I said, "Sorry, and yes, please."

Lesson learned..... Now I triple-check my luggages (and pockets) before I fly.

 

[raellic]

@Dvrjon the 50-round comment from the officer related to what TSA does under its policy when someone accidentally brings ammunition in. If it's 50 rounds, they ask whether the traveler will abandon it, and they let them go. If it's 51 rounds, they call the police and the person get arrested. I am glad it was only 50 rounds.

 

[spacecataz]

Good story, OP, and a cautionary tale.

A buddy's Dad accidentally took a loaded 1911 magazine in his carry-on luggage (but no pistol) through the Xray at LAX at some point after 9/11, and it was a completely different story. He was interrogated for several hours and missed his flight. Long story short ; don't do that.

 

[Dvrjon]

All of this affects only the civilian rank and file, although CA legislators have received disparate treatment over the years for carrying guns to the TSA.

• Assemblyman Tim Donnelly: In 2012, he was cited for trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a flight.

Riverside County officers cited Donnelly for carrying a loaded firearm. As part of a plea agreement, Donnelly was placed on probation for three years and fined $2,215, his Colt Mark IV pistol and ammunition were destroyed by law enforcement, and the lawmaker was barred from using, possessing or owning any firearm not registered to him.
/////////////////////////

A decade later, and in Sacramento County (after "Assemblymen" became Assemblymembers):

• Assemblymember Jim Cooper: In 2022, a loaded pistol was found in his luggage at airport security, and he was cited for the incident.

Cooper was a retired Sac Sheriff Deputy and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confiscated the weapon and held it until Cooper returned from his trip. No fine; no citation; no punishment. And the Deputies held his gun until he returned. No need to go through the Law Enforcement Gun Return requirements of State law. Oddly, the MSM did not report that the County ordinance prohibiting firearms at the airport did not contain an exception for retired LEOs. Cooper is now Sac County Sheriff. I'm sure if one of us errs, we will receive equal treatment.

It's good to know that the response and penalties for these types of things have eased over the years. So, if this ever happens to you, ask for the "Cooper Treatment"; don't get "Donnelly-ed".

Best.

 

[OlderThanDirt]

This ^.

A fellow I know used his range bag as a carry on bag on a trip to Ireland. He was careful - no guns, gun parts, ammunition etc in the bag.

However, they swabbed the bag at security and it came up positive for residue. They detained him. Took his checked bag off the plane and swabbed/searched that too. They accepted his explanation but informed that they have to check such positives very carefully. He missed his flight.

I have failed the explosive residue test on more than one occasion. There are other substances that also trigger a positive test result. Since I always arrive at the airport early knowing I'm going to get flagged for being magnetic, I have not missed any flights. I also always have SSSS on my boarding pass, so I get a lot of heavy petting every time I travel.

 

[cjbruin]

I know someone who found a loaded magazine in his backpack after arriving at his destination in another state. Apparently TSA didn't see it on the Xray.

 

[AR15barrels]

My carry-on bag got pulled at LAX x-ray last week for suspected ammunition.
It was fishing weights. Fishing weights and scissors with cutting edges less than 4” as well as tools less than 7” long are all fine in carry-on bags.

 

[Rickvs]

I forgot about a couple rounds of .38 SPL ammo loose in my bag's side pocket on a flight to South Africa. Somehow, they actually made it through all the way and I did not discover it until I was packing to come home. I can only guess that they looked like AA batteries since there were two of them. Needless to say, I left them there. My rifle and the ammo for it were packed properly.

 

[Enthused]

So basically the TSA Supervisor scored a free box of .45 ACP for their next range day. Good times.