LVPD Homeland Security was a couple regular cops in civvies who had no more clue than the Clark Cty Sherriff (responding officer) or the BLM officer.
Ultimately, some detectives from robbery came out (I guess maybe I'm supposed to cut them some slack for it being a Saturday) and took over the scene. These were the guys who yanked my guns in "for safekeeping" I believe was the term used. Real convenient for my friend who lived in San Diego whose M8 also got impounded.
So here's the story. I, my fiancee, and 5 of our friends go out to a spot just west of the Sloan exit on I-15 where we've been going for the last 4 years, with Tannerite, each time. This is during the Defcon computer security convention. One ridge over is the official Defcon shoot, who we are too cool to associate with.
Plus, we didn't want to share our watermelons with them.
Sherriff Shinypants has a motorist pulled over on the shoulder when he hears a boom. He calls in, and hears that there have been complaints from Sloan about "explosions". They send out a helicopter, which buzzes us and the DC Shoot crew. Shinypants goes and investigates the group of 70 first, as one might expect. The range officer for that group explains what Tannerite is, how it works, why it's legal, etc. Everything short of a demo. Around that time, we shoot another one, and Shinypants says "Oh, it must not have been you guys."
Shinypants is joined by BLM officer Grumpy. Shiny and Grumpy drive around the ridge and come up to our group, stopping a ways away. The helicopter is hovering about 20 feet off the ground, right next to these guys, and even though we can't hear a bloody thing they are saying, we decide to clear the guns and walk up to them. We go through the usual kick in the testicles routine, and then they start questioning us. "What are you doing? Why are you here? What is causing the explosions?" We explain what tannerite is, how it works, why it's legal, etc. Grumpy begs to differ, "all explosives are illegal on BLM land!"
Shiny calls the ATF. The ATF passes the buck, tells us to go get screwed. We ask them to call back and read the official ATF number to the ATF guy so he can look it up, but no one is willing to handle the tannerite. I offer to handle it for them and read the number to them, but that idea gets shot down.
We get sat down, on the ground, at 1100 hrs, just south of Las Vegas, on a nice clear day. Time passes. We wait for someone to grow a clue, but it never really happens. LVPD dispatcher finally finds the tannerite website (which we've been telling them the address to for the last hour) and finds the ATF documentation that says this stuff isn't legally an explosive.
"Oh, but you can find anything on the internet. Even Kiddy Porn! That doesn't make it right, just because you can get it on the internet."
(Get used to this line, it'll come up again.)
Another hour passes. We're finally allowed to get some of the water we have in our truck. Shinypants opens the tailgate of his SUV and we're allowed to move into the shade. The LV / DHS guys show up. They try real hard to get their Crown Vics stuck on the rocks. One of them is so concerned about what a dangerous terroristic threat we pose that he's brought his 5 year old with him. They question us. "Where did you get this stuff. How does it work?"
"We bought it on line. Tanner has an ATF license. Look it up. Call the ATF."
"Oh, but you can find anything on the internet. Even Kiddy Porn! That doesn't make it right, just because you can get it on the internet."
Another hour passes. We don't all fit under the shady spot, so we're taking turns roasting. When we ask if we've been arrested, we're told no, but that we can't use the bathroom alone, or make phone calls, or move around without an escort.
Detective Joe shows up, with his partner Bob. Joe and Bob question us.
"We bought it on line. Tanner has an ATF license. Look it up. Call the ATF."
"Oh, but you can find anything on the internet. Even Kiddy Porn! That doesn't make it right, just because you can get it on the internet."
Y'know, I'm a freaking internet professional, and by this time
I'm starting to think you can't use the internet for anything other than illegal activities. Of course, that's probably really just the 3 hours of sitting out in the Nevada sun at the hottest part of the day in July talking.
So then the bomb squad shows up. They question us. They've actually bothered to look at the website. Still, they ask the normal round of questions...
"We bought it on line. Tanner has an ATF license. Look it up. Call the ATF."
"Oh, but you can find anything on the internet. Even Kiddy Porn! That doesn't make it right, just because you can get it on the internet."
Ok, so even the bomb squad got the Kiddy Porn seminar in training. Great.
So, finally they stir everything up real good with the thumbs they've been storing in their bums, and decide to take all of my guns, even though no one is issuing a citation. Of course, by now, they've had grit blown into them for 4 hours, but we get all of them packed safely (ha ha) away into the truck of Joe and Bob.
The bomb squad rather anticlimactically blows up a pair of inert powders, I'm given a reciept for my babies, and we're sent home.
Two weeks later they finallly get things processed and I get my toys back. I have to diassemble the bolt on my 1903 to get the grit our of everything. two more weeks later and my friend sends in a notice of transfer so I can pick up his handgun without having to come back for it himself.
After hearing our story, Tanner tells us that the head of the BLM buys his product, and blows it up... you guessed it. on BLM land. Because it's not an explosive. Just like we told everybody for 4.5 hours.
So, I guess the moral of this story is: something I can't say here because this is The High Road.
So, even if the things you are buying are perfectly legal, you might still have a really long, unpleasant day.
-Ogre, who has never had a positive interaction with an LEO.
