Firearms confiscated by TSA

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Based on my unofficial visual survey, it appears illegal gun carriers prefer semi-autos over revolvers by at least 5 to 1. I didn't do an actual count, just glanced at the photo.
 
Labguy47 said:
Most of the time they are destroyed if they don’t find their way into TSA agents personal collections
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Kindly provide documentation to support the second portion of your "facts."

[Disclaimer: I am neither a TSA agent nor supporter of this particular agency, just a person who dislikes statements such as this being made about any class of persons.]
 
So connecting the articles, the TSA finds a lot of handguns in carry on luggage, and the TSA misses a lot of prohibited stuff. Ergo, a lot of handguns make it through undiscovered.

When's the last time you heard about an on-board incident involving one of those guns?
 
Speedo66

Based on my unofficial visual survey, it appears illegal gun carriers prefer semi-autos over revolvers by at least 5 to 1. I didn't do an actual count, just glanced at the photo.
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You've got a very sharp eye as I came up with a similar ratio of 5 to 1 with 21 or 22 revolvers (hard to tell with some of the smaller photos), 108 semi-autos and one American Derringer DA38.
 
I had a friend who had almost made it to retirement and had never flown. He was to fly a couple States over to meet the parents of his daughters husband to be.

Long story short his wife packed his bag without removing contents already in place and they find his 38 spl loaded with 2 snake shot and 4 solids. He was at home that afternoon to talk about it and got his gun back a week later.

You can have property confiscated and returned to you. I actually forgot a free “wallet knife” that they picked out in security (the stuff I use, I check). They said they would return it to me and I could go put it in the car, I told them I didn’t have time, just throw it away. Then they followed with I could check it or mail it and pointed me in the direction of where I could mail it to myself.

I thanked them for doing their job and said they could have it or toss it. They chunked it in a bin with the other stuff that is prohibited.
 
I remember when our closest airport had a wall display case of weapons confiscated in that airport... a nice collection of guns and all kinds of edged weapons... It was my favorite spot. I’d pass the time at that case admiring the variety.
They got rid of the display a few years ago
 
At DIA they mostly had nail clippers, scissors, and other mundane items in their displays of confiscated items. If the firearms are packed in luggage that is not carried on the owner could hardly access the weapons during the flight.
 
Old Dog said:
Kindly provide documentation to support the second portion of your "facts."

[Disclaimer: I am neither a TSA agent nor supporter of this particular agency, just a person who dislikes statements such as this being made about any class of persons.]
Click to expand...

How many items go missing from evidence rooms after the trial? How many are auctioned off? How many never make it to the grinder/smelter? How many wind up as officer drop guns? Why am I fighting emotion with logic and common sense?
 
Labguy47 said:
How many items go missing from evidence rooms after the trial? How many are auctioned off? How many never make it to the grinder/smelter? How many wind up as officer drop guns? Why am I fighting emotion with logic and common sense?
Click to expand...

We have no idea, and neither do you.
 
Labguy47 said:
How many items go missing from evidence rooms after the trial? How many are auctioned off? How many never make it to the grinder/smelter? How many wind up as officer drop guns? Why am I fighting emotion with logic and common sense?
Click to expand...
Not surprised law enforcement officers get dragged into this member's already clearly biased supposition. I asked for documentation. This guy's provided zero in response to my first question. My question was about TSA, not any notoriously and historically corrupt law enforcement agencies, which means nothing anyway, as they are the exception rather than the rule -- not to mention, the truth surfaced.

Who's fighting what with what? Check back in when you've actually made the acquaintance of actual law enforcement officers or TSA staff, and learn something about evidence processing, chain of custody and actual law.
 
Labguy47 said:
Most of the time they are destroyed if they don’t find their way into TSA agents personal collections
Click to expand...

They're really destroyed? I wonder why they don't auction them off. They auction off knives. A person can buy a dozen or more, IIRC.

I'd venture to guess a TSA agent would be fired if caught taking one for his personal collection.



LRDGCO said:
It's a good thing these are overwhelmingly middle aged white men who forgot, rather than young Middle Eastern men hellbent on destruction....
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Are they arrested when they're caught?

It doesn't seem too bright to bring a firearm inside carry on baggage, especially loaded, which most are.
 
Labguy47 said:
How many items go missing from evidence rooms after the trial? How many are auctioned off? How many never make it to the grinder/smelter? How many wind up as officer drop guns? Why am I fighting emotion with logic and common sense?
Click to expand...

Phooey!

You were asked several times to support your claim (stated as a rhetorical question implying that abuse and thievery is rampant). You post information on three incidents. As Aristotle said, “One [or methinks even three] swallow does not a summer make.” That’s neither logic nor common sense. It’s emotion and predudice.

On THR we expect that such extravagant claims be supported by far more robust data.
 
In my career in law enforcement I ran my department's property room for about two years (100 man agency, south Florida, early eighties) and handled quite a few confiscated weapons... I also certified the destruction of two large garbage cans filled with weapons of every kind... Since we were located near the ocean we dumped them in over 200 feet of saltwater while moving so that there was never even a possibility of finding more than one at a time and the corrosive effects of that environment soon rendered all of them inoperative....

I know that on the street there are a fair number of folks who believe that every officer they meet is a crook - you're welcome to your opinions -but you'll also have to live with them...

In short, are there occasional cases where guns are mis-handled, stolen, etc.? I'm sure it occurs - but here's the thing... It's not only a felony (maybe even several felonies - even if it's just one gun...) but anyone that does something like that also risks federal prosecution as well as state prosecution... Not something I would ever find enjoyable...

Guns are pretty much forever - unless you go out of your way to destroy one... Every firearm manufactured since 1968 is required to have a permanent serial number... Mere possession of a firearm that's had its serial number removed or tampered with is a felony... and so it goes...
Anyone foolish enough to be in possession of a gun that was previously confiscated and certified for destruction is holding a ticking bomb - just waiting for some officer to check its serial number...

This sort of stuff might make for great detail in a Tarrantino movie - but not likely for any ordinary person to encounter in a lifetime in my opinion... By the way.... all of us are marked by our own opinions - and most around us pick up on it very quickly....
 
Legionnaire said:
So connecting the articles, the TSA finds a lot of handguns in carry on luggage, and the TSA misses a lot of prohibited stuff. Ergo, a lot of handguns make it through undiscovered.

When's the last time you heard about an on-board incident involving one of those guns?
Click to expand...

Its almost like the TSA isn't actually stopping any security threats, just inconveniencing a lot of generally law abiding citizens and confiscating a lot of things that either couldn't or wouldn't (or both) be used to actually hijack or destroy an airplane!
 
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