Problems at airport?

[vito]

Reloaders: Have you ever been stopped by security at an airport due to having a trace of gunpowder detected on you? With my prosthetic, metal knees, I always have to go through a pat-down unless they have the full body scanners in operation. When I get the pat down, they always do some test to see if they detect explosives. It made me think that once I begin reloading, will I face a risk of having some residual powder detected on me and then get treated as if I am some terrorist? It made me think to ask this question of those of you who are reloaders.

 

[rikman]

Never...I spend much time reloading,shooting and at airports....

 

[JLDickmon]

wash your hands..

 

[J_McLeod]

Never, and I've flown in several times in the same shoes I reload in. Everything else has been washed. I fly a lot and my standard carry on bag has had ammo or brass stuffed in it more than I can remember. As a side note, I've also (completely accidentally) made it through security at two airports on two occasions with loose ammo in a carry on or checked bag. I was caught at the second airport when I had a loose round in my carry on. Yet the TSA in Valpraiso, FL confiscated my bottle opener/corsckrew because of a 1" knife.

 

[rcmodel]

A certain percentage of paper money in your wallet probably has nose candy residue on it!

Better watch out for the drug sniffing dogs too!!

rc

 

[Float Pilot]

Once at the Atlanta airport they swabbed and tested the straps from my military issue back-pack. (The small patrol pack)... Their machine went nuts and they went through all my stuff until I was too late to catch my connection. .
And... I was in uniform.... DUHHHHHH

The Anchorage TSA knuckleheads went nuts over some Franks Hot Sauce that I had in my check-in luggage. (Brother in law in Germany really likes it...)
But at the same time they missed my Gerber multi-tool that I slide across the table with my wallet and change...

 

[GP100man]

While travelin from a uspsa shoot we went thru a road check where they let the dog sniff in the door & he hit on the GSR on us or the empty brass .

The LEOs took everything out the truck , inspected underneath engine compartment & all ,never said the first word of all the handguns & ammo/brass.

apoligized for the inconvienence & mess , we were free to go .

 

[Sam1911]

I was pulled out of line for a special pat-down at Reagan National on my way down to the Knob Creek Machine gun shoot one year ('05, I think?). After 3 days of gunpowder, napalm, tannerite, helicopter exhaust and the like, I flew home without even a pause beyond the walk through the security checkpoint. I thought it was pretty funny at the time.

 

[Hondo 60]

I've flown numerous times for a job.
As long as you don't reload IMMEDIATELY prior to your flight you'll be ok.

 

[rodinal220]

Been swabbed several times,machine never hit on anything,I was GTG.

 

[abq87120]

I went from PHX to AMA over Christmas with my EDC in a hard case. Ammo in a magazine in the hard case too. SouthWest Air. The TSA agent wiped the interior seams of my suit case. No issues at any point, coming or going. The check-in clerk at AMA didn't even check my gun. No TSA inspection there either. My first and a suprisingly pleasant experience flying heavy, so to speak.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Smokeless powder is not considered an explosive but it does have some of the came chemicals in it. From what I've been told they is not enough of anything in smokeless powder to set of the alarms unless you have it all over your hands and don't bother to wash your hands before you head off to the airport.

Some of the stories above are unbelievable and would be funny if they weren't so dangerous. I have heard way too many stories about the TSA worrying about the small stuff while missing real weapons. Not good!

 

[erikras]

I have a minor disability and need a place to sit to take my shoes on and off. I travel A LOT for my job. Whenever going through airport security I'll ask for a place to sit down and take my shoes off. 4 out of 5 times they'll let me leave my shoes on and they'll just swipe them with the cotton pad then put it through the analyzer thingy machine. I'm usually wearing my tennis shoes or my Red Wing work shoes both of which I wear in the basement when reloading and to the range. I've never had a word said to me.

I've often considered asking this question to one of the TSA agents, but always figured it was best not to bring attention to myself.

 

[Lost Sheep]

Nearly 40 years ago, a sniffer dog (I don't know what it was trained for) went crazy over my after shave.

Last year, a co-worker's wife (with whom he was traveling) was questioned extensively and for a long time before he thought to inform them she had been gardening (with fertilizer) earlier that day. And she washed.

Yeah, it's a crazy world out there. Some parts crazier than others.

Lost Sheep

 

[jack44]

On time I took the ferry accross to Michigan and the securiy dog found the smell of the .22 I bought a few weeks ago.

 

[squarles67]

I'm in a wheelchair and travel alot. I too have to go through the pat down and they always swab my chair. I worried about it when I started reloading in 2008 but I've never had a hit on the swab.

One year I had to travel on Jan 2nd and I was worried about the blackpowder from all the fireworks from New Years Eve but had no issue.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I've often considered asking this question to one of the TSA agents, but always figured it was best not to bring attention to myself.

Do you really think any TSA agent would know the answer to that question. With the minimal training they get and being paid only minimum wages we are lucky they know their own name! I'm sure there are a few good agents but ion my experience they are few and far between. (very few)

 

[7075-T7]

I went from the range to the airport after transferring the contents from my backpack from ammunition to what I needed on the trip.

They gave me an odd look when it went through the x-ray, then swabbed it along with the laptop, then gave me a stranger look, rummaged through it, and gave it back. with one of these

Don't know if it was residue or not.

 

[Otto]

I've often considered asking this question to one of the TSA agents...

Also known as 'airport mall cops' who pretend to be law enforcement officers while fantasizing that their jobs are a matter of national security.

Trivia: A jar of Jif peanut butter is prohibited at TSA checkpoints but parachutes are not.

 

[howlnmad]

Never, and I've flown in several times in the same shoes I reload in. Everything else has been washed. I fly a lot and my standard carry on bag has had ammo or brass stuffed in it more than I can remember. As a side note, I've also (completely accidentally) made it through security at two airports on two occasions with loose ammo in a carry on or checked bag. I was caught at the second airport when I had a loose round in my carry on.

Had the same thing happen at Dallas. My bag had been through security about eight times that weekend including Dallas on the flight out. Finally on the way back home I had a stop off in Dallas going to Nashville. On my way through I got pulled for a bag search. After 15 minutes of digging the TSA agent finally pulls a loose 22 round that was jambed way down in the corner. I asked what happens now and he says that he's supposed to call the police but they most likely wouldn't do anything about it. I repacked my bag and told him that it had gone through so many security checks already and not a hitch. He told me that they were the best at the job, I informed him that they had scanned that same bag twice, two days before .

 

[gfanikf]

Do you really think any TSA agent would know the answer to that question. With the minimal training they get and being paid only minimum wages we are lucky they know their own name! I'm sure there are a few good agents but ion my experience they are few and far between. (very few)

Actually some do, but best thing to do for a general TSA question is call the regional official for the area, get names and contact, and be polite. Most of the time when I've had to call the ATF for a C&R question I've gotten the answers I needed and polite and courteous service.

Erikras Another trick is do the same but call the airline ahead, especially if its disability related. It's helped a lot with a family member from having to go through the routine. Drop me a PM if you want some further details as I can ask my inlaws who know the details.

I agree on the temptation to ask in person and most of the time it's fine. I recently had a nice conversation with an NJ Transit Officer at Trenton Transit about his UMP 40. I was surprised to see that vs an mp5 which is all you see in NY. Apparently there is going to to be a transition and more training with UMP. Funny enough he thought I worked in Transit initially. lol

In short ask regional level or airline first, get names, and be polite. Never be afraid to ask in person if you have to. I always declare that I'm shipping a rifle with the USPS (as you're supposed to) and while you may get an odd look at first, I've never had to even go to a here is the rule moment. So don't be afraid.

 

[billymarr]

Coming Back from Afghanistan on R&R did not have much time between flight to really clean up and when I hit Atlanta the dog went nuts seems I had a ton of residue on my boots.
Another time back in 06 I was fly threw Heathrow and the dog hit on my carry on. I usually just put my wallet in my carry on and that time my wife had put a 3X5 card with hiar clippings of my pets as a cut reminder. Well that is what set the dog off.
just my look get me pulled some times.