FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014

TSA Week in Review – 42 Firearms Discovered This Week (36 Loaded)

Loaded Firearm (AUS)

42 Firearms Discovered This Week – Of the 42 firearms, 36 were loaded and12 had rounds chambered. See a complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post.


Inert Ordnance and Grenades etc. – We continue to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly basis.Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a real bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited. When these items are found at a checkpoint or in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays because the bomb squad or explosives detection professionals must come to resolve the alarm to determine they’re not a threat. Even if they are novelty items, you cannot bring them on a plane. Read here on why inert items cause problems.



  • A replica/novelty grenade was discovered in carry-on bag at Mobile (MOB), and an inert smoke grenade was found in a carry-on at Fayetteville (FAY). An inert/replica grenade was discovered in checked baggage at Syracuse (SYR).


Artfully Concealed Prohibited Items – It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure prohibited items are not inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag or on your body, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found by our officers in strange places.

Knife in Toothpaste Tube (SJC)

  • A knife concealed in a tube of toothpaste was discovered in San Jose (SJC).
  • Thirteen credit card knives were discovered this week. Three were discovered at Charleston (CHS), three more at Kansas City (MCI), and the remainder were discovered at Appleton (ATW), Branson (BBG), Cincinnati (CVG), Milwaukee (MKE), Mobile (MOB), Shreveport (SHV), and Sonoma (STS). Check out this blog post for more information on credit card knives.

Improperly Checked Firearm (EWR)

Improperly Checked Firearm - TSA officers discovered an AK-47 and three loaded magazines in a piece of checked baggage. The firearm had not been properly packed or declared to the airline at the time of check-in. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

Throwing Stars (DAL), Knife (JFK)

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons and a lot of sharp pointy things…

Stun Guns – 21 stun guns were discovered this week in carry-on bags around the nation. Seven were discovered at Monterey (MRY), two at Las Vegas (LAS), and the remainder were discovered at Atlanta (ATL), Dallas (DAL), Reagan National (DCA), Detroit (DTW), Los Angeles (LAX), Stockton (SCK), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), San Juan (SJU), Sacramento (SMF), Orange County (SNA), and Tyson (TYS).

Ammunition (IAD)

Airsoft Guns
– Two Airsoft guns were discovered in carry-on baggage at Phoenix (PHX) and Spokane (GEG). Airsoft guns are prohibited in carry-on bags, but allowed in checked baggage. Read this post for more information: TSA Travel Tips Tuesday: Traveling With Airsoft Guns

Ammunition – When packed properly, ammunition can be transported in your checked baggage, but it is never permissible to pack ammo in your carry-on bag.

Firearms Discovered This Week in Carry-On Bags

Left to Right / Top to Bottom: Guns Discovered at MFE, GRR, CLT, FLL, SDF, IND

Left to Right: Guns Discovered at HOU & PIT



*In order to provide a timely weekly update, this data is compiled from a preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is reported in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not estimates.

You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms.

Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure
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Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the line is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested.

The passenger can face a penalty as high as $7,500.00.

This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.


If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you check out our TSA Blog Year in Review for 2013. You can also check out 2011 &2012 as well.

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Bob Burns
TSA Blog Team

If you have a travel related issue or question that needs an immediate answer, you can contact us byclicking here.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/04/tsa-week...-firearms.html