TSA Week in Review: July 24th - 31st - New Firearm Discovery Record Set

Wednesday, August 02, 2017




TSA discovered a record 96 firearms over the last week in carry-on bags around the nation. The previous record of 89 firearms was set last month. Of the 96 firearms discovered, 85 were loaded and 26 had a round chambered. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers bringing firearms to the checkpoint can be arrested and fined up to $11,000. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms in checked baggage.

All of the firearms pictured were discovered over the last week. See complete lists below.


An inert grenade was discovered inside a shoe in a checked bag at Milwaukee (MKE). We don’t know grenades are inert until our explosives professionals take a closer look, and that takes time and slows down the line. It can even lead to a complete shutdown and evacuation. Real, inert, or anything resembling a grenade is prohibited in both carry-on and checked baggage.


Clockwise from the top, these knives were discovered in carry-on bags at MDW, IAG, SAV, SAT, DEN, IAG and BUR. While all knives are prohibited in carry-on bags, they may be packed in checked baggage.

In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly in carry-on bags, our officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, bb and pellet guns, airsoft guns, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, stun guns, small pocketknives and many other prohibited items too numerous to note.



*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.

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. 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 read them yet, make sure you check out our year in review posts for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. And don’t forget to check out our top 10 most unusual finds of 2016 video!

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Bob Burns

https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2017/08/02/...ery-record-set