I'm familiar with how to do so by the TSA rules.
But, had a conversation today with the "security" guy at work. He is younger and normally reasonable but indicated that when he travels he just packs the gun and separated ammo in checked baggage and does NOT declare it with the airline.
I looked at the TSA site and don't see any indication of what they would do should they discover his undeclared weapon. I see potential fines for getting to security with one in a carry on but not the situation I've outlined.
I suspect it's confiscation and a fine but I can't find anything concrete to point him towards.
I'm sure there has been at least one distracted traveler who forgot they were checking in with their otherwise legal weapon. Anyone know of such a traveler that TSA caught on the random search and the consequences?

I haven't heard of such an event and its outcome, but this guys sounds like natural consequences may be the best teacher. Also, as far as I know, checked baggage is not randomly screened. Everything goes through the large screening machines. They have algorithms that alert the operator to potential threat items.

I found this, but it seems to be talking about checkpoint violations:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement

From the TSA website for “undeclared” violations:

Undeclared and/or improperly packaged firearms; silencers; mufflers; frames; and/or receivers
$690 - $1,390

This site mentions $1,390-$2,780 fine AND criminal referral. It does not mention what charges may be involved. I and coworkers travel frequently with declared checked baggage firearms, it's usually fairly easy and smooth. Your coworker is needlessly playing with fire.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement

They definitely scan checked baggage. I've had my checked luggage searched twice. Neither was a gun, it was different stuff that was fine, but they wanted to see what it was in detail. They had the white TSA tape that they put on it to notify you it was opened and searched.

quote:

Originally posted by alptraum:
This site mentions $1,390-$2,780 fine AND criminal referral. It does not mention what charges may be involved. I and coworkers travel frequently with declared checked baggage firearms, it's usually fairly easy and smooth. Your coworker is needlessly playing with fire.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/civil-enforcement

Thanks. I did search the site but failed in figuring out the path to that information.
I'll attempt to educate him tomorrow as he's generally a pretty decent dude. Just wanted to be able to give him specific and accurate information. If it has been one of the other security guys there I'd just be rooting for TSA to find it. That dude is mall ninja on steroids.

He likely ships handguns via UPS or FedEx Ground and lists the contents as "machine parts" as well.

-Rob

I can tell you from experience do not pack a gun in a checked bag without declaring it. Labor Day weekend of 2019 my wife and I had just moved into our new house a couple of weeks before and were flying to Dulles to go visit her family. At the last minute I threw my laptop bag into my checked bag and forgot about a pistol in that bag. AA called my wife and said go to this gate we will be there to escort you to your checked bag as TSA has found an issue. Caught it on Xray. Luckily they were very professional and said accidents happen. TX State Trooper escorted me out of the terminal then handed me back my gun so I could take it home and AA scheduled me for a later flight so I could catch up to my wife and toddler. 15 months later I got a $700 fine in the mail for the incident.

Plenty of times I've opened my luggage at my destination to find a pamphlet from TSA in there that they searched it. And this has happened plenty of times when I didn't declare and check a gun.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
Plenty of times I've opened my luggage at my destination to find a pamphlet from TSA in there that they searched it. And this has happened plenty of times when I didn't declare and check a gun.

We've had a pair of women's designer jeans stolen from our checked bag and once had a note from TSA that they checked the tin foil wrapped homemade jam jars.

Did a tour of a Chocolate factory last week and the owner told everyone to put any chocolate they bought in their carry ons because when TSA scans your checked bags, his chocolate shows with the same density as C4 and besides, they may or may not climate control the baggage area.

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:
But, had a conversation today with the "security" guy at work. He is younger and normally reasonable but indicated that when he travels he just packs the gun and separated ammo in checked baggage and does NOT declare it with the airline.

Security guy is an idiot.

When I'm going somewhere, especially a long distance, I generally check at least one bag. It's nearly always been searched by the time I get it back, and there are no weapons. It says "crew" on the bag and has crew ID with it. Doesn't matter.

I bypass security much of the time, but from time to time I'm given a random screening anyway. Carrying anything through security, or placing anything in a checked bag that shouldn't be there, is a very unwise idea. That goes for anything from batteries to firearms, and anything in between, that's not supposed to be there.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

Did a tour of a Chocolate factory last week and the owner told everyone to put any chocolate they bought in their carry ons because when TSA scans your checked bags, his chocolate shows with the same density as C4 and besides, they may or may not climate control the baggage area.

Chocolate does not scan the same as C4, nor is it interpreted as C4. I've carried C4 through airport security on a number of occasions. Security has numerous layers to identify explosives and other contraband, but checking "density" isn't really one of them. Anything on a scan that appears out of place may be investigated more closely, but there are numerous other metrics used for locating and identifying things such as plastic explosives or a compound such as C4.

I wouldn't worry much about a chocolate bar being interpreted as C4.

Over the years I have had my bags searched several time.

They put a letter sized sheet of paper inside telling they had open and inspected my bag.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:

Did a tour of a Chocolate factory last week and the owner told everyone to put any chocolate they bought in their carry ons because when TSA scans your checked bags, his chocolate shows with the same density as C4 and besides, they may or may not climate control the baggage area.

I wouldn't worry much about a chocolate bar being interpreted as C4.

You think chocolate bar guy pulled that out of his ass, or maybe he's got some experience with that sort of dilemma?

I went through TSA in Orlando three years ago and they marked my backpack for extra scrutiny. The guy I was behind in line was a father with his family, including an infant and a toddler in a stroller along with his wife. They had a Mickey Mouse chocolate bar straight from Disney World they fished out of his bag, and even went so far as to open up and inspect the naked chocolate bar. He got huffy with the power-tripping cunt who was finger-fucking his little girl's souvenir sweet and told her "look, just keep it, we're about to miss our flight." Big mistake. She called for a male agent to come inspect his person. A few minutes later, Stone Cold Steve Austin's bigger twin brother stepped out, put on a pair of purple nitrile gloves and asked deflated dad if he wanted to go back in a private area, or be humiliated where he stood. He opted to have Stone Cold shove his hamhocks down his jockey shorts right in front of everyone to see. Little girl and baby were crying, mom was livid and dad was utterly humiliated and defeated. They were eventually allowed to pass, and went sprinting for their concourse. The 20-something TSA agent who was supposed to inspect my backpack was more interested in the shitshow, and after I inquired, he just handed it to me and went back to watching dad try to put his dignity back together.

A chocolate bar. I saw it with my own eyes. I'm not saying they thought it was "C4," but the puffed-up broad who mentioned "explosives" as a reason for opening the chocolate bar either really thought there were explosives in there, or she really just wanted the chocolate bar and this is a known stunt other agents pull. Take your pick, but I saw it happen.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
I wouldn't worry much about a chocolate bar being interpreted as C4.

I attempted to post an account of witnessing this first-hand that got bounced to the moderation qeue.

The short version is: No, this is a real thing. I was in line behind a guy who got thoroughly jammed up in security over a chocolate bar. I'm more than willing to believe a guy who manufactures chocolates that he's gotten reports of his product getting held up at security after seeing the twenty minute circus sideshow I witnessed from ten feet away.

The chocolate bars are wrapped in foil. The foil is reflective in the x-ray.

I do this for a living on a daily basis, and I've carried a lot of chocolate bars for the kids and family out of Belgium and Switzerland, places known for their chocolate. I've put them in checked luggage and in carry on, and walked it through domestic and international security screening.

It's entirely possible that a screener will open luggage and want to see the item. This is acceptable and something to which you agree by attempting to pass through security.

I do not believe for a second that anyone was "jammed up" over a chocolate bar.

I've carried chocolate a lot of times through security, and I've carried sheets and blocks of C-4 through security, too, and I'm very familiar with the detection capability and response for the C-4 (as well as the chocolate, for whatever that's worth). I've never seen a side show for either product.

If the guy in the line ahead of you got "thoroughly jammed up" over a chocolate bar, in security screening, for a "twenty minute circus sideshow," it wasn't the chocolate. It was the guy.

Uh huh.

Passive millenial soy dad, compliant and patient to the nth degree. He finally got a little huffy after the lady opened the fucking chocolate bar.

I know what I saw. If you want to call me a liar, just come out and say it.

Not calling you a liar at all. I'm sure the chocolate factory owner has carried a lot of C-4 through security and clearly has a basis for comparison, and doubtless many of his chocolate-loving customers carry C-4 through security on a regular basis, and thus would know.

It's not the dumbest thing I've ever heard on the subject, but it's up there.

Security believes chocolate bars are C-4. Who'd have guessed?

Those chocolate bars are subject to search and inspection, incidentally, as is everything on your person, in your bag, and in your checked luggage.

There is no doubt that some workers in the security apparatus can be first class dicks. Others very thorough, and others contribute very little but theater, and often not very good theater at that. What one need not worry about is your favorite Lindt truffles putting you on the terror watch list.

Unless you've chosen something with maraschino cherries, in which case you probably deserve to be there.

Seriously. They're gross.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Not calling you a liar at all.

Thanks for being clear about it.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
I'm sure the chocolate factory owner has carried a lot of C-4 through security and clearly has a basis for comparison, and doubtless many of his chocolate-loving customers carry C-4 through security on a regular basis, and thus would know.
...
Security believes chocolate bars are C-4. Who'd have guessed?

Oh. Mockery. Look, I never said C4. You did. The lady who had the problem with the chocolate bar did use the word "explosive." If this post goes through, then it was my choice words describing her that got my post flagged, and if so, lesson learned and my apologies to Para and the staff.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
It's not the dumbest thing I've ever heard on the subject, but it's up there.

Then you share my bewilderment. It was easily the dumbest thing I've ever seen in an airport, and that includes the guy I found smoking weed in the bathroom at Charlotte-Douglas right before security about three weeks ago.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
There is no doubt that some workers in the security apparatus can be first class dicks. Others very thorough, and others contribute very little but theater, and often not very good theater at that.

Then one might think you'd have no problem believing I saw this.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
What one need not worry about is your favorite Lindt truffles putting you on the terror watch list.

No. Too small of a boom, evidently. Chocolate-bar size and shape is apparently a problem, though. Shit, maybe it's because it had Mickey Mouse on the wrapper, came from Disney World, and was a chance to ruin a four year old girl's trip to the Magic Kingdom that the friendly TSA agent couldn't resist. That actually might make more sense.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Unless you've chosen something with maraschino cherries, in which case you probably deserve to be there.

Seriously. They're gross.

Actually, I like maraschino cherries and chocolate, but combined, they're a product of the devil's asshole. I guess we agree on something, at least.

Hey, I got enhanced examination of a carry on bag just because I lined the bottom with protein bars and had a bunch of charging cables thrown in on top.

Not my best decision ever while traveling by air.

To be blunt, your "security guy" is an idiot. His choices could end up with him losing his firearms rights should he experience the wrong set of circumstances. If he travels due to work, he could lose his ability to work.