Thanksgiving is only three days away. We know that many of our readers are traveling by air during the Christmas holiday and this week. This article reminds travelers to always comply with all rules. Avoid mistakes that could land you in prison. Handgun Transport on Flights: How to Do it RightIf you follow the rules, it IS legal to bring a handgun with you on an airline flight. Declare the weapon in accordance with law and all TSA and Federal Regulations. Do not just throw your pistol into your carry-on bag and expect to be allowed to board the flight. In 2017, 4,000 pistols in carry-on bags were found. This can lead to the seizure of the weapon and even jail time! Gun writer Dean Weingarten has written an excellent article about handgun seizures at airports. In a single week, 97 handguns in carry-on luggage were discovered at U.S. Airports a few years back. Handguns in Carry On Baggage Report, by Dean Weingarten (c)2018, by Dean Weingarten. GunWatch Blog
During the week from 28 May to 3rd June 2018, the TSA found 97 pistols hidden in carry-ons. These were discovered at airports that are under the TSA’s control. The above collage of pistols is a sample. The TSA provides a list with the pistols that were found. The list includes the caliber, make and model of most pistols. 93 pistols had the caliber identified. The most common caliber was 9mm, with 36 pistols. The next most common pistol was the.380 pistol, also known as 9X17 in Europe, 9mm Kurtz or 9mm Corto. This is 70 pistols or 75% of all pistols found. Other calibers were found. There were eight.40-caliber pistols, seven.22 LR rimfires, six.45-caliber, five.32-caliber, four.38-caliber, one.410 and one.22magnum. The majority of the pistols are semi-autos. There are also a few revolvers and three derringers. How did this happen? It’s the principle of rare events. Even though an event may be rare for one person, it becomes statistically certain if there are enough people involved. In 2017, 4,000 pistols have been found in carry-on baggage. In 2017, TSA checkpoints saw 770 million travelers. This is one pistol for every 194,000 passengers. Each passenger went through TSA checks at least twice – once on the way and once on the return. Depending on the route, some passengers may have to go through more than one checkpoint. I think it happens in ways that most people don’t consider because they are rare. One way to do it is to get distracted at a crucial moment. A business owner may have decided to move a gun from his briefcase into his locked desk, but then become distracted and rush to catch his flight. The TSA discovers the pistol in the briefcase. The quality of the pistols found suggests that most were taken from people with legal carry permits in most places. In the United States, there are more than 17 million people who have carry permits. In 13 states, a carry permit is not required. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. A third party can also put the gun in the carry-on bag without the owner knowing. This was done maliciously to a student in at least one instance. In that case, the gun was placed in a teen’s backpack[.] Some [handgun violations] happen because a traveler borrows a piece carry-on luggage and misses a small gun tucked away in a dark recess where another family member stored it. I suspect that the majority of pistols are found because the carriers do not intend to smuggle any. The TSA recognizes that most of these mistakes are honest mistakes. The TSA does not solve all legal issues for someone who finds themselves in a similar situation. The states are the biggest players. The location of the incident determines how the situation will be handled. Check your carry-on twice when traveling. Correct any mistakes you find. (c)2018 Dean Weingarten: Permission is granted to share when this notice is included.
