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Airport Rules/Almost had a free gun!

5K views 27 replies 24 participants last post by  Fitch 
#1 · (Edited)
Odd occurrence while flying out of Atlanta. I declare my pistol and take it over to the TSA guy for my bag to be screened. There is a guy in front of me in line on his knees digging through his bag, and he politely tells me I can go around him. I give the pistol case to the TSA guy who puts it on the counter and then continues to check another bag. The guy behind me then stands up and says "hey, I am out of locks and cannot ship this gun, you want it? I hate to throw it away" (He was a custom knifemaker with multipe guns and cases and apparently hadn't done the math on how many cases he would need) He hands me a small soft-side case and inside it is a sweet little over/under derringer. I didn't confirm the make as I didn't want to attract attention, but it looked like a Davis or something similar in 45 ACP (could have been .357, definitely that size or bigger) I had to make a split second decison here, but as he was declaring other weapons, I figured he was a good citizen, and I of course wanted that gun. I said "sure", whereupon the TSA guy said "no, you can't do that, go tell your airline the situation." The guy said "Can't I just give it to him, what do you care?" The guy said "no, go tell the airline." (I must say that this TSA guy just oozed irritation with his job. He was stoic, never smiled, and was basically an unpleasant guy the entire time I interacted with him) I looked at the knifemaker and said "hey, I'm sorry bud, but you know how it is, don't screw with the government, they'll just squash you." He took his gun back and walked away towards his airline.

I have no idea what the legality of that exchange would have been, but I thought it was an odd occurrence I would share with the group. Would have loved to score that free gun though....
 
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#2 ·
That stinks. As a former platinum flier, I've really come to despise most TSA agents, and I question his ability to stop the transaction.

It's now been 5 years since I've flown, and I'm really out of the groove. I was at our little crop-duster airport to pick up my wife and son this week, and it occurred to me as I hopped out of the truck to walk in, that my LCP was in my pocket :blink:. I ducked back into the truck and locked it up, but I nearly messed up in a bad way.
 
#3 ·
I was at our little crop-duster airport to pick up my wife and son this week, and it occurred to me as I hopped out of the truck to walk in, that my LCP was in my pocket :blink:. I ducked back into the truck and locked it up, but I nearly messed up in a bad way.
I don't think it would have mattered. In OK at least you can carry into the airport, just not into the secured areas.
 
#11 ·
TSA agents have nothing to say about it if somone wants to give a gun to someone else. I'm sure, he was defensive in that the guy didn't know you .... but hey, if you were checking in a gun then obviously you are probably legal to own it or taking some big chances. LOL. You know , the don't let someone you don't know hand you something at the airport scenario drilled into TSA agents.

But, you both may have needed to be residents of that state to do it. Know the laws of your state.
 
#15 ·
But, you both may have needed to be residents of that state to do it. Know the laws of your state.
Exactly. The OP is from Fort Lauderdale [Florida, I'm assuming.] The "transaction" was set to take place in Atlanta [Georgia, I'm assuming]. This would have required an FFL [in FL] to be legal, even if Momo the TSA agent didn't know that.
 
#13 ·
His name wasn't Danny was it? Sounds like a guy I know. Sounds like something he might do too. He's not too far from Atlanta.
 
#21 ·
Didn't say. White guy, 6-1 ish, medium length brown hair and mustache, 45 ish. Very pleasant demeanor. I was worried about the legality of it, but was going to roll the dice that Georgia had a reasonable law... I realize that's a risky assumption, though. I had free gun stars in my eyes....
 
#17 ·
Really weird circumstance; especially since multiple firearms can be secured in a single container. There are no rules that dis-allow locking firearms with knives in a single hard side case. With the exception of factory cases, fitting a derringer into a case with another tool or firearm would be easy; certainly better than giving a firearm to a stranger.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Bugdude--Nazshooter beat me to it. The key words in your post are "in Virginia." I understand private transactions, as 87.5% of the states I've lived in have allowed them.

In this instance, however, you'll notice the "buyer" was from FL, but the transaction was going down in GA. There's a HUGE difference between intra-state and interstate transaction.

ETA--I believe the reason the Feds base their authority to do this on the "interstate" commerce clause, which would (obviously) not apply intra-state.
 
#27 ·
Personally, it is bad enough to just go to an airport, it is bad enough to just go to an airport with luggage and it is even worse to just go to an airport with luggage and a firearm. Welcome to our federal government and TSA---the start of tyranny and total incompetence.
 
#28 ·
I have no idea what the legality of that exchange would have been, but I thought it was an odd occurrence I would share with the group. Would have loved to score that free gun though....
Unless you are an FFL that handgun exchange would have been illegal.

Fitch
 
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