Beth recently had an interesting interaction with the TSA agents in her home airport. Check out the full story here:
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/the-gun-shaped-item-that-stopped-airport-security/
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It wasn’t me but someone I was traveling with several years ago. They pulled her off to the side and tore through her purse all because she had a full roll of quarters in it. What made the whole scenario even worse or hilarious depending upon your perspective is the TSA agent seemed to be really mad that all they could find was a roll of quarters. 
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Colt .38 super mag. Well didn’t realize it was in my bag until the young, new, and very green guy on the exray screamed for security. Anyways ended up against the wall and down one mag. Lesson kinda learned. Kubaton “keyring” many times until one agent said no weapons and took it. Lesson learned, only plastic kubatons, aluminum will be lifted from you. .22 bullet in my jacket linning. Oops. What do you do?
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@Craig9, you are singing my song here…
.45ACP mag full of hollowpoints at the Detroit airport - there were two sections in my backpack, one overlapping the other, and it shifted down under the second section. When it showed up on the xray for my carry-on, the TSA agents were full of threats… “you are in SO MUCH TROUBLE. Expect to spend the night in Jail!!” They detained me and held me for a Detroit cop to come over… he was like “want to take it out to your car?” Unfortunately I had already turned in my rental, so he apologetically said, “we’ll have to keep it”. I told him I hoped they wouldn’t have to destroy it and to find it a home with someone who shoots a Glock .45 … he just smiled.
flew for 15 years with mine… last time I went through my home airport of Springfield MO they took it. 
I’d been flying with it for so long I honestly didn’t know it was a problem.
uh, yeah, that’d be the .45ACP again, two rounds in the bottom of my purse… 
oops, sorry.
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@Dawn… the little gun on @Beth’s compact? OMG we’ve lost our everlovin minds 
THAT was worth the money we paid the TSA crew for it in taxes 
This is EXACTLY why I hate air travel… because we’re so busy following the rules that we have lost all common sense. But hey, we sure look like we’re doing something.
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On my License to carry Handgun: Not valid on Commercial Aircraft. You can carry into and airport. But you can’t go pass any check points to board the aircraft. Unless you want to go to jail. I have read it three times, so I think I’m right for Indiana. I’m going to read it again. In Indiana their are some Laws that tell you that you can’t carry a firearm here. And their is some you have to read three are four times and your still not sure. I will have to take to a Attorney and see if they can HELP !
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I went to GA back in 2013. Flew from AZ to GA. I had made a key fob and a necklace that I made out of SPENT .357 MAG SHELL CASES. I had no problem in AZ going through TSA checkpoint. but in GA when I was coming home TSA said that I could not go through with them. And you could tell that they were not live. I had drilled holes through the sides of them. I also told GA TSA that I had them when I left AZ and that TSA in AZ knew about them. And let me go through. GA TSA said that different locations had different regulations and that I could not take them. I told them that i made them and we did talk some. And I also told the two TSA Agents that I reloaded ammo and that I used shell cases that I had shot. They asked me about reloading ammo and how to get started. I gave them each my business card and told them that if they had any questions I’d be more than happy to talk. But they still made me give them the shell cases. which I did. And went on my way.
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I just remembered this. It’s more of a funny than an issue. While in the Army I had to go to CA at the National Training Center (NTC). Since there were so many of us they chartered commercial flights and had the take off on the Fort Campbell airfield. Just like any other commercial flight they give you the safety drill. The only difference is that they said if you have a firearm to please put it in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. I had to laugh knowing that I would never hear that any other time while on a commercial flight.
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A post was split to a new topic: Hardcase for Airline travel?
Sounds like we have been traveling together. Lol
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Ha!!! Just this past week a mini laser pointer (1.5 in, circumference of a pencil) that I had in my bag raised an alarm with the agent. It’s in the shape of an under wing pod (like that hold avionics or fuel on fighter jets).
To her credit if it were not a replica laser pointer and full scale, it would have been a weapon.
Oh and once a year or so back a tactical pen and multi-tool I had forgotten to leave in the truck (my pocket edc stuff) had to jump out of line and go back to the truck or abandon it…no chance my friend, no chance.
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@Craig9 yep 
after the magazine, I got pulled for the extra security check EVERY time I flew for about 18 months. 
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I have not had any firearm-related issues, but now that I have TSA-Pre, I get “enhanced” screening about every other time I go. I commented on that the last time, and they told me that I must travel a lot(?). I am not sure why that matters, though, as I am not a “frequent flyer”, that is not the case.
My wife had a small pocket knife in her pocketbook that went through TSA screening for about a decade before it was discovered. A couple of years ago I forgot to put one of my knives in the checked bag before leaving for the airport. I got to the screening area and put my hand in my pocket to retrieve my keys and found my knife, too. I was allowed to recall the checked bag and put it in. We should be allowed to do that with other items, too.
Now I check my clothing carefully, especially clothing I know I have worn to the range at some point. As we all know, cartridges and spent cases have a magical ability to hide in pockets and folds of clothing to be discovered later. I came home one time recently (well, pre-virus) with 4 or 5 .22 cases in the front pocket of my shirt, after only 100 rounds of that caliber fired that day. I was impressed with my accuracy.
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Disclaimer: I’m not going to be getting into too much specifics here.
First, there are some super small “firearms” that are actually capable of being loaded with tiny a** ammo and capable of firing said ammo. Second, it’s hard to determine if a firearm is a firearm until it isn’t, which I imagine was the case here. Which bring me to the rule of thumb: if it looks like a firearm (but isnt) it’s better to put it in checked bag.
GA TSA would be correct, but generally if it’s an empty shell, primer punched and no projectile it should be good to go. But ultimately it’s going to be officer discretion, sometimes even supervisor discretion.