Bullet Primers Explode in Luggage

[1AA]

MIAMI (Reuters) - A man traveling with bullet parts in a suitcase was arrested at Miami's international airport on Tuesday after his luggage caused a small explosion on the tarmac, causing no injuries or damage, authorities said.

Law enforcement officials said they did not believe the incident had any links to terrorism. The FBI described the man as a 37-year-old nationalized U.S. citizen traveling en route to Jamaica. Authorities did not specify his previous nationality.

I thought TSA Xrayed and inspected all luggage for explosives before being loaded onto the aircraft.
I'm glad the pat downs are effective. TSA can not even properly inspect checked luggage but they can feel us up.



READ the rest of the article.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Man-with-bullet-parts-rb-3021390005.html?x=0&.v=4

Another link
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2010/12/28/aerosol-can-explodes-in-bag-at-mia/

 

[eolesen]

I thought TSA Xrayed and inspected all luggage for explosives before being loaded onto the aircraft.
I'm glad the pat downs are effective. TSA can not even properly inspect checked luggage but they can feel us up.

As far as I know, it's still legal to travel with ammunition up to 10 lbs per customer in a checked bag domestically, provided it is properly packed. I don't think you even need to declare it if it is just ammunition (haven't needed to travel with any in the past 15 years... it's easier to buy it once you get there since you have to stop somewhere to get a hunting license in most states).

TSA and the Feds will try to make an example of this guy, and probably wind up dropping all the charges quietly when it turns out he was within his legal limit... Then again, he was enroute to Jamaica, so who knows how they'll treat that.

 

[Frank Szabo]

As far as I know, it's still legal to travel with ammunition up to 10 lbs per customer in a checked bag domestically, provided it is properly packed. I don't think you even need to declare it if it is just ammunition (haven't needed to travel with any in the past 15 years... it's easier to buy it once you get there since you have to stop somewhere to get a hunting license in most states).

TSA and the Feds will try to make an example of this guy, and probably wind up dropping all the charges quietly when it turns out he was within his legal limit... Then again, he was enroute to Jamaica, so who knows how they'll treat that.

Loaded ammunition is one issue as case, primer, powder and projectile are relatively safe when assembled - reloading components (primers) are quite another issue - obviously projectiles are rather inert but primers and powder are considered explosives and incur a hazmat shipping surcharge (as does smokeless and black powder) where loaded ammunition does not.

Speaking as a person with many years of experience at reloading (35+ years and having made many mistakes during that activity), I can say primers (as stated in the article) are more than difficult to detonate when in the factory packaging. That said, stories abound about people storing primers in fruit jars and other non-factory packaging on their reloading benches and accidently dropping the jars, setting off enough primers to pepper themselves and the room.

The "miami" article link is rather comical as the "primers" are described as "blasting caps".

Boys and girls, I assure you that if only one blasting cap (as reported by CBS-Miam) had detonated anywhere on airport property, it would take six months to clear the feds from the airport.

 

[frontline]

This guy is a complete MORON and should not be allowed to own firearms ever again. Makes responsible gun owners look bad.