wwillson Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 Last month I traveled to Phoenix for a week of R&R with my family. One of my checked bags was hard case containing several firearms. I've check firearms before and this time as with all the other times, it's really a non-event. All went smoothly until I picked up my hard case in Chicago (MDW) after our return flight home. The first thing I noticed as I walked up to my hard case was that my TSA approved locks were missing. I had watch the TSA agent in Phoenix lock the locks with his master key, so I knew they didn't just fall off. The TSA removed the locks sometime after I watch the agent lock the locks in Phoenix and when I picked up my case in Chicago. If they wanted to reinspect the contents they would have used their master key to unlock the case, then relock the case after the reinspection. This all makes sense until you consider the locks were completely missing. The only logical conclusion I can draw is that the locks were purposely taken (stolen) by the TSA, or whoever decided to reinspect the contents didn't realize they were TSA approved locks and just cut them. I hate to be cynical, but I don't think someone who sees hundreds of locks a day could possibly miss the "TSA Approved" lettering on my locks.Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-MAN Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 We can't get political, so I'll reserve comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryinIN Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Do you think they disappeared at PHX or MDW? I'm in a Gunsite class right now, and the instructors and repeat customers were just saying yesterday that the PHX TSAs were usually pretty decent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwillson Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Do you think they disappeared at PHX or MDW? I'm in a Gunsite class right now, and the instructors and repeat customers were just saying yesterday that the PHX TSAs were usually pretty decent. I have found the PHX TSA folks to be completely professional and friendly. Read between the lines...Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Glad your guns weren't molested or missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwillson Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Glad your guns weren't molested or missing. The first thing I did was discreetly open my case to see if anything was missing. I realized, while I was sitting there with the case open, that I had just broken the Illinois law and could be arrested on the spot. I'll bet if a Chicago cop would have seen me with my case open, I very well might have been given bracelets. In this state, you just can't be too careful.Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwillson Posted May 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 I reread the available information on the TSA website about transporting firearms here. I mistakenly thought the locks used on a hard case containing firearms had to be TSA approved, they do not. I bought a couple keyed Master locks for the next time I travel by air. My thought is that in order to remove them the TSA will have to destroy them, which obviously makes the locks useless. Cut locks aren't resalable. Call me cynical.Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 use hardened locks from Abloy. TSA can't open them.http://www.abloy.com/en/abloy/abloycom/Products-MPC/?groupId=1352 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLH70 Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Reminds me of this old Weatherby commercial... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryinIN Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 I always wanted to do that. Every time I thought about it, I got carried away and started planning a test using several different types of locks and it started getting expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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