https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/12/09/tsa-discovers-anti-aircraft-ammunition-checked-bag-honolulu-airport/

TSA agents at the Honolulu airport had to evacuate a checked baggage room Friday morning after an “anti-aircraft round of ammunition” was found in a luggage.

It happened around 5:30 a.m. when TSA’s security screening x-ray technology flagged a checked bag for a potential security threat. TSA officers and an agency explosive specialist reviewed the x-ray image of the item and notified law enforcement..

The Hawaii State Sheriffs, Honolulu Police Department bomb squad and U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal responded to the incident and out of an abundance of caution evacuated the room.

Officials said the suspicious item was identified as a .50 caliber anti-aircraft round of ammunition.

so, no transport of Barretts?

doin't airline rules say ammo should be in a factory box?

...or something like that

doin't airline rules say ammo should be in a factory box?

...or something like that

Either the factory box or some other container that uses dividers to keep the ammo separated.

The passenger must also declare it during check-in so the airline knows the ammo is in the luggage.  Gives them a chance to inspect the packaging and make sure it's within any weight limits for ammo.  Some even require a locked container/bag if ammo is inside.

I wonder what happened? All the story says is that it was "removed from the area".

So, what happened to the guy that brought that one round of .50 cal?

TSA does not require declaring ammunition in checked bags; I checked some airline websites, and of the ones I looked at only American Airlines seems to require declaring ammunition.

TSA says ammunition “up to .75 caliber” is ok… but I’m guessing this guy didn’t have it packaged correctly.

Its odd how this would even be news as ammo is allowed in checked bags. Maybe the writer meant carry on.

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Maybe the writer cannot tell the difference between checked baggage and "checked baggage"  (you know, the ones you carry-on.)

Maybe the writer doesn't know what carry-on is.


Or maybe it really was checked baggage and the guy didn't declare the ammo.

Too many maybes.

TSA does not require declaring ammunition in checked bags; I checked some airline websites, and of the ones I looked at only American Airlines seems to require declaring ammunition.

TSA says ammunition “up to .75 caliber” is ok… but I’m guessing this guy didn’t have it packaged correctly.

Don't believe the first thing you read on a government website ...

You may transport unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided container as
checked baggage only. Declare the firearm and/or ammunition to the airline
when checking your bag at the ticket counter.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

Reporter probably just saw it on social media or a passenger sent them a message.

I'm surprised TSA closed the area down as they see ammunition going through all the time.  Unless there's more to this like it was 1,000 rounds of loose 50 cal ammo.  Shows how effective the anti-gun propaganda is.

I had some minor stuff happen when traveling.  My bag got stopped when a few 5.56 rounds fell out of the cardboard box in my suitcase during the x-ray.  Got stopped another time when I experimented and stored rounds in a AR15 magazine.  Later I read on the internets that it's ok if it's a completely enclosed magazine, like a PMAG with a cover, haven't tried that yet.  My friends pepper spray got confiscated from a bag by TSA even though it was airline policy, not TSA policy.  I go camping on the outer islands and know isobutane for portable stoves is prohibited by TSA, so bought a fuel tab stove.  Discovered fuel tabs are prohibited by TSA too.

Don't believe the first thing you read on a government website ...
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

I'm guessing that's for airlines policies on declaring ammo as there is no requirement in the CFR.  Or to help the airlines as airlines are responsible for submitting reports if an incident should occur.

"All firearms, and certain firearms parts as described in the Federal Register, must be declared at the airline ticket counter during the check-in process. Ammunition does not need to be declared, but must be securely packaged in checked baggage. "

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/factsheets/firearms-and-ammunition

years ago to a match, a TSA agent inspected my rifle and scolded me for not having it on safe. He proceeded to rack it in public view a few times and placed it in safe. He saw my orders and said I should have known better. Rifle was not loaded and not within any ammo. I cant find this requirement to have rifles with the safety engaged in their policies.

years ago to a match, a TSA agent inspected my rifle and scolded me for not having it on safe. He proceeded to rack it in public view a few times and placed it in safe. He saw my orders and said I should have known better. Rifle was not loaded and not within any ammo. I cant find this requirement to have rifles with the safety engaged in their policies.

Almost all my long guns have to have the action cocked to engage the safety.

Seems like if you rack it, dry fire it and leave the safety disengaged, that's a lot safer than a firearm that's racked with the safety on.

JMHO.

For myself, if it's a bolt action, I remove the bolt.  I know some will say to put the bolt in a carry-on, but firearm parts can get confiscated.  Just make a slot in the foam next to the firearm and ship it in the case.

For semi-auto, I place a plastic flag in the chamber showing the firearm is clear.  Some will go so far as to install a zip-tie through the action to prevent TSA )or anyone) from racking it -- and at the same time making it obvious the firearm is unloaded.

I can't find an email for the author, so I just posted this on KHON's facebook page.

If this was for 1 round of ammunition, then this isn't really a news story and TSA overacted. 50 caliber ammunition is allowed in check-in bags as long as it's not loaded into a firearm, packaged correctly, is .75 caliber or less, and is limited to a total of 11lbs or less by most airlines. Normally if there's an issue TSA would stop the bag, inform the owner, discard the item if necessary, and continue on as normal.

The danger from ammunition is from potential fire. No more dangerous than lithium batteries, flammable aerosols, and other controlled items.

Wonder if there was more to the story where the round was chambered in the rifle.  That would be a concern and could justify a temporarily halt.  They'd have to find a safe place to unload the rifle and not sure if theyed let the owner unload it or if they'd need a knowledgeable law enforcement officer to do it.

That would make more sense.

Wonder if there was more to the story where the round was chambered in the rifle.  That would be a concern and could justify a temporarily halt.  They'd have to find a safe place to unload the rifle and not sure if theyed let the owner unload it or if they'd need a knowledgeable law enforcement officer to do it.

That would make more sense.

According to Newsweek ...

The Hawaii State Sheriffs, Honolulu Police Department bomb squad
and U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal responded to the
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport alert and evacuated the room.

https://www.newsweek.com/transport-security-administration-tsa-guns-planes-1850999

It's an anti-aircraft round.  Trying to get on an aircraft.  Oooh.....oooohhhh.....the horror.  The terror.......

These guys really know how to spin the danger/terror/horror agenda.

So strange that there was only one.  Not a box.  Or case.  Or even crate.  Now that would be a story.

Who knows, just speculating but maybe while all the hoopla and agencies were concentrating on this horrible, dangerous, single round a crate of .50 cal ammo slipped quietly away on the other conveyor belt.

Drug dealers do it all the time with boat shipments.  Let the Coast Guard discover a 3 million dollar drug haul on this little boat while the 500 million drug haul slips away.....

It's an ant-aircraft round.  Trying to get on an aircraft.  Oooh.....oooohhhh.....the horror.  The terror.......

These guys really know how to spin the danger/terror/horror agenda.

So strange that there was only one.  Not a box.  Or case.  Or even crate.  Now that would be a story.

Who knows, just speculating but maybe while all the hoopla and agencies were concentrating on this horrible, dangerous, single round a crate of .50 cal ammo slipped quietly away on the other conveyor belt.

Drug dealers do it all the time with boat shipments.  Let the Coast Guard discover a 3 million dollar drug haul on this little boat while the 500 million drug haul slips away.....

I’ve been wondering for a while when China will start sending weapons to radical leftists in order to further destabilize our government. That’s probably how they would do it. Send a sacrificial shipment as a distraction.

It's an anti-aircraft round.  Trying to get on an aircraft.  Oooh.....oooohhhh.....the horror.  The terror.......

These guys really know how to spin the danger/terror/horror agenda.

So strange that there was only one.  Not a box.  Or case.  Or even crate.  Now that would be a story.

Who knows, just speculating but maybe while all the hoopla and agencies were concentrating on this horrible, dangerous, single round a crate of .50 cal ammo slipped quietly away on the other conveyor belt.

Drug dealers do it all the time with boat shipments.  Let the Coast Guard discover a 3 million dollar drug haul on this little boat while the 500 million drug haul slips away.....

According to what i've read, the .50 caliber BMG (Browning Machine Gun) was developed in 1910 and went into full service in 1921.  You can find ammo in regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and saboted sub-caliber rounds.

It can also be used as an anti-materiel rifles (AMR), designed for use against military equipment, structures, and other hardware (materiel) targets. They are employed to eliminate equipment such as engines and unarmored or lightly armored targets.

They have been used as anti-aircraft defensive weapons, but they've been found less than capable in that role. They can, however, be effective against stationary aircraft similar to any other mechanized equipment.

I think what alarmed the TSA is the extreme appearance of the round.  Even though it's within the caliber limits set by TSA, the sheer size and weight is massive compared to common self defense rounds.

what made it worse was that they called Air Force EOD....