# Cartridge/Bullet pen and airport security question



## leehljp (Mar 7, 2007)

Do any of you have any problems with airport security when carrying the cartridge / bullet pens?

I would like to try and make some but afraid to bring the empty cartridges back with me when I go to the States, and afraid of the airport security if they saw a bullet pen.

Your experiences please?


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## Gary Max (Mar 7, 2007)

Hank ---I had a question about kids taking them to school.
My answer-------it's no longer a cartridge. With the primer removed and the end drilled out----it now just a brass tube.
But at the end of the day-----I am guessing it's up to the person who is wearing the badge.


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## ctwxlvr (Mar 7, 2007)

I can check with TSA tomorrow, I work at an airport although not in the security section, I do the hourly weather reports. worse case is having to pack it in checked luggage, or ship it home via snail mail.


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## skiprat (Mar 7, 2007)

I reckon Gary hit the nail on the head, depends on who you get and if they're in a good mood or not.
When living in South Africa, I once took a flight from Windhoek to Oranjemund in Namibia. It was only a ten seater plane and you just handed the pilot your gun as he handed you a packed lunch, you kept the bullets. 
Recently flew to Zurich Switzerland and had a vernier caliper in my laptop bag, it was confiscated. ' Sorry sir, it has sharp points'

I would just have it in checked luggage


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## Gary Max (Mar 7, 2007)

The part of this that gets me really going----you would never want to get stabed with a Pencil----that being ture ---are they going to take your pencil away????????


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## dfurlano (Mar 7, 2007)

I believe that Don Ward had to throw his casing pen out at the airport.  I doubt they would let you carry it on but you could put it in luggage and check it.

Dan.


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## Rifleman1776 (Mar 7, 2007)

> _Originally posted by dfurlano_
> <br />I believe that Don Ward had to throw his casing pen out at the airport.  I doubt they would let you carry it on but you could put it in luggage and check it.
> 
> Dan.



That's the answer, Dan. The scenario involves non-thinking bureaucrats, not logic. I would suggest not even trying to carry it, just ship with luggage. I have a camoflage pattern suitcase, it will get searched everytime I fly. Unreasoned paranoia is the only explanation.


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## its_virgil (Mar 7, 2007)

Yep, and a letter opener. I've checked them with my luggage and no problem, yet. Actually I gave the them to a stranger (and a business card) who was not flying but there to bid farwell to another passenger.  
Do a good turn daily!
Don


> _Originally posted by dfurlano_
> <br />I believe that Don Ward had to throw his casing pen out at the airport.  I doubt they would let you carry it on but you could put it in luggage and check it.
> 
> Dan.


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## Mikey (Mar 7, 2007)

God forbid anyone aver whacks someone across the head with a laptop computer.[xx(]


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## pssherman (Mar 7, 2007)

I sent 6 bullet pens (using the bullet as a tip) with a friend going on a missionary trip to US army bases in Germany. He put them in his checked luggage. When airport personnel xrayed them they got concerned my friend was called away from the gate and taken to a security area. They then opened his luggage to inspect the suspicious items. Once they found out they were pens and not ammo, everything was OK. Moral of the story, send them as a package instead of putting them in luggage.

Paul in AR


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## Grizzlyss (Mar 7, 2007)

I always wondered about the people that work at security, and the airlines, you can't take knitting needles, vernier calipers, you name it, but they will give you a knife and fork once the aircraft has taken off. Everytime I have flown they are still steel too. 
Once I was stopped at security for having tools in my take on luggage, I informed the guy there were absolutely no tools in my luggage, he said yes there is, I asked what? He said a pair of pliers, I started to laugh, he said what is so funny, I said there is a pair of new nut crackers in the luggage but no pliers, he said they look like pliers. I told him he needed to learn more about reading X-rays then. He said so you think you know how to read x-rays, I showed him my Level II Industrial Radiography ticket, as well as my Aircraft Structures ticket, which is for doing radiographs of aircraft with either X-Ray or Radioactive Isotopes. Told him he picked the wrong guy to try and show off too. LOL. Needless to said I boarded the aircraft with the nut crackers still in the luggage, and one red faced security guard standing there.

Sheldon


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## chigdon (Mar 7, 2007)

I am not going to agree with this but if you can't put "Lite Brites" out by the side of the road without starting a national scare, shutting down a major metro area, and getting arrested I rather doubt it is a good idea to try to take a bullet casing on a plane regardless of the working condition it is in.  I guess ultimately I would not agree with it being taken away on principal but I would not feel sorry for someone not thinking about this before getting on a plane.  It is all I can do to remember my pocket knife before going to the airport -- which usually means I am stuffing it into my carry on while checking the bags.


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## JimGo (Mar 7, 2007)

You're lucky, Chris.  A few years ago I forgot mine was on my key ring, and went through security.  Thankfully, the guy was nice enough to simply let me throw it away (plane was taking off in 1/2 an hour, and I still had to hike through the airport!).


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## ctwxlvr (Mar 13, 2007)

OK, I have the "Official" answer from our TSA supervisor took him a while to get back to me, PACK IT in checked luggage and it will be fine, they still consider it a "dangerous weapon" (in his opinion it is the fact it may cause a disruption in the cabin if some one sees it). He also recommended for people that show these pens(if you have several) to if possiable to be at the TSA baggage checkpoint when your bag goes through (gunpowder residue, and the xray signature would say risk. other wise you may be called from your flight and asked to open your luggage.


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## LEAP (Mar 13, 2007)

Never mind a cartridge pen, I had my laptop case searcehd for about 5 minutes before they found the "suspicious" item. It was a baron rollerball. They said it looked suspicious on the x-ray. I admit its not the best finish I've done but suspicious?


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## martyb (Mar 13, 2007)

They're letting on women with 14" knitting needles, and they're still worried about a pen!![V]


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## Ron Mc (Mar 13, 2007)

Great sense of humor LEAP! I enjoyed a good laugh.[]


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## airrat (Mar 14, 2007)

I work for an airline in PHX.   I usually bypass security (we are allowed to do that since we are not flying, just a long walk up a hill)  so I can take my lunch without it being confiscated due to being "threatening".   They seem to believe PB&J is an IED here in PHX.  Pudding is considered dangerous, yet they will allow someone to bring chili.  NOW THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS!!

I made the mistake of going through security with about 15 pens a week ago.   It took me 20 mins for The Stupid Agency employee to inspect each pen to verify it was a pen.  All the while the PHX police officer was standing there shaking his head at the Thousand Standing Around employee for being an idiot to me.  He finally said to the Temporary Security Agency employee "let him go so he is not late to work".  I also asked for a supervisor to speed it up.   

As to taking them in your checked baggage.  There should be no problem, you are allowed to check ammunition just have to declare it.   I would let the person know when you check it in and see what they say.


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## woodwish (Mar 14, 2007)

Flew recently and had two of my wooden k'scopes and one of my brass-bodied ones.  It was just a day trip and these were gifts so they were in boxes inside my backpack.  Tried to tell the TSA folks what they were but I was told that I was not allowed to talk to the x-ray guy.  He about freaked and had two guys detain me while they cleared the area to search my backpack for a pipe bomb.  Made a pretty big scene out of it, could have made me mad but for some reason I found it all to be funny. They did everything they could to not allow me to fly with it until a TSA supervisor and local police cleared it.  I was told by TSA to not fly with items purposely made to look like weapons again (?), and then sold a wooden k'scope to the supervisor.  

I can see how the guy made a mistake in what he saw, but their attitude is what bothers me.  Did I mention that I have a ponytail and earing?  Evidently terrorists have grey ponytails also.[}]


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## leehljp (Mar 15, 2007)

Thanks for all the input. I don't think I am going to get into bullet/cartridge casing pens for a while. They are very strick here - to foreigners in particular.

I was very curious what it was like carring casing pens through airports either in the pocket or suitcase. Glad to know all of this. AND about  k'scopes too!


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## Gary Max (Mar 15, 2007)

I have started shipping pen casings internationaly--with the understanding that if customs toss them it ain't my fault.
So far ---3 times---they have went through with no trouble at all. I do include exact information on the forms.---knock on wood---LOL


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