using a range bag as luggage when flying

[greencobra]

this was mentioned in another thread...not to use a range bag as luggage when flying.

In all events, never try to fly with a bag that has served as a range bag. It will have enough contaminents embedded into it to set off sniffers.

this brings up an interesting scenario that i never thought of. i typically use my boyt range bag as luggage when i fly. it fits 2-3 days worth of clothes and i've always used it as carry on or checked when i fly. it's also my current range bag and has been for many years. i remember using it as far back as 1994 so i've had it that long. (and it still looks good, a testament to it's quality) interestingly, i used it in feb 2018 when i last flew. when i got home and opened it, i don't lock it, there was a piece of paper from tsa saying they opened it for inspection. ok i thought, no big deal, right? so i go to unpack it and there's a bunch of spent brass all through out the bag. .22's, 38's, 9 & 10mm, powder residue where a fired gun was put down on the inner liner and bits of burnt flake powder all over the bottom. when i shoot a revolver i just empty the fired cylinder full of brass into the bag and collect it when i'm done. you always see that burnt powder and it tumbles out of the fired brass.

i'm sitting here thinking how lucky i've been that i've traveled extensively with this bag and have never been detained and questioned, especially in the state the world has been in. i think i'll retire the bag as my travelling companion. an interesting note...the last time i travelled i was detained at the airport on my way home for over a 1/2 hr. they had a problem with my right sneaker. they wanded it, x-rayed it, scanned it many times, probably thinking they nabbed a domestic senior citizen terrorist while my trusty bag with spent shells and powder residue was safely loaded onto the plane. time to get a new bag, don't need an anal probe at this time in my life.

 

[appraiser]

never had a problem and I used to fly frequently

One time Mrs Appraiser was headed south for Memorial Day, I had driven down with the truck and a trailer full of stuff.

I get a panicked phone call from her.... she was on a 2:00 PM flight and she had been working in the explosives area all morning... there was no way she was going to get past being swabbed with the amount of stuff on her shoes and clothes

I told her to make sure she had a business card and her explosives license with her just in case.... but she want thru no problem.

The whole process is a joke, you fly often enough and you'll see things they missed in the checks.... like a spent round of 22 that went on at least 10 flights and was never discovered.

 

[greencobra]

@appraiser, you reminded me of the time i was picking up someone at the denver airport. you could go to the gates then to meet the plane. i went through the metal detector and it goes off. i had put my keys already in a basket before going through but the guy came back over with the basket and asked me to try my pockets again in case... i dip a hand in each pocket and bring up a small colt .25 acp pistol in one hand and the other hand has the loaded mag. ooops! i unloaded it at the truck before heading in to the airport but having a brain fade, just put them back in my pocket. the guy didn't even bat an eye, i grabbed my keys and stashed the gun back into my pocket then backed out of the metal detector. didn't look the guy in the eye but told him i'd wait in the main foyer for the flight to arrive. ok he said. times have changed.

 

[CWulf]

Range bag for luggage on a flight? I'd be triggered!

 

[LuvDog]

I wouldnt worry about contaminants, but more about missed ammo, cases, sharp things etc being left in the bag from a range trip.

 

[AHM]

... i typically use my boyt range bag as luggage when i fly. ... in feb 2018 ... when i got home and opened it, ... there's a bunch of spent brass all through out the bag. .22's, 38's, 9 & 10mm, ... i think i'll retire the bag as my travelling companion.

Meanwhile, NES Brass Rats are turning a shade of verdigris (natch) from envy...

 

[Quite_Exasperated]

Yeah I used to do that but stopped when one morning, just because of that nagging feeling tugging at me, I went through my bag one last time and found some goodies that would have me in the anal inspection room in no time. While I was away I ordered a dedicated travel bag that was waiting for me when I got home. Not worth the risk..

 

[Broc]

this was mentioned in another thread...not to use a range bag as luggage when flying.

this brings up an interesting scenario that i never thought of. i typically use my boyt range bag as luggage when i fly. it fits 2-3 days worth of clothes and i've always used it as carry on or checked when i fly. it's also my current range bag and has been for many years. i remember using it as far back as 1994 so i've had it that long. (and it still looks good, a testament to it's quality) interestingly, i used it in feb 2018 when i last flew. when i got home and opened it, i don't lock it, there was a piece of paper from tsa saying they opened it for inspection. ok i thought, no big deal, right? so i go to unpack it and there's a bunch of spent brass all through out the bag. .22's, 38's, 9 & 10mm, powder residue where a fired gun was put down on the inner liner and bits of burnt flake powder all over the bottom. when i shoot a revolver i just empty the fired cylinder full of brass into the bag and collect it when i'm done. you always see that burnt powder and it tumbles out of the fired brass.

i'm sitting here thinking how lucky i've been that i've traveled extensively with this bag and have never been detained and questioned, especially in the state the world has been in. i think i'll retire the bag as my travelling companion. an interesting note...the last time i travelled i was detained at the airport on my way home for over a 1/2 hr. they had a problem with my right sneaker. they wanded it, x-rayed it, scanned it many times, probably thinking they nabbed a domestic senior citizen terrorist while my trusty bag with spent shells and powder residue was safely loaded onto the plane. time to get a new bag, don't need an anal probe at this time in my life.

Using a range bag to fly is extremely stupid.

Specially if they decide to swipe it for whatever the f*ck they swipe the bags with that paper and put it in the machine.

Can you imagine, all lights go off because of powder residue and you find yourself in a room with Ivan getting a prostate exam.

Then there is also the having to empty the range bag every time. If emptying your range bag is easy and convenient, then I should ask... do you even shoot bro?

 

[tuna]

Laughing at everyone thinking those machines do anything. They either pull you or they don’t.

 

[allen-1]

Laughing at everyone thinking those machines do anything. They either pull you or they don’t.

Coming back from Mexico, transferring flights and in a time crunch because my first flight was delayed. Luggage was checked, I had a carryon knapsack. Wife made it through the line but I was pulled aside after my knapsack was X-Rayed. There's a line of people waiting to get their carry ons back and it's looking like I'm going to miss my flight - 'cause naturally it's on the other side of the terminal. Told my wife to go, that I'd catch up with her, (she has some mobility issues).

They held me for about 20 minutes until they could check my bag - dufus 1 was on break, and dufus 2 was picking her nose, and dufus 3 wasn't in a hurry - it wasn't his day getting fcked up. The paperback book that I'd been reading on the flight was the cause for dufus 3 to pull my knapsack aside for further inspection.

I made my flight, barely - I was literally the last person to board.

That knapsack by the way, is my daily carry, right now it's sitting there with a dirty Glock17 in it. I've gotta assume it's got gunpowder residue in it because that gun lives there. When I practice with it, it comes out of the knapsack, gets shot and goes right back into the kydex holster velcro'd in an inconspicuous pocket. I didn't take the holster out when I flew.

 

[Devils Paintbrush]

Using a range bag to fly is extremely stupid.

Specially if they decide to swipe it for whatever the f*ck they swipe the bags with that paper and put it in the machine.

Can you imagine, all lights go off because of powder residue and you find yourself in a room with Ivan getting a prostate exam.

Then there is also the having to empty the range bag every time. If emptying your range bag is easy and convenient, then I should ask... do you even shoot bro?

Not necessarily, I was getting ready for a 3 week business trip and decided I didn't want to leave powder in my hopper to collect moisture, so pouring it back into the container, I spilled some on my shoes.

Got to the airport and that was the day I got selected for a random swab. Shoes were swabbed and it came back with nothing and I went on with my business.

Different time traveling with a pistol they did a swab test and it came back positive (admittedly I hadn't cleaned it from a recent range trip). Tested a second time and yep, positive again. After making a few calls, some black clad trouble shooter showed up and told them it was a firearm and it could test positive. No cavity search that day either.

All that being said I probably wouldn't be using my range bag as a carry-on.

 

[Mountain]

My kid flew to New Orleans with us and had 9mm brass in his jacket Pocket. Departure was Logan.

 

[headednorth]

Cant imagine stuffing clean clothes in a dirty range bag, even aside from having to empty it, check, re-check, reload after Im done, etc. Just buy another bag dedicated to one or the other.

 

[Broc]

Got to the airport and that was the day I got selected for a random swab. Shoes were swabbed and it came back with nothing and I went on with my business.

There is always the one off person ...

It is still a pretty stupid idea. Also, spilling powder is nothing, it is like sand, the sh*t mostly bounces off your shoe, I doubt you had grains of powder on your shoe. The bag is covered in sh*t, you touch it with dirty hands after shooting, guns have residue, lead, sh*t from the range...

Not even close to the same.

I traveled to Bahamas and found 2 9mm rounds (live) in my shoe, didnt get caught, dumped them in the ocean. Does that mean it is not necessary a stupid idea to travel with ammo in your carry on?

And I have no idea how the 9mm got there, it was not a range bag or range shoes.

 

[madmas1208]

A friend of mine is huge into drag racing and was at a National event in Indy, got pit passes and was touring the pits, flying home later that day he was flagged and pulled aside for 2 hours, they said the Nitromethane set off every machine in like a 2 mile radius.

 

[greencobra]

Using a range bag to fly is extremely stupid.

Specially if they decide to swipe it for whatever the f*ck they swipe the bags with that paper and put it in the machine.

Can you imagine, all lights go off because of powder residue and you find yourself in a room with Ivan getting a prostate exam.

Then there is also the having to empty the range bag every time. If emptying your range bag is easy and convenient, then I should ask... do you even shoot bro?

well damn, mr. iglesias, i do apologize for not doing things the way you think they should be done and getting you all worked up. take a moment, sit, and take some deep breaths. you'll feel better soon!

 

[Broc]

well damn, mr. iglesias, i do apologize for not doing things the way you think they should be done and getting you all worked up. take a moment, sit, and take some deep breaths. you'll feel better soon!

Wasn't an attack on you. Just a general reply. The topic of range bags for travels comes up once in a while.

 

[joe847]

this was mentioned in another thread...not to use a range bag as luggage when flying.

this brings up an interesting scenario that i never thought of. i typically use my boyt range bag as luggage when i fly. it fits 2-3 days worth of clothes and i've always used it as carry on or checked when i fly. it's also my current range bag and has been for many years. i remember using it as far back as 1994 so i've had it that long. (and it still looks good, a testament to it's quality) interestingly, i used it in feb 2018 when i last flew. when i got home and opened it, i don't lock it, there was a piece of paper from tsa saying they opened it for inspection. ok i thought, no big deal, right? so i go to unpack it and there's a bunch of spent brass all through out the bag. .22's, 38's, 9 & 10mm, powder residue where a fired gun was put down on the inner liner and bits of burnt flake powder all over the bottom. when i shoot a revolver i just empty the fired cylinder full of brass into the bag and collect it when i'm done. you always see that burnt powder and it tumbles out of the fired brass.

i'm sitting here thinking how lucky i've been that i've traveled extensively with this bag and have never been detained and questioned, especially in the state the world has been in. i think i'll retire the bag as my travelling companion. an interesting note...the last time i travelled i was detained at the airport on my way home for over a 1/2 hr. they had a problem with my right sneaker. they wanded it, x-rayed it, scanned it many times, probably thinking they nabbed a domestic senior citizen terrorist while my trusty bag with spent shells and powder residue was safely loaded onto the plane. time to get a new bag, don't need an anal probe at this time in my life.

What are the pros and cons of using a range bag as luggage? As far as i can tell the only pro is not needing a separate bag. The only con, while very unlikely, is inconvenient to say the least. What if you do get selected for additional screening and it takes long enough that you miss your flight?

Decent carry on luggage is not that expensive. I would have a clean bag for air travel. Just an opinion.

 

[Tooth]

I was working a laser booth at a dental convention and one of the working dogs came over and sat next to my bag. The officer was a really cool guy, and it turns out the dog is trained to sit next to anything that smelled like gun powder. I use a backpack for the range and had used it for my crap that day. There was nothing in the bag, but the little dude did his job. The officer just came over and struck up conversation with me, and when he told me what the dog was trained to do I told him that was my range bag. He said if he doesn't notice the dog will just stare at him. I was more interested in the dog, but cool guy and great dog. Needless to say I don't bring that bag anywhere other than the range now.

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

I always seem to get the dreaded "XXXX" stamped on boarding passing. That's extra screening, if you've never seen it. Once, I don't recall the domestic airport, but they brought me into a back room and tossed my luggage like I was a prison inmate. All my neatly folded clothes were on a table like laundry day. While I knew I didn't have anything illegal in there, this thought of "what if anything is contaminated with gunpowder residue" popped up in my mind. They went as far as to wipe down like half a dozen surfaces inside and outside of my luggage and run the swabs through a machine. Same with both of my hands. Nothing came of it, but oddly nerve racking. I do wonder if that machine would pick up my range bag. Had the same experience in Hamad International in Doha. That was even scarier, despite again knowing I had nothing bad on me.

 

[wilson911]

I fly a couple times a month. I have gun gear and travel gear. They are NEVER in the same room. I would just be too afraid of cross contamination with ammo. Not very concerned about powder or GSR on their Mass Spec. I just know I would do something stupid and leave a shell casing or a knife or something.

I would say to look out for dogs, and not just the drug sniffing kind. One time on my way back into Logan I had to line up and go through customs. As the line snaked around for about 45 minutes, they came around with a tiny little beagle sniffing us. The thing sat down right next to me, and I had to hand over my bag. Turns out I had forgotten about a contraband banana, and this dog was a USDA dog looking for illegal produce. I wonder if the have me on a poster in back warning people about my banana smuggling.

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

I fly a couple times a month. I have gun gear and travel gear. They are NEVER in the same room. I would just be too afraid of cross contamination with ammo. Not very concerned about powder or GSR on their Mass Spec. I just know I would do something stupid and leave a shell casing or a knife or something.

I would say to look out for dogs, and not just the drug sniffing kind. One time on my way back into Logan I had to line up and go through customs. As the line snaked around for about 45 minutes, they came around with a tiny little beagle sniffing us. The thing sat down right next to me, and I had to hand over my bag. Turns out I had forgotten about a contraband banana, and this dog was a USDA dog looking for illegal produce. I wonder if the have me on a poster in back warning people about my banana smuggling.

Get yourself Global Entry. From gate to curb almost as fast as you can walk it, save for the 1-2 minutes of messing with the self-checkout machine.

 

[Broc]

I always seem to get the dreaded "XXXX" stamped on boarding passing. That's extra screening, if you've never seen it. Once, I don't recall the domestic airport, but they brought me into a back room and tossed my luggage like I was a prison inmate. All my neatly folded clothes were on a table like laundry day. While I knew I didn't have anything illegal in there, this thought of "what if anything is contaminated with gunpowder residue" popped up in my mind. They went as far as to wipe down like half a dozen surfaces inside and outside of my luggage and run the swabs through a machine. Same with both of my hands. Nothing came of it, but oddly nerve racking. I do wonder if that machine would pick up my range bag. Had the same experience in Hamad International in Doha. That was even scarier, despite again knowing I had nothing bad on me.

Dude, it is weird. I never get that XXXXX except when I travel back from Argentina, EVRY. SINGLE. TIME.

It is annoying AF. I already know so I ask the flight attendants where I should stand to be the first in line. It is funny when they try apologizing and say it is random, LOL, it isn't.

The first time I didnt know, they kept me out there until everyone was in the airplane. They were calling my name on the speaker, I was like "hey, I am that guy you are calling, I am right here".

At least down there, they never took me to a back room, just a table on the side and they swipe pieces of paper all over my bag and check in the computer.

Last time, I printed a picture of a d*ck and put it on top of all my clothing. The employees face when he say that was priceless. I wish I had video of that.

 

[Amputee Marksman]

For me this would be trouble every time. My prosthetic leg always sets the scanner off so I get flagged for a pat down every time. And speaking of stupid, I tell TSA that I have a prosthetic leg and will set the machine off and yet they make me go through it. I am actually to the point where I just drive and avoid flying like the plague. I have had so many negative experiences with TSA and I always have to show up super early because who knows how long it will take for me to get through security but a minimum of an extra 15 minutes when compared to most people.

 

[AHM]

I take it all of you people obsessing about the airport's
Tactical Ordinance Beagle smelling your gun club's wallet card
saw the dog signal every time it walked past a State Trooper.

If the dog didn't sit down,
it must be more proof we should follow Massad's lead,
and only carry the ammo that the cops do.
Because the TOB's are obviously trained to ignore that brand.

---

Flying down to Florida for our first cruise in 2005,
I put all my wall warts in my Bat Belt for some
unfathomable reason.

With tons of time to catch the actual plane,
Logan security pulled me for random explosives swab screening.

Imagine thinking it's your favorite part of the shift
where you screw with some innocent person,
only it turns out to be real work.

I think they had to open a new box of Splody Wet Naps.

FOAFO, TSA.

Cant imagine stuffing clean clothes in a dirty range bag, ...

You probably don't dab Hoppe's #9 on your pulse points before a big date, either.
Do you even operate, bro?

I traveled to Bahamas and found 2 9mm rounds (live) in my shoe, didnt get caught, dumped them in the ocean. Does that mean it is not necessary a stupid idea to travel with ammo in your carry on?

Please tell us you were in a boat at the time.

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

I traveled to Bahamas and found 2 9mm rounds (live) in my shoe, didnt get caught, dumped them in the ocean. Does that mean it is not necessary a stupid idea to travel with ammo in your carry on?

And I have no idea how the 9mm got there, it was not a range bag or range shoes.

I went shooting once last fall. The range gets cold, so I had my hoodie on. About a week later, I'm walking from my car to a grocery store. I just happened to be wearing that same hoodie. It's cold, so I pull the hood up on my head and spent casings fall out of the hood onto the asphalt. Stuff just has a way of finding itself in places it shouldn't be. That, and I don't follow best practices of washing range clothes, I guess. Glad I wasn't going on a trip with that hoodie, as TSA loves nothing more than making a big deal of this type of thing.

 

[fishgutzy]

I never travel with any bag that has been to the range.
When I traveled to China for my last job, my bag always got opened anyway. 6 pounds of protein powder. 6 pounds of coffee. Both look like black blocks on the x-ray.
One trip I set of the sniffer because I did not wash my hands before packing and handling the bags. That was about 15 minute delay while someone ran a computer check.

 

[Broc]

Please tell us you were in a boat at the time.

LOL ... diving accident, under a rock.

 

[AHM]

LOL ... diving accident, under a rock.

O, the tragedy...

 

[rep308]

I thought is was a great idea, until I got a S&W 642 through the bag screen at Logan. Fortunately I discovered it before boarding, called the boss about my sudden "illness", and went directly home.....