Need GSR Advice

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rperyam

rperyam

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Aug 6, 2014
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We are leaving for the airport for a two week vacation in about 3 hours. I wanted to finish reloading a batch of 9MM loads I left unfinished from last night. My wife came out just now and asked if I will smell like a bomb maker when I hit TSA. Boy do I feel stupid, never thought of that. I’ve washed my hands with lots of soap and water and am now heading for the shower. Anyone know if I’m going to be in trouble or will washing with soap and water get rid of any traces of gunpowder?
 
a member of my club had to go on a trip.

but his flight was delayed till later in the day.

he went home, washed his hands and face.

but did not shower, nor change his clothing or shoes

gets to the airport, and sets off the "sniffer alarms", and gets tackled.

he tried to explain he was at the club, TSA said to him BS, you made a bomb, where is it.

he had to call a club member of the board, and that guy had to go to the airport, and show them the "sign in book", we all must sign in/out each time.

although that proved where he was, he missed his flight, and his wife was pissed.

so...take a shower, use lead wash soap, if you have it, change clothing, AND shoes...........!!!!!

YMMV
 
For my airline experience, it's mostly random--the shift supervisor decides that they need to scan a person in line.

Or if they are on higher "alert" status, there will be more "detecting" going on.

Only time I've every been pulled out of line, it was after having been on a job site, and I had spilled diesel on my boots.
 
I set off the sniffers entering a commercial nuclear plant I was working at due to handling powder. It’s a real thing.

No, you won’t be in legal trouble because they won’t find explosives on you. (Right?)

No guarantees once you set the alarm off TSA will let you pass to fly, however.

Regarding the alarm, if you set it off, tell TSA “Maybe it’s my cologne? It makes my wife pretty explosive, too.”
 
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In my experience, TSA will do everything it can to make a free citizen feel like an animal, whether you meticulously follow all of the rules, or not. I am earnest in my desire to never fly again unless it is significantly impractical to drive. The rigamarole required to simply board an aircraft is dehumanizing.
 
The last time I flew was in January this year. I had to walk past a "bomb dog" and got "alerted." This means ALL of my stuff was swabbed, my hands were swabbed, and I almost missed my flight. This is in spite of arriving 2 hours before my flight. My respect for "bomb sniffing gear" is minimal, and my respect for TSA "officers" is almost non-existent. I would say scrub down with good soap and avoid the reloading.
 
Last year in Munich, I was boarding the flight home, first class, so boarding first, almost past the ticket agent, and I got pulled By German security. Emptied my backpack and they swabbed everything. Then they swabbed me. Pant legs up, sleeves rolled up. Then came the Labrador Retriever favorite, the belly rub or swab. Barely made my flight, everyone else was already on board.

On a flight from Sydney to Vancouver I had to do the empty everything from my luggage and backpack. Why do I say these things? Because through security, anything and everything can happen. Go with the flow. Do what ya gotta do and keep quiet. Act as all is normal. Been a lot of miles and seen a lot.
 
Up until 10 years ago I would use my back pack to carry stuff to and from the range and as a carry-on when flying. I got a dedicated range bag just to ensure nothing got missed while unloading however I never got flagged. I routinely go to the range and then fly the same day without any special precautions. FWIW different airports have widely different screening machines and protocols so your results will vary.
 
My luggage has been stored for decades under a shelf that is covered in ammo, and sits about 4 feet from my reloading bench. There is powder residue and spent primers kicked out of my presses around the area all the time.

IMG_2755.jpeg

I haven’t had anything more than a random “enhanced search” at the TSA line. Those swabs haven’t ever sent me to a dark room in the back of the airport somewhere.

Stay safe.
 
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When I hunt prairie dogs in CO we literally hunt right up to departure time. The jeep we hunt from and myself have to be covered in GSR after a few days of hot and heavy shooting. I only bring a small backpack as my friend has tons of rifles to use. On the last day, my back pack is with us in the jeep. I go straight from jeep to TSA. I have never been stopped at the Denver or COS airports upon departure. I am not saying it does not happen, but it has not happened to me.
 
Dog alerted on my car in short term parking. I was just there to pick up someone flying in. 6 hours, 4 strip searches and a full body x ray later, they finally let me go. Yea, I haven't flown in over 25 years, but not only won't I ever fly again, I'll never go near an airport. I hope for the best for you, but let us know how it goes.
 
rperyam said:
We are leaving for the airport for a two week vacation in about 3 hours. I wanted to finish reloading a batch of 9MM loads I left unfinished from last night. My wife came out just now and asked if I will smell like a bomb maker when I hit TSA. Boy do I feel stupid, never thought of that. I’ve washed my hands with lots of soap and water and am now heading for the shower. Anyone know if I’m going to be in trouble or will washing with soap and water get rid of any traces of gunpowder?
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I don't know if you'll have any trouble or not. It won't hurt to wash your hands and arms good.

It seems to be story time, so I have a couple to relate!
One year when a group of us were going to Canada to deer hunt one of the guys with us got flagged. He was a retired guy and raised Horses and Cows. He had a jean jacket on, was wearing a cowboy hat and had polished his boots. The sniffer picked up the Ammonia on his boots from working around his livestock. They just about strip searched the poor guy!

Another time we were going to hunt Prairie Dogs and had to pick up one of our friends at the Amarillo airport. We were met in the driveway by security. I told the guy that we had several scoped rifles in cases down under our other gear and several hundred rounds of ammo. The rifles and ammo didn't faze him but he zeroed in on a target holder that I had built from PVC pipe with a little concrete in the base! I never even thought...........

Any way, hope you have a nice trip!
 
I never fly. My son did quite a bit when he was in the Army. On one trip he and a very elderly little white woman were pulled out of line for more checks while three men of obviously middle east descent, beards and all, were allowed to walk right on through. Being a rather plain spoken and crusty army sergeant he made his feeling plainly known to the TSA staff. He was told it would be racial profiling if the men were held up. He had some choice words for the reply but it did nothing to prevent either of them being gone over with a fine tooth comb. My wife had an elderly aunt that had a pair of very small nail trimming scissors taken away from her before she was allowed to board a plane at Chicago. TSA Is keeping us safe in the skies. Suuuure they are. Just another HAed government agency doing a HAed job.
 
There is a difference between gun shot residue and un-burned powder residue, at least one would think. But I doubt if their testing methods can readily tell the difference.

Pre 9/11, pre TSA, I know ATL and DCA couldn't detect Unique with a swab. Of course back then you could conduct experiments with little repercussion. Today I'd be as careful as everyone above has mentioned.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. Just get to the airport with a couple extra hours to spare.

I had my shoes tested for explosive material. I was coming home on vacation from contracting in Iraq and said so. No issues.
I prefer to drive as I can bring more guns with me. However, I also fly frequently and bring to handguns in a locked box in my checked luggage.
 
doubleh said:
I never fly. My son did quite a bit when he was in the Army. On one trip he and a very elderly little white woman were pulled out of line for more checks while three men of obviously middle east descent, beards and all, were allowed to walk right on through. Being a rather plain spoken and crusty army sergeant he made his feeling plainly known to the TSA staff. He was told it would be racial profiling if the men were held up. He had some choice words for the reply but it did nothing to prevent either of them being gone over with a fine tooth comb. My wife had an elderly aunt that had a pair of very small nail trimming scissors taken away from her before she was allowed to board a plane at Chicago. TSA Is keeping us safe in the skies. Suuuure they are. Just another HAed government agency doing a HAed job.
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This is exactly why we are doomed as a nation. Thank God I don't have any children.

If TSA wanted to be effective, they would be looking for bombers instead of bombs.

"Racial profiling?" So sad, too bad. Let's face it: there's only one group of people blowing up planes and it sure as hell isn't very elderly little white women.

And your son being detained and scrutinized by those bozos is the very definition of irony. I hope he let them know that too.
 
bdickens said:
And your son being detained and scrutinized by those bozos is the very definition of irony.
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He was in civies. At that point in time you did not wear your army uniform except for a quick stop on the way either to or from home to grab something like cigaretts or a snack. BDU's were work clothes and not to be worn when not working. I believe full dress was allowed for funerals, weddings, and such but not sure and who would want to wear a dress uniform to fly all the way from Lubbock, TX to Germany. I have no idea of what is allowed in today's "woke but almost broke" army.
 
I don't think they see spent powder. I use a tool bag for a range bag. In a pinch, I've taken my range bag, with a pile of used brass in it, dumped it out, then thrown a handful of tools in it and got on a plane. If they swabbed it, there was plenty of spent powder.
 
doubleh said:
He was in civies. At that point in time you did not wear your army uniform except for a quick stop on the way either to or from home to grab something like cigaretts or a snack. BDU's were work clothes and not to be worn when not working. I believe full dress was allowed for funerals, weddings, and such but not sure and who would want to wear a dress uniform to fly all the way from Lubbock, TX to Germany. I have no idea of what is allowed in today's "woke but almost broke" army.
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I am aware of that, thank you. It's been that way since long before I was in. Doesn't change the irony though.
 
gets to the airport, and sets off the "sniffer alarms", and gets tackled.

he tried to explain he was at the club, TSA said to him BS, you made a bomb, where is it.
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Actually tackled? There's a vast difference between "sir please step over here for a better check" and being physically assaulted and it sounds like somebody needed a good lawyer to point out the difference to an idiot who shouldn't be in that job.
 
I know you don’t want to get the random SSSS on your boarding pass. It targets you for advanced screening which can take a long time.
 
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