TargetTalk

Just received a letter from my Senator forwarding a response from TSA. They state that they worked with the Paintball Association and compressed gas industry and that they will not allow airgun cylinders in baggage unless the valve is removed and it is open for inspection. They will not open the cylinder themselves.

There goes the Nationals :(

I will post entire text if interested.

Please post it.
It's ok to have knives and scissors now; perhaps the switchblade lobby can spread some cash around and get them on the approved list also. I'm sure the flight crews feel much safer now that Homeland Security/TSA is on the job for real. I seem to remember an old axiom about absolute power corrupting absolutely.
God save us from our elected and officals and anointed department heads.

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Actually, only scissors are allowed -- knives are not allowed. (Since the definition of a scissor is basically two crossed knives with a bearing... one cannot fathom how they make such decisions that seem more like arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.)

I got roundly criticised by someone on the "general" topic area for not being more pro-active on this. I only wrote my congressman and senator once! (And got the same boiler-plate you got...).

My personal experience, and apparently that of other field target shooters who shoot rifles, is that the TSA "red flag" is the extra cylinders that pistol shooters typically carry. Field target shooters usually don't have extra cylinders. If the cylinder appears to be an integral part of the gun, TSA seems to let the integral cylinder pass. Since a piston gun and a PCP don't appear a lot different, perhaps they don't make the distinction?

I would suggest carrying no spare cylinders but shipping your spare to the venue or your hotel ahead of time. Take a self-addressed, stamped envelope with you just in case and put your integral cylinder in it if you must (or just ship both via UPS, FedEx, or whatever).

The really rediculous thing is that one can carry a whole lot of expolsives (powder ammunition) quite legally but not a few ounces of air in a tank.

Best,

Joe

there is not paint ball association, and Bob Mitchell called the compressed gas industry association and spoke at length and found that no one at that organization is set up to give such advice.

we all need to keep writing our elected officials.

Poole

Bruce,
sounds like you got the same letter that Bill Poole got back in the summer and the whole USA Shooting presentation was a response too. I hate it when politicians respond with the same form letter that you were responding to the first time and I have had that happen.

FWIW, to date I have not got any response to my letters to my Senators Frist, Alexander and my congressman

Who needs facts to get where they are going?

I just wrote to the White House on the matter. I am advised (by my wife, the judge) that legally, I must be an agrieved party in order to be able to sue and be heard by an administrative law judge regarding this issue. So I will pack my stuff and plan on a confrontation. The problem with that is I don't have big pockets to present the argument in Federal court.

I think it is time for the US National Team to make some waves and get arrested, see how goverment stupidity plays out in the public spotlight.

best regards

I just flew from Reagan National to Denver on Air Tran with my airgun and attached cylnder. Left the spare at home. I had no problem what so ever.

Dick Poore

That's great but I can't count on getting stupid clerks. Where I live, they specifically ask about the guns, match them to your permit, do a NICS check on the spot, and have denied Jr Olympic participants from flying with cylinders that are not openable. I refuse to accept the "hope for an oversight" policy. I expect this ridiculous policy to be reversed!

NICS checks??? Under what authorization are they doing NICS checks? NICS checks should NEVER apply to air guns. Where are you flying from?

Bruce Martindale wrote:That's great but I can't count on getting stupid clerks. Where I live, they specifically ask about the guns, match them to your permit, do a NICS check on the spot, and have denied Jr Olympic participants from flying with cylinders that are not openable. I refuse to accept the "hope for an oversight" policy. I expect this ridiculous policy to be reversed!

What is a "NICS" check??

NICS is the national instant background check. Airguns are not covered by NICS or NY permits but the others are.

The NY Attorney General (A democrat of course) had ordered several airports to be aggressive on guns, one was Albany, the others in NYC. They have managed to arrest a number of people, including servicemen traveling through NY airports on their way to other legal end destinations They siezed the equipment and arrested the owners. The NRA fought them and won as this is a violation of Federal law, that you can travel from point to point with guns even if they are not legal at midpoints. I am not sure they all got their guns back but those charges were dropped. The other group that had end points in NY state and had guns with them are screwed as they didnt have a NY permit and you cant get one unless you are a resident. Tammany hall at its finest!