Much to their surprise, however, this gun was not your ordinary gun – it was a 3D-printed replica. Guns in general are a hot-button topic in the United States especially, and the fact that 3D printers have made it possible to make your own functional firearm at home has some people very concerned.
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This is the second gun brought to the checkpoint in one week.
Transportation Security Administration officers at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport thought they had a routine confiscation when they detected a gun in a passenger’s carry-on bag recently.
The bag contained the handgun loaded with 11 bullets, including one in the chamber, along with two spare clips each loaded with 10 rounds, according to airport officials. “Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are finding, but at the same time, each time we find a risky item, the line is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested”.
One of 68 firearms discovered in carry-on bags nationally the week ending August 4, 2016, the TSA says it was a realistic replica, loaded with live ammunition.
The 3D printed gun discovered in Reno. The new center at Bush Intercontinental is in the baggage area of Terminal C, and the location at Hobby is in the main lobby, near the TSA security checkpoint.
PreCheck is also included with the TSA’s Global Entry program.
I can’t imagine forgetting that I had packed a gun or brass knuckles, but the point is that just because an item is plastic doesn’t mean that it’s undetectable. In my experience, airport screening technology misses very little – I’ve been pulled aside for forgetting to empty a water bottle in my carry-on bag, and a few times because the bunched-up lining in my jeans pocket showed up as an area of concern on the body scanner.
In this case, the outline of a firearm was detected during an X-ray screening of a passenger’s bag.
Passengers are permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage if they are properly packaged and declared.
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The Liberator broken into parts.
