How many guns does TSA find a day?

A record 6,542 guns — 18 a day — were intercepted at U.S. airport security in 2022. A television displays a no guns sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, Jan.



People Also Ask

In 2022, TSA screened approximately 761 million passengers and crew at airports nationwide. TSA officers across the country discovered firearms in carry-on luggage at a rate of 8.6 firearms per million passengers screened. Stated another way, TSA detected one firearm for every 116,394 travelers screened.

MORE DETAILS

Nationwide last year, TSA officers found 6,542 firearms at 262 different airports. “TSA officers at SMF in 2022 broke a record for the number of firearms discovered in travelers' carry-on luggage at the security checkpoint, exceeding 2021 levels by a one firearm.

MORE DETAILS

A record 6,542 guns — 18 a day — were intercepted at U.S. airport security in 2022. A television displays a no guns sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Atlanta.

MORE DETAILS

According to TSA, agents find one firearm for roughly every 116,394 passengers screened at security checkpoints. If an agent finds a firearm in your carry-on, local airport law enforcement is notified. That agency then determines what happens to you and your firearm.

MORE DETAILS

Only the passenger should retain the key or combination to the lock unless TSA personnel request the key to open the firearm container to ensure compliance with TSA regulations. You may use any brand or type of lock to secure your firearm case, including TSA-recognized locks.

MORE DETAILS

Fidgeting, whistling, and sweaty palms are just a few of the signs listed in a confidential document to help TSA officers nab would-be terrorists.

MORE DETAILS

So what are the odds that a TSA employee will steal something from your bag? In the last decade, fewer than 500 out of the TSA's 150,000 employees have been arrested on suspicion of theft, Melendez said. That's about 0.3 % -- a pretty small number, though I suppose some might argue that it should be closer to zero.

MORE DETAILS

As of December 16, TSA has stopped 6,301 firearms, 88% of which were loaded. This number surpasses the previous record of 5,972 firearms detected in 2021. TSA prevented more than 6,500 firearms in carry-on bags from entering the secure area of airports in 2022, a nearly 10% increase over 2021's record level.

MORE DETAILS

But in the world of government airport security, missing 70% is apparently an improvement over a similar test two years earlier, when the “hi-tech” equipment and the people manning it failed to detect fake weapons 95% of the time.

MORE DETAILS

Here's what the TSA says about transporting guns and ammo, in a nutshell: Your firearm must be packed and unloaded in locked, hard-sided pistol cases in your checked baggage. Never attempt to carry on a firearm.

MORE DETAILS

Declare your firearm(s) at check-in. You'll then be directed to a TSA checkpoint that checks firearms in luggage. You will have to fill out a Firearms Declaration Form, so remember that serial number.

MORE DETAILS

You cannot bring a gun with you onto a plane, except in your checked luggage. The TSA requires that weapons be unloaded, stowed in locked hard-case luggage, and declared at the check-in counter. You cannot bring a concealed carry weapon through TSA security checkpoints.

MORE DETAILS

Most TSA officers are not commissioned law enforcement officers, and their role is to conduct screening of passengers, baggage and cargo. TSA screeners can search you and your baggage at screening checkpoints, but they cannot arrest you.

MORE DETAILS

Yes, some airline pilots do carry guns in the cockpit but carry a gun lawfully they must belong to a special program called the Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDOs). This program requires special training and pilots who enroll have strict limitations on when they can use the firearm.

MORE DETAILS