Any Surefire Airport confiscations?

[this_is_nascar]

I've traveled with an E2E and a G2Z without incident.

 

[fasteddie]

I did have an incident recently. They didn't confiscate my 3P, but they did make me take it off the front of my Glock!

 

[Size15's]

I've been to Austria a couple weeks ago. They checked out my E2e+KL1 that was in my jacket pocket (went through x-ray) asked my to turn it on.

This time last year I came back from Dubai with an M2 in my jacket pocket (went through x-ray) they didn't even ask to see it.

When I came back from the SHOT Show 2002, I had about eight SureFires and countless SF123As in my BlackHawk Tactician rucksack. Went through x-ray a few times but was never searched.

If you get questioned, I've found it best NOT to say it's a flashlight for blinding people used with a firearm. If they ask if it's a MagLite, just suffer the idiot and agree.

To be honest, I don't think I fit the profile they are looking out for so in the four walks I've made through UK passport control since last September I've never had to open my passport - just wave it at the officer.

Another thing, best not to use the SureFire during flight unless really required because people are sometimes nervous and will over-react to a can of Coke being opened.

Al

 

[rodmeister]

Fasteddie, I LOL

 

[brightnorm]

I've taken many domestic flights since 9/11 and one flight to Canada, and I always carried a variety of lights. Prior to boarding the USA bound flight I was subjected to the most thorough search so far. In addition to demonstrating all my lights I had to open several of them. I've never had any confiscated, and I've seen a growing sophistication about lights, reflected in a more comfortable and familiar attitude: "of course sir, that's obviously a flashlight" etc.

I'd love to see Paul Kim go through customs with his famous "Everthing But The Kitchen Sink" light.

Brightnorm

 

[AlexGT]

Be careful if you go to any city in Mexico, they recently confiscated about 20 AA batteries because the f--ing NEANTHERTHAL Law there prohibits to take batteries outside the tools they power

, they didn`t complain about my E2, Scorpion, Photons and Eternalight I had with me, just the batteries. At least I got to tell them to shove them up theirs...

HTH
Alex

Edit. PS. Extra batteries must go in the registered luggage, and don`t bring even nailclippers on board.

 

[Size15's]

Without nailclippers, towards the end of a long-haul flight, your nails could be offensive weapons - quite by no fault of your own. There should be a warning that due to customers not being allowed to have basic products like a nail-file or clippers, customers are asked to bite their nails so as not to cause a safety risk in case their hand or finger is used against their will.

Al

 

[Viper]

Has anyone ever had a problem with surefire's being taken away or confiscated at Airport Security?

I have a 6Z Surefire light with the lanyard and it says COMBAT on the handle. I have seen less menacing things being taken away, like a 2" plastic GI Joe toy (in last months NRA magazine).

I am flying next week to several different countries, and I would hate have some minimum wage screener have a cow over my light.

Thanks

 

[Pellidon]

The closest I have come was when a screener looked at my Eternalight and asked "Uh... could you turn.... um.... what is this?". After a quick flicker of the lights he looked relieved and then said "cool".

 

[E__WOK]

Originally posted by guncollector:
Anyone tried taking a TID-equipped Surefire through the airport with them?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I went through SFO a few weeks ago and everything went through the metal detector or xray machine.

I don't have a TID but I don't think it would make it through as it would have to go through the xray machine and they would catch it.

 

[brightnorm]

Originally posted by Size15s:
Without nailclippers, towards the end of a long-haul flight, your nails could be offensive weapons - quite by no fault of your own. There should be a warning that due to customers not being allowed to have basic products like a nail-file or clippers, customers are asked to bite their nails so as not to cause a safety risk in case their hand or finger is used against their will.

Al

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

!

Brightnorm

 

[guncollector]

Anyone tried taking a TID-equipped Surefire through the airport with them?

 

[Charles Bradshaw]

If I was questioned, I would remind them that everything is a weapon, and the human body represents 48 weapons (I counted the parts usable as weapons, including the entire body). That alone represents 960 years in Federal Prison, for me (disabled).

 

[Lurker]

I did some surfing on the FAA website last night and found out the following (these are not quotes, just paraphrasing):

Flashlights are not disallowed on flights (obviously)

Weapons of any kind are not allowed (obviously) including kubotans or anything club-like.

Dual-purpose items that are seemingly innocent, but can be used as weapons are not allowed.

Based on that, I would assume that the larger Maglites would be quickly screened by any competent screener since they are club-like and designed to be dual-purpose. Probably any all-metal flashlight larger than a Scorpion would get close attention at least, relative to it's size and usability as a club.

Also, a really good screener would recognize a StreamLight Batonlight is really a kubotan with a light (I believe it was designed as a kubotan), so would screen that, also, but a lot of screeners might miss it. Aragorn posted carrying one through without incident recently. The Innova X5 has a very similar configuration to the batonlight, but looks friendlier. X5 is probably in a grey area, but I wouldn't be surprised if it got confiscated, and I wouldn't want to lose an expensive light that way, so I wouldn't chance it. Another light with similar usability as a kubotan is the common Mini Maglight AA. But this one is such a common flashlight that everyone is familiar with, I don't think it would be perceived as a weapon and would probably clear security just like the Surefires (I wouldn't try a TID).

By the way, all of this stuff can be put in checked baggage without a problem (except possible theft).

I'm planning to carry a black MiniMag AA (not the best color choice) when I fly in a few weeks. I want a light with me, of course, and I can easily replace that if it gets confiscated. Can anyone confirm or correct these assumptions?

 

[x-ray]

I wonder what they would do with a fliklite, bet you could do some real damage with one of those.

 

[Quickbeam]

I imagine a 3AA Brinkmann would serve very well as a kubotan (extra length). Perhaps silver so it doesn't have that black "tactical" look. Stick it in your carry on and it would probably get ignored....

EDIT: they only come in black, but you can get different colored grips.

http://www.thebrinkmanncorp.com/acb/showprod.cfm?&DID=8&CATID=2&ObjectGroup_ID=3

 

[Joe Talmadge]

Originally posted by Pellidon:
The closest I have come was when a screener looked at my Eternalight and asked "Uh... could you turn.... um.... what is this?". After a quick flicker of the lights he looked relieved and then said "cool".

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Heh, exact same thing happened with my Arc LS (123A battery setup). He was a little freaked 'til I turned it on.

Joe

 

[rodmeister]

If I had the TID Surefire, I'd tell the screener it was a combo meat-tenderizer/flashlight, for camping or cooking in a dark room.

 

[pal251]

why do you guys bother carrying more then one light on a plane trip....I would search you too if I seen someone carrying multiple flashlights onboard

 

[Light-Headed]

Uhhhh....if you haven't figured out why flashaholics do these types of things yet.....you probably need to do a lot more reading of previous threads on this board.

The simplest answer I can give you is.....because they can.