Comments on CRIME, GUNS, AND VIDEOTAPE: Video of the Dangerous Firearm policy of The TSA

I was an original TSA Screener hired in 2002. I e...

2008-04-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

I was an original TSA Screener hired in 2002. I expierenced first hand the corrupt and inept practices of the TSA Administrators. I spent thousands of dollars and five years in Federal Court and there I expeirenced the corruption and dishonesty of the Justice system. My main problem is to find anyone that is interested in looking at the over 400 pages of documented proof of Constituional violations and Federal Crimes against a Whistle Blower by Administrators in the name of National Security. Guess all the "real" Americans are too scared of the Bush Administration and the Patriot Act. If you read my legal Complaint and read what TSA and DHS's Administrators did to me you's want to make a mini series, if you had the guts I had in at least standing up to the illegal practices of the TSA, Underworld of Governmental Affairs....,

I do and have carried a weapon for the majority of...

2008-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

I do and have carried a weapon for the majority of my working life, somewhere around 25 years. For something like 13 years I carried a very similar holster and weapon combination. I also happen to work for Customs and Border Protection.
One thing that was learned early in my Army years was simply "Load it and leave it". At one point we were required to unload our pistols every time we left the work area. Bullets ended up flying everywhere. The answer was simple and straight forward, simply load the thing and keep it in the holster and all will be well.
Asking anyone do his normal routine and go through the absured procedure outlined here is simply insane. This is a classic example of the way The Dept of Homeland Security operates with top down micromanagement. I seriously doubt whoever dreamed this cockeyed procedure up has any real firearms experience whatsoever. The dangers of items accidentally being jammed into and firing these single action only firearms has been known for some time and well documented. Stuffing cables and such through them is just plain stupid.
When I first heard of this incident my reaction was to wonder what sort of fool was playing around with the gun in flight. Now I understand completely. Considering what I have seen it amazes me that it hasn't happened before.

I’m getting a few comments from both sincere reade...

2008-04-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

I’m getting a few comments from both sincere readers and TSA trolls that I have rejected, not because I disagree but because they are very wrong and misleading. The comments all seem to involve the following factors.

1. The FFDO weapons issued DON’T have the external safety lever found on similar HK pistols.

2. No law enforcement agencies in the world require officers to secure LOADED firearms with a padlock across the trigger.

3. It’s nearly impossible to read the tiny numbers on the padlock without turning the LOADED gun in an UNSAFE direction in the cockpit of an airplane.

4. Keeping a live round in the chambers of this double action pistol is mandated by the TSA. Racking rounds during an assault is a bad idea because it wastes valuable time, giving an attacker an advantage and in darkness the sound gives away your position. Save racking rounds for movie and TV directors that think that’s cool.
The way to end the danger is a simple two fold program:

End the repetitive and unsafe locking/unlocking of the loaded guns.

Have the FFDOs simply place the gun in a holster as they leave their hotel or homes and never handle the firearm other than on a firing range or during an emergency for which the FFDO program was created.

I own the FFDO/Law Enforcement version of the HK U...

2008-04-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

I own the FFDO/Law Enforcement version of the HK USP .40 Compact and it does have an exposed hammer that needs to be back in order to fire, but it operates in an unusual way. It is sort of a hyrid of double action only and a traditional double/single action auto pistol.

In chambered single-action mode, the hammer is always down when your finger is off the trigger. Only the Law Enforcement version operates this way because there is no external safety or traditional de-cock, not unlike the Glocks.

The operation is as follows:

The trigger needs to be pulled back 1/2" or so with very light force (one lb or so) to stage the hammer back to its normal civilian model single action cocked position. At that point, it operates like any other single action pistol with the Law Enforcement 7.5lb trigger pull. Once the trigger/hammer is staged, the entire magazine can be emptied with just the fraction of an inch of the 7.5lb trigger-pull, just like the civilian version with the hammer cocked and locked back.

Not until you fire your rounds and remove your finger from the trigger, does the trigger return to its forward position and the hammer returns to the down position.

It is designed this way to be a step-up safety wise from Glock's trigger-safety, since they didn't want an external safety on their tactical model. It sounds unusual but once you fire the first couple of rounds at the range, it becomes second nature and you would never know the difference.

It also makes it very difficult to accidentally discharge it, in a conventional sense.....unless of course the TSA requires you to blindly jam a padlock through the trigger guard of your chambered weapon (a trigger guard that you cannot even see through the tiny hole in the holster).

JBP

LOL...Firstly that looks like a leather holster I ...

2008-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

LOL...

Firstly that looks like a leather holster I have made by Adirondack leather or something like that,in Cooperstown NY.If it is,all they did was drill a hole throught the leather for a padlock.Really guys,cmon now...

Secondly,that is why I dislike any weapon lacking an exposed hammer.Rifles or handguns.Were it a double action or a 1911 style with an exposed hammer,there'd have been no way you could discharge the weapon.

But then again some people could fuck up a wet dream on the other side of the world....

TSA = Tub Stackers of America.Dont beleive me?Just...

2008-04-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

TSA = Tub Stackers of America.

Dont beleive me?

Just watch them.

My father is an FFDO and I also own the same LE ve...

2008-04-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

My father is an FFDO and I also own the same LE version of the HK USP 40 Compact used by the FFDO's. I know the gun, padlock, holster, and NDB (non-descript bag) rig well and agree that the padlock and the NDB are highly unnecessary risks and much less effective when compared to conventional concealed carry. It promotes too much handling and manipulation of a foreign object next to the trigger of a chambered semi-automatic pistol in cocked single-action mode*.

It can be argued that there is no excuse for an AD….but when you force each of the thousands of FFDO’s (who are also flying the planes) to jump through these hoops many times on every flight, statistically speaking, you are guaranteed accidents.

*HK USP .40 Compacts use an unconventional single action mode which requires staging the trigger

HEY T.S.A. IT'S THE N.R.A.

2008-04-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

HEY T.S.A. IT'S THE N.R.A.

I am FFDO and only joined the program so I wouldn'...

2008-04-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am FFDO and only joined the program so I wouldn't have to suffer the affront every time I went to work of being frisked by some guy named Mohammed, who couldn't hold a job at 7-11 or driving a taxi in Manhattan.

Only in America can you produce such an inept leadership of an orgination of morons who don't have the balls to work smarter...not harder. Let me see if I have this right; I'm in uniform with no gun, I have to go through same screening as regular passengers. Take my computer out as well as the gum in my shirt pocket. I carry a gun, I show two photo ID's, sign a book and NOTHING in my bag is searched! That makes a lot of sense.

When will this country wake up and stop all the insanity? If it is for the passengers, simply remind them that we are the most vetted employee group of almost any industry. And, if they are not comfortable, Greyhound and Amtrak would be more than happy to carry them safely to their destinations!

When will the pilots come together and say enough is enough and give the TSA 6 months to come up with universal access or we don't fly? Shut down the plans for one hour and they would have a solution in a week!

We are going to "politically correct" ourselves right up to another event that will make 9-11 look like a picnic!

TSA - Thousands Standing AroundThe FFDO H&K has no...

2008-04-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

TSA - Thousands Standing Around

The FFDO H&K has no external safety.

P.S. A $10 bill lies in an intersection. Approaching from four different directions are the following individuals: Santa Claus, the Toof Fairy, a moderate muslim, and a radical muslim. Who will reach the $10 bill first?
.
.
The radical muslim, because all the rest exist only in our imaginations!

HELLO T.S.A.CONTACT THE N.R.A.HOW TO STORE A FIREA...

2008-04-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

HELLO T.S.A.CONTACT THE N.R.A.HOW TO STORE A FIREARM ON THE FLIGHT DECK THE PAD LOCK NOT A GOOD THING

My comment is in direct response to the comment si...

2008-04-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

My comment is in direct response to the comment signed by "TSA."

In my opinion, the TSA couldn't secure a cheeseburger in a sack at McDonalds much less the aviation industry. The folks hired by TSA are a bunch of affirmative action gimps who couldn't hold any other minimum wage job at a local Wal-Mart.

I have personally witnessed their incompetence on many occasions in airports across our great nation from major metro airports to small town commuter airports.

It is a miracle that terrorists don't cause havoc every day in this country because of hte TSA's lack of training and quality people.

If there is any negligence on the part of the pilo...

2008-04-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

If there is any negligence on the part of the pilot it was to obey the TSA’s reckless policy to place a common padlock or any object on the trigger of a loaded gun.

The TSA policy violates over a hundred years of gun safety training.

TSA stands for "Too Stupid for Arby's"

2008-04-09T00:25:00.000-07:00

TSA stands for "Too Stupid for Arby's"

TSA must stand for totally stupid agency .

2008-04-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

TSA must stand for totally stupid agency .

What do you expect from the Federal Government whe...

2008-04-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

What do you expect from the Federal Government when they didn't want you to have a gun in the first place? Why do you think the training process is going so slow and only one training center in the middle of no where? This is politics and not common sense.

Say, are you the same "The TSA" that instructed pi...

2008-04-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Say, are you the same "The TSA" that instructed pilot to cooperate with hijackers under the obsolete theory that they just wanted attention and a ride someplace?

I thought so!

Say, for a while, didn't you say that pilots couldn't carry toenail clippers?

Isn't it you who insists that Air Marshals dress the part?

And isn't that you asked me for 30 years if any strangers had asked me to carry their suitcases for them?

Why, you haven't changed a bit!

I think the pilots/flight crew should be allowed-n...

2008-04-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I think the pilots/flight crew should be allowed-no,ENCOURAGED to walk the aisles of their airplane wearing the biggest weapon they choose and say "Go ahead, terrorist, make my day"

Wow .... my Glock doesn't have any weird safeties ...

2008-04-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Wow .... my Glock doesn't have any weird safeties (besides the trigger) and I carry it AIWB with the barrell pointing at the family jewels with zero doubt that the jewels are fine, and are going to be fine, even if I have to shoot a bunch of rampaging school shooters and draw and reholster 500 times in the process. I wouldn't want to follow TSAs procedures though. And I find it highly ironic the comments by the TSA supporter saying that criticizing TSA agents should be a federal offense. The front line defenders of my life should be criticized as much as possible, and those criticisms are protected under the same Constitution that granted the government their ability the power to higher them.

As a former Marine who worked for Flag Officers, G...

2008-04-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

As a former Marine who worked for Flag Officers, Generals, I have had the priviledge of meeting member of all of our sister services. Among them, Air Force, Navy, and of course, Mairne Corps pilots. They have been carrying sidearms for many, many years.
There is a wide gap between the civilian sector and the military when it comes to aviation. I won't go into war stories. I will state that had the civilian sector listended particularly to the Air Force, some major airplane crashes could have been avoided, without doubt.
This being said, why in the hell doesn't the civilian sector go to, if not my Marine Corps pilots, who do a hell of a job, the Air Force and ask them the best manner in which to carry sidearms. Safely and effectively. Don't hide them. Let the passengers know that they have them. I know I'd feel a lot safer and I have logged many hours in commercial aircraft. This won't happen because it makes too much sense. No doubt there will be another study which you and I will pay for. They will learn little.

That video is exactly right. That was an actual F...

2008-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

That video is exactly right. That was an actual FFDO issued lock/holster. However, he skipped a few steps in order to be brief.

After closing the cockpit door I was supposed to:
1 Unfasten my belt and un-thread it from the first two loops.
2 Open the NDB (Non-descript bag) in which that holster/lock is carried.
3 Grasp the holster/lock in a "clamshell" grip, that is thumb on one side and fingers on the other while maintaining a good barrel orientation of straight down. All of that is to be done to the side so as not to cover my own lap with the muzzle. (try this at home - it is hilarious)
4 Roll in the lock combination (4 numbers). Note: The numbers will be presented to you upside down if you have installed the lock properly, so remember to enter them in reverse order. Also insure sufficient ambient lighting prior to executing the "clamshell" step. (I am not making this up.)
5. Remove the lock carefully.
6. Place lock in safe place while maintaining the safe "clamshell" grip on the gun/holster.
7. Thread belt through the holster loops and fasten belt. Remember, this is all done while sitting down in an aircraft seat. (Try this in your car for more fun.)
8. Attach the double mag pouch to the weak side of the belt.

The funny thing was, when the marshals issued us these padlocked holsters they made us remove the gun barrels from the weapons prior to letting us try the maneuver. They wouldn't even stay in the room after the training as we loaded our weapons and locked them up.

I was never in any danger of an accidental discharge after receiving this padlock/holster joke because I simply left the whole mess in the NDB (their official term - really) laying on the floor of the cockpit. I have learned that a significant number of my friends started doing the same thing.

After arrival to the destination gate and setting the brake the above items were to be done in reverse while noting carefully that the padlock shank actually slipped in BEHIND the trigger. Once the NDB was zipped up then we could open the door and go back to normal operations. I flew on average 5 flights/day that is handling this gun 10 times.

Even with all of that, I quit the program for another reason. It was the times I carried the gun in the NDB. Try it, get a gun, load it, put it in a bag, and carry that bag with you wherever you go. Never let it get beyond your reach, EVER, while you concentrate on your work, travel, eating, moving about, using the restroom, etc............ Think often of the consequence if you were to inadvertently misplace that bag and it disappeared, especially inside an airport.

That was the part that made me crazy.

The whole thing is absurd. The man is the captain ...

2008-04-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

The whole thing is absurd. The man is the captain of the plane. If he can be trusted to have a gun then trust him to have a gun.

Let him put the gun in the holster when he get dressed for work and leave it there until he goes home. It works for lots of people every day. All of this unnecessary fiddling with the gun is a great way to cause accidents.

If the pilot has to leave the cockpit or use the restroom, his nice blue jacket should cover the gun and holster nicely. Nobody has to be "frightened" and nobody has to see it.

If the man/woman can be trusted to fly the plane and carry a firearm, then don't regulate him/her into doing dangerous things

WorstNightMare said... "The TSA is a joke in its c...

2008-04-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

WorstNightMare said...
"The TSA is a joke in its current form, and frequently, as with the latest nipple ring fiasco, oversteps and abuses its authority."

Couldn't agree with you more. TSA stands for Terrible Security at Aiports.

On another note, someone else posted that lockboxes are in the cockpit. If the guns are required to be locked and are only allowed in the cockpit, then keep them locked in a box. Unlocking the box and removing a firearm cannot be any more of a struggle or take longer than unlocking it from one's holster.

Really?!? The TSA protects people? What a joke. ...

2008-04-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Really?!? The TSA protects people? What a joke. The TSA is nothing more than a giant embarrassment on the world's stage. How many failures have we heard about in the past year. Oh but the TSA commenter says they are doing a great job. When have you performed this function. When you missed the make explosives test, time and time again?

We're already living in a police state. The First...

2008-04-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

We're already living in a police state. The First Amendment, the Second Amendment and the Fourth Amendment (protection from unreasonable search and seizure) are all destroyed at the TSA's airline insecurity checkpoint.

When someone finally gets hurt because of TSA's absurd regulations for handling firearms, the incident will be used to justify eliminating the program altogether - for "safety reasons."