Someone Puts Primer Caps For Bullets In His Airline Baggage! Nearly Wounds Handler

Steely Dan

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/28/florida.flight.baggage/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Thank God this didn't happen while the plane was in the air.

Air passenger charged after bullet primer caps ignite
By the CNN Wire Staff
December 28, 2010 7:04 p.m. EST

(CNN) -- A 37-year-old airline passenger was arrested Tuesday in Miami after primer caps for bullets ignited while a baggage handler was unloading a roll-on bag, the FBI said.

The tarmac incident is not believed to be terrorism-related, FBI special agent Michael Leverock said.

Leverock would not provide details or speculate on how the bag might have gotten on the plane. He compared the primer to a "spark plug" for the bullet....
 
Just an FYI for those that might not be familiar with the modern bullet. This is a diagram that shows which part is the primer cap:

revolver-bullet.gif
 
Just an FYI for those that might not be familiar with the modern bullet. This is a diagram that shows which part is the primer cap:

revolver-bullet.gif

Thanks for taking a shot at teaching us sumpin. :great:
 
Thanks for taking a shot at teaching us sumpin. :great:

Well, it was worth a shot. :floorlaugh:

smiley-fighting0037.gif


ETA - Can I say that I am sooooo glad that the TSA didn't let my sunscreen get by them. You know, it was in a container that was larger than 3 oz. But ammo... let's just toss that in the cargo hold! </sarcasm>
 
Okay....I know zilch about bullets and ammo. How can the cap be explosive? Is it because it has gun powder residue on it already? How could the caps have any explosive capabilities if they are just end pieces? I guess I just don't get how the caps themselves exploded.

(Thanks Tuffy for the photo and info.)
 
Okay....I know zilch about bullets and ammo. How can the cap be explosive? Is it because it has gun powder residue on it already? How could the caps have any explosive capabilities if they are just end pieces? I guess I just don't get how the caps themselves exploded.

(Thanks Tuffy for the photo and info.)

I see, you're probably thinking of them as just a metal cap. They are actually filled with a chemical.

The primer caps are highly explosive. It contains a combustible chemical that ignites when the firing pin hits it. The charge from the primer ignites the gunpowder. The gunpowder expands and pushes the bullet out of the casing and down the barrel of the gun.

Primers are designed to ignite on impact, and might even ignite if heated. Definitely not something you would want to just throw a bunch of into your luggage knowing that they baggage handlers will be tossing it onto a plane.
 

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