TSA finds record-breaking 73 guns in carry-on luggage in a week

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- The TSA confiscated a record-breaking 73 guns from various airline passengers' carry-on bags last week. Out of that batch, 68 of the guns were loaded and 27 had a round in the chamber.

The previous record of 68 was set just last fall, in October 2015. The TSA said on its blog that when weapons are spotted at security checkpoints, even novelty items that are not actually weapons, will cause delays at airports because "explosives detection professionals must respond to resolve the alarm," the TSA said.

"Unfortunately these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent," the TSA said. "Each time we find a dangerous 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."

The fine for attempting to bring a weapon on a plane can be up to $11,000.

However, the TSA says passengers can travel with firearms, but the passenger must tell the airline up front and check the weapon -- unloaded in a lock box -- with checked baggage, and never carried on.