Stolen casting tools, need to vent...

[the_ursus]

I ended up getting a bunch of casting stuff this year for our Christmas in Georgia! My dad and sweet wife got me everything I asked for on my list, 2 new molds, 2 new sets of mold handles, sizer, gas checks, hardness tester, lube and top punch. Everything I need to get back in to casting. I've been putting off doing any casting for the past month or so since I lacked a couple important items but since I got them for Christmas all I needed to do was get home and put them to use! WELL...... Got all our bags back from the airport but one, yeah, you guessed it. Whatever, I'll get it the next day when it comes in on the next flight (GA to AK) I can live with that. So I just got back from getting my bag at the airport all ready to start tinkering since I've got an hour or two while my little boy is sleeping and that's when I discovered all my casting stuff is gone. I'm going through the "claims" process with Alaska Airlines so hopefully there will be some resolve by tomorrow. This is the first time I've had anything stolen while traveling, I guess my number was up.

Sorry guys, just needing to vent with some folks that might sympathize.

Luke

[docone31]

Wow!!! That sucks.
I had dealings with Alaska Airlines. They won.
I hope it is different with you.
I can lose a lot of things, but, my gear is sacrosanct.
I don't have words for how you must feel.
Vent away, you earned it.
Next time though, as I learned, go the Brown truck.
My wife gives me an hard time with it, but I have walked an hard mile.
Brown Truck.
Gads, there are some things men should have left alone.
Vent away.
I wish I was home up there. It has been too long.

[mikenbarb]

Im sorry to hear that and you should double the cost of them so you can buy more goodies on them for the headache.[smilie=b:

[madcaster]

Reckon a thief like that is even smart enough to know what it is for?[smilie=f:

[runfiverun]

sorry to hear about you losing all those hensley and gibbs molds and that swell magma bottom pour 40 lb pot.
and i cannot believe they took all 25,000 gas checks too.
that really sucks i hope they will just replace the stuff and not give you a check to but new plus shipping to a.k. on top of that.

[the_ursus]

Reckon a thief like that is even smart enough to know what it is for?[smilie=f:

I have a hard time believing someone who knew about casting would do such a thing but maybe it just looked like good stuff to take to a pawn shop. I'm in the process of finding receipts since most of it was brand new.

[Down South]

sorry to hear about you losing all those hensley and gibbs molds and that swell magma bottom pour 40 lb pot.
and i cannot believe they took all 25,000 gas checks too.
that really sucks i hope they will just replace the stuff and not give you a check to but new plus shipping to a.k. on top of that.

You forgot to mention the two Star Sizers and all of the dies. Joking aside, I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I know how it feels. I had a couple of my guns stolen once.

[Heavy lead]

The airlines are simply horrible anymore. The next hunt I go on, I probably will just ship my gear to the outfitter, and ship back. UPS, or FedEx. Hope you get your stuff back.

[Dennis Eugene]

Sorry to hear about the theivery. Where abouts in alaska are you? Dennis

[compass will]

I ended up getting a bunch of casting stuff this year for our Christmas in Georgia! My dad and sweet wife got me everything I asked for on my list.

Luke

are you from GA, or your Wife? My Wife is from Macon GA. I can't get her to move any further north then SE PA. I have never seen a person get so down in the winter time.

[the_ursus]

I live in Juneau, AK and was only visiting in GA for Christmas. It was nice there but I think I'll stay here in Juneau.

[Dennis Eugene]

well come on down to Prince of Wales if ya want to do some castin' Dennis

[jack19512]

I have a hard time believing someone who knew about casting would do such a thing but maybe it just looked like good stuff to take to a pawn shop.







Maybe it was someone that took casting very serious himself but had been a bad boy by opening other peoples luggage and stealing so Santa didn't bring him anything for XMAS. :x

[skeet1]

I read you story of the missing casting equipment and I cant imagine a caster doing this or a none caster wanting it. Is it possible that some dunder head TSA person not knowing what it was removed it because they thought it might be hazardous? I have had issues with them before and I hope this is not what happened.

Skeet1

[DanM]

I am very sorry to hear about your troubles. This is a good place to vent, as you are amongst friends here. I am semi retired from my photography business, but I used to average 2-3 trips a month, mostly USA trips, but some overseas work, and I ALWAYS shipped my equiptment seperately via FedEx. I would ship directly to the client's site, or to the hotel. You just can't trust any airline with your valuable stuff. I hope you get satisfaction over your loss....

[MoldyJoe]

Bummer, I had a lost bag that I actually got a check for. The do it by weight, claim high and they will reimburse you based on the weight of the bag when you checked in. Years ago it was about $6.50 a pound. It took them about 3 months to get me a check but it worked. Good luck, MoldyJoe

[copdills]

sorry to hear about the loss of your casting equipment, hope it works out

[housedad]

I hope you get your bag. I had one go missing once when I went to Jamaica. It was returned to me 2 months after I got back home. They said they found it in Malasia!!

[KCSO]

Stealing your new casting stuff is bad, I hope the airline replaces your stuuf. I also hope you resist the urge to become a thief yourself by filing a false claim. Personally I see little difference between either variety of THIEF.

[Harpman]

maybe you could just call the ATF and tell them to give you your stuff back.

[valathar]

I read you story of the missing casting equipment and I cant imagine a caster doing this or a none caster wanting it. Is it possible that some dunder head TSA person not knowing what it was removed it because they thought it might be hazardous? I have had issues with them before and I hope this is not what happened.

Skeet1


Yep, the #1 most likely "thief" is our beloved Feral Govt, specifically the TSA. I've had pocket knives taken from checked luggage before... where they are perfectly legal and safe. Seems like every year there is something that gets "lost" from our checked bags. I know many other people who have had the same experience, and won't travel with anything valuable anymore in their checked bags.

If these guys are going to have to go through our bags... why can't they do it on video camera if they're really 100% legit? There was a lot of demand for that a couple years back, but apparently the TSA squashed the notion. I can not imagine one possible, legitimate, honest reason why they would fight that. The get to go through our bags any time they want... but they can't be monitored while doing so? That's a recipe for theft and abuse.

[45&30-30]

That's a shame, hope it all works for the better in the end.

[Nefarious Cohort]

I flew back to PA from CO see the parents for 2 weeks from all the horror stories about stolen items from checked bags I just shipped my stuff UPS.
I got pulled out of the TSA line for "Closer Inspection" when I asked why they picked me I was told because I was traveling with no luggage, I looked the TSA person right in eye and said "So because I deprived some TSA person the opportunity to rummage thru my stuff and take what they wanted I am being inconvenienced?"
They just answered "well thats one way to look at it" without batting an eye

I sure hope you get your stuff back, it a shame what they get away with

[9.3X62AL]

Stealing your new casting stuff is bad, I hope the airline replaces your stuuf. I also hope you resist the urge to become a thief yourself by filing a false claim. Personally I see little difference between either variety of THIEF.

Yeah, 2 wrongs don't make a right. From your earlier text, it sounds like you're doing it all on the up and up, chasing down receipts and all that drag. PITA, but doing the right thing often takes that form. Sorry to hear about the loss, so far I've had every bag lost by an airline found and returned--sometimes after a week or more.

I doubt that most of the crooks I dealt with would recognize a bullet mould or its value. With all the laptop puters, X-Boxes, and other goodies in airline baggage--the loss of casting equipment to theft is a little surprising. Maybe TSA did remove it--not many Rhodes scholars or out-of-box thinkers in that outfit.

[the_ursus]

So right now I'm waiting for the "paper work" they are going to send me before I can proceed with anything.

Just to clarify, my casting stuff was the only thing missing out of my bag, I got the bag back.

[Scrounger]

Almost certainly TSA took the tools and you will never get them back or receive compensation for them...

[OLPDon]

Caster don't steal from casters, kind of like stealing a Gidians Bible out of Motel Room. Someone that would read the Bible wouldn't steal it and someone that would steal would not read it. My guess TSA HAND IS IN IT.
Don

[dukenukum]

This is why I gave up flying when my custom Olds trumpet went " missing " after flying to Florida to record some tracks for a friends album . had " insurance " got a whole 50 DOLLARS for a 6000 dollar horn .
I hate flying . [smilie=b: :violin:

[TAWILDCATT]

might be a good idea to tell the NRA,they wont get it back for you but it would be on record with them,also your senator.most people shrug their shoulders and take the hit.then nobody knows about it and it keeps on.I would also write a letter to TSA and complain.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[badgeredd]

might be a good idea to tell the NRA,they wont get it back for you but it would be on record with them,also your senator.most people shrug their shoulders and take the hit.then nobody knows about it and it keeps on.I would also write a letter to TSA and complain.:coffee:[smilie=1:

+1 on that. The NRA may not get your stuff back, but I'd guess they will make someone very warm under the collar for allowing it to happen. It sure would be nice to find out if it was part of a "company" policy!

Edd

[ddeaton]

Stealing your new casting stuff is bad, I hope the airline replaces your stuuf. I also hope you resist the urge to become a thief yourself by filing a false claim. Personally I see little difference between either variety of THIEF.

What the heck kinda statement is this? Give someone a break and the benefit of doubt.

[the_ursus]

UPDATE!!!!!

So my wife called me a work this morning saying that TSA in Atlanta contacted my dad, who lives in GA, about a box they had sitting on their desk with his address on it! Apparently they thought the box was suspicious so they put it on their supervisor's desk for him to take a look at. Well, the supervisor was out of town for the holiday and returned to find my stuff just sitting there. My dad is in route to pick it up in Atlanta right now!!! I'm super excited to get my stuff back because I really didn't expect to see it again or get any compensation. I'll be back in business in a week or so!!

[Heavy lead]

Glad you got it back, the sasturds ought to be bued for violating your second ammendment rights.

[AZ-Stew]

ursus,

Now, I know most who read this will say "BS, nothing good will come from it. It will be ignored", but if no one tries, SURELY nothing good will happen.

After you get your stuff back, Take some photos of the equipment and send a nicely worded e-mail to the supervisor of the TSA operaations at the Atlanta airport explaining what the items are, and that they're used to cast boolits, just as our ancestors did for their muzzle loaders 150 years ago. Tell him (her) that there is absolutely NO ammunition involved with what they confiscated, so the items are no more dangerous than a picture frame. Also remind him that you were VERY concerned over the loss of your VALUABLE equipment, no notice was given to you that it had been confiscated, and that if his people had been properly trained, or had asked you to explain the items, this would never have happened. Tell him that the photos are included to aid him in future training sessions so his people can do a better job. Be civil and educate. You'd be amazed at how effective this can be.

I'm glad you're getting your stuff back.

Regards,

Stew

[badgeredd]

Good deal. You are fortunate indeed.

I totally agree with AZ-stew, one would do well to educate the transgressors. You never know if it will help, but at least you've done your part to try to curtail future occurences. As they say "one small step" toward the goal of making it better for everyone. BESIDES it might happen to me and I don't know how I would react at my advanced age and grumpiness!

Edd

[skeet1]

URSUS,
I am so pleased that you are getting your equipment back, to say that I am surprised that TSA went out of their way at all is amazing. You would think that they would have made note of whose suitcase they took it out of. Fortunately the supervisor was honest and followed his information back to your dad. My last experience with TSA is when I flew to Nevada to work for 10 days at Needles, CA My service weapon was in my suitcase and after declaring it and having it inspected and placed into baggage My suitcase was destroyed reopening it to check what had already been checked. All that would have been required is to ask me to ID myself and show them again if they were worried. I have very little respect for TSA; very unprofessional.

Skeet1

[the_ursus]

Yes, I feel that a carefully crafted letter to TSA is in order. Thanks for the suggestions and all your moral support during this long winded thread!

[rvpilot76]

I live in Juneau, AK and was only visiting in GA for Christmas. It was nice there but I think I'll stay here in Juneau.

My old stomping grounds! My brother Rob still lives up there. He bought the small engine part of the HondaHut. I used to work at Western Auto, upstairs of course, in the sporting goods section.

Kevin

[Kuato]

Heh, Wonder when the airlines are gonna ask for a bailout too...I, as well as a lot of people I know, refuse to fly due to all the hassles (& theft) one has to go through. I'm really glad to hear you got your equipment back. The odds of that happening were NOT in your favor.
As was suggested above, anything that aint clothes, have it shipped...

[frank505]

I was hassled in Anchorage by some tsa midget who thought I didn't declare my pistol because he couldn't find the BLAZE ORANGE tag in my luggage. From now on I tape it to my guncase and take cell phone picture before it disappears in the their hands. Some (?) airports have a new machine to x-ray or scan your baggage without you having to open it, unless they see something they cant understand, like Lee push through sizing die. That really got them stumped, of course they are very smart and dont ask until it was deemed safe. BEWARE OF ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, they are all against us.

[Wayne Smith]

Definitely write a note to the supervisor. I believe that their policy is that they are supposed to leave a notification of any removal from a bag in the bag. At least, that is what I was told a number of years ago by a TSA person inspecting the gun I was carrying in my bag. He was a gun guy, we got along well.