I had a similar experience with a rifle bolt in 1988 in London. I was told {"commanded!"} by airline check-in people in New York to remove the bolt from the rifle and keep it in my carry-on luggage separate from the rifle. Upon arrival in London and whilst making the change to SAA, my carry-on bags were, naturally, searched, the bolt found, and then "Security Personnel" commenced holding it like a "pistol" and roaring that it was a gun!

I at first chuckled at their utter stupidity, but it became less humorous over the next few minutes when a swirl of security people swarmed around me and virtually in-unison proclaimed that I had just finished a transatlantic flight and was attempting to board another filght with a gun in my carry-on bags! Things got very tense with me at one point yelling at them, then begging that I demanded to see somebody in-uniform who knew what the hell a gun was.

Eventually, after I had been detained for some time with my wife absolutely mortified, a guy showed up who stated he had spent some years in the British Army. I asked him if he knew what a gun bolt was. He nodded, then the other knuckleheads handed the thing to him. He chuckled a bit himself. In essence, he told the rest of them to bugger off and leave me alone, told them he'd humor them by sending the bolt up-front with the pilot and apologised for the absolute monkeyshines that I had been subjected to.

That guy was a champ, and I have no idea what would have happened if he hadn't showed up.

My vote is to pack the scope with the rifle!