<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-07-17</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001049606</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>COMPX INTERNATIONAL INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CIX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001600851</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Harold C. Simmons Family Trust No. 2</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>THREE LINCOLN CENTER, 5430 LBJ FREEWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75240</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001599736</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Simmons Lisa K</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>THREE LINCOLN CENTER, 5430 LBJ FREEWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75240</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001520515</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CONNELLY SERENA S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>THREE LINCOLN CENTER, 5430 LBJ FREEWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75240</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000072162</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>NL INDUSTRIES INC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>5430 LBJ FREEWAY, SUITE 1700</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75240</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-07-17</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>10000000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>10755104</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By NL</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5900</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Contran</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By Kronos</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On July 17, 2018, NL Industries, Inc. (&quot;NL&quot;) converted all its 10,000,000 shares of class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the &quot;Class B Shares&quot;) of CompX International Inc. (&quot;CompX&quot;) into 10,000,000 shares of class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of CompX, for no additional consideration, pursuant to the terms of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of CompX.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Directly held by NL.  See Exhibit 99.1 to this statement for a description of the relationship of additional persons who may be deemed to beneficially own these shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Directly held by Contran Corporation.  See Exhibit 99.1 to this statement for a description of the relationship of additional persons who may be deemed to beneficially own these shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Directly held by Kronos Worldwide, Inc.  See Exhibit 99.1 to this statement for a description of the relationship of additional persons who may be deemed to beneficially own these shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Directly held by Serena Simmons Connelly.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Andrew B. Nace, Attorney-in-fact, for Lisa K.Simmons, Co-Trustee of the Harold C. Simmons Family Trust No. 2</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-07-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Andrew B. Nace, Attorney-in-fact, for Serena S. Connelly, Co-Trustee of the Harold C. Simmons Family Trust No. 2</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-07-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Andrew B. Nace, Executive Vice President of NL Industries, Inc.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-07-18</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
