Extra protection for your airline gun case

[Lee Whitsel]

On a airline trip in 1985 with a firearm's approved gun case. a man who traveled a lot with gun cases on air lines gave me a good tip. Gun cases seem to be a target to try and bust up by air lines he said. So he gave me an idea that worked great to protect the handle and locking latch's from getting busted of. Go to a truck garage and ask for an old truck inter tube (most likely it will be free all you want) and take a utility knife and cut huge rubber bands say about 4 to 6" wide. Slide those over each locking point and over the folding handle areas for extra protection and he had no more trouble with his gear getting busted locks or handles. So I did and it works. Best idea is to put the huge rubber bands in the gun case till you go threw inspection of the arms when done lock the locks and slide the home made tire rubber bands over the areas you want to protect and it will be tough but the best protection I've ever seen. I never had a problem with it being broken so far.... Hope this might help those traveling with firearms!!!! Oh it will need to be tested before you fly cause most likely they will be tight to get on and of. But a little silicon spray or baby powder on the rubber might help with that... God Bless and happy hunting......

 

[K9TXS]

I've been using a plastic stretch wrap for several years now and it has worked out very well. After they're through checking the firearm, I wrap the case in the stretch wrap going over the handles and latches several times. Pitch the remainder of the wrap in my travel bag and use it again on the return flight.

 

[6.5 forever]

Good tips guys.

Thanks!

 

[RANGER 1]

We started shipping our rifles to a known address about two weeks before cuts down on the hassle

 

[TTE]

I don't know which airline/airport you are using.
For me, after checking in the case goes to TSA, in a separate room that I have no access to other than a window to watch. Heck they can't even figure out how to get the rifles back in the case properly.
Half of them can't figure out the TSA lock !

 

[Cochran]

I’ll add, that your not convinced that your fully loaded case or its contents will survive being thrown off a roof then it’s probably not good enough for airline travel. Mine has been beat up pretty good. I’ve had the casters, latches and lock rod bent and the scratched up quite a bit.
But it does have the added benefit of not looking like a gun case. People assume I’ve got scuba diving gear.

 

[rdb8847]

I don't know which airline/airport you are using.
For me, after checking in the case goes to TSA, in a separate room that I have no access to other than a window to watch. Heck they can't even figure out how to get the rifles back in the case properly.
Half of them can't figure out the TSA lock !

TSA locks are not required or recommended......................Unless they have made changes to to policy recently.

 

[TTE]

TSA locks are not required or recommended......................Unless they have made changes to to policy recently.

They are built into the case .... like these -

https://www.skbcases.com/products/tsa-2-locking-latch-kit

 

[rdb8847]

They are built into the case .... like these -

https://www.skbcases.com/products/tsa-2-locking-latch-kit

To each their own but I would not (willfully) allow TSA access.

 

[Chiquita]

I have never air traveled with rifles or guns, so I don't know if one can build a box out of plywood and slide the gun case it it and screw the lid shut.

When you get to destination unscrew the lid, do your match and reverse the process on the way home.

 

[clowdis]

Just returned from a trip to South Africa. Delta required me to put a padlock in every available location on the gun case. Locks in the latches were not acceptable by themselves.

 

[Cochran]

You don’t need TSA locks. You will have to fill out a little card at the gate agent, unlock the case and put the card inside. A couple times they told me to open it enough so they could see inside. Probably not legally required. Most times I just crack it open and slip it in and lock it back up.

At some airports you walk with an airline employee to a tsa guy who might X-ray it or swab it , which I think is funny. Then the employee will take it away. I always tip that guy.
At other airports the gate agent just puts it on the conveyer belt and it disappears.

Either way, they are supposed to contact you , probably over the PA if they decide later that they want to look inside. If you don’t respond fast enough, they cut the locks. That’s why I carry extras. At least I’d know they got in it.

If I had tsa locks, they’d probably just open it up without anyone else knowing. They could steal my extra trigger. Some tsa anti gun zealot might do his best to mess up my scope, etc.. and just put the locks back on it.

 

[FNSafari]

I've been using a plastic stretch wrap for several years now and it has worked out very well. After they're through checking the firearm, I wrap the case in the stretch wrap going over the handles and latches several times. Pitch the remainder of the wrap in my travel bag and use it again on the return flight.

View attachment 1539600

would taping the handle down PO the baggers even more?

 

[sw282]

Doing quickie 2 day prairie dog shoots l used an SKB single gun case. lt had internal locks. Never a problem. After the TSA critters checked my gun l would run a couple swipes of yellow 2'' duct tape around each end. That ''yellow'' would really stand out on the baggage conveyers. Changing planes in MIN/St Paul to Bismark ND l saw my yellow taped SKB fly thru the air thanks to a baggage critter. l started Raising Hell in the middle of the terminal. Folks thought l was mad... lmagine THAT

 

[Tesoro]

Dont forget to put an airtag or similar in your gun case!

 

[TTE]

Dont forget to put an airtag or similar in your gun case!

I did some research on those. Not really the best, but better than nothing.
May or may not work in other countries.

Overall, the best way is with a GPS tag, but you need a subscription for those. And they are not 100% trouble free either.

 

[Tesoro]

I did some research on those. Not really the best, but better than nothing.
May or may not work in other countries.

Overall, the best way is with a GPS tag, but you need a subscription for those. And they are not 100% trouble free either.

If I get to travel to other countries with my rifles then cost of subscription is just a drop in the bucket! I would do both airtag and gps !!

 

[cmysix]

I don't know which airline/airport you are using.
For me, after checking in the case goes to TSA, in a separate room that I have no access to other than a window to watch. Heck they can't even figure out how to get the rifles back in the case properly.
Half of them can't figure out the TSA lock !

all the rules that I have read, say a locking case WITH NON TSA LOCKS, meaning locks that can't be opened by anyone but you, if TSA wants to see inside that's what their XRAY machines are for, Photographers claim their camera cases as firearms for that exact reason, no one opening the cases and dropping anything. and 1985 or now I have a hard time that some baggage handler in front of everybody is going to stand their and try to break the locks on anything, My Brother a Neurosurgeon and his buddies fly with their rifles some of them in excess of $40,000 for one rifle in $5000 cases and never had one that even had a mark on it.

 

[Tesoro]

all the rules that I have read, say a locking case WITH NON TSA LOCKS, meaning locks that can't be opened by anyone but you, if TSA wants to see inside that's what their XRAY machines are for, Photographers claim their camera cases as firearms for that exact reason, no one opening the cases and dropping anything. and 1985 or now I have a hard time that some baggage handler in front of everybody is going to stand their and try to break the locks on anything, My Brother a Neurosurgeon and his buddies fly with their rifles some of them in excess of $40,000 for one rifle in $5000 cases and never had one that even had a mark on it.

I cant even afford the $5000 case! Hope they are superb shots cause I wouldn't want to miss in public with a $40,000 rifle!

 

[memilanuk]

all the rules that I have read, say a locking case WITH NON TSA LOCKS, meaning locks that can't be opened by anyone but you, if TSA wants to see inside that's what their XRAY machines are for,

^ exactly this. Or, if they want to look physically look inside, request to be present.

I've had baggage check-in people ask me straight up to give them my non-TSA keys... and I always refuse. Had some interesting walks back into the bowls of the airport baggage handling area a time or two, just to have the people actually doing the inspection look at them like "WTF is he back here for? We have this giant 360 degree scanner for things like this..."

You don't need super expensive cases... Pelican and similar make cases that will survive everything short of them parking the plane on them... and maybe even that.

Also, take pictures of everything as packed. And stick an inventory sheet inside (keep a copy). If/when the goonies do get inside your case, even with the best of intentions, they're just going to ransack it to find whatever it was that piqued their interest on the X-ray - they sure as hell aren't going to meticulously re-pack that compression-fit Jenga puzzle you had. *That* is how luggage misses the flight - it gets shoved to the side as too much trouble, until when/if you file a claim and rattle enough cages that someone comes and finds it. Then they just throw everything in there, duct tape / zip tie it shut, and send it on its way. Be smart about how you pack things - the extra bag / over-weight fees are cheap compared to the headaches of showing up to a match without your gun or your ammo.