Rifle case for Air travel on a budget

[SidecarFlip]

If you want cheap, effective and also something you can continue to use...

Amazon.com: Plano Vertical Rifle Case - Single Scoped: Sports & Outdoors

My opinions from flying and I'm not lying.....

Buy a Pelican 17 series. For one, the resale on the case is great. The Plano will always be yours, it has no resale. I'll up the anty to 120 bucks when you get back and I'm closer to you and I'll pay the shipping (to me), provided you buy a black case. I don't like the green and the tan reminds me of Iraq.

Plano moulding makes good cases, I have a couple, good for going to the range or a drive to hunt IMO, not airline cases though some are 'airline (TSA) approved'.

Here's the rub. The baggage jockeys are going to use your rifle case for volleyball, I guarantee it. It's gonna get kicked, slammed, stepped on and probably slam dunked. The Plano won't take the abuse, your rifle won't take the abuse. You want a successful hunt or you want to get out there and find out your rifle is shooting around the corner......

Your choice.

You'll also need TSA 'approved' locks that you can get at Staples or online. get 3 or 4, keyed alike. The TSA approved locks can be opened with a key that the TSA agent has and they are chintzy cheapo locks. I know, I fly with firearms.

Pack your ammo in a carry on bag or in your luggage seperate from your rifle, thats what I do at least and have a contigency plan if your rifle don't arrive with you, thats happened to us before. We went to Denver and the rifles went to Salt Lake.

The Pelican has features that the Plano wishes it had (and those features make it resale valuable), like altitude compensating pressure relief and waterproof 'O' ring seals and real stainless steel lock plates and roller bearing wheels. You can use a Pelican for a life preserver (if the plane goes down) and your rifle will stay dry, safe and best of all, it will shoot just like it did when you put it in the case.

Thats what quality is all about. You pay for quality, however, it has resale. The Plano will be landfilled long before the Pelican will be retired, if ever.

I'm not usually so adamant about things, but in this case, I'm offering sound advice, from experience.

Your other option is a Cabelas Aluminum Airline case but it will look like hell in short order (from the abuse the baggage jockeys inflict on it) and it's as expensive as the Pelican, maybe a bit more. One of our group has one and it looks like it's ready for the scrap yard after 3 hard years. It has resale value as well.... Scrap value.

 

[geargrinder]

There are differing qualities of Plano. This is the one I use. It has all the features Sidecar mentioned about his Pelican.

The AW series is very tough and very good qualities that make it a great choice for travel.

Amazon.com: Plano Double Scoped Rifle Case w/Wheels: Sports & Outdoors

It fit two full sized rifles very easy.

The latches work great and there is room for two padlocks. Remember, DO NOT USE TSA LOCKS ON YOUR GUN CASE!!!! Use regular pad locks or combination locks.

They are not allowed to open your case outside your presence. Once you open your case for TSA they check to make sure everything is proper and locked. They will tag it as containing a firearm.

If they do need to open the case, they have to contact you first. If the tag is lost, and they open the case, I leave two unlocked padlocks and a note with instructions to replace the locks.

Read as much as you can find from the TSA as well as the airline you will be using. Show up prepared with as much information as possible.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Requirements vary from carrier to carrier and air terminal to air terminal btw. Always however, check in your firearm prior to your luggage to avoid hassles. TSA is very particular about firearm transportation.

We should all be Federal agents... They can carry on their firearms (at least handguns). I have a good friend who is a Federal Agent. He always has his H&K on his person, on any flight.......

My take on a Pelican is again, if you are only making one trip, buy the case you can resell and thats a Pelican. The Plano will be yours forever.

I use the TSA cheapie locks because I insure my firearms for ACV all the time, anywhere. Whether it's locked in the case with a good lock or a cheapo TSA approved lock, lost is lost and the case integrety is what secures the firearm, not the locks and, more importantly, some carriers and some terminals don't allow non-TSA approved locks on a gun case.

Baggage jockeys care less about baggage and handle it accordingly. Been there done that.

Basically, you intrust your possessions to a bunch of employees who have no compunction about playing football with your stuff.......

BTW, Pelican makes some dandy pistol cases, have a couple of those as well. If Pelican is good enough for the USMC, it's good enough for me....