It's easy to recognize the traveling sportsman among the crowd at an airport baggage carousel. That's him there, twisting claim tickets in sweaty hands, peering anxiously down the conveyor belt. His worried expression tells you plainly that he knows baggage handlers are flinging his guns off the carts outside with carefree abandon.
All of us who've traveled by air to hunt have wondered--to paraphrase the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre"--which of our guns will arrive, and what will be left of them.
There's no denying the genuine horror stories, but you'll find that if you choose a good travel case for your guns and take some intelligent precautions, they will arrive intact when and where they're supposed to the overwhelming majority of the time. What then should you look for in a gun case for air travel? I talked to two experts recently, and looked at a number of cases. Here's what I learned:
FAA Approval
The Federal Aviation Administration has standards that gun cases must meet in order to be allowed onto airplanes. Basically, the case has to be hard sided and it has to be lockable. Says Greg Severinson, manager of Cabela's Outdoor Adventures: "Just because a case claims to be 'FAA approved' doesn't mean anything. Their standards are so that almost any gun case will meet them."
So, although a case has to meet the FAA's standards in order to be allowed on the plane, the wise hunter will recognize FAA approval as a minimum requirement for his travel case.
Materials
This is a good place to point out that there is a wide range of cases on the market, from $14 plastic vacuformed jobs up to $395 takedown shotgun cases and safari trunks capable of holding four express rifles securely.
Which one meets your needs? First, find a model that will hold the gun or guns you want to travel with. Then, think about how often you'll use the case.
"What I tell my hunters," says Greg Severinson, "is if you travel occasionally, once a year at most, a good plastic case will last you for 10 years. If you travel a lot, an aluminum case is the only way to go. The cost of a trip and equipment is so high it doesn't make any sense to use an inexpensive case if you travel frequently."
Severinson recommends an all-aluminum case with welded corners as the best protection. On the other hand, Billy Kinsala, president of Americase, builds aluminum cases with composite sides because he believes all-aluminum cases are more likely to warp if dropped on one corner, while a case with composite sides will flex slightly and retain its original shape. Warped cases, he says, won't close correctly, and sometimes won't close at all.
The bottom line, however, is that both aluminum and aluminum/composite cases are tough enough to survive years of hard use.
Hardware
Kinsala and Severinson agree on the importance of good hardware. "Some of the less expensive plastic cases are pretty tough," says Severinson, "The problem is with the cheap locks they use. I've never had anyone try to break into one of my cases, but after a while, cheap locks won't close anymore."
"No matter what case you buy, if you travel enough you'll lose a lock," says Kinsala, echoing Severinson's advice. Cases can be returned to the manufacturer or a luggage shop for new locks, but the better the hardware is to begin with and the more securely it's attached, the longer the case will last without repair.
On the subject of hardware, you'll frequently see the term "full-length piano hinges" in gun case ads. A full-length hinge is a single hinge that runs the length of the case. By and large, one long hinge will prove more durable and close more evenly than three or four shorter hinges.
Good cases are made by the following companies: Americase, Browning, Cabela's, Doskocil, Orvis, Kalispel, and Kolpin.
Americase, for example, makes a dizzying assortment-- over 50 models--of high-quality cases suitable for almost any shotgun, bow or rifle. They'll custom build a case for hard-to-fit guns, too, even fly rods.
Browning has the Travel Vault, a hard case made from structural composite, designed to float if need be. It is absolutely airtight, thanks to an "O" ring seal. The bag has a bleeder valve to release pressure during travel in unpressurized compartments.
Cabela's mail-order company sells several cases under their brand name including a high-quality hard plastic case made in Italy--the company's best seller and an excellent choice for hunters who don't feel the need for aluminum--and the "Bulletproof" aluminum case.
Doskocil makes a variety of hard plastic cases at the lower end of the price spectrum. Because they are made by injection molding--not vacuforming--Doskocil cases have thicker, stronger corners than competing plastic models. These are the kind of cases that serve the occasional traveler well.
Kalispel hard aluminum cases have four latches, each of which can be locked with an individual padlock or one lock can be used to secure an aluminum rod that runs through each latch. The company's literature points out that the cases have been field tested by running over them with cars, an ordeal they will endure without deformation. Kalispel cases can be custom ordered in a variety of sizes for Kentucky rifles and other odd sized items.
Orvis offers an aluminum and composite case designed for breakdown double shotguns. The case is made by a company that builds cases for sensitive electronic instruments, and it is sturdy beyond belief, if heavier than the other cases I looked at.
Kolpin's Gun Boot is a unique product: a hard, lockable travel case suitable for air travel that doubles as a scabbard for horses or ATVs and, it can do duty in place of a soft case. Plus, it looks less like a suitcase and more like a ray gun than any piece of luggage I've ever seen.
Traveling with Guns
Traveling with guns need not be traumatic. Be sure you're familiar with airline regulations. Firearms must be stored in an approved case and declared at the ticket counter. There they will be tagged with a bright orange ticket reading "Unloaded Firearms." Remember, guns and ammunition should not be packed in the same case. If you're traveling out of the country, make sure you're familiar with the laws of the country into which you're bringing guns (handguns may not be brought into Canada, for instance).
Over and above those basic rules, Greg Severinson offers the following tips:
If you are traveling to another country, write the name, make, and serial number of your gun(s) on a slip of paper and keep it in your wallet. Then you can declare the guns without having to get them out of the case or uncheck them to look up serial numbers.
Use a nametag and write your name and address on the case in indelible magic marker.
Remove your rifle bolts, stick them inside heavy wool socks, and pack them separately in the case or in another bag.
Pack soft gear in the case with your guns: gloves, knit hats, etc. Not only do they further pad your guns (Severinson likes to make sure there's padding between the scope and the edge of the case) but they will save room in your other bags as well.
Copyright (c) 1997 Philip Bourjaily. All rights reserved.
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