What are you guys using/used with good luck?
Interior would need to be AT LEAST 48 inches.
Interior would need to be AT LEAST 48 inches.
Rifle cases and flying
- Thread starter blackpowderhunter
- Start date
robie
WKR
SKB, just flew with mine. Works great no issues and has the TSA locks built in.
cooperjd
WKR
i use a pelican/storm iM3300
i cut the central foam section to fit 2 rifles specifically. works great. it's really tough, airtight, and takes a beating. also has wheels for rolling which is nice. it is a bit heavy. had it in a polaris ranger on a mule deer hunt recently and the case was dusty/dirty as hell, but it stopped at the seal. i have flown with it several times with no issues and never had a scope POI change.
i cut the central foam section to fit 2 rifles specifically. works great. it's really tough, airtight, and takes a beating. also has wheels for rolling which is nice. it is a bit heavy. had it in a polaris ranger on a mule deer hunt recently and the case was dusty/dirty as hell, but it stopped at the seal. i have flown with it several times with no issues and never had a scope POI change.
Get one with a handle and wheels on the short sides. They're way easier to move around an airport that way. Actually come in kind of handy for an XL dog kennel if you strap the kennel to it.
I've had a Pelican and three Doskocil/Dosko Sports for about 15 years. They've all been on over a dozen flights each. I like the levered-action of the latches on the Pelican, but I think the Dosko's are made of better plastic. I've got a couple corners of the latch reinforcement ribs on my Pelican that have broken off (these are small, totally aesthetic failures...the latch is structurally just fine). The Dosko's are made of a bit more elastic polymer that isn't quite as crush resistant, but is a lot less brittle.
Both my Dosko cases and Pelican have been in countless ATV rollovers in sheep/moose country, including getting rolled down rivers in AK. I've never been concerned about my rifles being protected inside. I once saw a diesel truck run over a Dosko case for that matter, and you couldn't tell other than some mud ground in to it. I don't think you'd go wrong with either case.
Trying to find my Dosko cases on Amazon, I see that company sell a lot of lower end cases too. Mine are over 1/8" thick plastic and weigh ~30 lbs, just like my Pelican case. The lid is rigid enough that it doesn't flex when you open it. I think I paid about $100/ea for mine around 2000. This was probably the model...looks discontinued now. Amazon.com : DoskoSport Double Scoped Rifle Case W/Wheels : Hard Rifle Cases : Sports & Outdoors
BTW, TSA locks are not legal for flying with firearms. They will make you sign a form when you declare the firearm that states that ONLY YOU have the key/code to open the locks. TSA locks are designed to be unlocked with their generic key, and they will not let you fly with them. I just use a padlock like a laminated Master because I've got all my stuff keyed to the same key. It's kind of goofy that with all the dumb regulations they have, they don't have any requirements on lock quality. The baggage claim area is outside of the SIDA though, so someone accessing a firearm at baggage claim is not why your locks required. The locks are there to keep the SIDA sterile from firearms, however effective that regulation may or may not be. You can pop a Master lock with a section of a soda can lol. I don't like the cases with the locks built in because it's usually a pain to get copies made, and the locks are usually cheap. Not that Master's are secure, but they are durable when getting smashed/full of dirt/etc.
I'd look for something with a streamlined shape and wheels/latches that can either be rebuilt/repaired or are simple enough that they don't have an obvious failure point. I've had a couple tacticool cases with all kinds of goofy mechanisms for the latches that were just failure prone, even if you could buy the spare parts. The only repair I've ever had to do to my Dosko or Pelican cases is re-gluing the gasket back in, but the Dosko latches and wheels are simple enough that I could repair them with some basic stuff from the hardware store. I'm guessing Pelican would repair/replace/provide parts if I ever had to mess with them, but their design is simple enough that it'll probably never happen. The cases with the goofy turnbuckles and stuff always seem to get turned loose and snapped off by baggage handlers. Then you're out in the middle of nowhere with broken stuff, trying to track down parts instead of focusing on your trip.
The regulation I was always told about locks is that the case needs to be locked so that you cannot reach your hand inside while the locks are closed...so a rifle case with one padlock is pretty much out. All mine have two lock loops and I've never been questioned on it. Someone recently told me that now you need four, but nobody said anything to me ~12 months ago when I last flew with a rifle. I'm guessing whoever told me that was flying with a flimsy case that the lid was easy to flex open even with two locks in the center.
Looking at Amazon, if everything is around the ~$200 mark, I'd just buy a Pelican 17xx in whatever size works best for you and be done with it. Their design has been around forever and hasn't changed cuz it works.
I've had a Pelican and three Doskocil/Dosko Sports for about 15 years. They've all been on over a dozen flights each. I like the levered-action of the latches on the Pelican, but I think the Dosko's are made of better plastic. I've got a couple corners of the latch reinforcement ribs on my Pelican that have broken off (these are small, totally aesthetic failures...the latch is structurally just fine). The Dosko's are made of a bit more elastic polymer that isn't quite as crush resistant, but is a lot less brittle.
Both my Dosko cases and Pelican have been in countless ATV rollovers in sheep/moose country, including getting rolled down rivers in AK. I've never been concerned about my rifles being protected inside. I once saw a diesel truck run over a Dosko case for that matter, and you couldn't tell other than some mud ground in to it. I don't think you'd go wrong with either case.
Trying to find my Dosko cases on Amazon, I see that company sell a lot of lower end cases too. Mine are over 1/8" thick plastic and weigh ~30 lbs, just like my Pelican case. The lid is rigid enough that it doesn't flex when you open it. I think I paid about $100/ea for mine around 2000. This was probably the model...looks discontinued now. Amazon.com : DoskoSport Double Scoped Rifle Case W/Wheels : Hard Rifle Cases : Sports & Outdoors
BTW, TSA locks are not legal for flying with firearms. They will make you sign a form when you declare the firearm that states that ONLY YOU have the key/code to open the locks. TSA locks are designed to be unlocked with their generic key, and they will not let you fly with them. I just use a padlock like a laminated Master because I've got all my stuff keyed to the same key. It's kind of goofy that with all the dumb regulations they have, they don't have any requirements on lock quality. The baggage claim area is outside of the SIDA though, so someone accessing a firearm at baggage claim is not why your locks required. The locks are there to keep the SIDA sterile from firearms, however effective that regulation may or may not be. You can pop a Master lock with a section of a soda can lol. I don't like the cases with the locks built in because it's usually a pain to get copies made, and the locks are usually cheap. Not that Master's are secure, but they are durable when getting smashed/full of dirt/etc.
I'd look for something with a streamlined shape and wheels/latches that can either be rebuilt/repaired or are simple enough that they don't have an obvious failure point. I've had a couple tacticool cases with all kinds of goofy mechanisms for the latches that were just failure prone, even if you could buy the spare parts. The only repair I've ever had to do to my Dosko or Pelican cases is re-gluing the gasket back in, but the Dosko latches and wheels are simple enough that I could repair them with some basic stuff from the hardware store. I'm guessing Pelican would repair/replace/provide parts if I ever had to mess with them, but their design is simple enough that it'll probably never happen. The cases with the goofy turnbuckles and stuff always seem to get turned loose and snapped off by baggage handlers. Then you're out in the middle of nowhere with broken stuff, trying to track down parts instead of focusing on your trip.
The regulation I was always told about locks is that the case needs to be locked so that you cannot reach your hand inside while the locks are closed...so a rifle case with one padlock is pretty much out. All mine have two lock loops and I've never been questioned on it. Someone recently told me that now you need four, but nobody said anything to me ~12 months ago when I last flew with a rifle. I'm guessing whoever told me that was flying with a flimsy case that the lid was easy to flex open even with two locks in the center.
Looking at Amazon, if everything is around the ~$200 mark, I'd just buy a Pelican 17xx in whatever size works best for you and be done with it. Their design has been around forever and hasn't changed cuz it works.
Last edited:
- Thread Starter
- #7
OP
thanks everyone
AlaskaEd
WKR
Pelican/Storm and SKB are the best, but they aren't cheap. For about half the price, the Plano All-weather series is very nice. I just picked up a 52" double rifle version for $110 from Academy Sports in Dallas after my dad gave me a couple rifles while I was visiting. I needed something to fly them home with but didn't want a flimsy case or to pay for another Storm case. The Plano fit the bill perfectly. And made in the USA made it even better.
I bought my Pelican 1750 for $125 new locally. There's deals out there, you just have to look and be patient.
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