PROTECTIVE CASES
Transporting, Protecting, and Safely Storing Your Firearms

I had traveled far enough from civilization that the majority of those boarding my plane wore camouflage. I took it as a sign of good things to come. Still, while sitting there, waiting for others to board, I watched the airport baggage handlers manhandle our luggage, particularly our gun cases.

SLAM! On the conveyer belt went one case, dropped from shoulder high by a very tall baggage handler. “Ouch that’s gotta hurt,” I thought. “Hey, wait a minute, that’s my case!”

How happy was I to arrive at camp with a gun still in working order? Well, a lot happier than my hunting buddy, who had bought a new case just for that trip. It didn’t survive, not in one piece, anyway. (At least his gun still fired.)

Air travel is tough on gun cases, but it’s only half of what the outdoors can do through the jarring rides on horses or ATVs, as well as shifts and bumps while in the bottom of boats and truck beds.

The smart sportsman has a good gun case and typically more than one. Determining which case to purchase comes through a series of questions. Among them:

• Is this case for a specific purpose?
• Is long-term storage important?
• Is safety in the home important?
• Does your case need to be water-tight?
• And is it going to be used for air travel?

VALUE IN A PORTABLE VAULT

Some of today’s protective gun cases are a lot like having portable vaults. They can give you peace of mind that your gun is always protected—and that’s in the airport or the outdoors.

It’s hard to put a price on that and it’s one of the reasons you need to look for quality when buying such a case. You want to be sure and look for a case that can survive hard knocks while protecting your firearm.

A tough outer covering is a must as are strong hinges and handles. These parts are on the front line of abuse, so you want to give such items special attention when looking to buy.

And what about foam lining? Well, you want a lot of it, and in thick layers, too. The protective foam, traditionally is formed in the “egg crate” pattern in most cases and works largely as a shock absorber. Make sure the foam is uniform throughout the case you select. This will protect not only your firearms, no matter what position you choose to place them in, but it will also safeguard accessory items you might likewise store inside.
Some gun cases offer poly tie-down straps, providing even more certainty that your firearm will remain in place while traveling.

Plano Molding Company’s AW (All Weather) Series certainly goes above and beyond, providing extreme protective measures for your firearms. The AW Double Scoped Rifle/Shotgun case has a Dri-Loc® Seal that ensures the case is water-tight and dust-proof. In addition there is a pressure relief valve that allows easy entry into the case after shipping/flying.

LOCK LOGIC

Nearly all safety concerns surrounding cases involve locks. Having a case that locks allows you a sense of control over the handling of your guns. It can deter thieves and curious children. With this in mind you certainly want a case that you can lock securely. Air travel with firearms requires such a case.

Some cases have locks built-in while others allow the use of padlocks through holes that align within the design of the case. Many cases offer the option of more than one locking system or the opportunity to put two locks (or more) on your case. This is a good idea, too. When it comes to safety, can you ever be too safe? With extra precaution in mind, whenever I put my guns in such cases, I go the extra mile and put trigger locks on my guns. Perhaps I don’t have to do it, but I feel better about it, regardless.

I keep spare keys in different locales so if something happens to one, it won’t likely happen to the other.

CASE IN POINT: GET ONE THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS

Earlier in this article I mentioned answering a series of questions to help you get the best gun case for you. This basically applies to helping you find one that fits your needs. And whatever they are you can bet there’s one that will work for you. This is because there are plenty of specialty cases available.

For example, you have aluminum or plastic cases. And there are specifically-designed cases for scoped rifles, shotguns and handguns. Some cases can carry one gun while others can protect two. (Personally, I’m a take-an-extra-one kind of guy, especially to far-off, remote destinations.)

Likewise, there are also a wide variety of gun cases made just for protecting firearms while riding on ATVs. As with locked cases at airports, the law often requires hunters riding ATVs on public land to have their firearms encased.

Plano Molding Company’s 1505-96 Gunslinger™ Grab-n-Go is such a case. It is ATV mountable with a thick outer shell and is airline-approved. In addition this case also has a removable 1/2-inch padded soft case that fits inside the outer rugged case. So it really is a two-for-one.

In addition to cases for firearms there are also now cases made to protect shooting accessories, such as ammunition, calls, cleaning tools, choke tubes and more.

PROTECT ARCHERY TACKLE, TOO

This far, I’ve only discussed firearms, but it is equally important (if not more so) to protect your bow and arrows while traveling to and from your hunting destination.

Bent arrows or sight pins are worthless. Like your firearms, archery tackle has to be protected for the same reasons, but there is certainly a bigger margin for error should something happen to your bow and arrows.

Also, as with firearms, there are many models of archery cases. Some protect bows. Some protect arrows. And a few models will house both and more, like Plano’s 1110 cases. Patented pillar systems protect your archery equipment in the harshest conditions. Also the shape of the 1110 cases has changed to accommodate today’s trend in bows designed with parallel limbs.

GUARANTEE FOR GUNS (AND BOWS)

In closing, there’s an old saying about there being no guarantees in hunting. It’s true, that’s why it’s an old saying. But there are a few guarantees that any hunter would welcome, and one is when the famed moment of truth arrives we want our hunting equipment in top shape. Quality protective cases can do that. Making the shot is, of course, up to you.