Garys
NES Member
Then people might think I play golf! That would be horrible.
Besides, golf bags are oversized an often end up at the BSO.
Besides, golf bags are oversized an often end up at the BSO.
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Lockable inside-luggage cases for handguns?
- Thread starter drgrant
- Start date
I agree with djbradles as I use these quite a bit and have had awesome luck with them. A couple of tricks though, on the "pluck and pick" inside foam, I take out the very bottom layer, then the items just compress the foam. Not as nice as the "perfectly formed" template, but it works for me.
Second, I use keyless locks, the ones where you can set your combination or letters. That way, I can give anyone who has to look inside the combo, then I can change it back to whatever I want it to be. Kinda like a "valet key", if that makes any sense.
Jay
Garys
NES Member
I have a small Apache case I've used a couple of times. Perfectly fine for air travel. A friend has the bigger one for rifles which he used when he moved to Texas.
Before anyone asks:
1) How about tubular locks, like what you see on vending machines, that use a hollow round key? Tubular locks are pretty straightforward to single pin pick, but you have to pick the core again for each 45° of rotation, and most locks with tubular cores require 90-180° of lock rotation for entry. However, for about $20, you can buy a tubular lock impressioning tool, which will open 95% of the inexpensive tubular locks, no skill required.
2) Are there any locks that are really secure? Yes, those that use disk detainer cores. These can be picked but both advanced skills and special tools are required. Someone who knows what they are doing and needs to gain entry protected by a disk detainer lock will revert to brute force against the lock before trying to pick the core.
1) How about tubular locks, like what you see on vending machines, that use a hollow round key? Tubular locks are pretty straightforward to single pin pick, but you have to pick the core again for each 45° of rotation, and most locks with tubular cores require 90-180° of lock rotation for entry. However, for about $20, you can buy a tubular lock impressioning tool, which will open 95% of the inexpensive tubular locks, no skill required.
2) Are there any locks that are really secure? Yes, those that use disk detainer cores. These can be picked but both advanced skills and special tools are required. Someone who knows what they are doing and needs to gain entry protected by a disk detainer lock will revert to brute force against the lock before trying to pick the core.
Does the type of lock really matter with any of the plastic cases?
If they wanted to get in quick couldn't they could just twist or pry the lock breaking the plastic where the lock goes through.
All you can do is just slow them down.
If they wanted to get in quick couldn't they could just twist or pry the lock breaking the plastic where the lock goes through.
All you can do is just slow them down.
Agreed.
My bad as I thought the OP was looking for something different than a totally pick proof iron clad air travel solution.
And that is why a decent Pelican type case (even the Harbor Freight knockoffs) with locks work for me, and no, I'm not talking about Medeco G8R's as I'm just assuming that if someone wants something inside my suitcase (I check my bags), they can just take the whole damn suitcase and break into anything inside at their leisure.
I thought the OP was looking for decent protection and to stay in legal compliance.
Jay
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Use a Bogata.
The problem with a small hard case within the larger case is that - while the smaller case can be locked with a key that only you hold - the larger case would then be supposed to be accessible to TSA, and so your overall security might actually be lower than if you used a soft unlocked rug within a large hard case. (TSA locks are insecure, and susceptible to tampering, and zippered bags are insecure, and susceptible to tampering.) With a large hard case (e.g.: a Pelican), you can use high-security padlocks (e.g.: Abloy), and when you see your large hard case - with it's intact padlocks - on the baggage carousel, you can be confident that your guns are still inside.
Some people might think it overkill, but I've had to wait for delayed luggage before, and I've had hours to wonder whether my guns would still be in my bag; that was stressful. No more; hard cases and Abloy padlocks are the only way to go (for me).
That feeling of relief - seeing your hard case, knowing that (because your padlocks are intact) your case was not tampered with - is priceless.
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I am not following how a non-TSA locked hard case on its own is more secure than a non-TSA locked hard case in a TSA locked soft case.
I could make the case that my tiny Pelican 1170 with non-TSA locks has a much higher chance of making to my destination if it is chained inside my large soft luggage than if it made the trip on its own.
I would claim that my small non-TSA locked hard case inside my TSA locked soft case is more likely to travel without incident simply because there is nothing on my TSA locked soft case screaming "I'm valuable stuff in here!!" like the non-TSA locks on a large hard case.
I can use high security locks on my case inside my luggage too. I check to see that my small case is intact when I pick up my luggage so I would know if there was anything amiss about 30 seconds after you would know if something was amiss.
Having good locks or poor locks and locks inside of soft luggage or out on their own doesn't change anything about delayed luggage or wondering if the guns would still be in the bag/case. You won't know until you see them.
Again, about 30 seconds later than your scenario, I know the same thing. Maybe less.
I bring oddball zipper ties with me. Both my hard case and my luggage get secured with a lock (non-TSA for the firearm and TSA for the luggage) and a zipper tie.
If my luggage gets to me with the zipper ties are intact, no one was in the luggage. If the zipper tie is cut or missing, then someone was inside. It is a tattle tale to let me know if someone opened anything. So far, every time the seal has been broken there has been a TSA card left in the luggage.
I've done a lot of reading on the topic. Your 'case' is not supported by anything I've heard, or read. On the contrary, every case of a missing gun I've heard about or read about was a small case within a larger case scenario. Here are two videos posted to YouTube by patriotnurse:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-bGt5htzI
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FbLww4iOJU
What isn't clear from at least the first link is how the small case was placed in the larger luggage. I even read the comments and couldn't find an answer.
Yes, if I put my pistol in my little 4x8x12 Pelican case and just toss it in my luggage next to my socks, I completely agree that it will go missing. I couldn't determine if, in the Patriot Nurse case, the smaller case was secured to the luggage or not.
I still stand by my statement that said little case linked with aircraft cable to the steel frame of my 50 pound 30x20x10 luggage is going to be a lot harder to run off with than that same 4x8x12 case making its way through the system all on its own.
Sure, if I have a 30x20x10 Pelican with four non-TSA locks on it that weighs 50 pounds, that is even less likely to go missing than the small case, but how many of the case in a case theft cases have been where the small case was mechanically linked to the luggage?
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I'm a believer in a larger hard case, on it's own, secured with high-security padlocks, rather than a small hard case, padlocked, contained within a larger piece of (relatively insecure) luggage. That said, if I wanted to use your approach, I'd consider the Nanuk 910 '2 UP'.
NANUK 910 2 UP Gun Case for Glock® Sold Online
Protect 2 Glock® Handguns in this beautiful Hard Case made in Canada. The NANUK 910 2 Up for Glock® can be purchased in multiple colors. Safely travel to the range because this case has a custom-fit foam for your Glocks® and magazines.
www.nanuk.com
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLVChGYZM_E
Mr. Brownstone
NES Member
Was going to post this. It’s how I fly now. One large hard sided pelican case that gets locked with all of my things in it.
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I drilled a hole in the metal structure within my hard suitcase. The gun goes in a smaller case, but a 1/8" plastic coated stranded steel cable with loops on the end is threaded through the mag well, out the ejection port and locked to the inside of the suitcase. I live a bit recklessly and use a Master padlock rather than an Abloy or Medco, but it is a significant obstacle to quickly slipping the gun out of the luggage.
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