doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT, does anyone know about traveling

In 2019 we shot in Scotland. Checked the guns in the US and the guns and paperwork were checked in Edinburg. We changed planes at Heathrow.

CZ, the older I get the more willing I am to question the recall abilities of my 75 year old brain cells. Your skepticism prompted a call with the gentleman and was cause for a good catch-up conversation which I thank you for. (He and his wife left our neighborhood and joined the out-of-state exodus from Colorado a few years ago.). The story was accurate as I recounted it with two corrections: it happened to three rifles not two as I remembered and it was a case not “cases”. My apologies. (Corrections also made to my earlier post.)

I asked him about the case and he said it is one of those vault type hard sided Pelican travel cases that will hold two long guns. Each incident happened on a separate trip and he told me in detail about each of the rifles that were broken. I asked him if the locks were “jimmyed” or cut off and he said, “No. The case was not broken into.” I also asked him if there were any marks to indicate it had been run over with a “tug” or other vehicle. Again, he said, “No.”. His theory is that the “bag-buster” or whoever handled his case was intentionally/maliciously striking it or throwing it hard against a corner or perhaps laying it between two objects and jumping on it. Whatever the technique, it resulted in the rifles being broken at the wrist. He also checked his guns all the way through to Johannesburg so he’s not sure in what airport the damage was being done. After the third rifle was broken, he started disassembling his rifle(s) and wrapping the pieces in multiple layers of bubble wrap. Whether that or another variable was causative, the damage stopped. The Pelican case was and still is undamaged except for the normal scuffs that come with airline travel.

I’m reminded about the time a female co-worker asked a U of M police officer if the neighborhood we worked in was safe.

The cop said, “well, it’s safe-until it isn’t.

Best,
Ted

____________________________________________________________________
I can’t wait until my passport expires, and I can shitcan it.

Hey CZ, what do you think about this 'amazing' story.

Having lived in Arizona since the early 80's it's a likely story; Arizona has always been an independent gun state. But sadly I wouldn't bet on it in the future.

As I am enjoying the hard water season after several no ice winters, I will take Craig’s bait.

I in general, do not believe much of what the old coots on this site spout about their “traveling” (which by and large is only their daily trips to the commode). It is always some second hand, “I heard…” type of myth.

There are probably a hundred reasons why I don’t. No need to enumerate.

For me, and I stress the part about “for ME”, I would never deny myself the wonderful opportunities placed before me out of paranoia over baggage handling systems.
I look out many aircraft windows, I watch multiple air tags all the way to destination. Occasionally I see a luggage tram self unload, but the handlers always seem to get right to work righting the situation. Because the pace is very high, and loading/unloading windows are small, the opportunities for the things described ping my sceptic screen.

The carnival level bullshit I read on these sites adds great levels of entertainment to my daily routine.

Ptooey! (For Craig)

Oh, and as I have been in the automation industry for decades, I’ve been involved in the baggage handling systems at DEN, DTW, and ORD multiple times. Seeing them operate behind the curtain for months on end.
Can’t say I ever saw anyone setting up sawhorses to attempt to damage golf clubs.

Fair enough CZ, seems quite a deeper dive than, don't go. As to carnival level bullshit, I've automated my arse on a different path than you, so what? I noticed you didn't observe white glove, gun case handling either. If you don't like my shit, reign in your bullshit peddlers. Don't tell me, it's not too tough a guess, tell the profs of this great country, that you're behind the curtain because you earned it, not because you found a place to use your free exchange needles. I believe you, stuff gets loaded and unloaded, sometimes well, sometimes not.

Work, Craig, for anyone who still rational, it’s like this. The system has to move millions of cases every day. Millions.

The person (when a human is actually involved in moving the case), is under tremendous time pressure to just get the job done because the plane is leaving.

It is high folly for a person to think that they are so important, that some guy who is going as fast as he can to get hundreds of bags out of there, it’s going to single out their case, take it over to some secluded corner not under active camera surveillance, and then start bashing it against the column.

I have lost count how many times I have checked firearms in an airline approved case at an airport since 1984 when I started traveling to shoot at stuff. The cases I bought then, are still in service now. And they look like it, but never once have the contents ever been damaged.

Pelican cases are considered some of the best in the world, I think even the special forces use them to shuttle their accoutrement to hotspots.

But ultimately, it’s a leap of faith.

If a person doesn’t want to check firearms on an airline, you can rent some, borrow some, or don’t go.

That’s part of the beauty of our country.

We've been schooled.

1. Only CZ travels with guns. Anyone else who says they travel is a liar.

2. It is a myth that guns are damaged or go missing while in the custody of the airlines.

3. All baggage handlers are hard working and honest.

Got it. I'm glad CZ finds the old coot's lies so entertaining.

Let's face reality... if CZ the "gray man" was utterly unconcerned about baggage handling and security, he wouldn't use AirTags to track his checked baggage.

It could be worse though. If CZ was a transgender lady, he would have to be even more concerned about certain biological male Biden Cabinet members stealing his bags of evening gowns and negligee's.