Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Who makes the best rifle case?

Who makes the best 2-3 gun case?

If you want sturdy and rugged, (but heavy), I would think Cabla's aluminum cases are hard to beat. The wheeled versions roll along nicely.

JMO.

I think the Pelican cases are the best. I have had one for years and have had zero transport issues.

Pelican case or the Browning travel vault....rej

My favorite is the "All-Weather" from Doskocil, sells for about $129 and mine has been there and back six times without a bobble...
Pelicans are superb, if your pockets are a tad deeper...
Ingwe

Pelicans may be the best I've seen, but they aree heavy. With the direction of luggage and airtravel I'm not sure they will fit the future weight controls.

I've used a case for about 15 years or so made by ICC in spokane, I think they make the cases for Cabelas as the hunters coming over with the cabelas cases look identical to mine. I've never needed a single click of scope adjustment in all this time. I really cannot even count the amount of times it's been back and forth the Africa now, and that is not counting domestic trips to Alaska and around the country.

My Aluminium case is scratched, dented and covered in Delta and SAA stickers but it's still a flawless means of transport for my firearms. I would have to say, should this case finally wear out, I would likely replace it with the same thing agian. However it's got a lot of years left in it and it's already gotta be 15 years old now. A two gun case is easy, three guns become more complicated. I think I would opt for 2-2gun cases over a three gun case. The odds of loss with one case is greater then the loss of two cases. You're not likely taking three guns on Safari anyway. If traveling with another guy and you are going to use a single case for three guns,..... well I don't think I would "put all my eggs in one basket" so to speak.

+1 jorge

Pelican for me

I have tried most of them from Cabellas, but the only case I have used for the last 20 or so trips is the Tough Pak..

I like it because it is tougher than hell and cannot be destroyed by airline employees, It opens from the top like a golf bag. It will carry up to 5 guns in soft cases, but I only take about two and then pack jackets, boots, sweaters etc. around the guns..When I go though inspection I just lift the gun up to the serial number, let them read it and drop it back down so I don't have to expose my guns to the whole world. I will never use any other case...

Also when I get to Dar es Salaam, I take my guns and needed items out (guns in soft cases) fill the tuff pack with unneeded stuff and leave it in the hotel safe then take my charter flight into camp without excess baggage..Phs love this and it can save you money also because if you have too much luggage the charter company will make you take a larger plane, and charge you for it.

Just some of the reason I settled on this great case........

I have the hevi-duty Cabelas with wheels and I believe it to be a fine case for 2 guns. All the welds are very good and the corners are cut to 45*. Locks are via two rods using two locks. I do think it was made by ICC as it came with an offer for an engraved name plate which I ordered. I have also used a Browning travel vault but it has no wheels and is heavy to carry thru the airports. It's as solid as the name 'vault' implies however. Have never been at all impressed by TuffPack. I see no real advantage in them in any manner. I cut profile foam for both my Browning and Cabelas cases so there is absolute zero movement of the firearm inside the case. 1" foam is reasonably priced and I have several different cutouts for different combinations of rifles.

ICC, IMO-

My SKB's have been around the globe a time or two and have held up well.My two gun case held two rifles and extra scopes on my last trip to Africa,rolls along with no problem.
If you look at the Cabelas Alum case,you'll see a lot of them in their Bargain Cave....??

My Browning Travel Vault has been attacked by Africa's Finest. Has tire tracks on it and fallen from the cart. The rifles inside have never lost zero, and it will float. Security is taken care of by a single full length hinge and double pad locks.

ICC or Cabelas bullet proof cases. They are the same.

http://www.icc-case.com/products/default.asp?id=22

http://www.cabelas.com/p-0026824227345a.shtml

i think the tuffpak is a brilliant idea, but watching TSA try to repack them when the owner had everything laid out nice and packed carful in his living room, only to have TSA dump out the contents, and then try several times to stuff it all back in like a puzzle, ..... well I'm not sure it's how I want my things packed.

I've had them take out and check under the foam of my ICC aluminum case at least a dozen times now. But there is only two guns and a cleaning rod in there, so it's not that complicated. It's even easier when you have the cut outs for the guns and the bolts.

I agree Ray the tuff pack is brilliant, and has had it's day. But much like the Browning travel vault, and the Pelican..... well they have lost the greatness they once had with the changing rules and the TSA staff that just has to dump the contents to see whats in there

How does the ICC case compare to the Kalispel case?

I used the ICC and although battered and abused, both rifles retained zero. Extra open locks were placed in case. Turns out one lock was broken and the extra lock saved the day.
Randy

JJ,
I get around that by having my guns in soft cases and only bulky stuff like a couple of jackets and sweaters and maybe a pair of boots..It has not been a problem repaking them..If you crammed it with small stuff then it could be a problem..The problems I had with all the other cases is after about 5 trips the wheels came off and dented latches that had to be hammered to open the case and oh yeah that ingenious lenthwise rod that got bent every trip and had to be hammered out straight to get my guns out..

I have only one time had to empty my Tuff Pak and it was not a problem at all as it contained two guns in soft cases, a jacket, vest and sweater. I learned how to pack it early on.

I open it and pull the guns up half way with no bolts in them, point out the serial number, read it off to the inspector, big smile on my face after a courtious greeting of Sowbona Bwana they record it and I drop them back down and close the case. They seem to appreciate my cooperation in helping them, we shake hands and I'm on my merry way..:)

The best thing about a tuff pak, is that it is what it is and that is tough, after Lord knows how many trips world wide of which proabably 20 or 30 were to Africa, it still looks new inside and almost new outside, it pulls easy and handles better in airports IMO...

Like I said, I tried them all and the tuff pak was my personal choice, I dont' speak for anyone but myself and if anyone is satisfied with their choice then thats the one they should keep and use.

Ray I agree with you 100% if you have the restraint to control what you put in there they would work better. .........But, having researched the chapters for the books and articles involved with travel, and having spent hours with both TSA and SAPs. I've seen these guys come to the airport with a tuffpak filled with crap nobody else can figure out how to get back in. As far as sliding out to see serial numbers, that will work with SAPs most of the time. It will not work with TSA, they don't check serial numbers, they do a full luggage inspection if the xray is inconclusive. Sliding the guns out to show you have guns is fine, but they dont want to see what you have already claimed........ they want to see what else is in there. TSA will xray things much of the time, but they have unpacked my rifle case and everyone else in line with me and we had the easy to see piano hinges aluminum cases. They pull the guns out pull or feel around under the foam and then THEY REPACK it not the owner. Once turned over to them, the traveler cannot touch that case or contents again.

When you arrive in the USA there have been countless guys trying to figure out how to get that crap back in while the Customs inspection required them to empty the case to see what else was is in there. Seeing some dudes dirty laundry spread across the floor while people are walking around him and others are backed up in line did not then and does not now seem like any kind of advantage. Not to mention they want your boots out now to get washed.

It takes a lot of self control not to fill that case up with stuff, One other odd point I saw at the delta counter was a debate over additional charges. Sporting cases are exempt for the over size charges ( skis and golf clubs for example) But the lady saw how much clothing he had in that case and said sorry sir, that's got normal clothing in side, so your really using it as a suitcase. That debate went on long after I was checked through and left. I don't know the outcome. I suspect the traveler won that debate, but the way things are going with the airlines........hmmmm who knows what will happen in the future.

I'm sure for the traveler with great self control, the Tuffpak has some benifit. I for one don't want anything else in my case so it has to be opened for inspection. I want everything in there perfectly visible to xray. Then if it does have to be opened ( two times now for me, atlanta and houston) I want spare locks that can be replaced when they cut off the locks on the case. Integral locks are not a good idea anymore.

But what the heck I've no dog in the fight, I'm not changing from this any time soon. I've seen all the problems while researching the book. When you sit for a day or two and watch travelers with these cases you see the problems PDQ.

JJ,
Guess thats what makes a dog fight or a horse race.:)