So They Want A Lock In Each Hole?

[WAB]

Good point Red Leg. I went to TSA locks after TSA jimmied an America’s takedown shotgun case open for me destroying all the locks. The case had been properly inspected before I left TSA at check in. It came out on the luggage carousel with a zip tie holding it shut. I was pissed. To make matters worse, TSA said it was my fault for not using TSA locks!!!! I don’t know what the right answer is. Perhaps not giving TSA employees the mandatory pre-hire labotomy would be a move in the right direction...

 

[One Day...]

Yeah, there really is no perfect solution here, so much depends on the human factor. Admittedly this is all about risk mitigation...

I share @Red Leg's concern about deterrence, and this is why I looked long and hard for big beefy TSA locks (found them at Brownells - see previous post):

Large size TSA locks (.416 Rigby cartridge for scale) compared to a typical size TSA lock. Hopefully they deter thieves while providing easy access to TSA agents...

In the end nothing will deter a determined thief and, as previously stated, I agree with WAB that in such case the entire gun case is more likely to disappear than just the rifle, but this is just speculation...

"Shauri Ya Mungu" (It's God's Will), we are doing the best we can...............................

 

[Red Leg]

Or “fi yed Allah” in the hands of God.

I have an Americase that I use to transport pigeon guns two or three times a year (32” barreled SXS’s or OU’s) that has four keyed locks and a combination lock. No place for a padlock of any persuasion. Never an issue - but it would indeed piss me off royally to have some clown pry it open.

 

[Philip Glass]

Absolutely agreed Hogpatrol, but precisely because, as you say so well...

...I have come to the conclusion that whichever lock I use does not really matter and I might as well make the TSA folks' work as easy as possible IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE CHANCES THAT THE GUN CASE SHOWS UP AT DESTINATION, because any way, TSA or no TSA, the lock will not prevent the case to be open if it gets in the wrong hands.

And as Philip Glass, says...

... with a high risk that the gun case then does not make it on the plane.

So, to make a long story short: this is all about risk mitigation, and in my analysis, TSA locks yield a lower risk situation (possibility of gun theft from an illegal possessor of a TSA key - or a dremel ); while non-TSA locks yield, in my analysis, a higher risk situation (TSA cannot find you to open the case; TSA cannot or does not want to bother cutting hardened locks; TSA refuses clearance on a subsequently unlocked case after cutting the locks; etc. etc.) resulting in the gun case not making it on the plane, hence ruining your day (and hunt?), and then God knows where the case ends up i.e. additional possibility of gun loss).

I completely understand that other folks may come to a different decision in their own risk/benefit analysis, but the analysis should be made with the factual data, i.e. in this case: TSA locks are legal.

One Day,
You hit the nail on the head! Could not have articulated this better!
Thank you,
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

J

Yeah, there really is no perfect solution here, so much depends on the human factor. Admittedly this is all about risk mitigation...

I share @Red Leg's concern about deterrence, and this is why I looked long and hard for big beefy TSA locks (found them at Brownells - see previous post):
View attachment 279683
Large size TSA locks (.416 Rigby cartridge for scale) compared to a typical size TSA lock. Hopefully they deter thieves while providing easy access to TSA agents...

In the end nothing will deter a determined thief and, as previously stated, I agree with WAB that in such case the entire gun case is more likely to disappear than just the rifle, but this is just speculation...

"Shauri Ya Mungu" (It's God's Will), we are doing the best we can...............................

just ordered some of these big locks. The only problem I had with TSA locks is that they break easily. Maybe these are better.
Philip

 

[WAB]

J

just ordered some of these big locks. The only problem I had with TSA locks is that they break easily. Maybe these are better.
Philip

FYI, our Home Depot carries these locks.

 

[Philip Glass]

FYI, our Home Depot carries these locks.

Nice.

 

[Newboomer]

I just came back from RSA last week. Flew into JFK and my guns were checked 3 times: Customs, NYPD, and TSA. I have 4 holes in my case but had lost one of the locks between Tambo and JFK. I think what happened, I forgot to turn the combo when I put it on the case at Tambo and it came loose. Some baggage gorilla got a good lock. Nothing was said by anyone. I don't know if they were unaware of the change or if it was because it was the same cop who checked me out on my way over to RSA. I use big Sesame 4 digit combo locks. Takes a minute but they are "secure", can't be picked, and no keys to lose. I usually have a spare inside my case but this time I didn't.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I just returned from a hunt in New Zealand. I use 4 non-TSA keyed Master locks on my Pelican case. Never an issue and never had locks cut. When my rifle case was hand delivered to the baggage claim office in Houston (IAH), all 4 latches on the Pelican were unlatched and the only thing keeping the case closed were the 4 padlocks.

 

[Philip Glass]

I just came back from RSA last week. Flew into JFK and my guns were checked 3 times: Customs, NYPD, and TSA. I have 4 holes in my case but had lost one of the locks between Tambo and JFK. I think what happened, I forgot to turn the combo when I put it on the case at Tambo and it came loose. Some baggage gorilla got a good lock. Nothing was said by anyone. I don't know if they were unaware of the change or if it was because it was the same cop who checked me out on my way over to RSA. I use big Sesame 4 digit combo locks. Takes a minute but they are "secure", can't be picked, and no keys to lose. I usually have a spare inside my case but this time I didn't.

You are right that most don’t know their own regs!

 

[One Day...]

I just returned from a hunt in New Zealand. I use 4 non-TSA keyed Master locks on my Pelican case. Never an issue and never had locks cut. When my rifle case was hand delivered to the baggage claim office in Houston (IAH), all 4 latches on the Pelican were unlatched and the only thing keeping the case closed were the 4 padlocks.

You know, that is interesting. I had that too in JFK in New York, but only with 2 latches on one side of the case. I realized that the gasket must have popped slightly from its groove when they opened the case, and it was very hard/near impossible to re-latch all 4 latches with the gasket not properly in its groove. They just put the locks back on without bothering about the latches. I have been wondering since if the Pelican latches are too hard to latch for petite female officers...