Travel with $$ rifles

[grand veneur]

You always take risks when it comes to your weapon when you travel with it. Unfortunately the risk has to be taken into account, no matter what kind of weapon it is.

Normally you have a weapon built to be used and not just admired in a gun safe. The latter concept exist, and a gunsmith from Germany told me that two thirds of his luxury big game weapons never see Africa. Some very expensive weapons are even first delivered in a plain finish condition for use in Africa and then, after the successful hunt, put into their final luxury condition.

Imho it's all a funny little game for big boy's. I was never afraid to use a very expensive, luxury weapon in Africa, and not just one time. Luckily, in the forty years of regularly hunting abroad, I have never had a serious problem with a rifle.

In recent years I used more renting weapons, but the reason is not the fear of losing my rifle, rather the increasing difficulties to transport a weapon on a plane.

 

[Vintageguy]

I’m not worried about losing a gun still in production but I have old pieces with sentimental value that can’t be replaced regardless of insured value that I won’t fly with but that’s mainly due to the rough and careless handling they receive by TSA and CBP people. I had words in Atlanta with an agent there who carelessly dragged the stock of my rifle across a sharp edge. Cases protect them hopefully from baggage handlers but it’s a shame the only mark the whole trip came from a careless and rude CBP agent.
I have never had anything lost while flying until our last trip and we had a bag lost going and my rifle didn’t get put on the plane Stateside coming home despite the 4 hour layover to help avoid that happening. There seems to be quite an uptick in lost luggage lately as several people I know have had it happen and I’ve started seeing quite a few hunting videos lately with others having the same issue. The quality of airport and airline workers has taken a nosedive imo and I pray that same work approach doesn’t carry over to the maintenance side of things too.
A firearm really should be the best handled and tracked item out there with airlines due to all the hoops involved with traveling with them but in the end it’s just another piece to them and if they were required to improve their “chain of custody” they would probably just quit taking them.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I have two SILs that shoot lefty. One has Ruger LH 270 and 300 WM, the other has Browning A Bolt LH in 270 and 300 WM. None of these rifles were overly expensive.

Get a Ruger No.1, it's ambidextrous and go hunt!. AirTags and the airline bag tracking systems really reduce the chance of loss.

 

[JimP]

I'd just take my favorite rifle and just go hunting in Africa.

In the grand scheme of things very few if any rifles and or bags get lost in transit. If they don't show up when you do odd are they will show up in a day or two. I have been to Africa twice now with two different groups and all of our rifles and bags showed up at our final destination when we did.

With most airlines you can check with the gate attendant to see if your bags on on the plane if you are worried, I was on my first trip and found all was well as we took off for the next airport. If you have a iPhone then the Apple air tags would be a good idea, but I don't and didn't worry about it.

As for sticking stickers on your rifle case, why even do it? If a thief is going to steal it he is going to steal it. He won't care if it is a top of the line double rifle or a cheap single shot, he'll grab the case and go without even looking inside of it until he gets it home.

 

[Sigfla]

I’m not worried about losing a gun still in production but I have old pieces with sentimental value that can’t be replaced regardless of insured value that I won’t fly with but that’s mainly due to the rough and careless handling they receive by TSA and CBP people. I had words in Atlanta with an agent there who carelessly dragged the stock of my rifle across a sharp edge. Cases protect them hopefully from baggage handlers but it’s a shame the only mark the whole trip came from a careless and rude CBP agent.
I have never had anything lost while flying until our last trip and we had a bag lost going and my rifle didn’t get put on the plane Stateside coming home despite the 4 hour layover to help avoid that happening. There seems to be quite an uptick in lost luggage lately as several people I know have had it happen and I’ve started seeing quite a few hunting videos lately with others having the same issue. The quality of airport and airline workers has taken a nosedive imo and I pray that same work approach doesn’t carry over to the maintenance side of things too.
A firearm really should be the best handled and tracked item out there with airlines due to all the hoops involved with traveling with them but in the end it’s just another piece to them and if they were required to improve their “chain of custody” they would probably just quit taking them.

Kind of how I feel. I kick myself for not buying a CZ 550 when they were being produced. I have no issue risking a 2k Ruger guide gun bc I know I can find another. It’s the hard to replace and sentimental ones that took alot of time to find that I worry about. Insurance just won’t replace them.

 

[grand veneur]

I can understand that, but it's always of value using beautiful, old and even collectible items for the purpose they were intended for. There are often very nice memories left behind, especially for the hunters who also appreciate what hunting in Africa is associated with and don't just go there to kill animals and then hang their remains on the wall.

Sure, there are risks involved, both when traveling and also in the field, where such weapons can sometimes be damaged. No matter how, anyone who hunts in Africa takes certain risks, be it for their weapon or even for themselves.

 

[spike.t]

I don't understand why people buy and then don't use a rifle etc for what they were intended.....do you leave your car in the garage just in case....

 

[grand veneur]

If they are really rare collector's items you can discuss whether you should really expose such weapons to risks.

However, this affects very few weapons, and the owners of such very rare and expensive rifles often have enough other and also expensive weapons that they regularly carry with them for hunting in Africa. But I also cannot understand why one would have an expensive weapon built and then have concerns about using it for hunting in Africa.

 

[B0MBOY]

Half of the fun is finally using your super nice gun for what it was meant for!

 

[GuttormG]

Kind of like not driving your nice car out of fear of it being stolen or damaged.

 

[Rare Breed]

I am just curious what the consensus here is. I shoot lefty and that adds to not only the cost of my guns but also their availability. I have guns I would kill to take on trips but find myself almost unwilling to risk losing them in transit. Any of you buy a “lower” end gun to travel with and just admire the Winchester Model 70 Supergrades and Custom Dakotas in the gun rack rather than risk them to Africa and the airlines??

No!!! I buy very nice top end guns except I fell in love with a fairly low priced Merkle DR after having a nice Westley Richards DR. I buy my guns to hunt not collect. It certainly is fine if you choose to collect versus hunt with your guns that’s great if it makes you happy. Myself I use Eastern Insurance with an inexpensive $100,000 policy costing me $400 per year pretty much covers any type of damage or gun loss I might have no matter where I am in the world

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'd just take my favorite rifle and just go hunting in Africa.

In the grand scheme of things very few if any rifles and or bags get lost in transit. If they don't show up when you do odd are they will show up in a day or two. I have been to Africa twice now with two different groups and all of our rifles and bags showed up at our final destination when we did.

With most airlines you can check with the gate attendant to see if your bags on on the plane if you are worried, I was on my first trip and found all was well as we took off for the next airport. If you have a iPhone then the Apple air tags would be a good idea, but I don't and didn't worry about it.

As for sticking stickers on your rifle case, why even do it? If a thief is going to steal it he is going to steal it. He won't care if it is a top of the line double rifle or a cheap single shot, he'll grab the case and go without even looking inside of it until he gets it home.

I know a fella who put a Yamaha sticker on his gun case. Everyone thinks he's a pianist not a hunter.

 

[Vintageguy]

I think many seem to be lumping everything into two categories, use them all everywhere and in any conditions or just put them up and never use them at all. I also don’t believe people who view a gun as strictly a tool understand collectors who view them as art.
I have never owned a gun I didn’t use but just like I won’t take my 67 Cadillac convertible out in the snow and salt but instead drive my old truck that I love also I’m not going to throw one of my 130 year old pristine Damascus barreled double shotguns in my sneak boat on a rainy day with a wet and muddy dog but instead I’ll choose my 101 waterfowl gun or my A5 Browning. That old pristine double will get used but not in a scenario like that.
I won’t own a gun that doesn’t turn my crank as functional art but there are plenty I appreciate that are not overly expensive just as there are many very expensive ones I think are ugly dogs I wouldn’t own.
Traveling to hunt here in the U.S. I have often taken both a fair weather gun and one I’m willing to hunt in any conditions with.
Different strokes for different folks.
If flying with a particular gun causes you worry and stress then why not pick something that you don’t have that stress with but can still enjoy? Who cares what someone else thinks, it’s not their gun and they obviously don’t understand how you feel.

 

[revturbo9967]

Fly with airlines that have the best track record with handling firearms . Emirates and Qatar are too tier in that regard

 

[JimP]

I know a fella who put a Yamaha sticker on his gun case. Everyone thinks he's a pianist not a hunter.

I'm sure that with the number of firearms that are handled through African airports that it would be hard to fool the vast majority of baggage handlers.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I'm sure that with the number of firearms that are handled through African airports that it would be hard to fool the vast majority of baggage handlers.

He was mostly concerned about some of the anti-gun anti-hunting types working European airports. They might be more prone to handle the case with respect and care if they think it contains a musical instrument. Kinda makes sense.

 

[mark-hunter]

AirTag is a must-have! My guns have gone temporarily awol twice. Very handy and reassuring to know exactly where they are located ... on the ground anyway. I use Android but my daughter has Apple. She would track the gun case from her home and text me images of the gun case's location while I was traveling.

Interesting!
How does this work? I will try to use this on my next trip. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Interesting!
How does this work? I will try to use this on my next trip. Any info would be appreciated.

AirTag triangulates with adjacent Apple devices and transmits the location to the owner's Apple device which is matched to the AirTag before the trip. I use Android so my daughter matched her iPhone to the tag and then texted me images of what she was seeing while I was traveling. Of course, once the guncase is in the air she can't see it because devices on board must be shut off in flight.

 

[mark-hunter]

So, basically you need to have some device in the gun case, for transmitting? Correct?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

So, basically you need to have some device in the gun case, for transmitting? Correct?

Yes. AirTag is about the size of a quarter. Battery lasts for five years. Hide it someplace in the gun case. Underneath the foam is a good spot. Google for it and you should find multiple vendors. Prices vary. I bought mine for $35 as I recall.