Hard Gun Case Protection
The most common questions asked by all who see a Tuffpak hard gun case for the first time are "Where's the foam or dividers and how are my firearms going to be protected?". The Tuffpak does not come with any foam or dividers inside the case. Padding and protection are provided for each firearm individually by its own soft case. Dividers would restrict your packing options. Everyone is taking a soft case on their trip. The outfitter or guide will usually ask that you have one available for each firearm so the hard gun cases can be left at the base camp or similar location. Until now we've been folding the soft cases up and trying to find a place for them in another piece of luggage. What a waste of space! The clothes sure don't need the padding. With the Tuffpak hard gun case, you use the padding and protection that the soft cases afford in the initial shipment. Think about it. Instead of gluing the foam to the inside of a hard case, you wrap the foam around your firearm in the form of a soft gun bag. A soft gun bag you were going to take anyway!
We recommend that you use a regular soft case with standard 1" thick (or greater) foam sides and that you do not leave more than 2" of side to side free space in the case.
Most people have the misconception that you need to pack the Tuffpak hard gun case so tight that nothing will budge inside. This misguided procedure will actually reduce the margin of safety for your firearms. To increase margin of safety for your firearms it would be beneficial to look at why firearms get damaged in cases and avoid these conditions whenever possible.
The forces that damage a firearm during shipping come from impacts and shock. A good firearms transportation case should minimize the amount of impact or shock that your firearm experiences during the trip.
In an attempt to give the traveling sportsman a sense of security, some metal case manufacturers have included straps inside to lash down your firearm. The problem with this is that it prevents the firearm from moving in relationship to the outside of the case. The amount of G-force a hard gun case experiences is directly related to a calculation of acceleration divided by time. The firearm and the hard gun case, if accelerated or decelerated the same amount over the same period of time, will experience the exact same G-force or shock! Worse yet is the fact that all of that energy is focused at the point where the firearm is lashed down. Several people who have used that type of case tell us they've wound up with broken stocks even though there was very little damage noticed on the outside of the hard gun case.
The foam in a hard gun case protects the contents by extending the time over which the contents are accelerated. This happens as the foam compresses. Ideally the weight of the contents is distributed evenly across the surface area of the foam. This is exactly what will happen when you have a foam-lined soft bag completely surrounding your firearm. If, however, the Tuffpak hard gun case is packed so tightly that the contents will not budge, you've actually "pre-compressed" the foam in the soft bags and reduced the foams ability to absorb the energy of an impact. A little free play inside (1"-2") between the cases is just fine.
Hard Gun Case Security
This may surprise you but the sole purpose of a lock on a shipping case is to prevent someone from gaining access to the case during transit without visibly damaging the case. If a case is stolen, all the cables, chains, rods and padlocks in the world are of no use. Once it's in his basement, a thief will get into the case even if he has to destroy it. He has power tools there and we know he's motivated. (He's already risked getting caught in act of stealing your case.)
Customers have also notified us that they have had guns taken from average hard gun cases even though they were equipped with security devices such as rods and padlocks. The thieves evidently removed the rod from the spine hinge (never touching the padlocks or latches) and were able to replace it when they were done. They took the guns and replaced them with a few pounds of bricks so the weight of the rifles would not be missed. Because the case looked okay, the owner never suspected that there was a problem until he got to his destination.
Many people are dazzled by the array of locks that some cases come with. In a gun shipping case, this is actually a liability. The more obvious a lock is, the more obvious the case's value will be. A heavily padlocked case has an implied value that is very enticing to thieves.
The Tuffpak's lock is subtle, yet it effectively prevents all access to the case unless the case is destroyed. The lock is a tubular style steel and brass key lock. (Similar to what is used in vending machines.) It is fitted with a slip collar that prevents someone from just grabbing the barrel with pliers and twisting it. It cannot be defeated without visibly damaging the case.
The Tuffpak's locking system does everything a gun shipping case lock should do while not drawing any unnecessary attention to the case.
Hard Gun Case Versatility
The Tuffpak hard gun case is an extremely versatile case that will change the way you travel with firearms. If you were to buy a three-gun case, that's all you could ever pack in it. When you invest in a Tuffpak hard gun case you're not going to get a "Single Gun Case" or a "Double Gun Case" as you did with other products in the past. You'll get a Firearms Transportation Case that will meet all your needs on your next hunting trip or safari.
If your next trip will be bird hunting over the weekend and you only need to take one shot gun with you, the Tuffpak hard gun case will be a single gun case. Put the shot gun in its soft case, put it down inside the Tuffpak and load up the rest of the space with your boots, jeans, jackets and whatever else you were going to take with you. By using the Tuffpak and packing this way, you've eliminated the need for that extra piece of luggage you normally would have taken with you. Another added protection benefit here is that the Tuffpak gun case loaded with your firearms and all your other stuff will be a bit heavier than just one shot gun in a single gun case. The benefit is that the Tuffpak, with all the other things in it, will be harder for the baggage handlers to throw around but still be easy for you to get around because of the built in wheels. A hard metal gun case is easy to throw around and it still looks like a gun case.
If on the following month you'll be on safari in South Africa and you want to take two scoped rifles and a shotgun, the Tuffpak hard gun case will be a three gun case. Put your firearms in their soft bags, load them into the Tuffpak and throw in a couple of pairs of socks, t-shirts, a camcorder and the pillow you didn't think you'd have room for. Lock the lid and wheel it to the baggage counter. You're on your way with fewer bags and plenty of hunting gear.
Hard Gun Case Airworthiness
There are three basic factors that make the Tuffpak so tough:
Geometry/ Design Elements
Molding Process
Materials
1. Geometry/Design Elements - The shape of the Tuffpak hard gun case is geometrically stronger than the other cases on the market. The shape of the Tuffpak resembles a honeycomb. This is a much stronger shape than a square or rectangle. The Pelican/Browning Travel Vault is a 2-gun case, which, because of the large flat sides, requires 28 pounds of plastic to be strong enough for airline travel. The Tuffpak is 40% lighter! At only 17 pounds the Tuffpak is the lightest multi-gun, airline proof, case available.
Tuffpak was designed from the ground up with the airlines in mind. Over the past 15 years we've made a concentrated effort to design a case without items that wear out and break. (A full-length hinge, once bent, will flex and fatigue the metal every time the case is opened. It will eventually fail. Protruding latches can be damaged easily. Once damaged, they can prevent proper closure of the case or maybe even your ability to get into it.) We are always asking ourselves "How could this thing break? How can we design that weakness out of the case?" The result is the Tuffpak, an airline approved travel case with a nearly perfect track record for almost 15 years now.
2. Molding Process - There are four basic forms of molding used for plastics today. Injection Molding (like the Browning/Pelican Travel Vault and some Plano Cases), Vacuum Forming or Blow Molding (used for some Doskosil and SKB cases), and Rotational (or Roto) Molding (used by Nalpak to make the Tuffpak).
Injection molding is the one of the fastest processes available. Because of the expense involved in tooling and set-up, only products made in very large quantities are manufactured this way. The tools (or molds) are designed with small passages through which the molten plastic is forced with several thousand pounds of hydraulic pressure. You've probably seen a bunch of small plastic parts for a model car or airplane still attached to a "grid." The "grid" that gets thrown away was the passageway that directed the molten plastic to the desired part.
While injection molding might seem like a viable alternative to some, it has limitations. Nalpak designed the Tuffpak for maximum strength with minimum material (weight). The single piece design we came up with cannot be formed with an injection-molding tool.
With Vacuum Forming, sheets of plastic are heated and then forced by air into a mold. There are limits to the thickness of plastic that can be used and there is always a loss of wall thickness in every corner. As the plastic is forced around the radius of a corner, the plastic is stretched. Same amount of material over a larger surface area produces a thinner wall. In some of the less expensive cases that are formed this way, you can actually feel it yourself. Simply press on a corner of one of these cases with your thumb and it will buckle into the case. This was not an acceptable option for us.
The Tuffpak hard gun case is formed by a relatively old molding process called rotational molding or roto molding. A mold that has two halves is mounted on an arm that rotates around its horizontal and vertical axes. A predetermined amount of plastic is scooped into the mold, it's clamped shut, then rotated and baked in a very large, 650-degree oven for almost 30 minutes. The plastic melts inside and adheres to the walls of the mold. As gravity draws the molten plastic along the walls of the mold, it slows down in the corners. This "slowing down" of the plastic in the corners leaves 20% more material in the corners than there is in the side-walls. This is exactly where the "extra" material should be. Most of the bumps that the case will encounter during its travels will be on a corner. With rotational molding there's more material reinforcing the corners to absorb impact.
Rotational Molding also allows us to mold the Tuffpak in one piece. This means that there are no seams, hinges or welds in the Tuffpak. Single piece construction makes it virtually indestructible. It's unlikely that we'll ever mold the Tuffpak any other way.
3. Materials - The Tuffpak hard gun case is molded with a High-tech plastic called High-density Cross-linkable Polyethylene. This is an extremely high grade of plastic that is flexible and has 100% memory. In freezing conditions it's essential to have a plastic that will still be flexible and not get brittle or it will crack. The Tuffpak, if deformed by an outside force, will always return to its original shape. This attribute aids in absorbing shock during travel. As the case flexes, it absorbs the energy of the shock. A rigid metal case will transfer all the energy of an impact to the inside of the case. (Unless the metal case is dented. If the metal case is dented, it has absorbed some of the energy from the impact but you are left with a dented case.)
We know the Tuffpak will survive even the roughest baggage handlers and we're willing to stand behind it. We are so confident of the Tuffpak's design and materials that each one comes with a Lifetime Guarantee. The Guarantee says that if anything breaks or becomes unusable on your case for as long as you own it, Tuffpak will repair or replace it free of charge.
Hard Gun Case Airline Baggage
Airline Sizes:
Most airlines measure their baggage by linear inches (L+W+H).
Tuffpak sizes:
The Original Tuffpak= 52"+13"+12"
The TakeDown Case= 34"+14"+13"
The Bowcase= 46.5" or 53.5"+15.5"+14"
Cases may be slightly oversized to some carriers. Most Tuffpak hard gun case owners have experienced no problems while traveling. Most ticketing agents didn't find it neccesary to measure the Original Tuffpak or the TakeDown hard gun cases.
TSA Hard Gun Case Rules & Regulations
1) Firearm Regulations
2) Other Info
3) The Bottom Line
1) TSA Firearm Regulations:
The TSA web site states:
Subject to state and local restrictions on transporting firearms, you may still transport a firearm in your checked baggage. However, you should first check with your airline or travel agent to see if firearms are permitted in checked baggage on the airline you are flying. Ask about limitations or fees, if any, that apply.
Firearms carried as checked baggage MUST be unloaded, packed in a locked hard-sided gun case, and declared to the airline at check-in. Only you, the passenger, may have the key or combination. Ammunition may be packed in the same locked container as the firearm, so long as it is not loaded in the firearm. Small-arms ammunition must also be declared to the air carrier and placed in an appropriate container - securely packed in fiber, wood or metal boxes or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amount of ammunition.
In addition, small-arms ammunition must also be declared to the air carrier and placed in an appropriate container: "securely packed in fiber, wood, or metal boxes, or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition." Ammunition may be packed in the same locked container as the firearm, so long as it is not loaded in the firearm."
2) Other Info: TSA
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) established the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and mandated deadlines for enhanced security measures.
Incrementally, TSA worked to meet its mandates and at the same time provide an increased level of customer service. As changes and enhancements to aviation security were implemented TSA publicized Traveler Tips in local and national media, as well as on its web site at www.TSATravelTips.us, to aid travelers with the enhanced screening processes. Similarly, TSA launched a media campaign shortly before the end of the 2002 to inform travelers of changes to the checked baggage screening processes
TSA recommends that passengers leave checked baggage unlocked. Enhanced security measures require that all checked baggage undergo at least one form of screening. Hand screening of the luggage will be required to clear every alarm and baggage screeners may have to forcibly open locked baggage to complete the screening process. Travelers who lock their checked baggage do so with the understanding that this may cause delays for themselves and/or their baggage. TSA is not liable for damage to locked baggage that screeners were required to open forcibly.
In some airports, the checked baggage screening process in integrated into the airline's baggage handling process. In this case, checked baggage screening is completed outside the view of passengers. In other airports, the checked baggage screening is completed in a public area of the terminal and passengers may be nearby when their baggage is screened. Once the screening process is completed, passengers are not permitted to repack or handle their baggage.
TSA's travel tips online provide information about prohibited and permitted items, the screening process and procedures, and guidance for special considerations, which may assist in preparing for air travel.
3) The Bottom Line:
After a conversations with an American Airlines executive representative We found out the following:
- The new security measures should not effect the hunter checking his guns. "Since the ticket agent hand checks the case and puts the paperwork inside the case before it is locked and then carries it over to the screening area, it should not need to be checked again. If it does need to be checked, every effort will be made to locate the owner and retrieve the keys." The reason for the "No Locked Luggage" rule is to allow for a visual inspection. Since the Ticket agent visually inspects your case and then walks it over to the TSA's inspection area, it shouldn't need to be inspected again. (On a recent flight to Reno for the annual SCI convention, Or group checked bags on the curb and was no more than 10 feet away from the TSA people when they checked the luggage. If we had been traveling with firearms and they had needed to get into the case again, we could have easily handed them the keys. We saw them complete their inspection on all the luggage for everyone in our party and load all of it on the conveyor belt.)
- Not posted on their web site (but in his book) he said was a limit of 2 or 3 long guns per case. "When is it 2 and when is it 3?" We asked. "Two if it is a 2 gun case, three if it is a 3 gun case." After telling him that the Tuffpak could safely transport 5 shotguns, he said 3 maximum. ("Or 5 pistols in a locked case.")
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