If you are flying, hard case. Otherwise I much prefer a double soft case. A bunch of brands make them that fit all 3 guns, you will just want to shop around to make sure its long enough for your shotgun. I use a Valken 42" from amazon and it has held up well for a few years. NCSTAR/VISM makes them up to 55" also on amazon. Cabelas also has a RangeMaxx 3 gun case that looks nice and is long. There is a Safariland "double gun bag" on the EE under competitive gear.
3 gun competition travel case
- Thread starter 1ABNDT
- Start date
Huh, you've got me thinking - so does yours lock sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of transporting a restricted handgun?
Are these bags tough enough to simply load up and throw in the back of the truck without the guns taking a beating as you travel and they roll around?
stormbringer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S.W. Ontario
My travel mode is:
-black no name soft case, padded on outside, zips on top, padded divider
-Rifle assembled on side of case with trigger lock
-pistol in its own pistol-sized soft case with trigger lock
-tube-fed shotgun with barrel removed, barrel on bottom of compartment in a gun sock, rest of shotgun on laying on top of it in same compartment
-lock on case zipper
-tube extension, spring, follower in the external compartment of case
I've used this setup to travel long distance in cars and trucks and vans, almost always stacked and packed with other gear, from Saskatoon to:
-Edmonton area, ~6x
-Grande Prairie BC area, 2x
-Prince George BC, 1x
-Lone Butte BC, 2x
-Montana, 1x
-Denver, 1x
-Minneapolis, 4x
-Wyoming, 1x
No problems, no damage.
Usually once I'm at the match and I assemble the shotgun, I leave it assembled and in the gun sock. If I want to carry it within the gun case, I put it inside and let it stick out with the zipper open where it sticks out.
As adamg eluded to, zipper locks are adequate, your ar/pistol have to be trigger locked of course. Those cases will all have a zipper designed for a small lock to go through. I have no travel concerns with my guns inside my soft case if I'm handling them. Flying would be another story. Its well padded and they are the guns i'm competing with, throwing into barrels etc so they are tough and I'm not worried about cosmetics.
For the last 4 years I've used a cabelas armour extreme with the foam removed and soft cases inside,first couple years using individual cases I could fit 2 shotguns 2 pistols a carbine and enough cleaning and repair tools and parts that you wouldn't want to move it. Now I put a safariland 3-gun bag inside and once at the destination the hard case can stay at the hotel etc and I'm off to the races. This setup has made it by bus to BC and as far as Phoenix by truck and everywhere in between.
