Photo Courtesy of Harbor Freight
Protecting your firearms from the elements is tough. Protecting your firearms from thieves is tough. Nothing is as tough, however, as protecting your firearms from underpaid and disgruntled baggage handlers.
When I was younger, my father made a fishing rod case out of durable PVC pipe so that we could fly up to Maine on a fishing trip. I’ll never forget looking out the terminal window and seeing a baggage handler launch that rod carrier off the plane so hard that it landed nose first on the tarmac, hard enough to crack the endcap.
My dad and I laugh about that experience now, but the memory has stuck with me and made me extra cautious about how I transport my firearms. Traditionally, a hard-sided case tough enough to journey through the bowels of an international airport has been very expensive. These days, thanks to Harbor Freight, that is no longer the case.
Pun sort-of intended.
The Apache hard-side case line from Harbor Freight covers all the bases of a protective firearms case. They are rated IP65 water-tight and dust-proof, so weather will not damage the contents of your case. The cases also feature a pressure relief valve, so that you can open the case easily after substantial elevation changes.
The Apache cases come pre-drilled for two padlocks, which should allow you to fly with a firearm. The larger cases also feature wheels and a rubber-molded pull grip, ensuring that long walks from baggage claim to the rental car lot are a breeze.
Apache cases come in a variety of sizes that can best be described as one, two, or three handgun, or double rifle. They come in hi-viz orange or yellow, as well as black or flat dark earth.
Photo Courtesy of Harbor Freight
One of my favorite features of these cases is that they come with a foam insert that is pre-cut in a grid. All you have to do is pull foam cubes out until you have the outline you want. This is substantially more convenient than borrowing your wife’s Exacto knife and getting covered in foam shavings in the garage.
Perhaps the best part of all is the affordable price tag of the Apache case line. The regular price Harbor Freight lists for the double-rifle sized case is $169.99. If you keep an eye out, you can probably find it priced a good bit lower. Even the regular price, however, comes in at $100 less than a well-known market competitor’s similar option.
I have purchased three of these cases and have experienced no issues with them so far. Most recently, the double-rifle sized case I own rode just over 3000 miles in the back of a box trailer. My rifle, unharmed, had retained its zero as well.
I encourage you all to take your firearms on your adventures, but protect them well. To that end, give the Apache cases a serious look.
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