Got a goose hunt scheduled in Denver and am debating whether or not I need to buy a new case for my shotgun or can just use the factory one that you store the gun broken down in. It has holes for locking but it's a hard plastic case.

Thoughts?

Interested as well as I have a pheasant hunt coming up in South Dakota in a couple weeks.

When I flew back home with grandpa's WW2 S&W all TSA was curious about was, is it unloaded and is the case sturdy with locks in all available holes that I keep a key to. That said, I'm not sure if rules for long guns are different but it was pretty straightforward in my case.

Just flew back from SD this weekend. Guy that was checking his gun at the sametime as us was using his factory beretta case with locks. Didn't have any issues with TSA from what I could see.

Thank you!

I wouldn't do it. My Dad's friend took his Beretta case to Canada a couple years ago and it got broken and it was a huge hassle. My brother also had an issue the first time he tried to use his Beretta case. They are not very tough and crack along the hinge.

Get yourself a Pelican case and put some real padlocks on it -- not TSA approved (hey are all too small and flimsy).

After you open the case at the airline counter to prove it is not loaded and get the little card put inside, lock it up and wrap the locks with duct tape to keep them from flopping and torquing the lock holes on the case.

Send it off to TSA and don't worry about it. I have traveled this way with my Pelican case to Canada every year for the past 17 years. I have also flown up to Rhode Island for sea ducks, SD and Kansas for pheasants, San Diego and Phoenix for quail. My Dad and brother now do the same thing.

*ignore the emoji

That's what I was worried about.

I've flown a couple of times with a firearm and am pretty familiar with the process. The question was really directed at the integrity of the factory case vs an aftermarket one. The other ones I have are foam cut for the specific rifle/Gun. Don't really want to drop the money on a case for one goose hunt, if I don't have too. Sounds like I might...

Maybe use one of your other ones, if it would work, and add/remove a little foam?

Pull the shapable foam out of the case and then put your shotgun in a soft carrier and shove the shotgun still inside the soft case into your pelican or plano or whatever hard case you have.

I always carry my shotguns this way. It allows you to fit more shotguns if you are willing to leave one or two in a gun sock on top of the other soft cased ones in the pelican/plano.

Good idea!