OK Guys,

Going to RSA next year. Will probably take a Chapuis 9,3x74R DR for the first time. Will also take a bolt rifle. Have a Tuff Pack that has gone to Africa twice carrying bolt rifles inside soft gun cases.

Have a soft takedown case for the Chapuis as well.

What's the best way to pack a DR in a Tuff Pack for airlines transport?

Gee Mike, no one responded yet. Let me try. At least one person on this forum has posted that his double got wrecked in a Tuff pack. That implies to me that the weight of a double requires a LOT of packing at each end, probably with some kind of absorbent material, not just clothes and boots, if it is packed "assembled". I have a Tuff Pack and a double, and a takedown (soft) case for it. I have not tried to see if the case can be "bent' or wrapped around in some way so that it can fit in a TuffPack (with the broken down parts in it). Even if it doesn't, I would still tend to pack it taken down, and should still get a regular rifle in the Tuff pack as well. Showing it the authorities would be more dificult, but worth not having a broken rifle at the end.
Peter.

I don't know but I've lugged doubles to the dark side many times in a TuffPak in just the regular padded gun cases and never had a problem.

I usually throw some junk in the bottom of the TuffPak like a jacket or shirts so the soft cases have something to rest on. Then the soft cases go in barrels first.

Mike,
I would pack the rifle taken apart. Perhaps use a "Leg-O-Mutton" case inside the Tufpack.
At least apart you remove ability of the barrels to lever force on the stock and crack the wrist. Just my opine.

Hi Mike,

We do not have the TuffPak in Australia so I have a Pelican 1750 case that has been internally modified, that is, forget the foam supplied, I got a "Machineable" foam that has been "Cut Out" in the shape of the two Chapuis, a DR "Brousse" in .375 and the "Challenger" in .300 Win Mag or 30.06 depending on what I am hunting. They have a very good lock provission and in addition, I have a small hole drilled to accept a Security Seal to make sure that no sticky fingers go undetected.

Cheers from Australia

On my first two trips to Zimbabwe I took 2 double rifles.

I bought 2 Boyt soft cases that were long enough so that I could break the double rifles down, placing the bbls in the front of the case, the action/stock in the rear, zip it up and fold it over and tie it together.

That way when I get to the Safari I have a long case.

Worked great, except it does take a little longer to take out the rifle for showing, and then to put it back.

In my last trip to Zim, I was taking my wife, and thus 2 ectra rifles and 2 Drillings, so I traveled with the 4 rifles put together in tuffpacks, and the drillings broken down in a takedown tuffpack.

The stock of my 450 No2 was broken at the wrist bedtween Dulles and DFW [traveling through Chicago].

I will NEVER AGAIN travel with a double rifle NOT broken down.

quote:

I bought 2 Boyt soft cases that were long enough so that I could break the double rifles down, placing the bbls in the front of the case, the action/stock in the rear, zip it up and fold it over and tie it together.

And another good idea.

Good advice Rusty on how not to break a rifle. With all the sticky fingers in SA, what do you guys think about removing the bolt from a rifle and carry on the plane(bolt only of course)? Does anyone know if this is permissable? My thought is it would deter someone from stealing a rifle if there was no bolt.

i've travelled with different double rifles all over the usa and to zim and rsa several times.
no way do i want anything approaching a full length rifle case.... tuff pak or no.
using really strong aluminum cases - some are for one rifle ,others are for two i have never had
any trouble at all. the cases are easy to unlock and their short length makes them easy to handle.
also a takedown bolt rifle ( i have a ruger mod 77 takedown in 270 ) fits into the cases fine.but i am not a believer in bolt rifles or their so called "firepower" i like a kipplauf for all the plains game hunting.
the double gives me plenty of "firepower" . and travelling with it taken apart insures no broken stocks unless they run it over with a truck.

I doubt you could carry a bolt in your carry on as it is a "weapon part", but I have not tried it.

TSA in LA had a Walleyed Fit one time when I had an allen wrench in my carry on.

However I have traveled with as many as 4 scopes in my carry on with out any probelms.