Just curious to know if others who use a flat sided Pelican/Storm or equivalent case for airline travel, if you remove the bolt from the action and lay it flat in the case (wrapped in a cleaning rag or some padding) to prevent the bolt handle from sticking up and potentially being damaged or causing damage to the action/stock in some way.

The first two times we went we took lever actions and a No.1. in flat sided aluminum cases. Third time we took lever actions and a bolt action. This year we are taking lever actions, bolt actions and a double. I've upgraded to Pelican/Storm cases and doing the center foam cut outs for the rifles and was just curious if anyone had experienced bolt/action damage from leaving the bolt in the rifle an in the battery position.

I have the Pelican 1750 and have flown 3 times with it. There is just enough flex in it that I am concerned about pressure on the bolt if left in the rifle. I always take the bolts out and have cut the foam for them. Plenty of room for two rifles and two bolts.

Nothing wrong with wrapping them in a silicone rag or similar. I just don't want to take the chance of them moving about and scratching the bluing or wood. Hence their own cut out space.

RCG

I always do as RCG does.

Better safe than sorry.

I have a theory about bolts left in guns on long flights. I feel that the bolt puts unequal pressure on both ends of the riflescope and may cause it to be off after extended periods (36 hours or more sometimes)

Steve

I have worried about the potential for the bolt being lost if it is removed. So I packed the rifle with the bolt open, but in the rifle. This eliminates the width problem of a closed bolt.

Hugh

I take the bolt out put it in a L shaped slice in the foam liner. This avoids the stress point that the bolt handle creates if it is left in the rifle. It also makes it abundantly clear that your rifle is unloaded to the TSA inspectors. Additionally Steve may have a point about the bolt handle causing uneven stress on the scope. So I do think it is best to remove the bolt while traveling. Actually I think I've been asked at check on if the bolt was out.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Nganga:
I have a theory about bolts left in guns on long flights. I feel that the bolt puts unequal pressure on both ends of the riflescope and may cause it to be off after extended periods (36 hours or more sometimes)

Steve

Good point there but I'd have thought it'd be more logical (assuming QD mounts) to remove the scope & locate it in it's own cut out..... or maybe both scope & bolt for that matter...

I take the bolts out, put each in a Crown Royal bag (I've always had plenty of these - don't know what that's all about!) and zip-tie each, around the outside of the bag, about the middle of the bolt, to the trigger guard. 'Never had a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by hughman:
I have worried about the potential for the bolt being lost if it is removed. So I packed the rifle with the bolt open, but in the rifle. This eliminates the width problem of a closed bolt.

Hugh

+1

Having the bolt completely out of the rifle, even though securely wrapped and in the same case, conjures up (perhaps unfounded) nightmares of lost bolts.

If opened and fully drawn to the rear, the bolt is usually much "flatter" (closer to the same plane as the rifle) and packs nicely without concern that it might serve as a fulcrum to crack the stock.

Dear m3taco

I remove the bolt after every hunt while in the field.
Have not lost a bolt to date. Safety first.

I always remove the bolt when traveling any were.
Loose the bolt, loose the ammo loose your pass port.
Every this needs to have its place and double check.

If I feel the rifle could be lost I strap it to the ammo box. Which is also locked. If they steel the rifle it will be no use to them with out a bolt.

Any way my view.

Regards Mark

I take out each bolt and then put each of my bolts in a single sock. The sock is folded over and a rubber band secures the sock. Each sock is then placed in a separately labeled zip lock (i.e. .375 H&H bolt for one zip lock, .300 WSM bolt for another, etc). They then sit on the top of my rifles in the tuff pak. Never had a problem. Never have lost one. They are always there after any inspection and since they are identified, it makes the inspection much easier.

One should ALWAYS remove the bolts for travel. I pack them in an old wool sock as UEG stated above, sans the ziploc bags but that sounds even better. I've been doing this forever with nary a problem and never had a bolt go missing.

I have arrived in camps around the world, most recently in Canada in 2005, to find hunting companions with broken stocks. In each case, the rifle was packed with the bolt in place in the rifle. As stated above by others, this does create a "pressure point" which can and will cause damage, most commonly a broken wood stock. The guncase does not have to be run over for this to occur. I believe synthetic stocks are less prone to this sort of breakage as they may provide some degree of flexibility under stress.

Besides the various reasons given above - I have always taken the rifle bolt out and put it in its own cut out in the foam - but another reason is I have had TSA look at the case thru x-ray on more than one occasion and never ask to open it as then can clearly tell that it is unloaded.

Or you could check your rifle in at Pearson Int'l Airport in Toronto, where you try not to laugh out loud when the "security inspector" glares at your open guncase, containing your rifle with scope, bolt, AND BARREL all removed and snuggled into their separate compartments, and then fixes her steely gaze on you and asks "Is it loaded?"

Flying SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System), they require the bolt to be removet from the rifle and checked in with the ammo in your locked ckecked in bag/suitcase.

Same with shotguns, they require the forend taken of the gun and put in the checked in luggage.

On other airlines I also take the bolt out, but leave it in a recess in the gun case.
So far no problems.

FWIW

i sold a very, very expensive and rare bolt rifle. I took the bolt out and wrapped it in bubble wrap. I placed it aganst the butt of the rifle, to minimize harm. I shipped it in anirline type hard case, locked.

Somehow, some way, the end of the rifle case got smashed and a chunk was taken out fo the case, and the bolt went missing.

Months of back and forth, and UPS paid a partial amount for insurance, which I gave to the buyer. He still wanted the rifle. A year or so later, he told me, after much searching, he located a bolt for it in Germany and had it shipped.

I am way of shipping/traveling with the bolt in...and with the bolt out.

I also took the scope off a rifle and packed it in the rifle case. TSA inspected it, where I could not see them, and forgot to put the scope back in the case. My Namibia hunt was really compromised by not having the scope.

Packer beware- what can go wrong, eventually wil...

How about this? Take the bolt out and the scope off, use plastic cable ties to connect them to the rifle, then secure them into their own slots in the foam within the case. They can be inspected individually if necessary, but will still be connected to the rifle.

TSA can only screw that up if they cut the cable ties. Of course, that's exactly what they'll do!

Dale

This thread reminds me of the days I shot competitively in the Army. I flew commercial air with an M16 and had orders to carry the bolt on my person, since I had an automatic weapon (funny, the auto sear is in the lower unit, but I guess no one considered that).

Normally, it was not a problem to do this; I just showed my orders - the rifle itself was checked as baggage. But I was flying back from the All Army matches at Fort Benning and got nabbed at the X Ray by some huge fat lady. I still remember her screetching:

"Sonny, I don't care if you is the President of the United States, you ain'g gonna fly with that unless you check it."

Leave the bolt in -- place in a reasonable canvas gun case (some have a side pocket that you can place the bolt in if so desired) and thence place the rifle and case into a Tuffpak -- no side pressure issues what so ever -- problem solved
G