Boyt Hard Travel Case H20 - You get what you pay for?

GunNut

I'm a bit annoyed because earlier this month when I was packing for my training trip I realized that my Pelicans are bit BIG for a single pistol and ammo which is all I was bringing on this trip.  BUT my only hard case for pistols was just a LITTLE smaller that what I'm comfortable with as far as checking in as luggage.  Probably would have been fine, but I'm not taking chances so off to the local store(s) I go and no one had a good sized Pelican for me to buy so I ended up buying the hardiest Boyt I could find.

At $119 this was not "cheap" but it does come with lifetime warrantee right?

Ok first round trip on Delta and this happens...





I've never had any issue like this with Pelican.  Anyway I emailed the info and pictures to the folks at Boyt and we'll see if they take care of this.  I don't think this is a critical failure by any means but Lord, ONE TRIP!!!  Doesn't instill confidence...

Diver43

Price is a bit steep for something to break on the very first trip.  I suspect they will blame it on the baggage handlers and tell you to take it up with the airline. Being Delta, you may get something, but I doubt you will get a new case.

GunNut

Diver43 said:

Price is a bit steep for something to break on the very first trip.  I suspect they will blame it on the baggage handlers and tell you to take it up with the airline. Being Delta, you may get something, but I doubt you will get a new case.

I agree with you and if that's the case I'm screwed.  Airlines insure the contents of your bag if they lose it but they will not take responsibility to damage of the actual bag or contents.  Don't ask me how I learned that particular tidbit...

Zee

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

GunNut

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

I never do, specially after I watched one of them actually kick a suitcase that had fallen off one of the loading conveyors right under the tires of the jet about to pull away from the gate...

GunNut

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

@Zee do you have any experience with Boyt stuff?  This is my first.

bullsi1911

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

I have worked in an Airport.  This is 100% true.

ESPECIALLY if they think something breakable is in the luggage

Zee

GunNut said:

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

@Zee do you have any experience with Boyt stuff?  This is my first.

No. Other than a soft rifle case back in the 90s. 

I use Pelican. 

zorba

Two thoughts:

1) Remember the Samonsonite gorilla?

2) "United Breaks Guitars" - and nobody else is any better...

10canyon53

Mine travels in a small portable safe inside my suitcase.  The baggage handlers know what's in those small Pelican cases, mine goes stealth mode.  TSA knows it is there, but the baggage handlers don't.

GunNut

10canyon53 said:

Mine travels in a small portable safe inside my suitcase.  The baggage handlers know what's in those small Pelican cases, mine goes stealth mode.  TSA knows it is there, but the baggage handlers don't.

Neat idea but ever since I saw a video of how easy it is to open a suitcase zipper and close it again without someone noticing I've been paranoid of putting small expensive stuff inside one.  I rather pack around the large hard cases.

This one is overkill for only one handgun but I can pack it up with clothes and such too and actually use it as my check-in luggage easily enough.

GunNut

Zee said:

GunNut said:

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

@Zee do you have any experience with Boyt stuff?  This is my first.

No. Other than a soft rifle case back in the 90s. 

I use Pelican. 

That was my plan, and it might be my plan again.  I might try to get Sportsman's Warehouse to refund me my money and have THEM deal with Boyt.

GunNut

bullsi1911 said:

Zee said:

Never underestimate the brutality of a baggage handler. 

I have worked in an Airport.  This is 100% true.

ESPECIALLY if they think something breakable is in the luggage

That has been my experience as a traveler too.  I would NEVER use soft luggage ever again...

GunNut

zorba said:

Two thoughts:

1) Remember the Samonsonite gorilla?

2) "United Breaks Guitars" - and nobody else is any better...

yep...

Zee

I’ve broken pieces parts off pelican cases. But, it takes years.........of abuse.......and they still worked afterwards. 

GunNut

Zee said:

I’ve broken pieces parts off pelican cases. But, it takes years.........of abuse.......and they still worked afterwards. 

Yeah but you can break hammers...

GunNut

So color me shocked!  At least they are RESPONSIVE!!!

Just got an email from the CS Manager they are shipping me a BRAND NEW case and a label so I can ship back the defective one.  Damn!

Zee

Good deal. 

Zee

And on Pelican Cases, the only part I’ve broken were the wheels.

GunNut

Zee said:

Good deal. 

Zee said:

And on Pelican Cases, the only part I’ve broken were the wheels.

I am impressed.  Not really sure of the design still.  Those little wings look like an invitation to breaking off.  I don't believe my Pelicans have them.  Aren't the wheels replaceable on the Pelican?

RugerFan

I wonder how the Harbor Freight Apache cases compare to a real Pelican 

Zee

Yes, and remember.......I don’t fault the Boyt case. Expendable parts designed to absorb shock are not a bad thing. 

Remember that. A piece breaking off the case is better than a piece breaking off the gun. 

GunNut

Zee said:

Yes, and remember.......I don’t fault the Boyt case. Expendable parts designed to absorb shock are not a bad thing. 

Remember that. A piece breaking off the case is better than a piece breaking off the gun. 

True point...  it is a nice case by any measure.  I was just surprised it didn’t take long for a break somewhere, then again an injection flaw can happen too.  

Meh, seems like they are handling it right so what the heck.  I’m impressed.

GunNut

RugerFan said:

I wonder how the Harbor Freight Apache cases compare to a real Pelican 

Can’t say I’ve bumped into those yet.

Diver43

Hard to complain with that kind of customer service.
We have one of those harbor freight boxes.  But, it never gets abused, the wife keeps her camera and lenses in it

10canyon53

GunNut said:

10canyon53 said:

Mine travels in a small portable safe inside my suitcase.  The baggage handlers know what's in those small Pelican cases, mine goes stealth mode.  TSA knows it is there, but the baggage handlers don't.

Neat idea but ever since I saw a video of how easy it is to open a suitcase zipper and close it again without someone noticing I've been paranoid of putting small expensive stuff inside one.  I rather pack around the large hard cases.

This one is overkill for only one handgun but I can pack it up with clothes and such too and actually use it as my check-in luggage easily enough.

If you have a baggage handler looking to steal a firearm, the small Pelican type cases are a big billboard that says to them "Gun inside".  I fly in and out of Orlando International all the time, with one or two Pelican cases that have tools and test instruments inside.  Even though one of the Pelican cases is not large, I always have to claim it at the oversize baggage area and show my ID.  When I asked why, the airline representative told me that they assume there is a firearm inside.  I had to chuckle because when they told me that I had already claimed my suitcase off the belt and that is where my firearm was, not in the Pelican cases.  Yes, my suitcase is hard sided and has a TSA lock.  By Federal law, the travel safe has a non-TSA lock.  Under normal times I fly on a weekly basis and have not yet had an issue.

GunNut

Good to hear!

zorba

Speaking of baggage handlers...

Back in Y2K, I took a business trip, with a pleasure stop on the way home. I took a carryon with $1,000+ worth of camera gear. That was fine, until I had to fly on a little plane that couldn't accommodate the carryon, so they told me they'd stow it in the hold, and it would be available at the door when I deplaned. WRONG! It wasn't there, so I asked where it was. "Oh, you can pick it up at the baggage carousel." I friggin' WENT OFF! "YOU PUT MY CAMERA GEAR INTO THE BAGGAGE STREAM?!!!! WHY THE *HELL* DO YOU THINK I WAS HAND CARRYING IT?!?!?"

Fortunately, nothing bad happened. However, two things came of that. 1) I won't hand carry anything that won't fit under the seat in front of me - which means I can get off the plane while the unloaders unload (which since become a pet peeve as I used to do a LOT of flying), and 2)For a HUGE variety of reasons, I haven't flown that airline (United) since - this SNAFU was the least of the problems I had on that trip, I could have written a novel. It was a 6 leg trip in toto, and every single leg was screwed up in one manner or another. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Nevermind what happened with my checked bag when I got home!

JasonMPD

GunNut said:

I'm a bit annoyed because earlier this month when I was packing for my training trip I realized that my Pelicans are bit BIG for a single pistol and ammo which is all I was bringing on this trip.  BUT my only hard case for pistols was just a LITTLE smaller that what I'm comfortable with as far as checking in as luggage.  Probably would have been fine, but I'm not taking chances so off to the local store(s) I go and no one had a good sized Pelican for me to buy so I ended up buying the hardiest Boyt I could find.

At $119 this was not "cheap" but it does come with lifetime warrantee right?

Ok first round trip on Delta and this happens...





I've never had any issue like this with Pelican.  Anyway I emailed the info and pictures to the folks at Boyt and we'll see if they take care of this.  I don't think this is a critical failure by any means but Lord, ONE TRIP!!!  Doesn't instill confidence...

In fairness it's hard to know if your Pelican case was ever struck in the same manner as that case was to cause the damage.

GunNut

JasonMPD said:

GunNut said:

I'm a bit annoyed because earlier this month when I was packing for my training trip I realized that my Pelicans are bit BIG for a single pistol and ammo which is all I was bringing on this trip.  BUT my only hard case for pistols was just a LITTLE smaller that what I'm comfortable with as far as checking in as luggage.  Probably would have been fine, but I'm not taking chances so off to the local store(s) I go and no one had a good sized Pelican for me to buy so I ended up buying the hardiest Boyt I could find.

At $119 this was not "cheap" but it does come with lifetime warrantee right?

Ok first round trip on Delta and this happens...





I've never had any issue like this with Pelican.  Anyway I emailed the info and pictures to the folks at Boyt and we'll see if they take care of this.  I don't think this is a critical failure by any means but Lord, ONE TRIP!!!  Doesn't instill confidence...

In fairness it's hard to know if your Pelican case was ever struck in the same manner as that case was to cause the damage.

Just checked on one of my Pelicans this morning and they don’t have those thin hard wings.  Hey, it’s a lifetime warranty so as long as they keep giving me new ones if they break I’m good.