F
Field Ethos
Guest
By Keith Wood
Unless you live in some awful urban location, flying with a long gun is relatively simple. Show up with a quality case and decent locks, be nice to the airline staff and you’ll be sipping cocktails in the terminal with time to spare. Flying with a handgun can be a different story.
For starters, most handgun cases suck. I’ve watched overzealous airline agents pry them apart to prove them unworthy and send the would-be passengers scrambling back home in search of Plan B. Then there’s size—most handgun cases hold a single pistol and, if you’re lucky, a spare mag. What happens if you need a second handgun?
Last summer I enrolled in the 1911 Mastery Course put on by legendary competitive shooter Rob Leatham and Jason Burton, one of the most talented pistol ‘smiths in the trade. This intense course allows students to nerd-out on the 1911 both on the range and at the bench. Leatham and Burton love to shoot, and this course provides ample opportunities to make once-fired brass.
A backup pistol is a must for such a high round count course, so I planned to bring a pair of Springfield Armory Garrisons. How would I transport them? I sure as hell wasn’t going to drive to Arizona.
We are all familiar with the Field Ethos x Condition 1 Collab travel bar—The Schoby—but it, in some scheme to turn a profit, turns out that the company makes cases for more than just alcohol-related accessories. There are a bunch of different options available on the Condition 1 website, ranging from a single pistol case to one that holds six different handguns. I ordered a 2 Pistol Case (#179).
They come in nine different colors, so you can get one that won’t get confused with the 26 black molded cases that come off the belt at most baggage carousels. I chose olive green. The case is compact enough to fit inside a duffel or larger suitcase but easily durable enough to be checked by itself. It’s molded out of virtually indestructible plastic with heavy duty hinges and attachment points for two locks of your choice.
The interior configuration of the case that I chose holds two handguns with dividers that ensure that they won’t bang against one another no matter how bad a day the guy on the tarmac is having. The handgun slots are large enough to accommodate most models, including those with optics and extended magazine wells.
There are also slots to hold up to 18 magazines, which was fantastic since I’d be putting a couple of thousand rounds through single-stack mags over the course of three days. There is also a large section that I stuffed full of tools and cleaning supplies. The current model’s interior varies slightly, trading some of the magazine slots for a larger accessory area—just shove your mags there, instead.
The case made the trip without a hiccup, and my guns were safe and sound when I cracked the lid to load up in my rental car. Besides being great for travel, the case was handy to have on the range. The lid kept the desert dust out of my kit and was a handy place to store the magazines that weren’t riding on my belt.
This case had become my go-to when it comes to getting multiple handguns to the range. Pre-cut foam inserts are available to change the #179 into a three- or four-pistol configuration. Condition 1 will also sell you alternative interior padding systems if you want to use the case for other cargo. The padded divider set easily converts this case into a hard-sided camera bag.
It is really easy to make excuses for not flying with a handgun—I’ve made them all. With Condition 1’s selection of cases, though, not having a good container to protect your iron is no longer one of them. So, grab one of these cases and, next time you fly, check a handgun. Or two. Or three. Or four.
Price: $120
Pros: Lightweight, secure, and versatile.
Cons: Interior padding gets battered with repeated use.
The post GOING Double Fisted — CONDITION 1 2 PISTOL CASE appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
Unless you live in some awful urban location, flying with a long gun is relatively simple. Show up with a quality case and decent locks, be nice to the airline staff and you’ll be sipping cocktails in the terminal with time to spare. Flying with a handgun can be a different story.
For starters, most handgun cases suck. I’ve watched overzealous airline agents pry them apart to prove them unworthy and send the would-be passengers scrambling back home in search of Plan B. Then there’s size—most handgun cases hold a single pistol and, if you’re lucky, a spare mag. What happens if you need a second handgun?
Last summer I enrolled in the 1911 Mastery Course put on by legendary competitive shooter Rob Leatham and Jason Burton, one of the most talented pistol ‘smiths in the trade. This intense course allows students to nerd-out on the 1911 both on the range and at the bench. Leatham and Burton love to shoot, and this course provides ample opportunities to make once-fired brass.
A backup pistol is a must for such a high round count course, so I planned to bring a pair of Springfield Armory Garrisons. How would I transport them? I sure as hell wasn’t going to drive to Arizona.
Condition 1 2 Pistol Case Details
We are all familiar with the Field Ethos x Condition 1 Collab travel bar—The Schoby—but it, in some scheme to turn a profit, turns out that the company makes cases for more than just alcohol-related accessories. There are a bunch of different options available on the Condition 1 website, ranging from a single pistol case to one that holds six different handguns. I ordered a 2 Pistol Case (#179).
They come in nine different colors, so you can get one that won’t get confused with the 26 black molded cases that come off the belt at most baggage carousels. I chose olive green. The case is compact enough to fit inside a duffel or larger suitcase but easily durable enough to be checked by itself. It’s molded out of virtually indestructible plastic with heavy duty hinges and attachment points for two locks of your choice.
The interior configuration of the case that I chose holds two handguns with dividers that ensure that they won’t bang against one another no matter how bad a day the guy on the tarmac is having. The handgun slots are large enough to accommodate most models, including those with optics and extended magazine wells.
There are also slots to hold up to 18 magazines, which was fantastic since I’d be putting a couple of thousand rounds through single-stack mags over the course of three days. There is also a large section that I stuffed full of tools and cleaning supplies. The current model’s interior varies slightly, trading some of the magazine slots for a larger accessory area—just shove your mags there, instead.
Field & Travel Test
The case made the trip without a hiccup, and my guns were safe and sound when I cracked the lid to load up in my rental car. Besides being great for travel, the case was handy to have on the range. The lid kept the desert dust out of my kit and was a handy place to store the magazines that weren’t riding on my belt.
This case had become my go-to when it comes to getting multiple handguns to the range. Pre-cut foam inserts are available to change the #179 into a three- or four-pistol configuration. Condition 1 will also sell you alternative interior padding systems if you want to use the case for other cargo. The padded divider set easily converts this case into a hard-sided camera bag.
It is really easy to make excuses for not flying with a handgun—I’ve made them all. With Condition 1’s selection of cases, though, not having a good container to protect your iron is no longer one of them. So, grab one of these cases and, next time you fly, check a handgun. Or two. Or three. Or four.
Price: $120
Pros: Lightweight, secure, and versatile.
Cons: Interior padding gets battered with repeated use.
The post GOING Double Fisted — CONDITION 1 2 PISTOL CASE appeared first on Field Ethos.
Continue reading...
