My Pelican 1700 has two mid-layers of foam cut for two different pairs of guns. They have been relegated to the scrap foam pile to be used when I have a need for a chunk of firm foam in some project. They have been replaced with Pelican's Re-Set grids. Stumbled on this new system a couple weeks before the SCI convention while looking for something else. Tested on the flight to Nashville. This system works.
The Re-Set, with the plastic grid holding a bunch of firm foam pegs, not quite an inch in diameter, allowed good use of the space. Fitting the two shotguns in was easy. The beauty of the system is, resetting the pegs for a different configuration of gun(s) takes very little time. No more cutting foam and having to store the extras.
As I was playing with it prior to this flight, I wondered if the pegs could shift under a gun. So I pushed the pegs under the buttstock about halfway, then tried to seat them all the way by pushing down on the buttstock; wasn't gonna happen. These pegs stay put very securely, even those under the barrels which I left raised about a half inch off the bottom of the case. After four flights, and whatever abuse the baggage handlers put the case through, those pegs did not move.
It is rare I get a new piece of gear that I don't think a modification might help; this Re-Set system was no different. There is a bit of a gap between the pegs along the edges and the sides of the case. About 3/8" on the 1st gen case I have, about 1/2" on a new 2nd gen case, and about an inch over the wheels. So I cut strips of a fairly stiff, 1/2" thick, foam to fill this gap. Doing so allowed me to use the entire grid and still have padding between the sides of the case and the shotgun barrels in the configuration I used for this trip. The yellow foam in the pics are the added foam.
Pros- Biggest pro is the ability to reconfigure without buying another piece of foam to cut or have cut. One and done on the cost. Also comes with extra pegs. Replacement pegs are available. Replacement grids are also available. Easy to test and adjust the fit as needed (try that if you mis-cut a piece of foam!).
Cons- Biggest con is the cost. Regular price for the 1700 is $160. You can save a little bit if you buy the case with the system. Offset by eliminating the need to buy any more foam, even if you change which guns are going in the case. If you have an older case, like I did, there are some minor mods required for the plastic grid pieces, but they are pre-scored and easy to do. There's a video on the Pelican site.
I have no association with Pelican, but have read numerous threads about fitting a variety of guns into various cases for travel and thought others might benefit from my experiment. They make a version of the Re-Set for the 1750 case as well. I think it is worth the money.
With 2 shotguns-
With 1 shotgun, some ammo, and an area for other stuff (laundry on the return trip, lol)-
The yellow foam in the lid in the 2nd picture is the same stiff 1/2" foam used along the sides. This allowed me to put some clothes in the case and avoid the need for a 2nd checked bag. It also allowed fitting the leftover shells into the case on the return flight. Yellow foam is from a kids playhouse that the grandkids all outgrew.
The Re-Set, with the plastic grid holding a bunch of firm foam pegs, not quite an inch in diameter, allowed good use of the space. Fitting the two shotguns in was easy. The beauty of the system is, resetting the pegs for a different configuration of gun(s) takes very little time. No more cutting foam and having to store the extras.
As I was playing with it prior to this flight, I wondered if the pegs could shift under a gun. So I pushed the pegs under the buttstock about halfway, then tried to seat them all the way by pushing down on the buttstock; wasn't gonna happen. These pegs stay put very securely, even those under the barrels which I left raised about a half inch off the bottom of the case. After four flights, and whatever abuse the baggage handlers put the case through, those pegs did not move.
It is rare I get a new piece of gear that I don't think a modification might help; this Re-Set system was no different. There is a bit of a gap between the pegs along the edges and the sides of the case. About 3/8" on the 1st gen case I have, about 1/2" on a new 2nd gen case, and about an inch over the wheels. So I cut strips of a fairly stiff, 1/2" thick, foam to fill this gap. Doing so allowed me to use the entire grid and still have padding between the sides of the case and the shotgun barrels in the configuration I used for this trip. The yellow foam in the pics are the added foam.
Pros- Biggest pro is the ability to reconfigure without buying another piece of foam to cut or have cut. One and done on the cost. Also comes with extra pegs. Replacement pegs are available. Replacement grids are also available. Easy to test and adjust the fit as needed (try that if you mis-cut a piece of foam!).
Cons- Biggest con is the cost. Regular price for the 1700 is $160. You can save a little bit if you buy the case with the system. Offset by eliminating the need to buy any more foam, even if you change which guns are going in the case. If you have an older case, like I did, there are some minor mods required for the plastic grid pieces, but they are pre-scored and easy to do. There's a video on the Pelican site.
I have no association with Pelican, but have read numerous threads about fitting a variety of guns into various cases for travel and thought others might benefit from my experiment. They make a version of the Re-Set for the 1750 case as well. I think it is worth the money.
With 2 shotguns-
With 1 shotgun, some ammo, and an area for other stuff (laundry on the return trip, lol)-
The yellow foam in the lid in the 2nd picture is the same stiff 1/2" foam used along the sides. This allowed me to put some clothes in the case and avoid the need for a 2nd checked bag. It also allowed fitting the leftover shells into the case on the return flight. Yellow foam is from a kids playhouse that the grandkids all outgrew.
We will see how it goes.
