Southwest Airlines Killed my Beretta

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Ridiculous.

[Guest SUNTZU]

This thread made me sick to my stomach. I'm sorry, man...that sucks...big time.

[Ebow1]

I would have snapped by now.

[Louisb]

I question this and all the "accidents" by the shipping companies.

Are they accidents or deliberate damage by employees?

Especially true when it is very apparent that it is a gun case.

I think public flogging of airline./shipping company employees would be a start.

Edited July 11, 2010 by TCLouis

[Dolomite_supafly]

I think the biggest problem you are going to have is putting a value on it. Most people do not understand having a gun fitted as well as the cost of quality accessories. All they are going to see is a Beretta shotgun and assess your value based on the value of the cheapest Beretta they can find unless the person doing the assessment is a "gun guy". Even if the person is a "gun guy" they are still only going to offer the minimum initially.

I used to deal a lot with muscle cars and would see the same thing. "It is a 30+ year old car, how much value could it have?"

I suspect you are in for a long hard battle to get what you are actually out. I haven't dealt with problems with airlines before but I have with other organizations. In my cases they would and are trying to wear my resolve down in an effort to make me settle for less than what I am entitled to.

Dolomite

[cannoncocker]

The U.S. Department of Transportation establishes baggage liability limits applicable to domestic travel. That limit is $3,300.00 and applies to all airlines. This would be SW's fall back position if negotiations get ugly.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

The U.S. Department of Transportation establishes baggage liability limits applicable to domestic travel. That limit is $3,300.00 and applies to all airlines. This would be SW's fall back position if negotiations get ugly.

How much is a Beretta?!

Also, I agree with Ebow1, I would've snapped twice or three times by now.

[Warbird]

The liability limits refer to the minimum amount that an airline must carry. It does not release them from tort or negligence from mishandling. CC is right though they will fall back on that number I am certain. A Beretta O/U shotgun ranges in price from $2000 or so for a field grade gun to over $10,000 for a high grade competition gun.

I would like to have recovered my lock. I did not get it back. It was a heavy duty keyed bolt style Masterlock.

Edited July 10, 2010 by Warbird

[Guest TargetShooter84]

that sucks man

No pic of the said gun/case?

[Guest Billetproof]

Sorry to hear, it is a shame to lose something you care about. Hope they make it right.

[Warbird]

Still waiting to hear from Southwest about what they are willing to offer. Unfortunately the gun I owned is not offered with the same setup as I have. So I will have to look at another alternative.

I talked to a friend of mine today who said perhaps this is a good thing as it gives me a chance to fix my original mistake of buying a Beretta and now I can replace it with a Browning.

I imagine i will stick with Beretta. I shoot them well.

Crappy thing is I imagine I'm still going to be out of pocket something after buying an even more expensive gun or finding one like mine used and getting it fitted to me.

[vontar]

One thing if you don't get satisfaction from SW let them know you are going to take your story to the media and how they carelessly handled your $xxxxxx.xx checked luggage and run over it with a fuel truck and are refusing to pay the full replacement value. Sure it is nothing new that they lose luggage but this is a new twist.

[Capbyrd]

I question this and all the "accidents" by the shipping companies.

Are they accidents or deliberate damage by employees?

Especially true when it is very apparent that it is a gun case.

I think public flogging of airline./shipping company employees would be a start.

I worked for FedEx in the hub for a while and saw a lot of stuff. I never once saw intentional damage caused to any item. However, time constraints mean that safe handling is often overlooked and things that say fragile are not treated as such and things fall. In this case, it is very easy to believe that the case was loaded carelessly onto the cart and fell off. That is a very common happening.

[vontar]

I remember working, doing support for Bellsouth and when a customer called and said they didn't get their modem, we tracked the package. I won't name the company, mainly because I can't remember 100 percent if it was company A or B that did this. But the Notes on the tracking said, left package on trash can.

I am sure a few people that worked with me at doing that support job for Bellsouth DSL probably remember that one and can problem back that story up.

[Ebow1]

I'm glad I know my UPS guy doesn't do that. Every time I've had a package waiting for me when I get home it's been placed under the door mat. I always assumed it was an attempt to hide it so that people wouldn't steal it, but it lets me know that he actually placed it and didn't just toss it up there.

[vontar]

Ebow1,

When you come home to find your package does it look like this

[Ebow1]

Pretty much, except it's just one corner of the mat pulled over it, so you can really see the mat sticking up around it.

[MacGyver]

I'll be suprised if Southwest doesn't come through here.

It will be a hassle, and you'll have to deal with the mandatory bureacracy these days, but Southwest gives every employee in their company the ability to make something right when they see something that's wrong.

I would bet you get at least replacement cost - though the OP did make me sick to my stomach.

[Warbird]

My fingers and toes are crossed. It looks like we may have come to an agreement. I'll let you know when I actually have a check in hand. An email to the Chairman and a VP seemed to help.

Now I have to start looking for a replacement. I needed it oh only about right now. Unfortunately I will have to likely order one, wait for shipping, get it at least somewhat fitted all hopefully before I miss out on more than a couple events. For now I guess I will be shooting a hunting gun, oh my poor shoulder. After 200-300 rounds I will be really missing overbored barrels.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Warbird

[vontar]

Keep us updated for sure.

As for a fitted gun, I know very little about that. I have never known anyone that had one fitted.

My 270 Dad brought it when I was 10, it was to heavy and 2 big for me then, seems like a good fit now. Guess I grew into it.

About the same with my old 20 gauge. I remember dad drove up the road to a neighbors house brought it and came home, here you go, happy birthday or something like that.

He told me to shoot number 6 shot with it, but with number 6 shot you are lucky to hit anything, I found it shots number 8 far better.

[Guest Billetproof]

Call these guys, they are good:

Jaquas

[Warbird]

I will be looking for a used Beretta 682 Gold E Sporting with 30 or 32" barrels. So if anyone knows of someone wanting to sell one let me know. Or a 687 Silver Pigeon II sporting in 03 or 32" barrels.

Thanks for the link. Etchens and Jaqua are the go to guys on Beretta shotguns.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Warbird

[Warbird]

I said I would give an update to this story so I will. While they didn't com through for as much as I had hoped, Southwest finally did send me a check to buy a new shotgun, case and accessories. I will buy something else ASAP. In fact a fellow who I met a short time ago, who is selling one of his guns, lent it to me to try out. So I will head to the sporting clays course today to try it out.

Last week in Missouri I shot a couple of Berettas, a Cesar Guerini and a Browning. My favorite was a DT10, but I'm not going to shell out the cash for a DT10 or Perazzi. They were all left handed, which are in general hard to find. So likely it will be a Beretta 682 Gold E. Try finding a used left handed shotgun. Ugh, it isn't easy. Naturally I could convert most any one to left handed, for an extra $450 or so added to the cost of a gun.

All in all, this has been a huge hassle, especially since I needed the gun right now. But they have tried to make it right and accidents happen. I have to replace a case as well and I am not sure where I will turn for that. Part of me says to get something like I had before as the odds of that happening again are small and I don't really know that anything would have withstood the weight of a fuel truck running over it.

Edited July 30, 2010 by Warbird

[KahrMan]

Glad they stepped up and paid for their mistake. I have always been a fan of Brownings for trap but Cesar puts out some really nice shotguns. Let us know what you buy.

[Warbird]

I finally have a new shotgun.

I found, unbelievably, a used left handed Beretta 682 Gold E with 32" bbl with a Gracoil Recoil Reduction system on it. I would not have thought they would make much difference, but let me tell you it really does. I shot 150-200 rounds through it last week and had absolutely no shoulder pain or soreness after the round. Pretty good considering a partially torn rotator cuff.

Very happy to have a sporting clays gun again. Now to replace the travel case. I am leaning toward the Pelican military cases.