Traveling with firearms is not new to me. I’ve done it for years, but I have always had to put clothing or extra foam inside the case, around the firearm, scope or ammo to be certain it wouldn’t move around. I have also used pick-n-pluck foam inserts. These became my norm until the team over at Corvus reached out and said if I didn’t like the system I was using, they were certain I would appreciate theirs. What was this unique system I hadn’t heard of? It’s the Corvus TALON Modular Case System and after this review, you are going to want to buy one!
Over the years, I have used many different types of “customizable” systems. Pick-n-pluck, foam inserts, and the simple foam on top of the case and thicker foam on the bottom. They all worked, but were not efficient and some were a pain to use. Literally! Ask me and I’ll be happy to share which ones.
To be transparent, Corvus sent me their TALON Modular Case System with a few extra pieces for me to use and abuse for months. They had confidence that I would not only appreciate the modularity, but I would also be using this on a regular basis. Challenge accepted!
For starters, the TALON system is made for a couple different cases, with more on the way. I am using the popular Pelican 1750 case and Corvus makes a system that custom fits this exact case. When the system arrived, I opened every bag and box and started working right away.
The TALON foam base is die-cut perfectly for the 1750 case. It uses a dense foam that has some give, and while forgiving, it protects your firearms. Underneath is a die-cut recess that allows for an Apple AirTag – which I find very convenient! It’s out of the way, secure and in a place where it won’t fall out.
The blocks are also made from dense foam and attach using the hook and loop style method (think Velcro, but far more robust and secure). These are so much fun to use! Customizing your case to fit your firearm(s) and ammo and extra gear just got an upgrade.
Each block has an Accent Cap inserted at the top to be more exciting and eye-pleasing. I’ll be honest, I think these are a waste of time, effort and money as they are now. They look cool at first, but after you start squeezing and adjusting where these sit inside the case, the accents start falling out and you must insert them again. I started leaving them out because I don’t care what they look like, I simply want them to protect my firearms.
My first tests were in my garage, setting my case up for my SBR and handguns to go to the range. I fit my scoped short-barreled rifle rifle, two 9mm handguns and ammo for all three inside the case. If I felt the rifle was slightly loose, I simply removed the block, angled it and secured it tighter to the base, thus holding my rifle more secure. Once I was content, I closed the case, climbed a ladder and dropped the case four feet to my concrete floor. I repeated this a half dozen times before opening the case to verify that nothing had shifted.
Going to the range a few times, I adjusted the TALON system a few different ways to fit rifles, then shotguns, more handguns and sometimes a simple First-Aid Kit. In all the times I traveled, none of the blocks (or my firearms) ever moved. On a recent NYS turkey hunt, I flew with my shotgun secured with the TALON system. My ammo was secured inside the TALON ammo block inside the case. This truly is a well-designed and thought-out system!
While I think the system is the best I’ve used, I do have some minor issues that need to be shared. The first I have already mentioned. The Accent Caps are not needed and are a little irritating when they continue to pop out. After my latest flight, many of the Accent Caps had popped out in transport. Even with that, it did not affect the security of my equipment.
The second issue is that the blocks themselves sit a little high in the case. This gives you a far more secure fit, but unfortunately they sat just high enough that I had to put all my weight on top of the case to get it to close properly. Whether it was in my garage or at the airport, the latches would not lock without a bit of extra weight on top. In the image above, you can see where the case arches a bit due to the block being a little high inside. This could be due to the protrusions from the case itself under the egg crate foam at the top case or the egg crate foam itself.
In the image below, you can see that after traveling four hours on a plane, the pressure and excess height put an indentation in the die-cut foam. This happened in multiple spots. Even with that, the blocks stayed secure and more importantly, so did my firearm.
Even with those two minor irritations, the Corvus TALON Modular Case System is awesome!
The Corvus TALON Modular Case System retails for $140.00 and in my humble opinion, is your best buy out there! There is nothing like it! Go ahead and compare it to others like the Pelican Re-Set Kit or Magpul DAKA Grid System and you’ll be buying one or two of these TALON systems for your cases! You can also buy extra AR-15 magazine blocks ($30 each), like the ones I have. They work for three fully loaded mags or for two large boxes of shotgun shells. I preferred having the shotgun shells secured in the block vs in a separate ammo container. I highly recommend the Corvus TALON Modular Case System for traveling with your firearms. It is the best (and easiest) system I have tried for securing your firearms for travel. The team over at Corvus has developed a fantastic product. Go pick one (or two) up and you’ll be grateful you did!
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