I don't fly much with guns, but I did campaign a aircraft inspection method around the country and to Europe, with a heavy airplane component (3 long guns in weight) in a SKB 46" roller case. It made about 7-8 trips before the airline handlers ripped the handle off, which was secured by a hollow rivet of some sort. I fixed it and continued another half dozen trips with it. SKB cases are good, Pelican and similar are better. I ship expensive guns in an all aluminum takedown case enclosed in a cardboard box. There's a guy in Long Beach CA that makes/made inexpensive all aluminum cases that are good construction.
http://www.ziegeleng.comI think Negrini cases are probably ok for a single gun. I traveled once with my 4 barrel K80 in an Americase. I don't trust the built-up Americase with that much weight. It's pop-rivetted together on the inside. I suspect one toss by a handler and it would fly apart like a Yugo hit by a train when it hit the pavement.
I would never fly with a built-up wood-framed case. That's just inviting trouble. That includes all the fabric and leather covered cases I have seen. A drop from 1-2 ft might break the frame of these kind of cases IMO.
