And my point is this: the consequence of this for the airline are so dire, that the airlines seem to move heaven and earth to make sure that this doesn't happen. Sure, lost luggage happens. It happens with ordinary luggage all the time. But, somehow, "magically", the number of times it happens when firearms are checked (in accordance with all applicable regulations) is incredibly small.

Gee, I wonder why that is? Maybe it's because the airlines treat luggage containing firearms with greater care than "ordinary" luggage. Which is precisely the point of the exercise.

Is it a guarantee? Of course not. Nothing's guaranteed about airline travel. But this technique seems to improve the odds of getting your bag bag substantially.