That used to be true, but not any more. It changed last year sometime. You can still use your own lock, but you can also use the TSA ones now. Me, I will keep using my own. no telling how many TSA master keys are floating around.jordanmills wrote:You aren't supposed to use the TSA locks on firearms baggage, IIRC. They don't trust their own people enough for that.
WRT to the OP: the TSA reg says (paraphrasing) a case must be sturdy enough that you can't pry it open a corner when it is locked. If your rifle case could be properly secured with one lock, then it seems to me it should have been OK, but somebody at that airport probably told them there has to be a lock in each hole, so turn off the brain.
Like I said, no telling how many TSA master keys are floating around -- you can bet that al Qaeda and their ilk came up with one long ago -- so slipping something into your rifle case would have been no problem. "Security theater" indeed.