I have a 12-in AR pistol with law folder. It's unsuppressed.  I'm going to start carrying it on long trips in my car like family vacation. I want a bag that will be pretty inconspicuous to keep it in to carry to and from the vehicle.

I've seen lots of examples of all three but I'm looking for your advice on why I would use a tennis racket bag versus a backpack versus a duffel bag.

Pros and cons of each or does it really just not matter.

That bag must weigh 15 lbs.
Lot to carry every day. I would think rifle with magazine and 3 extras would be heavy..

Looks pretty badass to me. You only have to put as much stuff in it as you want. The bag it's self won't weigh much of anything.

I often just use a normal laptop backpack. They have a padded area that works well if your gun will fit.

I was using a Vertx backpack with my 10.5" folder, but still wasn't quite happy with it...it was uncomfortable to carry as a backpack and it didn't have any structure so it wouldn't stay upright if you leaned it against something.

I had previosuly bought a Ruger PC takedown from a guy and he included this bagpipe case with foam inserts cut out specifically for the Ruger. I wound up removing the foam and it works perfect for my AR. I don't use the backpack straps, just the side/top carry handles. It as a rigid shape, so it doesn't fall over whenever I sit it down and it's got plenty of room for two extra 30 rnd. magazines and an IFAK....and it doens't look "tactical".

https://www.bagpipeskin.com/shop/

Mine is the "deer" model...if I hadn't gotten it for free, I'd probably go with one of the other (cheaper) models.  

another vote for the savior covert.

Mandolin gig bag is what I use.
Simple, cheap, non-tactical, covert.




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A note about Savior bags...

I have two of their items (I stopped buying them after my issues)...the grey bag in my picture above and a takedown rifle bag.

The first time I tried to attach the grey bag, one of the snaps broke on a MOLLE strap. The first time I inserted my rifle into the takedown bag and picked it up, the carry handle tore off. Their stuff looks really neat, though.

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I use this for 'Covert' on larger guns. It'll fit a braced AR pistol or a folding AK.

I also have a sling bag from 5.11, but I got that one for a CZ Scorpion that's a little smaller; I can't fit any of my AR's in there (though maybe with a folder, I don't have one).

My biggest beef with most 'covert' gun bags is that they tend not to be covert. They look like gun bags, or at least 'not right'. Musical instrument bags have advantages, but my fear would be that someone would steal them because they figure whoever has the nice instrument bag has a nice (i.e. expensive) instrument inside. I have stuck to sports equipment bags because there are a lot of them out there, and a smash & grab might leave them. Baseball/softball bat bags are another option.

Yoga mat bag. Fits fine with room for mags. Cheap and simple if you just need to get to the car and back.

Less practical to wear about town, but possible if need be.

The tactical bags are cool, but if your idea is discrete, you'd have to be a hard up tweeker to bust out a window to steal a tennis racket.

Diaper bag

You have an excellent point here. I remember back in college we had some bikes stolen even locked ones from the rack. Me and my friend discussed about it and he mentioned he had a bike stolen twice. We decided to test it out if the color of the bike made any difference and we bought one of those walmart barbie pattern bikes that had the sparkly lines to the side of the handle. Sure enough, we could put that on the bike rack without a lock and it was not even disturbed once by anyone. Nobody is going to ride off with a pink barbie pattern bike.

So I think the more sillier you can make it, the less people would want to steal it. That was a different time though but I suspect these days any bag you have in plain sight will probably get stolen so it's best not to leave a gun in a car or stored in a unmounted safe.

I also tape a air tag on mine. In my carry bag, I put a tag in there and in my safe as well I taped it behind a less obvious place.