Hypothetically, if you were planning to ship a half dozen individual rifles to new owners and needed hard plastic cases in cardboard outer boxes to assure safe transit, what would you buy for this purpose?

The goal is to keep shipping costs low, when the new over could simply upgrade if they felt they needed to step up to a more robust option.

I have seen Plano an Flambeau brands on a few site to potentially serve this purpose.

Would greatly appreciate additional suggestions.

Thanks - Cope

If the rifle originally came in a plastic case, then I'll use it inside an outer cardboard box.

If the rifle originally came in a soft cardboard box inside a harder outer box, then that's how I ship.

If not, I generally just wrap/pad the gun real good, with extra padding at the ends, and just ship inside some generic hard carboard box that I can get free at my FFL. Not going to spend extra money to buy some plastic case just to ship.

With any shotguns I remove the barrel then pad them in a shorter cardboard box.

I haven’t shipped in a number of years, used to do it a fair amount, usually at the Post Office.

I order a Plano Pillar-lock rifle case for customer builds. It's relatively cheap, about $60 and it comes with a card board box.
https://www.planooutdoors.com/...d-rifle-case-1595431


Fulton Armory charges $40 for a foam lined card board box for shipping rifles, so for a comparable price I get the Plano.

Then there's this...
https://www.cameronpackaging.c...umpers-cotton-tubing

Tony.

In the last 16 years of shipping long guns, I have rarely used cases. I save the boxes from firearms I receive and I double box them. I find one box just big enough to fit the long gun, pack it well with bubble wrap, paper etc and then put that box inside another box. I will put bubble wrap over the muzzle and I tape whatever packing I use to the gun to keep it in place. Pack it tight, it will settle in shipping and many times the guns are loose when I open them.

You’d be surprised at how people ship and in reality I have never seen one damaged in shipping even though the boxes get beat up. Cost changes with size, weight and insurance so keep that in mind.

You might check with the local gun stores and see if you can get boxes they are throwing away. I doubt any dealer ships out as many as they take in so they throw them away eventually.

For a more valuable gun or one with optics, I buy a cheap plastic case and box around it. Really cheap cases have lousy, thin foam so extra padding inside it may be necessary to keep it from shifting. Double boxing with lots of padding for less expensive or optics free rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
For a more valuable gun or one with optics, I buy a cheap plastic case and box around it. Really cheap cases have lousy, thin foam so extra padding inside it may be necessary to keep it from shifting. Double boxing with lots of padding for less expensive or optics free rifles.

The most expensive one I shipped was a Barrett M82, I think I sold it to a forum member here. It had a Pelican case and at the time I thought cost an arm and a leg to ship. I think it was around $200, it would probably be double that now for me to ship if I could find a shipper to take it.

The most expensive I have received was a double rifle used for Africa hunts. It was worth over 10k and it was shipped in a cardboard box. Shipping it always a risk. There used to be a pretty active forum just for FFL’s. Most owners on there said they self insured since shippers always refuse to pay out insurance claims. It is always a crap shoot but I have been pretty lucky with not ever having one stolen, lost or damaged in transit.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
For a more valuable gun or one with optics, I buy a cheap plastic case and box around it. Really cheap cases have lousy, thin foam so extra padding inside it may be necessary to keep it from shifting. Double boxing with lots of padding for less expensive or optics free rifles.

The most expensive one I shipped was a Barrett M82, I think I sold it to a forum member here. It had a Pelican case and at the time I thought cost an arm and a leg to ship. I think it was around $200, it would probably be double that now for me to ship if I could find a shipper to take it.

The most expensive I have received was a double rifle used for Africa hunts. It was worth over 10k and it was shipped in a cardboard box. Shipping it always a risk. There used to be a pretty active forum just for FFL’s. Most owners on there said they self insured since shippers always refuse to pay out insurance claims. It is always a crap shoot but I have been pretty lucky with not ever having one stolen, lost or damaged in transit.

not had one stolen, but have had a few broken in transit,

and yes, pay out for insurance is almost non existent,

we self insure, as in I charge the insurance cost but don't buy it from the shipper for most items, (I do for stuff over a few grand or anything that goes registered, )


before someone balks, I find it easier and more equitable to charge the money, and pocket it in an escrow way, vs paying the post office or ups , who will deny the claim and I have to pay out anyway,


I have noticed that is a smaller cost item gets damaged, both with pay the $100 almost immediately, but will take a bit of time on items more,



re shipping, I get boxes fromn Uline, and buy sheet foam by the roll, and wrap them tightly,
cases are optional, I have a pile that I have picked up in estates so I use them when needed,

anything with a fragile stock (older hunting rifles with thin wrist etc get cased,
if it will come in 2 peices, it gets broken down and put in a smaller package

shipped a few muskets with and wrapped, then took some scrap wood and wrapped it as well, and taped to the stock tightly (lots of foam in between) to prevent it from getting broken in transit,



size does matter, anything over 48 inches is a $25 surcharge fron UPS and will be a bit more expensive but not as bad from USPS

Both Ground,


be sure to alert your customers that if you ship ground advantage, the estimated deliver date is almost never accurate,

UPS is almost always accurate

quote:

if you ship ground advantage, the estimated deliver date is almost never accurate,

Even Priority is not much better.

Kind of depends on the value. And what you agreed to with buyers. I’ve bought several long guns in the last year. Koke came in. Plastic case. All came in a padded range bag and some bubble wrap stuffed in a plain long brown box.

These are all rifles worth ~1000 or less. Years ago I bought a few hundred dollar rem 700 and the guy shipped in the cheapest thinnest hard case from Walmart/dicks.

If I was shipping a Westlet Richard’s double worth as much small condo, I’d put it in a pelican case

Originally posted by Cope:
Thanks for all the responses. Have sent and received plenty in my time, but had to burn all my generic cardboard boxes and shipping materials to afford a grandson a basement apartment a few years ago. It still eats at me pretty hard, but it helped him progress toward self sufficiency. I always kept all of my original shipping containers for anything of worth for over 20 years, but had to create the space. Oh well...

What concerns me even more are the comments about shipping insurance not being trustworthy nowadays. I would hate it for anyone who has high end merch to liquidate via shipping. If it would be difficult to insure an M82 nowadays, which is a potential challenge for anyone who may Happen to own such a thing, how do people make sure a registered MP5 is insured? This is all in jest, but I have serious concerns.

ETA: I may have been out of the game the past decade due to founding and operating a small construction business, I have been there and done whatever it is you are talking about. I am simply attempting to catch back up with how things function nowadays. All you old timers with a million posts are greatly appreciated and respected. Sure hope there are plenty of younger buyers in the future.

Use plastic stretch/cling wrap on a roll around the case or inner cardboard box, like a spider with a fly.

It won't leave residue or anything on the case and a minor hassle to remove, but it will keep the rifle inside.

I had a Garand that was shipped in the blue plastic SIG style case (similar to the image), and one latch was broken and the rifle had come partially out of the case.
Damage on the inside of the cardboard box and a small hole where the barrel came through, but it was taped over, and no damage.

I "overkill" on packing stuff, because I have received so many damaged goods, and I have seen "shipping and handling" up close, day to day, and a lot of people in that business could not care less what ends up at the destination.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Use plastic stretch/cling wrap on a roll around the case or inner cardboard box, like a spider with a fly.

It won't leave residue or anything on the case and a minor hassle to remove, but it will keep the rifle inside.

I had a Garand that was shipped in the blue plastic SIG style case (similar to the image), and one latch was broken and the rifle had come partially out of the case.
Damage on the inside of the cardboard box and a small hole where the barrel came through, but it was taped over, and no damage.

I "overkill" on packing stuff, because I have received so many damaged goods, and I have seen "shipping and handling" up close, day to day, and a lot of people in that business could not care less what ends up at the destination.

I tape the ''latches'' closed and work a box around them,

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Use plastic stretch/cling wrap on a roll around the case or inner cardboard box, like a spider with a fly.

It won't leave residue or anything on the case and a minor hassle to remove, but it will keep the rifle inside.

I had a Garand that was shipped in the blue plastic SIG style case (similar to the image), and one latch was broken and the rifle had come partially out of the case.
Damage on the inside of the cardboard box and a small hole where the barrel came through, but it was taped over, and no damage.

I "overkill" on packing stuff, because I have received so many damaged goods, and I have seen "shipping and handling" up close, day to day, and a lot of people in that business could not care less what ends up at the destination.

The plastic stretch/cling wrap is a great idea! I use it for certain bbq recipes, and understand how it works. Thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
size does matter, anything over 48 inches is a $25 surcharge fron UPS and will be a bit more expensive but not as bad from USPS

This is very informative as well. Thank you. I recall cutting and making my own boxes out of larger square boxes to enclose plastic hard cases. Even went to the extreme of wrapping a long gun outer cardboard box with grey duct tape. A high school buddy that has since retired from UPS, told me back then that he was surprised that they accepted it wrapped in duct tape. He used to be my route driver, and I gave him some good workouts delivering weighty goods.

Need any BMG ammo?

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
size does matter, anything over 48 inches is a $25 surcharge fron UPS and will be a bit more expensive but not as bad from USPS

And, anything between 31 and 48 inches is $10 extra. I found this out last week. I think these extra fees are relatively recent, because my previous long gun shipments didn’t incur the extra fee, if memory serves me right.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
size does matter, anything over 48 inches is a $25 surcharge fron UPS and will be a bit more expensive but not as bad from USPS

And, anything between 31 and 48 inches is $10 extra. I found this out last week. I think these extra fees are relatively recent, because my previous long gun shipments didn’t incur the extra fee, if memory serves me right.

It just gets worse. 31 Inches works for many thing and is good to know. Thank you. In all honesty, I am not too concerned about shipping costs. The value lies within the contents. I do not cut corners when shipping.

I always preferred ups when sending from an official UPS terminal rather then a UPS Store. Had plenty of luck with USPS as well, specifically on the fixed rate shipping boxes for smaller items.

So, tell me more about who has the better insurance coverqge and loss history on $5k+ shipments.