USPS - back to pony express days!

[Joe from MO]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

If that photo of the broken ruger in the box was taken after it was opened, and if that packing material is all that was in the box, then that gun was not packed properly and should have been broken, as it was.

The fact is that many simply do not know how to pack guns. Many methods are just plain laughable. Most issues with damage can be avoided by packing well with the proper materials.

The gun, on the insistance of UPS was repacked when it was shipped, it was double boxed, with layers of bubble wrap between each box. UPS insisted that it be packed right there in their presence.

What you are seeing, is the original Ruger box, which was inside another heavy shipping box, and had also been wrapped in bubble wrap.

The FFL where it was delivered to, was shocked that they had been able to break it, given how it was packaged.... He believed it was done intentionally, by placing against concrete wall, and back into with a forklift, or other heavy machinery...

[JLoew]

I use FedEx nearly exclusively. Very reliable, but since the outbreak of COVID, they have been overwhelmed as if it were the Christmas season. Most packages are getting to their destination on time, but around 1/3 are taking an extra day or two.

When shipping a gun, the cheapest thing in the box is your packing material and you can’t have enough of that on a quality gun.

[Harold Pickens]

I shipped a gun out to California on Wed, USPS 3 day priority, and it got there safe and sound. I ship them broke down in an old Leg-O-Mutton case, wrapped in bubble wrap, inside a box. LOM cases are quite stiff and sturdy and padded. But, I would think somebody would have to have deliberately tried to break that gun. Nothing surprizes me any more--but it does cause me to lose sleep.

[TxHuntermn]

When i ship breakdown shotguns, i pack them broken down and packed tightly in pvc pipe

[TxHuntermn]

Many unscoped rifles can be fit in pvc pipe as well.

[TxHuntermn]

I have received a number of breakdown guns , broken down, in an inexpensive plastic foam filled long gun case, that was then cut to length. That also seems to be pretty effective.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

For anyone sending a gun through whatever means you should have NO carrier insurance, but what you should have is insurance through a collector focused insurance carrier that covers shipping, theft and other mishaps. I use Collectibles from Hartford, CT. I can tell you if you don't have something like this, you not only have a shipping problem, you have a BIG hole in your asset base protection. And you don't have to schedule a gun unless its value is over $25,000. Homeowners insurance only covers about $3500 for all your gun. So what's that, maybe one of your guns? Buying a rider for homeowners is extremely cost prohibitive. 3 weeks ago I sent a Browning Sweet Sixteen to North Carolina and it was damaged. No arguing with UPS because I didn't insure it with them and saved that money. Instead, Collectibles wrote me a check for the estimate to fix it, provided by Art's, and I sent it to Art's and already paid them with the settlement amount; which was the full amount Art's quoted. You're wasting your time and money dealing with these shipping companies for damage coverage. It won't work for a guy like Bryan because he is a business, but for the rest of us collector/shooters it's the only way to go.

[Joe from MO]

It took 6 months, but UPS finally did pay me for the Ruger.... I had to get estimates of repair from Gun Smiths, etc. I would supply them information, then they'd wait a while, when we'd call them back, they would then say they needed something else. They gun was not over $3500, so in the end it all worked out.

I actually came out ahead, because UPS paid me full value of the rifle, and then Ruger fixed it for free. I wasn't expecting that from Ruger, at the time I thought my only option would be to have a new stock made, which was more expensive than the value of the gun. On a last second whim, I called Ruger to see if I could just get it replaced by them, after checking serial #'s etc, they told me to ship it to them. I was expecting to be billed for the work, but next thing I knew, it was back at my FFL and they'd done the work at no cost, other than shipping.

Ruger is top of my list when it comes to customer service. :-)

[B. Dudley]

Yeah, I have heard a few stories about ruger doing pro-bono work on guns for people when they were not even the original owners. And not warranty work mind you. I was surprised.

[Joe from MO]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

Yeah, I have heard a few stories about ruger doing pro-bono work on guns for people when they were not even the original owners. And not warranty work mind you. I was surprised.

No one was more surprised than I was. When I originally talked to Ruger, they gave me an estimate in the $500 range. This was way less than the almost $2000 I would pay for a custom stock, so I thought why not.

I had my gun club ship the rifle to them, and waited for the day when they would call me for my CC information.... Then, one day my FFL at our gun club calls and tells me to come down and pick up my Ruger..... I was still expecting a bill, but nope... They did it "pro-bono".... He said that was not the first time he'd seen Ruger do that, even had a guy with a well worn Ruger Black hawk send it back for some serious issues, only to have them fix it all up for him at no cost.

Either way, very happy with Ruger customer support, and look'n forward to hunting with my No1 this fall.