Shipping container for a shotgun

[Chuck Bishop]

What do you guys use to ship a shotgun, principally a Parker? What do you use for a box? I would think it would have to be a heavy duty cardboard box capable of not being easily crushed or damaged. If you have used such a box, where did you buy it? I've heard of guys building a wooden box but I don't have the ability to make one. I've also heard of using a cheap gun case but to me, that would tip off the shipping company that there was a gun inside.

Just looking for some ideas.

[Dean Romig]

I make them out of wood and put them together with lots of construction screws.

Angel Cruz can attest to my box-building abilities.

[Eric Eis]

I know you can buy shipping boxes (Midway) for 5 or 10 bucks or you can take one of those cheap longun plastic cases cut it in half and pack the gun and then wrap/or find a cardboard box to go around it. Double box it works

[Daryl Corona]

Before I had this great wooden shipping crate made by Allan Swanson I used a John Hall hard case, wrapped it in heavy brown paper and taped it to death. It's lockable and does'nt look like a gun.

[Rich Anderson]

I buy guns and have them shipped and save the boxes:eek: Well it is one way to get them:rotf: Seriously I do save them and have recycled them but I'll use the inexpensive Gun Guard cases. I have bought boxes at my UPS store as well.

[Jay Gardner]

I have a couple of take down cases made of hard plastic and egg crate foam. Cost about $60 and buy them at a local gun shop. Wrap gun in newspaper then bubble wrap, put in the case and take it to the UPS Store and have them build a heavy cardboard box around the case (cost about $20). Then I mail the boxed case from the USPS.

No one (UPS Store or Post Office) knows what's in the box. I have a case that has been shipped all over the US in the same cardboard box. Never had a problem.

[Rich Anderson]

I have also sent guns in LOM cases and asked that the case be returned. never had a problem using this method or lost a case.

[Robin Lewis]

Buy one 1x4x8 pine board and half a sheet of 1/2 inch plywood. Lay the barrels and stock down on a table in a configuration you like for shipping and measure to get the size box you will build. Leave at least 1.5 inches on all sides and some room between the items for packing material. Cut 4 piece from the 1x4x8 for the edges and screw them together. Then cut two sides from the plywood and screw them on the edge frame. I use drywall screws. All done and it takes maybe 20 minutes to build.

[Kevin McCormack]

I use heavy cardboard boxes made for shipping flat screen TVs. They are large; up to 60" on the diagonal, and you can get two shipping cases out of one if you cut it right. They usually come with heavy molded foam impact corner braces which are also good to wedge the items in the box. You can usually find them at any moving and storage outfit; self-storage yards are great sources to find them. A large 60' diagonal is around $23, smaller size down is about 44" at about $18. Using a cardboard box within on of these along with foam wrap or packing peanuts (a PITA)) and you are good to go.

[Dean Freeman]

Cardboard works fine as a container, it's what goes on the inside that counts. There are two keys as I see it, bubble wrap and packing peanuts (or similar packing materials). The further you're shipping the more times you wrap the gun and hence the bigger your box needs to be. Wrap all the parts of the gun in bubble wrap and tape tightly, ensure total coverage.Think of your container like a crucible and your wrapped gun as parts about to be case hardened. Don't allow wrapped gun parts to touch each other or the sides/bottom/top of the container. Peanuts are your charcoal. Fill all available spaces with the peanuts tamping occasionally. This method works great and is relatively cheap and easy compared to other methods. I would however reiterate that the farther the shipment, the more material I would use. Though, I guess it goes without saying that you want to wrap to ensure the safety of the gun regardless of the distance.

[Chuck Bishop]

My question is not how to properly pack the gun but where do you get a nice heavy duty box to put the gun in.

[Jean Swanson]

Chuck:

Give me the length of the barrels that are on the gun and I will make a 3/4" pine box and send it to you to put a gun into . You will need packing material to separate the frame/stock from the barrels. I have made many pine boxes and shipped many guns with NEVER a problem . Shipping a gun that cost thousands , is worth the cost of USPS insured /certified mail to insure SAFE travel of a valuable gun. With a card board box you run the risk of damaged barrels and the FIGHT to get reimbursed for the loss of a gun . Not worth the fight .As they say----" the view is not worth the climb ."

Allan

[Ray Masciarella]

Buy a hard plastic take down case. It comes with a piece of faom you can cut out the shape of your gun. The easiest way to cut out the shape is with an electric knife. It is al little expensive up fornt but it can be used over and over for years and is the least likely box to be destoryed by the freight company whether it be UPS, Fedex, etc.

[William Davis]

Barrels only plastic pipe is good. Bubble wrap the barrels, turn wood end plugs on the lathe fix them with deck screws. Whole gun, plastic case inside cardboard case filled out with foam peanuts.

Good pack job's worth more than insurance

William Davis

[Bob Hardison]

Have received a shipment from Mr Swanson. Box was so nice that I sanded, oiled, hinged and installed a latch for goodies. Hope he list something else I can afford. Bob

[Marc Retallack]

Chuck, if you're looking for cardboard, these might fit the bill http://www.cameronpackaging.com/gun_boxes_custom_fit.html

When do you need it? I'd be glad to build you one (if something should happen where Allan couldn't). It would just be a few weeks till I could get to it.

Feel free to give me a ring tomorrow.

BTW- Hope the therapy is going well for you.

Marcus

[Todd Kaltenbach]

Take the box from Allan Swanson and you'll have the best gun box I've ever seen, I have several. When I sent a gun to Brad to be refinished part of the agreement was that he ship the gun back to me in the same box. Thanks Allan!

[Chuck Bishop]

Marc, thanks for the link and offer to build a box. I've been in contact with Allan. Thanks for all the replies, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had questions on what to use to ship guns. As most have said, it's also important to properly separate the parts and pack them well.

[Tom McCoy]

How about a picture of the Pine boxes you guys make?
It's not too heavy?

Thx

Tom

[Mike Franzen]

Chuck, the last time I shipped I went to a U-Haul moving and storage rental shop. They gave me a VERY heavy duty cardboard box the receive their trailer hitches in. It was just about perfect for gun shipment.

Allen, could you make me one of your shipping boxes out of burl walnut? :rolleyes: