I often receive guns from the post office packed in a plastic one piece case with the gun assembled.

The UPS garillas can damage anything even in a plastic hard case. Just had one damaged in a hard case. You just have to pay your money and take your chances.

Put the gun in a good hard case and put the case in a stout cardboard box with some padding, then the gorillas will not know you are shippiong a gun. It removes the resentment factor. What motivates these people is hard to understand. David

insurance
 

Wayne
Was it insured. And if so did the insurance make it good, if that is possibly. Possible meaning these fine guns (Parker Bros..) are irreplaceable. Hoping the damage was litter.
Thanks for your response.
Rufus

My friend David Hamilton clarified my post. The full length plastic case inserted into a well padded cardboard box is the way some dealers prefer to send fully assembled guns or rifles that cannot be taken down. It has always worked for me, whether sending or receiving. Use USPS Registered Mail, insured if you are not self insured.

Packaging
 

I remember reading a similar discussion a few years ago. The best thought at that time was to use heavy duty PVC pipe stock with a collar on each end into which a PVC plug could be screwed. The firearm was packed tightly in place and the screw in plugs were actually glued into place (for that reason the tubes were made longer than necessary so that they could be cut off and reused)
This sounded pretty good though I have never tried it. My last shipment to Del Grego was in a breakdown Browning case with 3 layers of foam protecting the gun. The whole thing was put into a cardboard box for shipment. Worked fine.

The person I bought my gun from was self insured so the gun was sent back.

The last gun I shipped I shipped broken down using bubble wrap. I used an old Americase heavy duty cardboard box. I tried to find a similarly shaped box locally but could not find one.

If I ever ship another gun, where do you guys find a rugged cardboard box the correct size, capable of shipping say a 30" barreled disassembled gun?

Chuck,
I get my boxes from:
CAMERON PACKAGING, INC.
250 E Hanthorn Rd
Lima, OH 45804
They have a website.
Good heavy cardboard boxes.
Bob Jurewicz

Go to your local fishing tackle shop and (best in early spring when they're receiving new goods) and ask them if they'd save you some cardboard boxes that their rods are shipped in, especially those boxes shipped with one piece 9 ft or longer rods. You can cut the boxes down to size for your guns. Also ask them to save any of the bubble wrap that comes to them. I'm retired and work part time in a local premier tackle shop on the Cape and we're only too happy to give anyone these boxes who want them. Ask and you shall receive.