I have built 30 Walnut gun boxes for customers. Because each one is built for the specific gun, with the exception of 3, the guns are sent to me for fitting. One customer, who has ordered five boxes, has sent them to me in massive, over-built boxes, as most of these are very expensive guns.
I build my shipping boxes from 1" finished pine frames. Construction 2x4, or 2x3 are often high in moisture. Tops and bottoms are 1/4" plywood. Screws are wide head cabinet screws with torx heads.
I never wrap anything directly in bubble wrap, because bubble wrap will almost always leave a "fingerprint" of bubbles on wood, that may have have a film of preservative, oil, whatever. That fingerprint is a pain to remove.
UPS will always charge a "Special Handling Fee" of $12.00 for any out of the ordinary packaging, like Pelican cases, wooden boxes, Transit cases, etc. For this reason, all wooden boxes are wrapped, or inside, cardboard boxes. This was at the advise of the head of the UPS facility locally.
I never go to "UPS Stores" and other commercial UPS agents. I only go the the actual UPS facility. In my case, that is on the grounds of the Hartford/ Springfield airport. I always state contents as "ANTIQUE SHOTGUN-NO AMMUNITION ENCLOSED" and insure for an amount that gets their attention.
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