I ship barrels in a 32" long, 3.5", OD .25" wall thickness PVC pipe capped at both ends with one end glued in place, the other taped. Barrels are wrapped in cloth. The outgoing address was originally written in indelible Sharpie on the outside with a layer of clear tape over the ink. On one occasion it went inside a box with the stock bubble wrapped. The pipe has been shipped so many times back and forth with shipping labels taped over that it brings to my mind one of those Victorian era steamer trunks plastered with shipping labels. Gil
P.S.
Then there's the story of canvasback receiving an assembled gun in a box from France without a stitch of cushioning.
Gil, there were two guns in there but don't remind me.
I use the PVC tube for the barrels and forend. The tube goes in a 6x6x36 box along with the stock/receiver. Each component is carefully wrapped in cloth and then bubble wrap and is packed into the tube and the box so that there is zero movement.
The tube not only protects the barrels very effectively but being inside the cardboard box, it lends a significant amount of strength to the box and protects the stock/receiver in that way. I've never had any hint of a problem except the complaints about how hard it is to unpack. LOL Pretty sure those complaints would be worse and more heartfelt if their newly purchased gun was damaged.
BTW, It was PA24 who got me onto the PVC tube idea.
