doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com USPS to Gunsmith?

When shipping a long gun in a cardboard box for sale, I go to my friend's mfg shop's shipping dept and I wrap in many layers of a commercial foam sheet wrapping mat'l, up to a couple inches or more thick. Then make a box the correct size from a larger box by cutting it down. I then take sheet cardboard and line all sides inside the box with at least 2 or 3 addition layers to protect from sharp penetration. Then I put the foam wrapped gun in and pack all around with additional foam wrap until it's tightly fitted. Sounds like overkill? Well maybe. But I don't think it is.

Most people don't know this, but all cardboard box mat'l is not anywhere near the same strength. Look at the boxes for Chinese products and then compare to a 220 psf rated new box made in the US. Big difference.

If I'm shipping to a stockmaker or gunsmith and expect the gun back, I put it in a inexpensive hard guncase first then pack it up in a cutdown box fitted with multi layers of sheet cardboard for protection.

Although I know a lot of dealers and others do it and get away with it most of the time, I would never ship in a single layer cardboard box, never.

Shinbone........Welcome aboard......Chicago Mike

Spend the money and buy a mod-priced take down gun case; wrap the pieces separatly and pack in the case. Then take the gun case to a UPS Store or other packing store and have a heavy box made for the case. I have done it this way for the past 8-9 years and that case has more more mileage that I have frequent flyer miles.

I just has a stock returned from Umberger- they forgot to wrap in newspaper or tissue papaer and the stock imprinted the finish of the foam packing.

I always wrap in newspaper and with hammer guns i add a piece of packing around the hammers then bubble wrap.

I have had no damage in over 100 shipments. Over do it- it is worth it.

al

What they said. It cannot hurt to overdo the wrapping. I too use newspaper in the case, case wrapped in foam or equivalent (but NOT PEANUTS) and a good corrugated box. Works well no matter which shipper. Here in SE Michigan, UPS works best. USPS is second because it is slightly less convenient for me. I understand this varies all over the country but UPS has worked for me in Montana, Maryland, New York and Michigan. I ship overnight or registered and never let the gun sit somewhere over a nonbusiness day.

The last double I shipped was in a hard takedown case. I don't know what some have against peanuts but I filled all open spaces around the gun with them. I then constructed a heavy cardboard box myself to enclose the case. I shipped it USPS Priority with $201* insurance and signature required.
*All of my collectible firearms are insured with CIA so I just needed the minimum postal insurance for tracking and signature to meet their shipping requirements.
jim

The gun can travel within the box using peanuts. Sometimes the box is thrown around a lot or bumped a lot in transit. I have had a trigger guard banging against the wood stock. It is wise to first wrap the gun in common newspaper.

A $20 plastic gun case is perfect for shipping but it is way too long. Does anyone make a takedown inexpensive case that we can use for shipping?

Italiansxs;

You said: "I shipped it USPS Priority with $201* insurance and signature required.
*All of my collectible firearms are insured with CIA so I just needed the minimum postal insurance for tracking and signature to meet their shipping requirements."

Specifically; "$201* insurance" and what is "CIA"?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Thanks for more info.

Jolly

SHIP USPS Priority if you dont need much Ins. Registered is cheap when it comes to high dollar items but does take longer. There is a price point for registered versus Priority. i dont have it in form of me. go to the USPS website.
ship take down guns broken down. Even if you use a full size case. You must have it signed for, new ATF rewuirement so 210.00 ins. means signature so that covers you.

I ship USPS only and have had great results.