Shipping box

[Henry2357]

Sorry, just not sure where to ask this question.
I’m going to be putting my Pedersoli 1861 Springfield up for sale soon and was wondering where you guys get and what to use for a shipping container? I guess it would have to be acceptable by UPS and strong enough to prevent damage. Suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Phil Coffins]

I get large pieces of card board and some packing tape to form up a close fitted box. A few internal panels and bubble wrap then shake it hard to see if anything moves.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I have shipped several long guns using the original cartons in which they were shipped to me. However, I had a very bad experience with a longrifle that I shipped in the original box. Nothing rattled and there were at least a couple of inches of padding completely surrounding the rifle, but not enough, evidently.

I have received two long guns, one fullstock and one halfstock, from John Bergmann. John builds an oversized crate of 1x4 lumber, topped and backed with quarter inch plywood. Inside he has the crate full of foam with a cutout to exactly match the gun, topped and backed with at least an inch of foam. The crate was assembled with deck screws.

Overkill? I don't think so. If I do sell and ship a gun, I'll probably follow his example. I actually have several to sell, but the prospect of packing and shipping them is more than I want to deal with right now.

If you go to the Track of the Wolf website, they have explicit instructions for packing long guns for shipment. You'll find it if you poke around some on their website.

One thing is for sure... a "FRAGILE" sticker on the box is not enough.

Good luck with it! I'll look forward to reading what others have to say.

Notchy Bob

 

[Ames]

After watching UPS break the neck on a $5000 banjo I learned from the debacle.
Take it to them with the box open, packed as you see fit. Let them "pack it" their way and insure the hell out of it. This prevents the loophole that the customer did not pack it well enough, and insurance won't pay out.
They tried to get out of paying for the banjo but the guy who shipped it followed their printed guidelines AND let them do the final packing. After a month of arguing they gave up and had to pay. Their packing job and their handlers broke it.
I got my refund; the shipper got his. I don't collect instruments anymore. 2 cents.

 

[Frosty861]

USPS just destroyed the stock on a Patriot pistol which was packed in their cardboard box and surrounded by over 3" of bubble wrap with all voids filled with Styrofoam pieces. When I received the piece there was no sound when shaken, and the contents were still packed securely. There was a telltale dent in the box, made from the inside, a good trick with all the packing! The partial insurance claim is being processed.

That said, my buddy Lew shipped my long gun from TX to NH via UPS in a purpose-built plywood box, with the lock and gun inlet in a Styrofoam block. See Notchy above. I opened the box in front of the driver, all was good, and he wanted to know who made it!

As Bob says, not overkill at all.

 

[rickystl]

A few months ago I shipped a TRS Kit to a builder in VT. Received the finished gun back a week ago. Cost to ship to me plus insurance was 76.00. It wasn't that long ago that the same size box was about $45.00 to ship. The builder was able to use the same box I sent him the Kiit with.
Over the years, I've shipped many long gun ML's for a variety of gunsmith work. No matter how well you pack them, the one thing you don't want to use is standard, single-wall boxes. The box itself is the first wall of protection against damage. You want to use double-wall, or at least reinforced single-wall.
They make good, telescoping boxes designed for shipping longer guns. But you usually have to purchased about 10 at a time. But the shipping cost basically doubles the price of each box. But that might be a good idea for a muzzle loading club to purchase and resell one at a time to members (?)
I wish someone made a hard-shell, plastic, telescoping case that can be used over and over again.
Just some thoughts.

Rick

 

[hawkeye2]

I'll bet an ingenious shipper can figure out a way to telescope that case and contents to half its original length. A wood crate with ply top and bottom is well worth the time and cost if the contents have any value at all.

 

[Grimord]

I have found that 6" PVC pipe with end caps is a solid, durable shipping container for long guns. I wrap the gun in bubble wrap and put it in the pipe and screw on the ends and tape over the threads.

 

[hawkeye2]

I have shipped barrels and ramrods in pipe but never thought of doing that with an entire gun. I will keep it in mind for the next time.

 

[deerstalkert]

my Mortimer when usps got done with it. it was in a wood crate like Kibler ships in. there were tire tracks on the crate. usps just laughed about.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Just got one from Ohio, shipped to Ohio as a partial built kit and returned as a finished build 5'+ long Fowler .
1x4 rectangle, spray foam insulation under and over plastic sheeting, gun in between, extra foam sheeting pieces over the plastic covering. Solid cardboard box in the center with sliders on both ends. Taped VERY WELL. Nothing moved and I got it in good order. NO TIRE TRACKS!!
(I saved the shipping box)
Post Master did mention that it was the best pack/shipping job he had ever seen.
Over $110.00 insured from USPS. Post Office held it till I could come down and pick it up myself.
Rural Post Office and knowing the folks there makes a BIG DIFFERENCE.

 

[Poguetx]

When I shipped my Sharps infantry rifle to Charlie Hahn last year, I got one of those cheap Plano plastic cases and formed the cardboard around it. With insurance, it still cost almost $80 via UPS. When he shipped it back, it was only about $50. I guess he has a commercial account that gives a good discount.

 

[rickystl]

I once had a very long original India Torador matchlock musket shipped from Southern California to me in Missouri. The super strong, telescoping box they used was designed to ship surfboards. Those boxes are probably easy to locate in in SCal, but probably not in the Midwest. LOL

Rick

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

Once had a friend in Iowa, shipped me an 1850 double 10-bore in a nice hard plastic gun case, like you'd use for an airplane flight. No damage at all, but I'm still trying to remove the squashed nipples! Also making a new stock, as the original had a cracked wrist, and both heel and toe were long gone. Using English walnut, grown in Armenia. Or Albania... Really hard, dense grain, have to keep my cutters super sharp.
Got the tang in, working on the barrel channels.
But that hard plastic gun case really helped shipping!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Two more options:
Walmart sells a hard plastic rifle case for about $10.00. Have used several times with no issues.
Get friendly with your local gun shop. He probably has shelves full of cardboard rifle shipping boxes and might just give you a couple.

 

[Clint Meier]

I have cut two long sheets of 1/4" thick Masonite peg board to fit just within long shipping boxes. After wrapping the rifles in cloth or paper towels and then wrapping with bubble wrap (never use bubble wrap directly against a finished stock, the release agent used in making it can react with some stock finishes and cause blotches to show up in the finish, necessitating refinishing most of the time!). I use long zip ties going through the holes in the peg board sheets on both sides at strategic points to suspend the gun between the sheets so it can't move up/down or back/forth and to hold the sheets themselves together. It adds some weight to the package, but it is worth the added protection.