Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 3rd September 2017, 06:26 AM

There are two types of long guns that I simply hate to ship because of packing hassles (1) the deeply recurved stocks like these Sind guns and Afghan jezails and (2) the pronounced pistol-grip butts typical of China and northern Vietnam. You have to over-engineer the packing, otherwise you're tempting fate. Commercial gun cases aren't long enough for the barrels on these guns, either (although I've squeaked under the size limit by dismounting the barrel and packing it alongside the stock, which removes a lot of stress on the curved thin wood, anyway.) But you still need a proper box...

I've had good luck buying snowboard cartons that a well-known shipping and warehouse supply company sells along with a cornucopia of other containers in all imaginable sizes. The only thing you have to order them in bundles of 5 or 10, since I'm in the restoration business that's not a problem. These cartons are 14 in. wide by about 5 thick, and about 70 in. long -- they just make it under the USPS length/girth max of 108 in. And are the only off-the-shelf size that will accommodate the two types of guns mentioned above. They are of very heavy corrugated stock and I use all the methods mentioned previously in this post to support, stabilize, and pad the contents on all sides. So far so good, although for domestic shipping I use FedEx instead of the mail.

3rd September 2017, 06:26 AM	#56
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	shipping Sind rifles There are two types of long guns that I simply hate to ship because of packing hassles (1) the deeply recurved stocks like these Sind guns and Afghan jezails and (2) the pronounced pistol-grip butts typical of China and northern Vietnam. You have to over-engineer the packing, otherwise you're tempting fate. Commercial gun cases aren't long enough for the barrels on these guns, either (although I've squeaked under the size limit by dismounting the barrel and packing it alongside the stock, which removes a lot of stress on the curved thin wood, anyway.) But you still need a proper box... I've had good luck buying snowboard cartons that a well-known shipping and warehouse supply company sells along with a cornucopia of other containers in all imaginable sizes. The only thing you have to order them in bundles of 5 or 10, since I'm in the restoration business that's not a problem. These cartons are 14 in. wide by about 5 thick, and about 70 in. long -- they just make it under the USPS length/girth max of 108 in. And are the only off-the-shelf size that will accommodate the two types of guns mentioned above. They are of very heavy corrugated stock and I use all the methods mentioned previously in this post to support, stabilize, and pad the contents on all sides. So far so good, although for domestic shipping I use FedEx instead of the mail.