How to Ship Guns, Scopes, and Hardware Safely — Packing Tips
Gun guys are always shipping stuff around the country — whether it’s a barrel to be chambered, or a scope that needs to go back for warranty repair. Or maybe you’ve sold some bullets or reloading dies you no longer need. To ensure your precious packages get to their destination in one piece, it’s important to take precautions when boxing up your items. And by all means insure packages for full value — even if your packaging is perfect, there is always the possibility that your shipment might be lost altogether. Sadly, that can happen, no matter which carrier you choose: Fedex, UPS, or the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Here are some tips for shipping gun stuff — we explain how to pack items properly and how to minimize the risk of loss.
Tips for Shippers
Dennis Haffner from McGowen Precision Barrels offers some advice on how to avoid damage when shipping gun parts or other valuable or heavy items. Dennis explains:
“First, I started double-packing the contents and in many cases double-boxing. I spend a fortune on heavy-reinforced shipping tape. If the contents are loosely packed, the package is going to get crushed. On real important items or delicate items, wrap the content in plastic and spray the inside void areas with non-expanding foam. They make shipping foam just for this. This method really works. Since I started paying more attention to packaging, I have just about wiped out my issues with all three companies (Fedex, UPS, USPS). Yes, I hate doing it, but in the long run for us, it’s cheaper.
Bullet shipments are the worst — a shipment of 500+ bullets can destroy a cardboard box. I have ordered bullets from individuals who put them in baggies and filled the remainder of the box with foam peanuts. That is not going to work. Any piece of metal, including a die, will puncture a cardboard box, or destroy a padded envelope. Just look at the tracking information and imagine your package bouncing around in the back of the shipping truck, probably under many other packages. My advice is to NEVER use padded envelopes. Barrel nuts or recoil lugs will most likely never make it.
ORM-D items are required to be shipped in heavily-reinforced, double-walled containers. The packages still get a little damage, but the contents usually survive.
How do shipments get damaged? Consider this — one of the shipping companies this year flipped (overturned) one of our new CNC machines (which rendered it useless). Maybe your small packages were in the same delivery truck as my CNC machine. I wonder how many little boxes were crushed underneath it.
As for USPS flat rate boxes — you would not believe what people try to stuff in these boxes. USPS finally put a weight limit on the boxes — they had to. I sometimes take my delicate items packed in an envelope or small box. I spray foam in a larger flat rate box and insert the smaller package, then fill the remainder of the void with foam. It works, and part usually arrives undamaged.”
Shipping Rifle Barrels (PVC Tube and Tennis Ball Method)
A new match-grade barrel can cost $350 or more, and it might take six months (or more) to replace it, given the current wait time with top barrel-makers. So, you don’t want your nice new tube to get damaged in transit. Forum Member Chuck L. (aka “M-61″) offers these tips for shipping rifle barrels:
“Packing a barrel can be a problem. Here’s a shipping method that won’t stop lost shipments but so far has stopped damage. Get a PVC pipe (of size appropriate to your barrel) with fitted caps for each end. Attach a cap to one end. Tape the barrel threads and tape over the muzzle. Then drop one standard tennis ball into the pipe. Place barrel in pipe. Next add whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in to support the barrel on the sides. Then place a second tennis ball into the opposite end of the PVC pipe. (So now you have a tennis ball on either end of your barrel.) With everything secure inside, attach the upper cap and tape it down securely. With this packing procedure, when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin, at least the barrel will not come through like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe with very large address labels so no one suspects it’s just garbage laying around. This procedure may seem ridiculous but it has worked for me. Oh and definitely get insurance. If your item is insured, the shippers will look harder to find it.”
Editor’s Note: Fedex also makes a triangular-profile cardboard shipping box. This 38″ x 6″ x 6″ x 6″ Fedex Tube (designed for blueprints and posters) is free for the asking. For most barrels, there should be enough clearance to hold your PVC tube (with barrel packed inside tube). However, don’t ship the barrel inside the cardboard box by itself. Cap and pad the ends and bubble wrap it heavily, or better yet, use the PVC tube method described above, with the PVC tube inside the box.
For More Packing and Shipping Advice, Read this Forum Thread.
Similar Posts:
- How to Ship Guns, Barrels, Scopes, and Ammo Safely
- How to Ship Gun Stuff Without Getting Burned
- Smart Advice on Shipping Gun Parts and Firearms Accessories
- Helpful Hints for Shipping Your Guns and Gear Safely
- Shipping Guns and Gun Parts
Share the post "How to Ship Guns, Scopes, and Hardware Safely — Packing Tips"
Tags: Barrel Packing, Fedex, Packaging, Postal Service, PVC tube, Shipping Advice, Shipping Box, UPS, USPS
Where I worked I drilled into my shipping guys head that to all shippers, every package is a football. If it can survive a drop kick, it will make it to the destination. FRAGILE stickers are a down right challenge to them. And the third party insurance they offer, good luck collecting.
While the tennis ball idea would work, it is way overkill and expensive. A standard tennis ball is officially 2.575-2.7″ in diameter, thus you’d need 3″ PVC. The vast majority of barrels are 1.350 or smaller in diameter, thus 1.5″ (or smaller) PVC works fine and is less than half the price. The weight of 3″ is also well over 2x 1.5″, which translates into higher shipping cost. And there is zero need to then stuff the capped tube into an over-box – with PVC there is less weigh, size, and cost and its MUCH better at protecting the surface where the label is attached.
Yes, use PVC pipe/tube sized to your barrel. Wrap the barrel with paper – 2 layers is fine – and use VERY tightly wadded balls of paper at each end. TEST the capped package before tapping the second end closed – if the barrel moves when shaken HARD end to end, add more wadded paper at the end (second cap end). When you’re done there should be absolutely NO movement when very vigorously shaken end to end. Tape the caps over the ends along the length of the tube and then tape around those lengths of tape.
Do not tape over barrel threads (unless you really enjoy cleaning off the glue from the tape, typically duct tape – that glue is NOT a substitute for anti-seize). Instead, wrap several layers of paper over the threaded section(s) and tape that wrapping to the OD of the barrel. Cleaning off a “flat” surface is simple and quick.
Finally, if you use USPS (I do), consider letting the clerk at your PO affix the label so the bar code orientation best matches PO equipment – then (you) clear-tape over the label (with the tape gun you remembered to take to the PO).