A Shot at Safety: 5 Tips for Packing & Moving Your Guns

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If you are moving your guns, there are several things you should keep in mind while you are packing them. Luckily, with the right tips, it is possibly to pack your guns so your move is safe and easy. Here's what you need to keep in mind.

1. Separate guns and ammo.

Before packing your guns, make sure they are unloaded. If loaded guns are jarred while in transit, the safety may come off, they may discharge, and the bullet will shoot through the side of the packaging. This is not a risk you want to take. Overall, pack the guns in one container and the bullets in another.

2. Talk with the movers about their protocol regarding moving guns and ammo.

Moving companies and packing services have policies regarding shipping and moving guns. Do not just pack your guns and ammo and hand them to the movers. Check with the company first to learn about its policies. Some may require certain types of packaging or labels. Others may not be willing to transport your guns at all, and you may need to fly with them or put them in your car.

3. Check state and municipal laws before travelling with guns.

If you decide to move your guns on your own in your car, check the local and state laws in the area where you are heading. Most states do not require you to have a permit to own a gun. However, there are a few exceptions, and you want to ensure that you are within the bounds of the law.

Similarly, if you are taking your guns on a plane, check the rules in your destination and the rules of your airline carrier. The Transportation Security Authority advises travellers to put their unloaded guns in a hard-sided case and check them in at the check-in counter rather than the security gate so they can be placed in the cargo hold of the plane.

4. Pack guns in hard-sided cases.

Regardless of whether your gun is travelling in an airplane, a moving truck or your own vehicle, you should ideally pack it in a foam-padded, hard-sided case. The hard-sided case protects your guns from bumps and scratches on the road.

Don't leave your guns in your gun case to move them. They will slide around during transit, and when you open the safe at the end of the journey, you are likely to find lots of scratches and potentially other damage as well. If possible, don't pack your guns in leather or fabric cases.

This is especially important if you are putting your guns in storage or don't plan to unpack them for a while after you arrive at your new home. Unfortunately, the dyes in the fabric and the tannins in the leather can bleed out of those materials and onto your gun over time, damaging the metal and wood of your gun.

5. Don't forget about security.

Guns maintain their resale value, and there is a large black market for them. Those two factors make guns attractive to thieves. To protect your guns from theft on the road, make sure that the moving company you select is committed to security and that it does background checks on its employees.

If you are moving your own gun, keep them safely locked in your car at all times, and if possible, disguise them a bit. For example, if they are in the trunk where no one can see them, that is fine, but if they are in the backseat of your car, you may want to slip the gun cases in a box or put a blanket over them so that thieves cannot see them if they peep into your windows.

Also, contact your insurer, and make sure that your policy covers gun theft during your move.

 

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16 May 2016

Storing Your Family's Treasures

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