I'm liking FedEx Ground, too. Ditto stock removal unless the barrel is pinned in place and a PIA to remove. The last gun I got in the mail came from CA via FedEx, and the gentleman buttressed the inside of the cardboard box with ½x4" pine on the sides/ends and with 1/4" hardboard top and bottom, screwed in place. It cost him, like, $35 for shipping. The box showed some mis-handling but the gun inside was pristine. What's a couple more bucks for shipping if some added wood reinforcement will guarantee safe arrival (and it's cheaper than an el-cheapo plastic hard case- some of which I've seen I wouldn't trust to survive any of the carriers horny handed package sorters).
I've also taken to lining the inside of medium flat rate USPS boxes to protect the contents, with 1/4" plywood. I figure what the heck, weight is no concern with those boxes- if it fits, it ships.
What's weird is the way gun makers ship their product- in cardboard boxes, sometimes with styrofoam liners, but sometimes just packed in paper wadding. Friends with LGS's say they never get a damaged shipment. Go figure.
Last edited by gnoahhh; 02/13/17.
