Drover, thanks but I live in a land of lunatics. Took a rifle to the post office last year to ship to my gunsmith in a Plano case with the outer cardboard box. Somewhere on that box it said something about 'rifle case' and the post office den mother brought out her rule book to tell me that nowhere could it say I was shipping a firearm. Went out to the truck and blacked out every bit of writing on the box with a sharpie. Went back in and was told to leave because I'd already heard the rules. Another post office in town had no problem shipping the rifle but it makes me cautious. I can always show them the rules but it doesn't mean they'll follow them.
I always wrap mine in paper so its a bit more disguised. It eliminates the problems that you mention.
