This topic is for anybody that has ever shipped a rifle via one of the package carriers. I am sending a rifle off to a gunsmith next week and was curious how you guys go about sending it. Any thoughts?

Most of the guns that are shipped too me come in hard gun cases. Go buy yourself a not too expensive hard (plastic) case with a good foam lining and ship it in that. Maybe place a couple of combination locks on the thing and tape it up real good. Email your gunsmith the combinations. Don't forget to insure it, and be sure to write on the outside of the package in big bold letters: "DO NOT USE AS WHEEL CHOCKS!"

If your rifle builder will accept shipments from USPS Registered Mail is one of the better shipping products for valuable items.

Cheap hard plastic care shipped through the Post Office.

I have had trouble with all of the shippers, but by far the least trouble with the good ol' USPS. Send it insured in a hard gun case. I have a beat up aluminum case that I usually use, or if it is going straight to a customer for the last time I may use a plastic gun case. Buy some actual gun cases and sleep easier. I put the case in a cardboard box if at all possible, even if I have to make one.

Sometimes I go to the post office to sign for a package from a customer and it will be a bare gun case with just tape across all of the latches. That is OK too, but I don't want to tempt anyone, so I go a little farther to hide what I am shipping. The overwhelimng majority of the people who touch your package are not tempted to steal or damage it, but why chance it? It is quick and easy to add a little cardboard to hide what it is from the casual observer. Of course declare what it actually is to the person behind the counter when you ship, I am talking about disguising it from others who see it along the journey.

No gurantees with any shipping method, but honestly, they all do a better job than I could in shipping. I honestly have no idea how they are able to do the things they do. It takes a monster of abusienss machine to ship things as quickly and accurately as they do. Sure, there are problems, and those get beat to death here (including by me at times-my main gripe is insurance non-payment). I have had problems with USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. But the USPS has been the most reliable by far, and definitley the easiest to deal with by a huge margin.