Range Box Project
 

Just finished building this box to take my Luger to the range in.
Still need to get some additional latches on the lid. I don’t think one is going to cut it. Does anyone know where I could find something that may work?

ebay has scores of various latches.
Maybe even the local home improvement store.

Wow! Just fount the same type that’s already used on the box.
Can’t believe I didn’t think of eBay first thing.

Thanks!

I can't either!:p

But then I've spent hours looking for odd hinges and latches on ebay for various projects- never did find the right latches, but I did find a good source for undrilled piano hinge in various widthts!

Did you build the entire box or build the interior of a conventional briefcase??? I need to 'build' up a briefcase to carry my carbine... ;)

Sorry I was not more clear, I built the insert and used a store bought box.

It's not perfect by any means but it was my first attempt at something like this.

I am planning on adding some flat pieces of felt covered wood to the inside of the lid to aid with keeping everything in place.

That's exactly what I want to do! :thumbup:

Why re-invent the wheel??? ;)

What store carries that 'box' or briefcase???

I have seen them at Target and Hobby Lobby. This one is from the latter. I do wish it was a little more sturdy but I think it will hold up fine for occasional use.
The green felt was purchased from hobby lobby as well.

Nice case!
I see a lot of nice brief cases at Goodwill going for cheap.
Some of them originally very expensive.
They seem to have fallen a bit out of fashion.

There was a guy selling a variety of briefcases at a computer show some years back, all had the combinations set to zero...

I bought one, still have it. And I'm still wondering how he got them all re-combo'ed to zero... :confused:

I think they all start out that way, then the buyer sets his own combination.

Well, duh!!! But how does the middleman get the bus-depot/airport-locker left-luggage auction briefcases open to reset the dial combinations??? :rolleyes:

Actually, also35 PM'd me the answer. Several answers in fact. ;)

22+ years ago, I had a bunch of money locked in my AF briefcase. I had set the combination while inebriated and the next day I couldn't remember what it was. Screwdriver time!!! Result - One ruined briefcase... :crying:

The moral is : Don't lock your money in your briefcase. Spend it!!! :D

Finished up all the additions to the box.
It feels much better with the latches on the sides!

Pistol Box
 

I took an old silverware box and had a friend make an insert for me. Very pleased with the results. The pistols are shooters I made from lots of mixed parts.

I was going to ask milessc2 how you did the inserts to hold the handgun...But it looks like you partitioned them...

Joe used hardwood with cutouts. I'd like something softer. Balsa wood might be an idea but it would have to be a big piece...

The only square interior attache/brief cases I could find are only 17 1/2" long inner width, 13" height. My 'carbine' would have to fit in kitty-corner. :(

I was thinking of maybe getting some Styrofoam and carving out a cavity to fit the handgun, stock, two magazines, and whatever else might be related. Maybe cover the foam with velvet or felt.

But, as usual I've never done anything like this, and have no idea where to get these supplies.

Anyone dome anything like this??? Carving the foam has me stumped. I tried carving a piece of computer box Styrofoam packing and it doesn't want to carve very well... :rolleyes:

Styrofoam "saws" well, use a coarse hack saw blade. It also cuts with a very sharp, thin blade knife; but it makes a big mess and will keep on making a mess, I would not use it.

Look into ready made "equipment" cases for photographic equipment. It usually comes full of closed cell soft, but firm foam that is easy to cut.

Ebay has lots of them. Try a search for "aluminum hard case"; like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/C402-Alumin...oAAOSwg0BZzso2

You can always line the hardwood cut outs with felt strips.

Rich,

You might consider what the Automag guys think of the oem Styrofoam inserts in their factory cases. Styrofoam deteriorates over time and has some side effects to the metal; at least in the automag world.

In my homebrew cases I used the French style insert. I have not made an English case yet. I used cheapo clear pine cutout(all one piece) to the pieces of the day to be presented. I used wool felt, over the cutout frame, to cushion the parts. If I needed elevation on some areas, more pine covered with felt. Then felt over the whole works in one piece stretched to get the wrinkles out. An old friend in Berlin sent me some pool table felt one time, it was nice grade stuff.

All of my cases were made from red oak or poplar(figured) from scratch in available dimensional lumber. I did put in a finger joint in each corner, and utilized a dust shield around the interior perimeter. When the case shuts, it goes whoosh with the air moving. One can inlet the hinges and latches into the case proper which gives a nice touch. Be sure to align (time) all of the screws too, gives one a sense of pride of craftsmanship..........or just satisfies the need.

Rick W.

Amen to that Rick. I owned one of the early guns. I eventually sold my .44 Automag to a forum member, but a couple of years before that, I opened the original plastic case that came with it and found the "sponge" interior all melted and it decayed before my very eyes. I will never again store a gun in a case that has any kind of plastic, Styrofoam, or artificial sponge foam interior... If the gun had not been stainless steel, I am sure the finish would have been ruined.

Sadly I have seen a couple of TDE automags long time stored in the original case with the black interior of foam like material. The finish was eaten down about 20 thousandths. Yeah, was not a 2 line North Hollywood, but still a fairly rare item; and fine shooters when tuned.

Just passing on what I saw over the years. If one goes thru the trouble of making a case, surely should be a safe haven for the firearm.

I though about molding some sort of form fitted bottom as well. I couldn't come up with a feasible solution.
I ended up using some contractor shims I had left over from installing a door.
Just used some wood glue to bond two wedge shaped shims together to make a plank then cut the parts to fit and bonded them all together with wood glue. After sanding and painting it it's hard to tell they were once shims.
I then used spray adhesive to bond the felt to the wood frame. It all fits tightly into the box with no up and down movement.
I believe the felt mounted to pine is soft enough to not damage my pistol. The frame is very strong as well.

If I had the funds I would love to get one of these cases made in Kansas City. The company's name is Huey Cases.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MOROCCO-LEA...kAAOxyzHxRNso9

They also make a carbine case:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MOROCCO-LEA...4AAOxyXtFRIagw

I liked milesc2's idea of using an existing attache case rather than the metal specialty cases. The metal cases stand out in a crowd; a briefcase is pretty much invisible (everybody carries them, paperwork inside, not really worth stealing) whereas the metal cases fairly scream "expensive tool!". :p

I once saw a case for carrying some kind of musical instrument that had a large bell shaped bulge on each side. It was the size of a briefcase but was obviously for a horn of some kind. Being as I am musically-impaired I have no idea what kind of horn it was. Evidently not a trumpet as none of the trumpet cases I see on eBay have the bulges.

I'm looking at a firly cheap attache case on eBay now, brown or black, locking, 17 1/2" x 13" x 4" [interior]. I may buy that if I can't find a bulgy horn case.

I don't think many thieves would steal a horn...Not in my city... :rolleyes:

If you are carrying to a shooting range, I don't see what difference the appearance of the box makes!
Transporting somewhere else- I see the point.

A horn case would be readily identifiable and horns are expensive, and easy to pawn- I'd think a target for a thief, JMHO. And why would you want "bulges"? They would not lay flat when opened?

I reckon there are similarities with some cases, presentation and range, but also differences. Like usual, context and environment is everything.

I normally think of presentation type cases are used by the guys for long term storage really; and showing off in special occasions. Yet, most are placed in a large metal box and not looked at for decades. Some factory boxes have foam, just look at a Python sillywet. Yeah, I know about maintenance, but know that the decades happen. To me foam or styro in this context is not my choice, just my opinion. Sometimes one sees nickeled pistols stored in soft zipper foam type cases, with material interiors, that will frost a nickeled(removable so far here) gun in a few months. So there must be something going on, when I put an old work sock over the nickeled guns, no more frost. So still some puzzles to this layman.

A range case, one sees cutout foam(hard and soft type foams) used all over the place. I personally feel these are not intended for long term storage. I have failed miserably a time or two by leaving firearms in the nice fitted foam case, it was convenient; and I paid the piper a few years later. Such a nice cheapo case, nothing rattles around, looks nice................but I had to learn a hard lesson in long term storage.

So perhaps there is a point of context, long term versus short term storage. The problem with this user is remembering about long term..........:) OH, yeah, that reminds me, that old black plastic case has a shotgun in it; put in there years ago.

Years ago there was quite a bit of discussion on cases of all types, glad to see that happen some more; always something to learn from the posters here.

I might add that the first pistol case looks very similar to an early commercial case to me in style/color..........nice.

I would not store a firearm in a case of any type; a case is for transport not storage, JMHO.

Store your pistols "naked" in a safe with controlled humidity.