Plano All Weather 36" Case - with gun pics!

Wanted to let you all know of a good deal at walfart right now. I bought a couple of these Plano Gun Guard cases for a few of my launchers. These were on the black friday specials list for $30 but seem to still be marked down as of now in the stores; albeit my store had them for $40. I spoke to a passing co manager and he told me that the cases are at priced at cost so they aren't making a dime off them.

As far as "quality for price" goes with the pelican systems being the standard, I'd give these a 9. Material seems to be made of the same type of plastic but may be a shade thinner than the pelican. Buckles are decent and have internal locks and keys plus holes for external locks. Hinges are not quite as sturdy built as the pelican. Foam is three layers. Two outer are eggshell and at pre glued to the case sides. The center is the standard pick and pluck system found in most decent case. Has a rubber perimeter seal and a pressure release valve. Tags don't say "waterproof" but do say "weather resistant" and "all weather". I'm pretty confident that it will seal from water unless perhaps you're talking about submersion for a good while. I don't drop my gun cases off river bridges or out of boats much, so I'm not worried about it.

I needed an upgrade for my hand cannons from an old kolpin case thats seen better days - plus I had enough space to add my 22/45, but I'm currently debating on whether to add another contender barrel instead - so I haven't inset the .22 yet.

If you are in need of a better than average cheap waterproof case, these things are the right price - for now.

BTW, I only saw the 36" version, but I think they also make a 42" as well. I checked and these will fit a M4 style AR and accessories nicely.

sorry about the pic quality, these were taken indoors with an iphone.

Looks good. How did you cut into the foam and still leave some for protecting your guns? I'm doing something like that and am putting guns, ammo and mages in it. Got some ideas myself but would like to hear from someone who has done it.
Thanks

What you can't see is that there are 3 layers of foam. The guns are imbedded in the center layer. This piece is about 2" thick and comes out of the case but I didn't need to remove it. The top and bottom layers are one inch egg crate foam and are glued to the top and bottom of the case and are not touched at all in this process. On the center piece you can pull out the full depth of the plugs but that will make it way too deep for these guns. I did pull out the full depth for the speed loader pouch. What I did was use a razor blade by hand to cut the needed shapes to about 3/4" to 1" deep, then went back and pinched and cut till the inset areas are a fairly even depth so that the guns are supported underneath at just the proper height.

These are the basic steps.

1. get some posterboard and trace the outline of your item with a pen. Take care to hold the pen exactly straight up and down while tracing.
2. trace another line about 1/4" along the inside of the shape and cut it out with scissors along this inner line.
3. lay the patterns on the foam in the places you want. if you have solid foam you can use an xacto or other razor blade right up along the shape you made. use stick pins to hold shape in place while cutting. If you have pick-a-plug type (like in these cases) you can use the straight edges of the cuts in the foam to line up a barrel line or some other straight edge to use as a reference point.
4. Once you make the initial outline with a shallow cut, remove pattern and go back and cut out the interior by hand approx deep enough to fit your items. Won't be pretty and flat, but it is covered when the guns are in place.

I've tried the high speed way of using a hot wire on a custom made heating unit. It wasn't worth the trouble and expense. A sharp razor blade will make a cut in the foam 10 times crisper than a hot wire. Just need a steady hand.

Good luck.

i have the 42" and its the bomb.
i used an electric filet knife to form fit mine and it was very easy.
I just used a felt marker to outline and then went at it with the filet knife.
These things are built like a tank.

I picked up one last year at Bass Pro for my F-Class rifle $150.00. 55" long and it is the best case I have ever owned. cut out the foam to fit my Savage works great. I will try to post some pics.

Are you storing your guns in these cases or just using them to transport?

Why did you ask that John? I have a few rifles that have been stored in the cases for years. When I took them out recently they looked as good as when I put them in. Is there a problem with moisture? I keep them oiled. Maybe I need a bigger safe. I keep 6 or 8 in cases since the safe is full.

I think it depends on what shape the gun was in when you put it in the case, the environment the case is kept in, and the length of time the gun was stored. If the case is kept in a temp controlled environment and the guns not left in it for too long it's probably fine.

I personally have seen guns rust very quickly when stored in foam/egg crate. In some cases this was due to improper use such as shoving a damp shotgun into an egg crate lined case after a duck hunt and not taking it out immediately after I got home to air dry. In others I think there were temp swings that may have caused the gun to sweat and the foam holds the moisture against the gun.

I've also seen some of my grandfather's guns that were stored inside foam cases for five years or more where the case had broken down and adhered to the gun and to the finish on the stock.

I haven't done any serious studying on it but my personal experience has been enough to leave me with a general feeling that foam cases are good for transport but not for storage.

For what it's worth though, the internet is full of advice that agrees with me such as "Flexible urethane foam is subject to solvent attack and air oxidation, and if by chance it is exposed for very long to sunlight the UV will enhance air oxidation and cause it to turn brown. Quality manufacturers include antioxidants and UV absorbers and may even throw in some ingredients to crosslink the foam lightly in order to reduce solvent attack, making their products less likely to degrade and cause harm. Residual oil and solvent on the metal surface of a firearm or even waxes on the stock can act as solvents. Decomposition products of urethanes can include amines which are both corrosive and act to attract water. Short term for shipping is great but long term storage should be avoided. "

Thanks heading upstairs and under the bed to bust them all out and into the corners of the closets and such. I think I may go look for one of those cases though for transport. I'm really set on getting a backpack strap double gun case for transport and so when we finally get enough people for a 2 or 3 gun at magnolia I'll have a nice case to bring them in.

Well, I like having mine out in my safe with some breathing room and a golden rod but, if you don't have that as an option, I'm reading that if you place some sort of barrier between the gun and the foam (along with keeping it in a temp./humidity controlled environment) you should be ok. It makes sense because I've purchased new guns from the factory in the past that came in foam lined cases but the gun itself was in some sort of oiled paper or plastic bag inside the foam lined case.

BigDaddyQ wrote:Why did you ask that John? I have a few rifles that have been stored in the cases for years. When I took them out recently they looked as good as when I put them in. Is there a problem with moisture? I keep them oiled. Maybe I need a bigger safe. I keep 6 or 8 in cases since the safe is full.

I have stored a shotgun and rifle in a foam lined double gun case under the bed since 1980, they get taken out once or twice a year wiped down with an oily rag and put back in. Neither one has ever had a speck of rust on them and the foam has never broken down.

bubbat wrote:I have stored a shotgun and rifle in a foam lined double gun case under the bed

hey bubbat, pm me your address and when you are gonna be gone...oh, may also want to include the name of your pitbull and his favorite snacks and also the code to your alarm while youre at it!

I ended up buying 2 of these, too good of a price not too. Clinton wal mart had 2 left yesterday at 4ish.

I bought one several weeks back.. Saw Richland had several a few days ago..

John, i'm storing them in the cases. They are in a place where the ambient temp is pretty static so no quick temp fluctuations. Plus I have a silica gel cake in each case I have. They are good for about 5 or 6 "openings" before you have to dry them again in the oven. Seems to work.

I have seen guns collect mold before inside a closed case; usually on an old wood stock like a garand or something. Good coats of oil work pretty well against rust.

I know this thread has been dead a little while, but I have two of them cut out for a sub2k/glock 17 combo and love em. Nothing like grabbing the case and running and knowing you have a carbine, fullsize handgun, light, holster, and enough mags to feed both for a while in a convenient package.

Yep they are perfect for my needs.. Work great my trunk guns.

Just saw another one today in the natchez store. Only one left! at still at $40.

When I find a round tuit I'm going to fix one up for one of my ar's and give her a decent paint job. Maybe this weekend.

Ok, here's the results of my weekend project for the additional case I bought. Kinda bummed that i couldn't get my night vision scope into it as well; not enough space. It has its own pelican case so i guess I can live with it. I decided to go with the 20 minute woodland spray can pattern.