Once you’ve spent a fortune on pimping up your rifle or replica it may seem like a good idea to protect it from dirt as well as the eyes of incidental people – especially if you travel a lot.
There’s a ton of covers and carry-cases around designed precisely for this task. I, however – decided upon something really solid, that wouldn’t ruin my budget. I chose a product from the American company Plano – specifically the 36-inch case*, branded ALL WEATHER GUN GUARD TAKEDOWN CASE. It’s entirely made in the USA and cost me PLN 400 (around USD 109,99). The package includes a multi-lingual user’s and maintenance manual as well a set of keys.
CONSTRUCT AND EXTERNAL APPEARANCE
The case looks elegant and durable – the husk is made of high quality dark-greyish nylon. The linear ‘rails’ on the outside surface strengthen and stiffen the entire construct.
The upper lid features the manufacturer’s logo and the name of the product line.
According to the producer – the case is water and dust-proof. The case thus features a special valve at its bottom for pressure equalization while i.e. transporting on board a plane luggage hold.
What catches the eye is the highly contrasting yellow carrying handle. It’s foldable and stays in place after positioning. It seems really solid and even given a decent payload to the case itself, never squeaks or creaks.
The case is equipped with five clasps. These buckles are durable, hold remarkably well and seal the two halves of the case. Every clasp boasts the manufacturer’s logo and product line name. These are additionally fitted with yellow (to make them more visible) release latches, that provide extra protection from accidental opening. Two clasps – allocated at the front of the case, on both sides of the carrying handle – are equipped with locks and additional openings for fastening padlocks (not included). The openings may be used to attach an additional belt or harness for transporting the case upon one’s shoulder (although they need to be purchased individually).
The case’s hinges are basic but solid, with an iron bolt running through them.
INTERIOR
After opening the upper lid – which opens up to angle of 90 degrees (and remains that way) we can see the spacious interior fitted with two types of protective foaming. The top halve of the case has perforated foam permanently glued to the shell, whereas the bottom halve has a smooth, removable foam sheet, pre-cut into a fine grid. Located underneath is another layer of perforated foam, however this may be extracted from the casing.
Thanks to the pre-cut incisions in the thickest foam layer (which is around 60 mm thick) one can modify the interior to fit basically every type of replica, including additional accessories. This is done by ripping out small square-shaped pieces of foam to obtain the demanded shape. This may not be exactly a kind of custom pre-cut foam for specific replica shapes as featured in more expensive solutions, but works remarkably well. The final effect is displayed below.
After obtaining the demanded shape, the foam provides a very solid and stiff hold on the replica and accessories – nothing is misplaced or moved during transport. After locking the clasps we don’t need to worry about the case’s contents.
VERDICT:
Benefits:
+ appearance,
+ solid construct,
+ quality workmanship,
+ water and dust-proof.
Drawbacks:
– no belt or harness for transportation,,
– price could be lower.
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SPECIFICS:
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*The case is also available in a 42-inch version.
/Roger/
Translated by /Siemion/
