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Guide To Buying A Gun Bag
It's important to keep your guns safe from knocks and damage when in transit and having a good gun bag is essential. There are two main choices, hard cases or soft cases.
Hard cases have a robust outer case, and a soft egg box foam interior, and therefore may be the better choice for transportation, or long-term storage. Hard cases are also a particularly good choice for scoped guns, as the hard shell and soft foam lining will protect your scope from knocks which may affect the zero, important for target shooters or hunters.
For example, our Plano SE Single Rifle Case is made of moulded, faceted plastic, giving it the strength and rigidity to take some abuse whilst keeping your guns safe. The double-sided soft egg crate foam also prevents your gun from moving in transit and gives you additional space for extra magazines or other range essentials. Our Plano gun cases also have moulded locking points and easy opening catches, so your gun is safe and secure no matter where you take it.
Pros and Cons of Hard Gun Cases
PRO | CON |
Inexpensive | Bulky |
Lockable | Can be heavy |
Provides excellent protection | Not easy to use in inclement weather |
Gun doesn't move in transit | Can be awkward to handle |
Soft gun cases can be a convenient, everyday choice for a lot of shooters. Soft gun cases are made from stout exterior materials, like canvas, and lined with something softer like lambswool. Soft rifle or shotgun cases offer exceptional convenience and a good degree of protection. Soft cases are comfortable and convenient to carry, it's so easy to just unzip a soft case and chuck the gun in, and you're ready to go. Soft gun cases often also feature pockets on the outside, so you can have everything you need in one place.
Pros and Cons of Soft Gun Cases
PRO | CON |
Lightweight | Flexible |
Inexpensive | Gun can move |
Convenient | Not as suitable for long term storage |
Has additional storage | Gun can get knocked more easily |
View the full range of soft and hard gun cases here.
Pistol Cases
As with rifle cases, pistol shooters have the same choice of hard or soft pistol cases. Our range of MTM hard pistol & revolver cases offer every protection your gun needs and is small enough to be convenient whilst being durable enough to suffer even the hardest journeys.
One of our best-selling pistol cases is our range of soft pistol gloves. Suitable for any pistols from the shortest barrel lengths up to 18, our pistol gloves are made from stout green canvas and fleece lined, protecting your guns from damage and scratches to the finish. They also feature a zipped compartment on the exterior for range essentials.
For owners of Western revolvers, there can be little better choice than the Pietta Revolver ABS Case. This case features a precisely moulded insert, specially made for a muzzle loading or Western revolver, along with compartments for all the odds and ends that you might need.
View the full range of pistol cases here.
Things to consider when buying a gun case
The most important thing to consider is the type of shooting you're doing. If you're doing any type of game shooting or shooting where there is likely to be a lot of walking, then a soft case might suit better. Soft cases are light enough to be carried easily on the shoulder during a full day's shoot, but sturdy enough to resist the inevitable small knocks and changeable weather.
Hard cases might suit those doing target shooting, particularly bench rest or similar, where absolute precision is required. A hard case will prevent the gun from moving, the scope being knocked, or any kind of impact when in transit, which is a must for keeping scopes and zero in top order.
Given that a gun case of either type is likely to be one of the cheapest but most versatile and useful shooting accessories you own, it's good to have something for every occasion. To that end, therefore, why not have both?