# fitting the rifle to the case



## elderberry99 (Aug 18, 2005)

I have the Browning BAR Safari rifle in .308 caliber. The Browning site shows the overall length is 43". I have a scope mounted low and nothing protrusive on the rifle.
I wish to get a soft sided case for this rifle but am a little concerned that the size may be a little too big or too small. I don't want to bring the case all the way home and find I made a mistake in the sizing.
I was looking at a case that was 44" in length. Will this case be large enough without stressing it out?
I do not want to get a case that is 48" as I fee that to be too much waste and the rifle will slide around in the case on me.
I know that maybe the 46" would do just fine but that is not the case I want. The one I want is the Browning Signature case and it only comes in 44" and next size up is the 48".
Anyone out there that has the case I am referring to?
I know this question seems a bit stupid, but as I said, I am trying to avoid bringing home the wrong size case! The store I was shopping in has all their firearms seccured with cables and I cannot try to fit the rifle to a case there.
The only other alternative would be to purchase a hard sided case so the rifle does not move around on me.
I was also looking at a few gun safes, but only have 6 shotguns and rifles and may have only one or two more in the future.
Any advise on a good safe that would fit in a closet so it is hidden away? I do not want all the fancy bells and whistles like spoke wheel and glossy paint. I want it to be secured and out of sight.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

I recently puchased 2 cabelas soft cases for a trip.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... 4887&Nty=1

My rifles were both 44.5" in length. I bought 2 46" cases and I have no concerns about the "slop" in the case. I must say that I am very very happy with these cases. However I have only a 70 or so hours of use on them so far.

As for gun safes. I decided to not pay a fortune for them. Who needs the fire protection? If you happen to have something rare or very important to you, that's one thing. But most of us just need to keep the bad guys out. Insurance will buy me a new gun if it's burnt up. I've been very happy with the sentry 14 gun gun safe. It gives me all that I need and it looks ok in the gun room to. It doens't have to be glossy to look decent.


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## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

Why not get a hard case????

There only about $12.00 now.

I never understood why someone puts a high quality scope on a rifle, or even iron sights, sights it in, and then puts it in a soft case......which is every easy to bump or knock the rifle and lose your zero.

Unless you have a real need for a soft case.....just get a hardcase.

:sniper:


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

The reason for the soft case are two fold.

1. On fly in trips, the soft cases are much easire to handle then the hard cases on the little planes like the super cub.

2. Hard cases are more (not much) difficult to just "slide" a gun out of. I've had situations that I wanted to "move" on a turkey that I spoted in a field. Spent more time dinking around with the 4 clips on hard case the I do now sliding it out of a soft case.

Be nice to your guns and don't throw them around. Then you won't need that hard case. I use them when appropriate, but I also like a soft case at times.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Is this case at a sporting goods store? if so, do they have a rifle like yours on the rack? Most stores will allow you to use a rifle to make sure that the case will fit. I've done it several times myself.

huntin1


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## elderberry99 (Aug 18, 2005)

huntin1,
Yes, they have other rifles just like mine but they are all cabled up for security reasons and they frown on unlocking the rifles to slide them in and out of cases.


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## elderberry99 (Aug 18, 2005)

usmarine0352,
I am not opposed to a hard case at all. For the $12.00 you mentioned, you are getting nothing but a piece of junk.
In order to get anything decent, you must pay $75.00 or more. I do not want that cheap plastic around my rifles. I would much rather be cautious using using the soft sided case.
I was at a gun show a few weeks back and saw a few very nice hard sided aluminum cases that were marked down to about $45.00 and nothing that I could see wrong with them but let them go right past me only to wish I could get them now.


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## Bigdog (Aug 13, 2003)

I bought a soft case this fall from a place called Battle Lake Outdoors. It had a sheet of hard plastic, maybe 1/16" thick, that wraped around the padding of the case underneath the outer cover. not as much protection as a hard case but more than a standard soft case. I checked their website but they did not list the cases. If you were interested I am sure they would provide some pictures. I paid $30 ea for the ones I bought.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

elderberry99 said:


> huntin1,
> Yes, they have other rifles just like mine but they are all cabled up for security reasons and they frown on unlocking the rifles to slide them in and out of cases.


Not very accommodating are they?

Doesn't solve the problem for you, but if it were me, I'd look elsewhere.

Sometimes a rifle will fit into a case that is only 1" longer, sometimes it won't. Just depends on how the case is made. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Good luck.

huntin1


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## Dave_w (May 25, 2005)

Want my trick? I have one fairly decent soft-side case that I use for a stubby Remington Express 12-ga pump and a Ruger Mini-14. Even though the lengths are a smidge different, the fit is fine. See, every time I go to the range, I rap some rags around the butt end of either gun. The shotgun gets additional rags and a little scrap piece of wood about the width of the butt.

And if I'm driving any further than the range, I generally wrap all my guns in old towels anyway. Yeah, it's a little neurotic, but I like wood and hate scratches.


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

> huntin1,
> Yes, they have other rifles just like mine but they are all cabled up for security reasons and they frown on unlocking the rifles to slide them in and out of cases.


 :eyeroll:

Find yourself a different shop, I have only encountered a similiar problem once, It was at Uncle Lee's/Wing Supply in Greenville, KY had a stack of 100s in my pocket a half inch thick. Was going to bring something home. Had about 10 shotguns laying on the counter and was trying to make my decision, narrowed it down to a Beretta and a Browning Citori, really wanted the Browning but it had a very plain looking piece of wood on it, so I asked the guy working the counter if he would check the stockroom, and see if they had anything with better grain, he told me flat out, You can either take what is on the rack or you can move on. I never said a word, handed the gun back to him and walked out the door, I will never set foot in that store again.


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