?Question on packing gun for shipment?

[pilgrim6a]

I'm about ready to sell a S&W revolver on the Forum.Got the Pics and I have the text ready. Talked my beer loving dealer in to handling the shipping.
The gun is a 80s vintage, 98% or better, and a model very much in demand. I have a S&W (LSI) box that is proper for this model, although no label. Never had a label. Came with the gun when I got it.
Now my question.
Do I ship the gun inside the box? Or do I wrap them separate and pack them?
I have not mentioned the model for a reason. I"m selling this for a good friend. We have arrived at a price he is happy with, I think is fair, and the buyer will love. At least I hope so.
I talked him into selling on the Forum and I want everyone to have a fair chance.

[Rule3]

Much better protection in a factory box inside another box.

[Ga Johnny]

the last time I shipped one with it's box, I did not ship the gun inside it's box, it was wrapped in foam, then bubble wrap and placed inside the shipping box with it's smith box, all was well packed with foam peanuts.

Another way is to ship the gun in a zipped rug if you have a spare one in the same box with the smith box, granted smith saw fit to ship them in the factory box, but it was a commodity then, now it's a collectable of sorts, minor finish rubs from riding in cardboard matters more now.

I'd be pissed if someone shipped me an old smith in it's blue box with now other protection

Edit to add....... an old smith with a finish worth protecting, a beater grade gun is a different story

At least that's how I see it

[NFrameFred]

Depends on the factory box.

The new hard-sided plastic boxes with full pads/foam are fine for shipping the gun inside. I do not like it when someone ships me a Ruger in Ruger's plastic boxes since the gun is in direct contact with the plastic material the case is made of; when Ruger ships in these from the factory there is at least a soft plastic bag enclosing it and preventing direct contact.

With no other packing to secure it and keep it from sliding around I don't care for someone shipping them in the old blue pasteboard boxes, either.

The gorillas who handle these packages in transit do not take great pains to baby them and being tossed onto conveyors and whatnot is not good if the gun can slide around inside it's packing box.

I appreciate someone who packs shipped items securely.

[wamalo]

A gun with it's original box and accompaniments should be shipped as two separate items within one shipping box. The gun should be bubble wrapped securely; the original box should contain any accompaniments (instructions, targets, sight adjusting tools, wipers, etc) secured so that they don't bounce around, and be bubble wrapped as well. Both bubble wrapped items should be placed in the shipping box with sufficient packing material to protect them from each other as well as the perimeter of the shipping box.

[ohiobuckeye]

Ditto to wrapping cardboard boxes and guns separately. Bubble pack is your guns best friend. The way the package handling gorillas toss parcels around the gun has enough weight and inertia to pose a high risk of doing damage to the box. I've received many hundreds of guns over the years, and have opened more than one to find the barrel, sight, hammer spur, etc., had punched a hole in the factory box.

[pilgrim6a]

Thanks for the input folks. This the information I needed, from people who know.
I will wrap the gun and box separate. Pad it till I think it's safe, then pad it more! Thanks again, John.

[BillBingham2]

For the first time in years I had a package arrive with a very damaged box. One corner almost trashed. Luckily I had spent over $100 on the box so the contents were well protected. I’m kind of in the mindset of bubble wrap all within a box, bubble wrap the first box and put it in another box, address both boxes. It was a very valuable item that made it fine.