Ar-15 factory packaging.

[bimmer]

So I was just wondering what your opinions were when it comes to this. Why does a $1,100.00 + colt, BCM, sig, ect. come in a crappy cardboard box, but a rock river, ruger, core 15 ect. Come in a nice or decent hard case? It doesn't really matter to me, but It seems like if you're paying money for a top shelf AR it should come with a case. Even a cheap Plano like the Daniel defense come in. My BCM came in a box, but At least they give you a poster set, hat, lube, and a couple worthless DVDs...

[centrarchidae]

Maybe Colt, BCM, etc. decided that people who will spend the extra for Tier 1 will also spend the extra for a Pelican or a Storm.

Either that, or they decided that they're charging enough already to QC the rifle properly, and don't need to jack the price up any more for extras and swag.

[Great-Kazoo]

Maybe Colt, BCM, etc. decided that people who will spend the extra for Tier 1 will also spend the extra for a Pelican or a Storm.

Either that, or they decided that they're charging enough already to QC the rifle properly, and don't need to jack the price up any more for extras and swag.

Hearsay

[bimmer]

That has crossed my mind also, but the cost on a Plano case if bought by the thousands in less than $7.00... And it literally takes 3x longer to shove a colt in the stupid sleeve that come in than it does to set a rifle in a case. Seems like more trouble than its worth... And more time consuming when you add the thousands of rifles they have to box. Cardboard is ALOT more expensive than you might think.

[10mm-man]

Cardboard is ALOT more expensive than you might think. About a $1.50- $3.00 prob cheaper since they sell so many rifles..

[bimmer]

My family used to own a packing/shipping business. A 25 piece of 12x12x12 boxes was about 1.50 a box. Keep in mind that most of the rifle boxes have graphics printed on them and are a lot bigger. And then they stuff them with other useless pieces of cardboard that hardly ever go back in right when boxing them back up, after a customer buys a rifle. I guess one reason for using cardboard is that it takes up a lot less space since it is recieved flat.

I would just expect more from a top tier manufacturer. Even the latest noveske rifles come in cardboard. At least they have foam in the boxes though. PSA ships their stuff in a cardboard box also (I know, not top tier, but I foresee them becoming close) and they come in a NICE box with the same foam that you find in a hard case. My KRISS came in a hard case, but after adding an eotech 512 it will no longer fit.

[Ice20]

My $2300 POF came in a hard case, but it's one of the crappiest hard cases I've ever seen. They probably added $100 to the price of the rifle and paid $2 for it. I would've rather saved a $100 on my rifle and it come in a cardboard box.

[Bailey Guns]

Are you spending the money for the rifle, the box or some crappy plastic case? And I don't know anyone who carries their gun in one of those cases. I'll take the Colt and their box any day.

[hatidua]

Those 'tier 1" makers are simply concerned about the environment because they realize that customers like me are going to toss the vessel their product is sold in straight into the trash the day I buy it, regardless of whether it's cardboard/plastic/Etc.

[Singlestack]

I think cardboard makes more sense for most owners, as they likely have a hard case of some kind, and if they don't would likley prefer a different hard case than the crappy one the rifle shipped in - for example a dual rifle case, a case that can accomodate optics of their choice,...

[BlasterBob]

The CMP curently ships their long guns in really nice OD color plastic boxes.

[bellavite1]

Good Lord, I have owned a few Barretts, and sure, we're talking $4k-7K rifles, but FFS they came in Pelikan cases that were almost as heavy as the rifles themselves!

[BPTactical]

Are you spending the money for the rifle, the box or some crappy plastic case? And I don't know anyone who carries their gun in one of those cases. I'll take the Colt and their box any day.

This!

[Ronin13]

My $2300 POF came in a hard case, but it's one of the crappiest hard cases I've ever seen. They probably added $100 to the price of the rifle and paid $2 for it. I would've rather saved a $100 on my rifle and it come in a cardboard box.
Same here- and that case ended up in my crawlspace since it rarely gets used... I have a much better case that I use for my rifle. But my AK came in a cardboard box, and that was when they were $300.

Are you spending the money for the rifle, the box or some crappy plastic case? And I don't know anyone who carries their gun in one of those cases. I'll take the Colt and their box any day.
This! I have a pretty nice soft case for my AR, and a hardcase for my Mossberg. [Beer]

[Circuits]

A big reason cardboard persists is inertia - it's how it always used to be done, so that's how they still do it.

A cheap hardcase still generally requires an outer cardboard box to actually ship, but $300 AK or $3000 LMT, I'd rather have the plastic outer shell and inner foam protecting my rifle during shipping, than a series of cardboard folded spacers. Consider the cheap hardcases disposable or donors.