Experiences with Pelican 1740?

[El Cid]

I’m looking for a sturdy and lockable case to transport several rifles. I’m leaning towards the Pelican 1740 but wonder if anyone has any good or bad experience with them? Also how do y’all load them? Most pics I’ve found show people using the pluck foam to hold the rifles vertically. Can you place them flat on their side and fit more in it? Thanks!

This one: https://www.batteryjunction.com/pelican-1740-opt.html

[trailrunner]

When I worked in an Army lab, I had a whole bunch of Pelican cases to transport my scientific equipment out to our field tests. We didn't abuse them, but we didn't baby them either. They were almost indestructible. I used the pick foam to customize the fit for my equipment and it worked well.

[paperman]

I’m looking for a sturdy and lockable case to transport several rifles. I’m leaning towards the Pelican 1740 but wonder if anyone has any good or bad experience with them? Also how do y’all load them? Most pics I’ve found show people using the pluck foam to hold the rifles vertically. Can you place them flat on their side and fit more in it? Thanks!

This one: https://www.batteryjunction.com/pelican-1740-opt.html

Pelicans are definitely the gold standard.

While I don’t have the 1740, my storm 2950 has been perfect.

I mostly use ARs so I went shorter and wider to allow for accessories. The storm series is also lighter weight.

Definitely measure everything you want to be able to fit and some things your not sure if you will. If I would have bought the 2975 I would have been able to fit my AR pistol with red dot and 30rd mag.

I definitely prefer the vertical method as it’s faster and easier to access the firearm.

I also didn’t read enough and didnt realize the pick and pluck foam was in separate layers. I wanted to be able to fit 3 ARs plus accessories but with my lights being on the 1 o’clock position and folding stocks I wasn’t able to get the best thickness of foam for what I wanted and accidentally tearing all the way through a layer. I found that you need about 3 cube thickness to maintain its shape consistently.

Luckily I don’t have any safe queens so I removed all the foam except for the accessories and for short trips I just stack the ones that fit next to each other vertically and the uppers I separate with my cleaning mat. For long trips I’ll use the leftover foam to make sure everything is nice and snug.

So depending on how much protection you want on the inside, the accessories installed on your firearms and the shape of your firearms will decide what you can fit.


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[flyrodr]

I'm not a big fan of the "Pick N Pluck" foam inserts in the Pelican cases (with the qualifier that I mainly use the cases for cameras and handguns). The foam certainly works, but doesn't have the durability/longevity of the optional padded dividers (which probably aren't available for the larger cases).

I'd suggest visiting the US Case site https://www.uscase.com and check out their various offerings and options, and the Gallery photos. Their custom work isn't cheap, but some of the inserts they can do for a Pelican might suit you at an OK price. They're close to the RDU airport, and thus not far from the several military bases, universities, hospitals, R&D firms, etc. in NC, and I've seen some of the custom cases and inserts they've made for these groups. Again, prices might be limiting, but they're fully capable of about any custom insert.

[paperman]

If you don’t mind cutting it out.

https://kaizeninserts.com/products/pelican-1740-kaizen-inserts


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[OlongJohnson]

The lifetime warranty is no BS. We have about half a dozen engineers carrying equipment around the country continually. When any part of the Pelican case finally gets worn out or breaks due to airport baggage handlers, a phone call or email to Pelican is all it takes and new parts show up. Worth it.

[rob_s]

Pelicans are definitely the gold standard.

While I don’t have the 1740, my storm 2950 has been perfect.
Wasn’t Storm a separate company that Pelican acquired?
NVM, google is my friend, Storm was part of Harding Which Pelican acquired in 2009
https://www.pelican.com/us/en/about/press-releases/article/pelican-products-acquires-hardigg-industries/

[mmc45414]

Most pics I’ve found show people using the pluck foam to hold the rifles vertically. Can you place them flat on their side and fit more in it?
I wonder about just using no foam and pack them inside the box in soft cases? If just local travel where you are handling it maybe just some kind of divider? There is a plastic sheet material called Expanded PVC Foamboard, typically referred to as the brand name Sintra, that cuts easy with woodshop tools and glues together great with cheap pipe glue?

I use a Pelican 1500 as my range "bag" and it works well. Easier to carry more like a brief case when it is heavy with ammo, very durable and waterproof. It can be locked to the vehicle with a cable for a little security, and it doesn't look exactly like a gun case. It does look like something valuable is in it, but not gun specific (my dad used to use a cheap Styrofoam cooler for times he wanted his camera gear to be handy but he had to leave it in the car).

[rob_s]

I’m looking for a sturdy and lockable case to transport several rifles. I’m leaning towards the Pelican 1740 but wonder if anyone has any good or bad experience with them? Also how do y’all load them? Most pics I’ve found show people using the pluck foam to hold the rifles vertically. Can you place them flat on their side and fit more in it? Thanks!

This one: https://www.batteryjunction.com/pelican-1740-opt.html

I don't know if you remember, or ever saw, my rolling trunk of guns I drug to classes and some matches back in the day. It's a pretty flimsy option so the specific probably don't matter, but regarding your stacking question...

I didn't have any sort of foam or what-have-you, and I experimented with cramming things in there several ways. Ultimately I found that mag-out, vertical, with butts alternating directions was the method that gave me the most rifles in the box. It left a certain amount of space under them, but I even used that space sometimes to stuff broken-down rifles, or other ancillary gear.

What I always wanted back then was a bunch of thin, foam, material-covered pads just to use as dividers. Even without flying with the thing I still wound up a lot of places with scratches and dings. Yeah, I get the whole "I don't own no safe queens" internet thing, but that doesn't mean I want unnecessary wear and tear, particularly given that most things on these guns are aluminum and I'd prefer not to have the bare aluminum showing through. Steel either, for that matter.

So my thought, that I never followed through on, was to have someone make me a set of dividers. Maybe a sheet of kydex with a thin piece of foam on either side with a cordura covering. Not sure the kydex would be the best material. Essentially I wanted something bendy enough to mold between the guns but rigid enough that the foam wouldn't just get all bunched up. Maybe whatever plastic-y material the uber-stiff-carry-belt makers use (provided you could get it in a large enough sheet).

[Hambo]

I’m looking for a sturdy and lockable case to transport several rifles. I’m leaning towards the Pelican 1740 but wonder if anyone has any good or bad experience with them? Also how do y’all load them? Most pics I’ve found show people using the pluck foam to hold the rifles vertically. Can you place them flat on their side and fit more in it? Thanks!

This one: https://www.batteryjunction.com/pelican-1740-opt.html

That thing is going to weigh a ton loaded. I have a thinner 2 rifle model, and while I don't throw it around, but it rides in the truck bed with target stands, etc. No issues with the case or contents.

[flyrodr]

If you want some simple, do-it-yourself dividers, just get some thin plywood, hardboard or the like, cut to fit, and cover it with thin carpet, thick fabric or whatever suits you. The gear should keep the dividers in place, and if not, add a bead of silicone. A walk around a home improvement store should show you some options for divider material.

The corrugated "plastic cardboard" that a lot of yard signs are made of is available in different thicknesses and sizes.

This stuff (more/less 3/8" thick, in 4'x8' sheets), for example was at Home Depot (presume you could buy smaller pieces):
54173

[El Cid]

Thanks for all the suggestions and input! And I’m definitely going to check out the Kaizen Inserts.