Apartment Longrifle Transportation?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Guys I’m about to take delivery of my first custom longrifle, but I live in a 2nd story apartment and I’m wondering... guys how do I transport this thing to my truck?? I don’t have a garage and have to go down outdoor stairs to the parking lot. It’s not far, maybe 30-40 yards, but needless to say I don’t want the neighbors noticing me toting an expensive GUN around. It draws attention and makes me a target for theft or robbery.

Guys, I’ve been thinking maybe a case for a fly fishing reel? Maybe carry my shooting supplies in a tackle box to keep the image? Not sure... all I know is I need to find a way so I can take my rifle to the range without being attacked or burglarized at home.

Thoughts?

[Mike Brooks]

Sounds like you need to move. I don't even put mine in a case when I take it somewhere.

[kudu]

Renters Insurance might be in your future? Just talk to your agent and make sure your Gun and Accoutrements are Covered.

Also Get or make some really bad looking covers for your gun and range box, I mean horrible looking stuff Nightmarish,  Made from old clothes from Goodwill.

Orange and Black striped- Green with Blue Polka dots.  Metallic Fringe  "NOBODY LIKES POLKA DOTS"

Make them ill or poorly fitting . saggie if s that's  even a word.

You gotta look like you dont  Know, or have/own  a thing, worth anything more than Used Toilet Paper.

Take Pride in your Creativity make it look. like junk

I knew a guy that shot Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays and has very expensive Guns and is in your exact situation.

[Smokey Plainsman]

That’s the thing, I just moved in. I live in the city because of the military. It must be nice to be retired and to move and do whatever you want, but some of us just getting into the hobby aren’t so lucky and frankly, we need your help and ideas (like me) so we can participate and rise above. Or, you can shun us and leave the next generation of long rifle enthusiasts to give up the hobby.

Just saying.

[Gemmer]

How about a piece of large diameter PVC with end caps. Pad the inside to protect the rifle. Maybe a rope handle. Anybody asks, tell them it’s a beach umbrella or a large yoga mat.

[EC121]

Get a large cardboard box like stock blanks are shipped in.  Track  has one that is 7" thick and foam lined.

[stikshooter]

Is it possible to rent a storage bay,secure/cameras /locks and do your cleanup/ storage there ? Ed

[Mike Brooks]

That’s the thing, I just moved in. I live in the city because of the military. It must be nice to be retired and to move and do whatever you want, but some of us just getting into the hobby aren’t so lucky and frankly, we need your help and ideas (like me) so we can participate and rise above. Or, you can shun us and leave the next generation of long rifle enthusiasts to give up the hobby.

Just saying.

I apologize, I assume everyone has lived as I have. I grew up out in the country riding my bike with a .22 across the handle bars. When I got married and moved out I moved out in the country, my nearest neighbor was 99 years old and 1/2 mile away. Lived in Davenport after that for 14 years, but lived on an old dairy farm with 7 acres in the middle of town...shot groundhogs and rabbits and foxes with a .22 all the time. Now I live in cornfield county and shoot a 100 yard range behind my shop. So, at every stage of my life I have never had the problems you do at this time. I'm naïve enough to figure nobody would have the courage to break into my living area and steal my stuff, I'm probably VERY WRONG about that. These guys above are probably giving great advice and I'd follow it if I were you. But, I'd still get the hellouta Dodge as quick as I could if I were you!

[Daryl]

Leather case like Quigley used works for mine(Alberta bison). You would always roll it up in a small blanket with leather thong ties on the end in and in the middle. - that works.
The measure it out, cut and sew borders on the blanket, maybe stitch the borders together and you've made a wool gun case.

[smylee grouch]

I made one for one of my rifles that was rectangular shaped. It was about twice as wide as the butt stock and did not resemble a gun case at all.

[Mike from OK]

Roll it up in a carpet/area rug.

Mike

[timM]

I once had an original Nick Beyers longrifle that was a take-down.  Hooked breach and a stock having a single tenon behind the entry pipe ala Hawkin rifle.  The fore-stock was pinned to the barrel. 

So, two piece stock. Pull the ramrod and place it in the barrel, retract a captive wedge long enough to tilt the front end off.  So maybe a 42" barrel with a bit of ramrod sticking out being the longest part.

Roll this up in your work out mat and have your possibles in a gym bag n you would be flying low.

[heelerau]

I have a mate who lives on the 4th floor of an apartment,  I told him to wrap up his gun in a blanket, that seems to work well enough for him.

[axelp]

Another option is one of those cheap air travel cases for ski's. They telescope to fit the length.

[fishdfly]

" Or, you can shun us and leave the next generation of long rifle enthusiasts to give up the hobby." ?

Why not leave it on base?  Every Air Force base has a secure area for individuals to store their personal fire arms.  That is as secure as can be found.

[WadePatton]

One more thing I don't think has been pointed out here.

Only YOU know that it's an "expensive item". Yes kids can figure out that it's a gun-and that all guns have some value, but what they don't know is that our type of stuff is often has significant retail value. 

So don't give away that it's a big deal to you, and don't talk about it to anyone you don't trust-and trust their friends.

What they don't know, they won't know.  Don't let accoutrements or clothing give it away either. Make a cover story even if you have to interact with those you don't know and trust.

[rich pierce]

I like the original idea. Keep shooting supplies in a tackle box. The kind with clear compartments on top, and put some fishing lures in there. Tote the rifle in a long rectangular box. There are no modern guns that long so nobody will think it’s a gun.

[Smokey Plainsman]

" Or, you can shun us and leave the next generation of long rifle enthusiasts to give up the hobby." ?

Why not leave it on base?  Every Air Force base has a secure area for individuals to store their personal fire arms.  That is as secure as can be found.

That would be about an hour trip to the base, then to the range. Then how would I clean it after shooting? I’d have to either do it at the range, which is on the top of a mountain and very windy, or would need to take it to/from my apartment anyway so back to square one.

[Smokey Plainsman]

Guys I want to thank each and every one of your for the ideas and help. I think for the time being, I’m going to purchase this case:

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/guide-gear-70396-five-rod-and-reel-case?a=1594206

I’m going to smear some dust on the case so it looks ratty and unappealing, and will carry my shooting supplies in one of my old tackle boxes with a “Bass Pro” fish sticker on the side and with some lures in the top compartments. I also have a cheap Chinese rod and reel I can take with it. I highly doubt any burglars or watching eyes would bother with something like that. But if it’s obvious it’s a gun case or shooting supplies, not so much.

I have been the victim of grand theft auto in this city (Las Vegas) already last year and sadly home invasions and crime in general are rampant here. The neighborhood I live in is pretty nice but that really means nothing. I’m betting many of you think I’m an insane nut for doing this but guys, I’m all for taking that target off my back. I simply do not want anyone knowing I have an expensive custom flintlock (or any other gun) in my apartment. If you’ve never been the victim of this kind of theft consider yourself lucky. I’m going to take as many precautions as I can. BTDT.

[Bob McBride]

I’m like Mike, I live super rural in Middle Tennessee on a farm with only 4-5 neighbors within 3 miles and a shooting range out back. I also run up and down my road with an AR, shotgun, or .22 on my 4 wheeler’s gun rack. There is zero violent crime in my county of 5k. Though I grew up like this, I moved here from Houston as soon as I could to get away from exactly what you are talking about. I couldn’t get away until I could get away, I understand, so as soon as you can, get out here with us. The bad guys know we have buckets on our tractors and lots of places to dig holes.

[Nordnecker]

I have been burglarized but I'm almost certain that the perpetrator was a "friend". I also think a tackle box full of lures is more appealing  to some than a box of shooting supplies.

[J Henry]

  IF someone is going to break in ,they will go through everything anyway, so hiding it coming in with you will not prevent it going out with them. Agree maybe if they do not know they wont come looking.Build a hide in you home and hope for the best,OH! and living way off the grid makes littler difference,just means there are less neighbors to see them and call L.E.O.

[axelp]

I live in a rural mountain area on acreage and over the years, I hear about burglarys where they come to your property with a moving van while you are at work and empty your home. It happens everywhere. And rural areas are magnets for other criminal activities like methlabs and forest land marijuana grows. Luckily for us, we have watchful neighbors who are retired and of course we all have guns and dogs. I have only had one instance of an intruder/trespasser. He was made aware of his error, and left abruptly.

[davec2]

Smokey,

I understand completely.  I live in Southern California and, as far as I am concerned, this whole place is either a crime scene or a crime seen waiting to happen.  There are very nice areas that are targeted because they are very nice areas....and then there are not so nice areas that are a constant target.  I have had my car broken into in my driveway, had things stolen out of the garage when the door was up for a bit, and the house burglarized.  About two months ago, while stopped at the light on a freeway off ramp, all of a sudden my car gets thrown hard to the left, parts are flying everywhere, an SUV flys by the right side of my car followed immediately by an LAPD squad car.  The SUV that hit me, now with both front wheels folded under its frame, comes to a smoking stop in the intersection in front of me and a guy jumps out and flees across a busy freeway with two LAPD officers in hot pursuit.  Turns out, the officers were chasing a guy who was robbing a nearby house.  He jumped into his stolen car to get away and got on the freeway.  When he tried to get back off the freeway, the bad guy decided that, even though there were three lanes of cars waiting for the light all stopped and about 4 feet apart, he would try, at 60 miles an hour, to jam his 6 foot wide vehicle between us, muscle us all out of the way, and keep going.  What he managed to do was destroy the stolen vehicle he was driving, take the right side off my car and the side off the lady in front of me, and wipe out the left side of two cars in the lane to my right.  And he got away !  So, I understand completely about not making a target out of yourself !  It's bad enough that you have to live in a high crime area for work (and I was in the Navy for 26 years and I had to live in some very sketchy places as well) without advertising that you have something to steal.  I like the case you picked out.....and the spare cheap rod and tackle box make for good cover.

As an aside, my youngest daughter is a country singer in Nashville TN (www.dixiejade.com)  (She's the brunette in the duo)  As a consequence, I am in Nashville from time to time and, as others have mentioned about living in more rural areas, it is a whole different world than So Cal.  My wife and I took my daughter and a couple of her young friends out to dinner and we got on the topic of traffic, taxes, and crime in Southern California.  One young lady in the group, Meredith, was from a very rural area of North Carolina and, with a serious look on her face, looked right at me and asked (in a beautiful melodic southern drawl), "Why do y'all live there ?"  That conversation was a few years ago now......and I am still trying to come up with an answer to Meridith's question.......

[Smokey Plainsman]

Smokey,

I understand completely.  I live in Southern California and, as far as I am concerned, this whole place is either a crime scene or a crime seen waiting to happen.  There are very nice areas that are targeted because they are very nice areas....and then there are not so nice areas that are a constant target.  I have had my car broken into in my driveway, had things stolen out of the garage when the door was up for a bit, and the house burglarized.  About two months ago, while stopped at the light on a freeway off ramp, all of a sudden my car gets thrown hard to the left, parts are flying everywhere, an SUV flys by the right side of my car followed immediately by an LAPD squad car.  The SUV that hit me, now with both front wheels folded under its frame, comes to a smoking stop in the intersection in front of me and a guy jumps out and flees across a busy freeway with two LAPD officers in hot pursuit.  Turns out, the officers were chasing a guy who was robbing a nearby house.  He jumped into his stolen car to get away and got on the freeway.  When he tried to get back off the freeway, the bad guy decided that, even though there were three lanes of cars waiting for the light all stopped and about 4 feet apart, he would try, at 60 miles an hour, to jam his 6 foot wide vehicle between us, muscle us all out of the way, and keep going.  What he managed to do was destroy the stolen vehicle he was driving, take the right side off my car and the side off the lady in front of me, and wipe out the left side of two cars in the lane to my right.  And he got away !  So, I understand completely about not making a target out of yourself !  It's bad enough that you have to live in a high crime area for work (and I was in the Navy for 26 years and I had to live in some very sketchy places as well) without advertising that you have something to steal.  I like the case you picked out.....and the spare cheap rod and tackle box make for good cover.

As an aside, my youngest daughter is a country singer in Nashville TN (www.dixiejade.com)  (She's the brunette in the duo)  As a consequence, I am in Nashville from time to time and, as others have mentioned about living in more rural areas, it is a whole different world than So Cal.  My wife and I took my daughter and a couple of her young friends out to dinner and we got on the topic of traffic, taxes, and crime in Southern California.  One young lady in the group, Meredith, was from a very rural area of North Carolina and, with a serious look on her face, looked right at me and asked (in a beautiful melodic southern drawl), "Why do y'all live there ?"  That conversation was a few years ago now......and I am still trying to come up with an answer to Meridith's question.......

God, what a story!! I know for sure I would NEVER live in this hellhole if I could avoid it. But I’ve got over 3 years left on my orders so not much I can do about it. I want to go back East. But I’m a victim of circumstance and have to do what I have to do, no getting around it.