Moving Companies and Firearms

I would rent a UHaul and drive them myself before I would trust my guns to a moving company. They lose run-of-the-mill stuff all the time. Losing guns would be a calamity.

I'm betting that before the moving company will load that safe they will want to verify it is empty.

I moved long guns with a standard big moving company across the country. I consulted with them and bought heavy duty Pelican cases and heavy duty locks. I was assured that they were covered by the insurance on the move. On moving day, the driver and head of the move and I went over each gun to record its serial number and that it was unloaded as it placed in foam fitted for each gun. On receiving them, the driver and I opened the cases and confirmed the guns conditions. No problem and delivered just fine.

Now with handguns, I had to get permitted to own, a long process (so much for Heller). Thus, I set up with a local FFL to receive and store them. I took them to an FFL I had used before to ship them. They were checked, put in original cases (which I still had). They were insured and sent to our new home town. No problem but I had to wait awhile as Covid clobbered processing times.

Driving them in a U-Haul - not for me. If it is not a one day move, having them sitting in the motel parking lot - nope. We did have one long gun, that we took on the road, packed and stored according to FPA across country. Took it to the room each night. I made sure the long arm was compliant all the way.

Ammo - SOL - I sold the generic stuff to buddies and gave them a deal. I wanted to move it. Shipping wasn't worth it. The more expensive SD and exotic ammo, I took a good selection in the SUV with us.

I also sold generic handguns, could use the money and the FFL transfer was expensive so only the fancy and rare went that way.

I would rent a U-Haul, find a reliable friend or relative, drive straight through.

When we moved cross country I rented a Penske truck to carry my tools, firearms, ammo, and delicate/expensive stuff like stereos, TVs, etc. It worked well with no issues.

Rifles were packed in nondescript packages and loaded in first, so to get to them a thief would have had to unload the truck and open up everything. Pistols were in a rolling toolbox that I could take into the hotel each night. (It took us four days of travel.). I used a good lock on the truck door and parked the truck next to our motel door each night.

I moved firearms locked in a safe using a moving company. Due to the weight of the safe (it was 800 lbs empty), they put it up against the front wall of the trailer. I sent the ammo via a friendly local UPS store to a friend near where I was moving. A few personal protection firearms and a silencer I transported in my personal car along with my dog and some bottles of alcohol (in the trunk). I was driving cross country in the South, so I figured if I got stopped by the police I’d be ok (I did get a speeding ticket and had no problems).

I had zero problems with the guns or the ammo.

I would move them myself but sounds like some members had positive experiences with moving companies.
For those of you that said you would move in the safe, how would you secure them?
They would move all over the place.

Don't ever let a moving company move guns unless you don't want to see them again.

My sister used Mayflower (I think) on a move from W. Virginia to Ohio, not exactly a long move. No problem at all and all she did was open the safe, pack blankets over everything and things went fine. They would not take any ammunition so I just drove down and she gave me the ammunition and other stuff that belonged to her husband. Everything went fine, no problemms at all. She did sign a statement that she was not moving anything, any gun, legal in W. Virginia but not in Ohio.

Ron

I moved from NY to Colorado. The moving co wanted the safe empty and all firearms packed separately. The moving truck was to be taken back to the moving co warehouse for two days before heading to CO. I had an uneasy feeling about my firearms sitting in a warehouse for two days. I rented a Uhaul and drove my firearms to CO. Bought a motion detector at Harbor Freight and kept the receiver in the motel room and the sender in the back of the truck near my firearms. Ask for a room where I could see the truck from my window. Worked out fine.

welldoya said:

For those of you that said you would move in the safe, how would you secure them?
They would move all over the place.

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That was my question as well. I've not seen a safe that had provision to secure guns when it wasn't sitting still in a vertical position. I would never consider hiring a moving company to move guns (or anything else, for that matter) but it sounds like Gem had good luck. Gem, care to share what company you used?

We moved last year but not very far and not across state lines. I moved my guns, ammo and loading components myself. I borrowed soft and hard gun cases from friends, unloaded the safe the day the safe company came to move it and put them back in the safe after the safe was in place at the new house the same day. The movers wouldn't move the ammo citing DOD rules and I didn't trust them with my guns. I second the suggestion of renting a truck and drafting a trusted friend or relative to help drive.

Related, the moving company wouldn't move anything that might be 'explodable' - what? That meant that our nice fire extinguishers that we had in the house had to be left behind. Same with spray cans, etc. Rationale was that the truck inside could reach temperatures in hot weather that might be evil.

About U-hauls - maybe they save money. We had way to much stuff for one. However, when we first moved cross country my wife wanted to take one for our 'special' things. I said, just insure them. I really don't give a crap about pictures of PawPaw, blah, blah. Anyway, we had to movers take everything and we drove with the clothes we needed for the drive. In someplace, Colorado on a hilly road, we saw the classic old wood paneled station wagon with a U-Haul. It was turned on its side. The mom and the dad were screaming at each other and kids running around in a panic. See, I sez to the wife! Good call, she sez! No cells in that day, who knows how they got help, etc.

If you can afford it, make life easy! Get insurance.

I have moved 4 times in the last 11 years. Thankfully none of the moves were all that far but I still moved all of my guns, ammo, and accessories by myself. A lot of work but worth it for the peace of mind.

Moved in 2014. No recollection of mover’s name but major national firm. All guns locked in individual Plano type cases and boxed by me. Then loaded on moving truck. They wouldn’t do ammo so boxed that all up and had shipped via an online shipping auction site at an insurance value set (and paid for) by me.

N555 said:

Don't ever let a moving company move guns unless you don't want to see them again.

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Why do you say that?

I have moved 9 times. No mover has ever been willing to move my guns, volatile loading suplies or even my Match Box / Book collection. I hve always rented a van or U-Haul and moved them myself. If I have to stay over night in route, they are locked up tight and checked from time to time.

Maybe use a PODS container? I think you lock it with your lock and they transport it.

welldoya said:

I would move them myself but sounds like some members had positive experiences with moving companies.
For those of you that said you would move in the safe, how would you secure them?
They would move all over the place.

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I put the rifles in gun socks or cases, then stuffed blankets in around them. Handguns went in their respective pistol cases, and then blankets were stuffed in around them.

For those worried about someone breaking into a safe on a moving truck trailer, it will be secured to the front wall of the trailer (you will be the first household loaded into the trailer) due to the weight. If it wasn’t, during an abrupt stop it would slide forward, destroying things in its way. Your other stuff will be loaded in behind it. The next household will go behind your stuff, and so on until there is a full trailer, unless your load is a full trailer. They will then drive it to the delivery destinations, unloading it in reverse order. Other than the crew that loads your stuff and the crew that unloads it, no one will even see the safe. No one is going to spend the effort and hours of time to unload the trailer to get to a safe to try and break into it.

bdickens said:

Why do you say that?

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Smart man, why take chances? I have stuff that cannot be replaced no matter the value placed upon it...

Last move we made movers moved the house (I was really glad when they also loaded the smoker, still can’t believe just 3 of them got it). I had friends help me move the safes and firearms.

That said, make it easy as possible and know your friends. Your not going through stuff, they are helping you move what’s already ready to load. If they are your friends, you already know what food and drinks to have ready when ya’ll finish.

Unfortunately you also have to have been available for all the times they have moved over the years…if you weren’t that much of a friend, don’t make the call.

N555 said:

Don't ever let a moving company move guns unless you don't want to see them again.

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Yep. Moving companies hire almost anyone now days, including ex-cons.

I have had Bekins move me to Dallas from Kingman AZ Took up the whole truck!! I didn't have a safe in those days. Packed 14 hand guns in their pistol case and packed into a fiber drum marked dishes. Truck was going straight to my new house. No lay-over. Long guns went into the my van. No sweat. 8 years later I have a 1953 Post Office safe 1000lbs empty and packed the handguns in cases inside plus a couple disassembled AR's in it locked up. Armstrong Moving, the only thing weird is I had a platform type tow truck come over while they loaded to retrieve the safe and set it into the back of the moving semi-truck. Safe has giant casters. That was on my dime, the movers were very appreciative and didn't ask "What's in the safe". Went to Tampa Fl. And did the same deal with the tow truck for the movers. ONE YEAR LATER!!! Redid the whole deal back to Dallas same way. Final move with Armstrong Dallas to Rural Mississippi. They had to break up the load to what they called their shuttle size van's. Still worked OK Booze, Wine, Guns and a garage full of reloading gear all packed and marked "dishes" in a dozen heavy fiber drums and trash barrels duct taped shut. Told them my wife was a collector, please be careful.