My AR came in a pretty decent plastic hard case, so I kept that. My Mossberg came in cardboard, so that got recycled. I bought a seperate bag/case for my AR, so now the Mossy goes in the ARs old plastic case. All of my pistols came in those plastic foam lined cases, and I kept those as well. I figure if I ever want to sell the gun, it would be nice for the next owner to have the original case. I keep all the little doo-dads and papers too, like warranties, replacement back straps, and internal lock keys. If I ever sell any of my pistols, I want the next owner to get it as close to how I got it as possible.