As Archimedes famously said, “Give me a place to stand, and I shall move the world.”
I bet he never tried to move a big gun collection!
Can you move it yourself?
If you have just a few firearms, moving your guns might not be a hassle. But if you’ve got a big collection, your move might become a big headache. First of all, guns are heavy and oddly shaped (specifically rifles), 2 factors that complicate any move. Guns are also precision instruments and must be moved gently to avoid damage. This is doubly true for valuable and collectible pieces. Nicks, scratches, gouges, and chips can really affect the value of an otherwise pricey firearm.
As a responsible gun owner, you store your gun collection in a gun safe, right? It may have been years or even decades since you purchased your safe. You’ve probably forgotten just how heavy and cumbersome it really is.
Modern gun safes can easily weigh 1000 pounds or more. This isn’t something the average person can move safely. Moving a gun safe without proper training is a risk to not only your own safety but can cause damage to property as well. You can crack tiles, bang into walls, damage flooring — assuming you can move the thing at all.
Now let’s say you get it out of your house without doing any major damage. Now you’ve got to get it into a vehicle capable of handling the weight safely (you’ll probably have to rent a truck). Now reverse the process when you reach your destination.
Complications on both ends like door jambs, uneven flooring, stairs, and steps up and down can make moving your gun safe yourself even more of a challenge.
Preparing for a gun move
It’s essential to remember that however you choose to move your gun collection (or have them moved by professionals), guns MUST be unloaded (double check for rounds in the chamber). Guns must also be moved separately from the safe itself.
4 dangers of a DIY gun move
Gun safes can easily weigh half a ton or even more and can be dangerous to move. Over the years, we’ve heard about DIY gun safe moving projects gone awry, resulting in:
- Hurt backs and other injuries
- Damage to gun collections — especially when the guns are moved in the safe
- Overloaded trucks leading to damaged breaks, transmission, and suspension
- Broken tiles, cracked flooring, dinged walls and doors, and other property damage
Don’t go it alone. Contact ANC Movers, your trusted gun safe movers.
Cleaning and checking guns after you move
No matter who moves your gun collection, it’s important to check them for damage after your move. If anything happens during a move, your movers will want to know so they can make things right. It’s generally a good idea to clean, inspect, and even test fire your guns after a move to make sure nothing was damaged or misaligned as a result of a move.
What about moving between states?
If you’re moving between states, you need to be aware of the gun laws in each state. This blog post is not legal advice and you should review all relevant gun moving laws and regulations before moving.
That said, there is legislation to make moving your gun collection to a new state a bit easier. Federal Peaceable Journey laws (federal code 18 USC § 926A) says:
As long as the owner of the firearm can legally carry in the state they left and the state they are traveling to, the firearm is unloaded, and that the firearms and ammunition are not easily accessible, they can legally cross state lines.
Of course, the devil is in the details. What does “easily accessible” mean? A conservative approach may be best for an interstate move, moving your ammunition in a separate vehicle or in another trip than you move the firearms themselves. Better safe than sorry.
Our approach to moving gun safes
We’ve moved dozens of gun collections and safes in the PNW and know how to work efficiently and safely. To get started, we’ll ask you a few questions like:
- Make and model of your gun safe (or gun safes)
- How many firearms you have to move
- Whether you’re moving anything else, like reloading equipment for example
- Where you’re located now and where you’ll be moving to
- Whether either location has stairs, narrow doorways, or any other complicating factors
Generally, we can give you a quote over the phone without visiting your location. But in some cases, we’ll want to come out and take a look.
On the day of the move, you can just sit back and relax.We’ll be 100% ready to go, bringing moving supplies like a cover for your safe, dollies to protect delicate floors, skid, ramps, and everything else it’ll take to get the job done.
Schedule your move today
Planning a move in Vancouver, Portland, or anywhere in Oregon or Washington? We can help move anything — even the biggest gun safes. We’ve been the #1 most trusted movers in the area for over 15 years due to our honesty, integrity, and commitment to doing the job right.
Call ANC Movers today for more information and for a free quote: (360) 992-8702.
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