Mosin Crate

[Darryl]

I've decided that if I'm going to move, I need to box up or crate most of my collection. I looked into cardboard boxes for shipping firearms and that would be nice but, It would use a LOT of space . There is so much wasted space in each box it would be hard to find room for them all.

So, my best bet is the old Mosin Nagant crates that the Mosins came in. They hold 20 rifles (I think). But, they are almost impossible to find and they are not cheap.

So, I though, build my own!. So, I'm looking for any details of the crates that the Mosins came in.

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Mosin Crate:
51 1/4" L x 22 1/4"W x 12"D (13,616.1 cu in)
INTERIOR DETAILS:
At 7" and 9 5/8" from the front and back corners on the lengthwise portions are two small blocks of wood. The piece that is 7" in from each corner is 1.5"L x 3/4"W x 11.5"D (sits vertically) and the one piece that is 9 5/8" in from each corner is just 9 3/8"D.
At the bottom of the crate and adjacent to 7" spaced bracket piece (for lack of a better or more knowledgeable term) is a strip of wood that runs the width of the crate and is 1/2" tall and 3/4" wide.
Approx 1/16" gasket all around the lid.

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Does anyone have any more "detailed" dimensions, or plans??

Darryl

[Junk Yard Dog]

Looks like you pretty much have the dimensions, that's the exact crate I have . This is the crate made for exact fitting of 20 M91/30 rifles, M91's are too long, M39's too short. Anything shorter than the 91/30 will fit in it with the use of heavily modified spacers, but nothing longer will. For a move I would suggest a job site box, they can handle heavy loads, are solid steel secure, will roll on heavy duty casters. Hit the thrift store for old blankets to wrap the guns and pack the box full. Once loaded you are not moving a Mosin crate very easily, job site box's just roll onto the box truck, and off of it at the other end. If not needed after that you can sell these for a good price.

[SA1911a1]

Looks like you pretty much have the dimensions, that's the exact crate I have . This is the crate made for exact fitting of 20 M91/30 rifles, M91's are too long, M39's too short. Anything shorter than the 91/30 will fit in it with the use of heavily modified spacers, but nothing longer will. For a move I would suggest a job site box, they can handle heavy loads, are solid steel secure, will roll on heavy duty casters. Hit the thrift store for old blankets to wrap the guns and pack the box full. Once loaded you are not moving a Mosin crate very easily, job site box's just roll onto the box truck, and off of it at the other end. If not needed after that you can sell these for a good price.

That is exactly what I use when the hurricane is threatening. A Ridgid brand Job Box from Home Depot did not cost a fortune and I am able to get about 50 rifles into it, using blankets as padding. At today's lumber prices the Job Box wouldn't be much more costly than a build.

[Darryl]

I see the job boxes at home depot. They are a max wide of 48" which is exactly the length of a Mosin M91/30. Not much room for error? Or am I see things wrong?

Here in Calif, they have some "off brands".

Only one that seems to work for me is even if "plastic".
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Buyers-Prod ... /204338338

$300, is not too bad. Depends on how many I can get in there?

Darryl

[tomaustin]

do you expect a rough ride for the containers..? or does it become a weight problem...?

[Junk Yard Dog]

If weight is the issue then the Mosin crate is definitely not the way to go. The crate itself is heavy, and an awkward size for one person to move, it's essentially a short coffin. Filled with 20 rifles and the accessories it is a two-four person job to move, and there is no provision to attach wheels to it like the job box. Depending on the rifles inside the crate will run around 260 pounds or more. Figure a coffin with a 170-180 pound person inside will run close to the same weight, and they are carried by six. You can buy a casket truck on eBay for around $225-$370 used, this is what they use in the funeral home to wheel around the casket, it would also work for the Mosin crate as the trucks are adjustable, and would bring it up off the floor to a useful height. Or, if you know someone in the business who would do you a favor, a full Mosin crate would be easily managed by a hearse, and you could borrow the casket truck while you are at it when the time comes to move it.

[Rongo]

OK.... This is how you do it.

After flipping houses every few years and having to move my collection from house to house I've perfected the moving process.

First, go buy some $99 10 gun locking cabinets or the $179 18 gun ones. Save the boxes they come in, cut off the bottom of the box, open & save the top part, slice it down the side & re-assemble the box inside out. Put box on filled gun cabinet & to anyone who sees the box when you wheel it out your door will just think it's a box... Nothing more. If you don't have the box; Wrap the cabinet in black plastic Wrap.... No one will see it's a gun cabinet.


Next; BUY AN APPLIANCE DOLLY!

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I can move my 400lb gun safe with it by myself as well as full gun cabinets... Enough said.Next; get on FLEA-BAY & buy a load of long gun sleeves with ties on the end. If you buy the pink one's they are much cheaper... Ask me how I know!!!!

Buy in bulk & it comes to around $1 per sleeve. They are lined inside & really protect your guns when they are all nestled together in gun-cabinets.

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Then it's just a matter of putting guns in sleeves, place them in the cabinet muzzle up, I can usually get 15 in a 10 gun & 26 in an 18 cabinet. Add a few blankets in there too to fill & pad them so they don't flop about. You might have to lay the cabinet on it's back to open it, but I guarantee the guns will travel just fine in this setup.

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Don't forget ammo!!!!!
For 50 cal & 30 cal ammo cans; Buy some 12"x12"x8" cardboard boxes... a pack of 25 is around $22 on the Jungle Website (Some call it amazon) & you can get 2 50 cal cans (one upside down) & 3 30 cal cans in one box. The 30 cal cans are a bit loose but I just fill some old gun magazines around them & its good to go. You don't need a bunch of looky-loos watch you carry can after can of ammo in or out of the moving truck. This way all they see are a bunch of boxes.

Hope this helps; But don't waste your time with building crates... The wood will be more than 2 10 gun cabinets & hard to lift & move.

Happy Moving!!!!!

[tomaustin]

how far is this move..? there may be some forum members who could lend a hand....................

[bdgfate]

Great post Rongo.

[Darryl]

Yes, thank you Ron.
That's a logical answer and those cabinets are so available everywhere. Even on sale a lot here.
And technically, they are an "official and legal" way to secure a firearm as they are rated as firarms storage cabinet and serial # too.
And, I love the "sleeve" answer to padding too. Makes it simple.
Brilliant.

I have no idea where we are going ...... YET.
Out of California for sure, but where is still up for for consideration.

Nothing "too cold" (Idaho northern parts, Dakotas, Wyoming, etc.)
Nothing "hot and humid" Which leaves out most of the South out, even if that is one of the better spots.
Certainly not the East coast (out of the frying pan and into the fire)
Never Oregon or Washington. They are having more problems then California is.
My wife says NO to the flat lands like Nebraska, and Kansas etc. LOL
Leaves only a narrow band in the middle of the country.

Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada.

Colorado, We have relatives in Colorado (which would not be a good move, trust me), ....and again, "out of the frying pan and into the fire".
Utah is OK. A little cold in the winter, but about the same in the summer as here.
Arizona, too hot in the summer, and that state is in the process of "turning" (if you know what I mean)
Nevada, never. My Brother lives there and he is trying to "get out of Nevada himself".

Right now, Utah seems to be at the top of the list. Has a decent weather, and a very low crime problem compared to other states (almost all of them). Crime is ONE reason for leaving California. The cities (run by liberal) are starting to "target" our area and other Suburbs by the criminals. Out crime rate has skyrocketed and mostly perpetrated by criminals from the cities. And all the politicians can say is, "it's probably going to get worse". Then they want to take away our only defenses ... firearms. They think that making it illegal to have a firearm will take them out of the hands of the criminals. What idiots.

Well, the big problem (in our minds is), California has the best weather in the country. I can go an hour and go snow skying. And hour the other direction, I can water ski, and another direction I can be on a beautiful coast line. It's all here. Weather is hot in the summer (highs of 80 to 90's) and cold (Lows from 35 to 45) in the winter. Spring and Fall are perfect. No high humidity, and is dry (which is good for the firearms).

This is a reason our 2,300 square foot two story house (on a corner lot) is worth over $1,000,000 now. No, I didn't slip up on the zeros (1 million OIR MORE each day). I paid $250,000 for it 21 years ago and it is paid off.

Sample, I can go to Utah and buy this house on a larger lot for around 4 to $500,000 right now and it will be newer and nicer then what we have. That puts $500,000 in the bank for us. More gun money! LOL , wife says no, but we will see. ; - ). Less crime (by far), easyier gun laws, they allow CCW, basically nicer people around you. Weather, well depends on where you go but, Not too far off our weather.

OH, did I mention:
No wildfires in Utah. Here, we have entire towns that no longer exist.

No shutting down your electricity because they don't have enough power. (they won't build a new power plant and haven't done so in 30 to 40 years now). We have lost everything in our freezers 3 times over the years from power shutdowns. And the politicians protect the power company by passing a law making them "not responsible" when this is done. All you can do is "eat fast!"

Their "droughts" in Utah are a joke, ours are not. I have lost my 4th lawn I just put in 2 years ago. Our Landscape has been beaten up (again)
Most of the neighborhood has gone to "drought resistant landscapes" which in other words is "crap" and looks like desert (Nevada).

Earth quakes don't bother me. We have them all the time (smaller ones). But, some day we will get the "big one" and this house (no matter what you try and do to prevent it) will probably fall. The thing here is, every where you go there is something that nature can "bring you to your knees". Hurricanes, Tornado, Ice storms, Earth Quakes, Sink holes, Tsunamis (LOL), Extreme Heat, Extreme Cold, and on and on. Pick you death! LOL

Darryl

[Darryl]

One question RON,

Where do you find the $99 cabinets?
I just looked and they run about $320 foe a 8 gun cabinet.

Darryl

OK, update:

I figured your previous connections to Walmart, they have them for around $109 with free shipping.

Not bad.

Darryl

[tomaustin]

have you considered an oversized motorcade of tandem trailers...?

just follow the sun..............

[zedteamk2]

Check my old posts for a few video's of my crate (please ignore the multi colored lights, that was a phase/experiment). I will be happy to provide any measurements. However that thing is pretty heavy empty, certainly a 2+ person job to move if loaded up.

Off Topic : Darryl, is that Red Green as your avatar?

[Darryl]

Check my old posts for a few video's of my crate (please ignore the multi colored lights, that was a phase/experiment). I will be happy to provide any measurements. However that thing is pretty heavy empty, certainly a 2+ person job to move if loaded up.

Off Topic : Darryl, is that Red Green as your avatar?

YES, Red Green. I love that guy!

Darryl