Posted on 05/14/2011 4:30:42 AM PDT by marktwain
Matt Bracken, author of the Enemies Foreign and Domestic trilogy and the upcoming novel Castigo Cay, sends:
I was out for a routine morning run on trash day last week, and snagged this empty plastic tool box off a pile of rubbish set to be collected. At one time it carried a "saws-all" type electric tool. It's very rugged yet light, with good hinges and clasps. This particular plastic case is 24 inches long, and it can contain a 31" overall carbine, broken into upper and lower and nested. Plus a few magazines.
As a novelist I have free rein to imagine every type of tactical scenario or trick. Sometimes I put them into my books, sometimes I keep them to myself, and sometimes I decide to share them. I didn't set out to make the compact carbine carrier, it was found trash put to a new use. I already had the foam sheeting and the other parts. All I needed to buy was some contact cement.
The hardest part of the job was cutting out the stiff plastic dividers molded into the sides of the case to hold the old saws-all in place. The muzzle sticks about 1/4 of an inch out the side of the case. It just missed being a clean, perfect fit by that much. If you like the idea, you need to play around with assorted cases and various weapons. Old tool cases are readily available at thrift stores and pawn shops for a nominal cost.
You can't tell from the picture and I wanted to spare you too much boring "how I made it" detail, but there is one sheet of one-inch foam below the gun parts, covered with a piece of denim scrap. Two sheets of foam on the top lid, with just that L shaped cutout in the nearer sheet of foam. That's where the overlapped grip and the white light on the forward rail make a high point. Then I cover the weapon with another sheet of denim before closing up the case. Without even trying, it also holds 3 magazines - you can see 2 of them.
I can toss this rig anywhere and it won't get a second look. Ditto for carrying it between vehicle and whereever without attracting attention with an obvious "assault bag" complete with velcro-flapped magazine holders.
Just a working man with his tools.
Yup.
Ping.
Better to build the little tricks now. When you really need to use them, there won’t be time for creating them from scratch.
Guys like you will give recycling new credibility!
Garbage bins around small scale office/light industry parks are real good places to score high density foam pieces. Trimming discards are good finds for cases.
some automotive parts boxes are also desirable, built to hold various metals, they simply look and feel like a set of brake pads, or and alternator etc...
nice...
All great shy the denim friend.... Denim is rust factory for a stored chunk of metal.
You surely have some spare sumbrella cloth on the pearl don’t ya ?
Great idea.
More portable than a golf bag I use at times.
I think the reason denim has the problem is that it is cotton, and thus holds/soaks up moisture. Toss in a can of desiccant (which really oughta be in there anyway), and I'll bet the problem goes away.
Reminds me of an interview with the prop man from the original TV series “Star Trek”.
They were on a low budget. He said many of the props came from the dumpster. Apparently the major movies had all kinds of odds and ends of interesting looking stuff which made it to the dumpster.
They had one real advantage in that no one really knew what a star ship looked like, same for other future world backgrounds.
My late wife once was going to throw away several old purses. I took them as they were about right for carrying a large handgun and other odds and ends. Same goes for the old video camera cases. They were really large and were expensive, typically being made of aluminum. When the old cameras were replaced by the newer compact versions, I found several being thrown away etc.
Just somethin to fix bad which shouldn’t be there in the first place.... Closed cell foam alone gets it done fine.
As you state cotton canvas etc... Not good.
Great ideas! My Sawzall case is steel and over 20 years old. It’s length measurement is 23.5”, plastic would be more appropriate. ;).
I have a heavy duty nylon, with quilted nylon lining, zippered carrying case for my 32.5” Mossberg M4 A3. It has velcro flapped pouches for six 30 rd magazines. It’s a snug fit and works great.
My Kel Tec sub-2000 9mm carbine folds in half to about 16.5 inches. Fits perfectly in a laptop bag with 3, 33 round mags.
http://mouseguns.com/sub2000/sub2000.htm
Grey or black high density foam pieces make excellent storage containers for handguns and/or magazines. If you want to tuck one up under the dashboard or seat of your car/pickup. The dark color almost insures that it won’t be noticed, even by mechanics.
Use a sharp knife to cut a slot SMALLER than whatever you wish to conceal. Tear out a 50% size chamber deep inside the foam to make room. Stretch the foam around the item. That will keep it from falling out. The position it using light wires or zip ties. Don’t block your access slot.
Well, for rust prevention, maybe......but for prevention of electronic snooping....probably not. Keep that steel case, but put plastic inside it.
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