OEM Packaging

['88Scrat]

Just out of curiosity what do you all do with the boxes that your firearms come in?

I have nearly all the boxes that all my rifles came in.

CZ, FN, Sig Saur, etc.

They are taking up a lot of space in my place but since they are all form fitted to each rifle they are very convinenient if you ever need to move. I can personally attest to that as I recently moved.

So do you keep 'em or toss 'em?

 

[JohnKSa]

For me, it depends on the gun and on the box.

If it's a gun I might sell at some point, I try to keep everything it came with, including the box.

If it's a really good box, I might keep it to use as a case. Some companies, especially for their handguns, provide boxes that double as cases. Ruger is pretty good about making handgun boxes that are solid cases.

 

[bamaranger]

attic

Whole corner of my attic filled with gun boxes, if the rats and squirrels handn't ate'em.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I keep them.

 

[s3779m]

I've kept all the plastic molded cases that the pistols came in. Rifles, except the ar, came in cardboard boxes, which I didn't keep.

 

[Lurch37]

I've always kept any firearm box. They are great for moving, storage, and sometimes add value if your selling/trading.

 

[44 AMP]

For many years I never kept the boxes new guns came in. Then, later, when I realized that having the original box adds to what some people will pay, I began keeping them, for pistols, anyway, Haven't bought a new in the box rifle in decades.

There is actually a collector's market for just the boxes, rare ones, in good shape do bring more than a few bucks, if you find the right people.

 

[Lurch37]

There is actually a collector's market for just the boxes, rare ones, in good shape do bring more than a few bucks, if you find the right people.

Several years ago I was active on ebay and enjoyed selling used handgun boxes that I had found at garage sales, gun shows, auctions, etc.. I had the best luck with old Colt, S&W, and Ruger boxes. I would clean them up, add a hang tag or other pamphlets that might be missing and auction them off. I would always disclose if any of the paper items were repos or original, what, if anything I had done to the box, etc..

It was a fun pastime/hobby and hopefully helped somebody complete their collection.

 

[DaleA]

Here's a couple old threads on this site about gun boxes. One supposedly has a Colt Python box going for $350.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=548156&highlight=python+box

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542458&highlight=python+box

I remember at one time there was a person selling 'counterfeit' gun boxes...IIRC somebody noticed the fraud because at the corner of the cardboard box the paper was either cut at a 45 degree angle or not cut to a 45 degree angle...I remember the corner angle thing I just don't remember which was the original and which one was fake. I do remember thinking there were too many people with too much time on their hands.

My Google-Fu is weak but I did find this article about firearm fakes in general that contained this info:

Finally, there are reports of fake 19th century cardboard pistol boxes being recently manufactured - perhaps not surprising in a market where some rare boxes can bring $1,000 or more.

https://www.nramuseum.org/gun-info-research/fake!.aspx

 

['88Scrat]

Hmm...

The concensus seems to be it's better to keep 'em for a multiplicity of reasons. Guess I'll hang on to them.

 

[rickyrick]

I keep them because I don’t want them in the trash to indicate that I own guns and the house may have valuable firearms. I do the same thing for any expensive item.
I live in the woods now, but I do opt for a trash service, but I still burn probably 50% of my trash, I don’t like burning toxic plastics and stuff.
After a reasonable amount of time passes and I feel that shipping the item back for warranty is low risk, I burn the boxes.

 

[Shane Tuttle]

The ultra rare occasion I sell or trade my firearms, I've been able to get more money out of them with original papers/boxes.

 

[jmr40]

I keep mine for a while. Once I'm satisfied they aren't going back to the factory I drop the cardboard boxes off at the recycling center. If it is a hard case for a long gun, I tend to keep those. Hard cases for pistols I usually keep for a while, but they eventually get tossed too.

There are a handful of rare guns that will bring a premium with the box if you ever sell. Most common guns might bring you $5-$10 more. Not enough for them to take up space in my house to keep them.