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Wake27
07-30-19, 15:52
I know we don’t have a ton of AD military, but figured this may be help for some. Apparently the old policy was that if you had a safe, you could inventory anything inside with the moving crew and then lock the safe so that they are inaccessible until delivered at your new residence. However after a lot of back and forth and mixed answers from people that should all be on the same page, that’s no longer the case. I don’t know when it changed, but nothing can be shipped inside locked containers now because any time it changes custody, an inventory needs to be done. A small part of me understands that, but mostly I’m of the mind that they can go **** themselves if they want to inventory my shit without me present. Just throwing it out there because while we had planned for driving everything as a possibility, now that the movers are here, it’s become a reality.


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Doc Safari
07-30-19, 15:55
I don't trust movers. Whenever I've moved over the years I've let them move the safe itself, but the firearms I've moved separately in gun cases.
Coal Dragger
07-30-19, 17:13
DO NOT TRUST MOVERS

Firearms or other valuables should never be left for them to handle.
ramairthree
07-30-19, 17:30
Mine were always moved personally by me.
They were never in the hands of the movers.

The movers, the pay they receive and the nature of their work,
Are not selected from a very reliable and straight and narrow selection of society.
If you could get another job, would you be lifting and moving heavy stuff for Peanuts?
SteyrAUG
07-30-19, 18:49
DO NOT TRUST MOVERS

Firearms or other valuables should never be left for them to handle.

Yep. Even though the ones that service the military are a LOT more reliable than yellow pages fare, I still wouldn't give them anything that isn't replaceable by insurance.
sinister
07-30-19, 21:06
I NEVER relegated my guns or ammo to movers. That's almost a guarantee to never see them again.
Wake27
07-30-19, 21:19
Yeah so a little more background because I'm not sure if everyone is offering advice or just agreeing with me: the safe I bought a few months ago is a solid 1k pound Liberty Safe. The plan was to ship all but my carry gun in that safe with a whole bunch of bubble wrap so that none of the movers could swipe anything unless they were able to open it (unlikely). Since that's no longer allowed, I'm now driving all of them which isn't ideal, but even with insurance, I wasn't about to let them go unsecured like that. The point of my post was to inform others of the current policy, because I had long been told that my original plan would work, even by some of the QC guys at my current transportation office. Now that I know it is definitely a no-go, I figured I'd make sure everyone here knew as well.
Coal Dragger
07-30-19, 22:58
Gotcha.

I am also concerned with moving company employees knowing that I have guns or what they are. Even if they don’t swipe them in a move, it doesn’t mean they won’t come back to visit or tell some of their criminal friends. Either way best they don’t know.
Wake27
07-30-19, 23:22
Gotcha.

I am also concerned with moving company employees knowing that I have guns or what they are. Even if they don’t swipe them in a move, it doesn’t mean they won’t come back to visit or tell some of their criminal friends. Either way best they don’t know.

That is true. The safe plays both sides of that sword. It’s probably pretty obvious what it’s for and even if not, I have so many ammo cans and long gun bags that hidding it all would be near impossible unless I wanted to tow a trailer. But it’s one hell of a safe so if they can crack it, they earned those things.


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titsonritz
07-30-19, 23:53
DO NOT TRUST MOVERS

Firearms or other valuables should never be left for them to handle.

I know some. Heed this advice.
mark5pt56
07-31-19, 07:15
While on the topic, look into insurance. I got this info from SnipersHide and good to go. No itemization unless one item is over 10k
https://www.easterninsurance.com/insurance-quotes/personal-insurance/historic-firearms
Zane1844
07-31-19, 08:03
I'm about to ETS and am going back home to drive my guns/ NFA items out there. Where are you PCSing?
Wake27
07-31-19, 08:30
I'm about to ETS and am going back home to drive my guns/ NFA items out there. Where are you PCSing?

Leaving VA to go to CO.


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BrigandTwoFour
08-01-19, 10:24
I'm just echoing what's already been said. For every PCS, I had the back of my Jeep loaded with rifle cases. The movers just had the empty safe. I would never trust that stuff to movers...ever.

That included a move from CA to VA.
Wake27
08-01-19, 10:28
I'm just echoing what's already been said. For every PCS, I had the back of my Jeep loaded with rifle cases. The movers just had the empty safe. I would never trust that stuff to movers...ever.

That included a move from CA to VA.

You wouldn’t have trusted the guns with the movers even if they were in the safe? That’s the only way I was ok with it and is a big part of the reason I bought that safe here.


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kerplode
08-01-19, 11:03
You wouldn’t have trusted the guns with the movers even if they were in the safe? That’s the only way I was ok with it and is a big part of the reason I bought that safe here.


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I barely trust movers with my shitty furniture. I wouldn't let them near anything related to my firearms...anything.
BuzzinSATX
08-02-19, 11:56
Okay, my last PCS move was in 2008, so it’s been a few minutes, but I always moved my guns using movers because all my PSC’s were back and forth between CONUS and OCONUS. I also used the gov contracted movers to move and store my guns and never had an issue.

The KEY is to take photos of all valuables, have serial numbers and other specifics recorded, and get your stuff insured. The movers must be bonded to do business with the USG, but having a policy with a major insurer (I used USAA) helped me feel secure.

As far as movers having to “re-inventory” shipments, when it’s packed at your home and the crates are sealed, they write the seal numbers on the paperwork you get prior to them leaving (or at least I always had it) and before they open the crates at the destination, including after a few years in storage during OCONUS assignments, I never had different seals. I believe the shippers simply verify the crate seals and not open the crates.

I used to clean, liberally lubricate, and pack my guns in unlocked airline hard cases. I never asked if I could lock the cases...I never really worried about it.

The firearms serial numbers were written and inventoried on the inventory packing list and the cases were loaded into the crates.

When I left Alaska in 2001, several guns stayed packed that way for the four years I spent in Delaware, and then for the next three years when I went to Japan. I only removed them twice...once when they were delivered to me and then when I cleaned and lubed them for storage while I was in Japan. FYI, Ballistol kept every part of the guns, from metal to wood stocks to leather slings in the same condition I’d packed them originally in Alaska in 2001 to when I shot them in TX in 2009.

To be clear, I didn’t have any collector guns...all my guns were/are easily replaceable. But I never had any issues in 6 PCS moves.

YMMV.


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BuzzinSATX
08-02-19, 12:10
I NEVER relegated my guns or ammo to movers. That's almost a guarantee to never see them again.

I don’t believe you can ship ammo, primers, powder, or other hazardous materials or chemicals


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