Wildwillalaska
AH elite
Had to share my recent experience with shipping idiocracy and initial (hopefully only) experience with firearm insurance. So knock on wood, over the last 3+ decades of traveling with firearms, buying and having them shipped, and selling and shipping myself, I’d never suffered a major issue…until now. Barely two weeks before departing for an elephant hunt, a fellow member asked about a Sterling Davenport 375 H&H that I owned and buying it. Although I originally planned to keep the rifle, I had subsequently acquired a Heym 88b in 375 Flanged where I really had no use for it, so agreed to sell it.
Beautiful Rifle
So we worked a deal, and dropped with my dealer to pack in hard case and ship. Roughly 5 days before I’m to depart, tracking shows delivered, and then I got a text with photos of the rifle in two separate pieces. Feeling totally defeated and sick, let the buyer know I’d be refunding and got the dealers information to contact and have him hold it while sorting steps with insurance.
Fortunately, I had started to keep a policy for a couple of my more expensive guns that I would travel with outside the the US, and as doubles seemed to follow me home, had expanded my policy with a new company in 2026, using Cole Cushman @GUN & TROPHY INSURANCE. Best decision of 2026 so far. I just imported a pair of Heyms from Germany and I’m talking with Cole he confirmed my coverage extended to new acquisitions even in transit and ones I might sell while in route to a buyer. The annual policy which, mine provides $350k coverage I think, maybe $400k, cost less than insuring the pair of 89b rifles from Germany and covered all my guns for the year.
So upon learning of the damaged stock, I reached out to Cole, he wrote me back and confirmed he had initialed a claim and some details as to what to expect from that point. I’m now like 4-days from departing for Zim. Very next morning I received a call from a young lady with Hanover insurance. She said she’d try to move things along as quickly as possible, but wouldn’t likely have it finished before left…which I just wanted to make sure they knew I’d not have service during that time.
I was worried that they might low ball a value since it was a custom rifle off a Winchester action, that it would take forever, and just readying myself for some kind of runaround. NOPE! Total opposite experience. Day I departed the Hanover rep called me and said she had to have an appraiser confirm value, but expected to have a number within the next 2-3 days. Two days later, morning I arrive in Harare, I receive an e-mail with their valuation and breakdown of claim payout with deductible and all plainly and understandingly set out. Their value was right in line with what I could find online, and higher than I’d originally expected. The email said if I was agreeable to the breakdown that I just needed to confirm and she would mail a check or could send a link for direct deposit. Since I was out of the country for a few weeks, I elect$d the direct deposit route and had the instruction email the following day, and funds in my account a couple days after that.
All told, I was made 100% whole, and with a fraction of the headache I’d expected. I cannot recommend Cole and @GUN & TROPHY INSURANCE enough….thank you Cole. Totally came through in a miserable, sickening experience and took solid care of me.
Beautiful Rifle
So we worked a deal, and dropped with my dealer to pack in hard case and ship. Roughly 5 days before I’m to depart, tracking shows delivered, and then I got a text with photos of the rifle in two separate pieces. Feeling totally defeated and sick, let the buyer know I’d be refunding and got the dealers information to contact and have him hold it while sorting steps with insurance.
Fortunately, I had started to keep a policy for a couple of my more expensive guns that I would travel with outside the the US, and as doubles seemed to follow me home, had expanded my policy with a new company in 2026, using Cole Cushman @GUN & TROPHY INSURANCE. Best decision of 2026 so far. I just imported a pair of Heyms from Germany and I’m talking with Cole he confirmed my coverage extended to new acquisitions even in transit and ones I might sell while in route to a buyer. The annual policy which, mine provides $350k coverage I think, maybe $400k, cost less than insuring the pair of 89b rifles from Germany and covered all my guns for the year.
So upon learning of the damaged stock, I reached out to Cole, he wrote me back and confirmed he had initialed a claim and some details as to what to expect from that point. I’m now like 4-days from departing for Zim. Very next morning I received a call from a young lady with Hanover insurance. She said she’d try to move things along as quickly as possible, but wouldn’t likely have it finished before left…which I just wanted to make sure they knew I’d not have service during that time.
I was worried that they might low ball a value since it was a custom rifle off a Winchester action, that it would take forever, and just readying myself for some kind of runaround. NOPE! Total opposite experience. Day I departed the Hanover rep called me and said she had to have an appraiser confirm value, but expected to have a number within the next 2-3 days. Two days later, morning I arrive in Harare, I receive an e-mail with their valuation and breakdown of claim payout with deductible and all plainly and understandingly set out. Their value was right in line with what I could find online, and higher than I’d originally expected. The email said if I was agreeable to the breakdown that I just needed to confirm and she would mail a check or could send a link for direct deposit. Since I was out of the country for a few weeks, I elect$d the direct deposit route and had the instruction email the following day, and funds in my account a couple days after that.
All told, I was made 100% whole, and with a fraction of the headache I’d expected. I cannot recommend Cole and @GUN & TROPHY INSURANCE enough….thank you Cole. Totally came through in a miserable, sickening experience and took solid care of me.
