Americase AT-3GUN Safari Case Special Run For AfricaHunting.com

[Badjer]

In negotiations it’s never over until you get a firm no. Once they realise there is some money to be made, they will turn around.

Oh, I'm not giving up hope. Just making an statement and I also forgot to thank Rookhawk for his efforts.

As far as travel cases, I bought an SKB, it lasted about 5 airline trips before the airline gorillas broke a handle and crushed a corner. Couldn't find an aluminum case at the time, so bought one original Pelican. Really hoping this pans out....

 

[Lone Star Bluegrass]

Oh, I'm not giving up hope. Just making an statement and I also forgot to thank Rookhawk for his efforts.

As far as travel cases, I bought an SKB, it lasted about 5 airline trips before the airline gorillas broke a handle and crushed a corner. Couldn't find an aluminum case at the time, so bought one original Pelican. Really hoping this pans out....

Pelican makes a fine product, Americase does as well. It’s like travel insurance—everyone has their risk profile, but accordingly.

Hat tip to Rookhawk. I hope it works but like any deal you need to be ready to walk if the numbers don’t work.

 

[Scott CWO]

Postscript: Called and had a phone conversation. They didn’t even look at prior costs before they sent out the laughable quote. They are going to speak to the owners and see if they can “get real”. I also proposed a solution to leave me out of being a middle-man. They are going to see if they can just offer a one-time purchase offer where anyone that wants one can provide payment plus actual shipping as a group order directly with them, leaving me out of the unenviable task of calculating shipping charges, dealing with the public, and collecting all payments, all at no markup from me. This would be better for everyone.

The specs I suggested for this custom run are as follows: Add spare removable foam so double rifles and shotguns are better secured. Do not pop-rivet on the Americase badges so they can be engraved with owner info if they wish and self-installed.

I’ll update when they reply.

@rookhawk you might try contacting Dee Zee instead. I have one of their heavy duty Aluma Sport aluminum gun cases that holds two scoped rifles plus a few other items. It is a very tough case and has been all over the world with me without a single problem. I don’t see gun cases on their website anymore so perhaps they stopped making them just like Americase? Perhaps they could be persuaded to make a run of them for you? Dee Zee is well-known for making toolboxes for pickup trucks and several other tough products. They use the diamond plate aluminum instead of the smooth aluminum but that hasn’t caused me any problems. They also use the full-length piano hinges. I believe they are based in Iowa, not too far from you in Illinois.

 

[Major Bonkers]

Or Kalispel Case Line - I bought a rifle case off eBay which I think is one of theirs, and it is just as good as the equivalent Americase (which I also own).

Their two rifle/ no wheels safari case retails at $550, which would be a good starting point for negotiation, and a lot more realistic.

 

[gprippers]

I’d love to have a take down case from them for my double. I wonder if there’s any chance they would do a special run of them as well

your user name seems...JUST RIGHT! LOL! Im sure they would do a run....all you gotta do is WISH IT SO and pay up front for the run and im sure they would oblige you.

I need a take down rifle case for 3 diff calibers on one receiver that doesnt way 50 lbs empty! The HSP trips case isnt horrible but the 2 Dakota cases i have are super heavy empty. Haven't weighed them but they are HEAVY!

Id be in for on of the trip cases!

 

[Tanks]

Or Kalispel Case Line - I bought a rifle case off eBay which I think is one of theirs, and it is just as good as the equivalent Americase (which I also own).

Their two rifle/ no wheels safari case retails at $550, which would be a good starting point for negotiation, and a lot more realistic.

Actually, description says it has wheels.

Safari Case

Since 1974, We've Been Manufacturing The Original Kalispel Case Line Gun Cases Here In Cusick, WA. Handcrafted, Secure Storage For Your Firearms and Bows.

kalispelcaseline.net

 

[Tanks]

Addendum.

Just bought a double shotgun case from Kalispel. The foam is supposed to be moldable eliminating the need to cut the foam to whatever firearms I intend to use like I do for Pelican 1700. It should arrive in a couple of days for me to test. Worst case, I will have a nice case for car travel. It is about 0.5" wider than the Pelican though not as deep.

Shotgun Cases

Since 1974, We've Been Manufacturing The Original Kalispel Case Line Gun Cases Here In Cusick, WA. Handcrafted, Secure Storage For Your Firearms and Bows.

kalispelcaseline.net

 

[rookhawk]

Just spoke to Americase. They state they'll be getting back to me by end of day. Their engineers and production estimators were out on leave/vacation and they apologized for the delays.

 

[Inline6]

Thanks again for your efforts and more importantly your time.

 

[cajunchefray]

Just spoke to Americase. They state they'll be getting back to me by end of day. Their engineers and production estimators were out on leave/vacation and they apologized for the delays.

Hello Rookhawk, thanks for your effort in working to secure an inventory of Americase 3 gun Safari Cases.

Count me in for one if this works out. Postage to 70454. I will prepay if the deal goes through.

I know we have worked together on some projects to provide kit to the African PH's that you hunt with. Awesome, pay it forward work.

Thanks for your entrepreneurial work; and assisting fellow AH members. Hopefully Americase will handle the shipping billing, so you don't have to do that. Hell, I can get a friend in Frisco, TX , to drive down to Americase and pick one up.

CR

 

[rookhawk]

Thanks again for your efforts and more importantly your time.

No worries. I need two of these myself so it's a "mutual benefit" exercise.

FWIW, I looked at the Kalispel alternative mentioned above in detail and there is no comparison. It's not that the Kalispel is a bad case, but it fails to even approach an Americase in several ways.

1.) Sloppy welds
2.) Designed for magazine rifles only, insufficient barrel channel for doubles/sxs
3.) Open cell foam which is more likely to fail and result in the rifle shifting upon impact than closed cell foam.
4.) A design that cannot safely transport magnum bolt rifles with the bolt installed, yet no cubby compartments to hold removed bolts or other accessories.
6.)No rubber bumpers to keep the case from getting scratched to hell when dragged by human or baggage handler.
7.) Exposed latches rather than recessed, thus any impact to the latch will break it off the case.
8.) No "airspace" above the action so the scopes are being pressed upon by the lid. Someone stands on it or your scope is a wee bit on the big side, you're going to take optic damage. (again, why I adamantly won't own a rifle with fixed scope mounts)
9.) Cheaper piano hinge with no "stop" so they must use a cooler-box style piece of piano wire to hold the lid open. When that breaks, I'm sure the piano hinge will bend or shear off the case.
10.) Rod lock to interecept all four locks. Well and good for security, unless you lose the rod or it is bent/broken by baggage nazis. At that point, you've got 4 lock holes that require four locks and the original rod brought that down to a flimsy single lock that is now non-functional. (E.g. look at how many cases are sold on ebay with broken/missing rods)
11.) All pop-rivets are of a smaller gauge
12.) Recessed lip on the interior lid. That's a sharp edge. If the rifles shuffle, damage may occur on either end. Americase by comparison does not have an exposed metal edge on any part of the interior.
13.) Lesser materials. The Kalispel weighs 24lbs in two-gun configuration whereas the Americase weighs 27 pounds. The variety of superior hardware listed above explains the myriad of reasons it weighs less.
14.) Vestigial carry handle. There is a handle in the middle of the case lid. No way to carry a 50lb filled case that is 52" long from a central, useless hande.
15.) No tie-down d-loops so you can bungy your carry-on bag to the top, nor a luggage shelf, so you can't easily navigate an airport with this case as you're running out of free hands.

Am I ripping on the $550 Kalispel case? No. You don't get much for $550 made in America anymore. But would I trade 1 Americase for 3 Kalispels? Not a chance. Not even in the same stratosphere.

 

[AES]

Fwiw, I have this case and you can absolutely put 2 scoped magnum rifles in it. My case has been heavily battered, yet the contents always arrive safe. I would suggest removing bolts before checking (which go in the storage compartments built into the box). Great piece of equipment.

 

[cajunchefray]

No worries. I need two of these myself so it's a "mutual benefit" exercise.

FWIW, I looked at the Kalispel alternative mentioned above in detail and there is no comparison. It's not that the Kalispel is a bad case, but it fails to even approach an Americase in several ways.

1.) Sloppy welds
2.) Designed for magazine rifles only, insufficient barrel channel for doubles/sxs
3.) Open cell foam which is more likely to fail and result in the rifle shifting upon impact than closed cell foam.
4.) A design that cannot safely transport magnum bolt rifles with the bolt installed, yet no cubby compartments to hold removed bolts or other accessories.
6.)No rubber bumpers to keep the case from getting scratched to hell when dragged by human or baggage handler.
7.) Exposed latches rather than recessed, thus any impact to the latch will break it off the case.
8.) No "airspace" above the action so the scopes are being pressed upon by the lid. Someone stands on it or your scope is a wee bit on the big side, you're going to take optic damage. (again, why I adamantly won't own a rifle with fixed scope mounts)
9.) Cheaper piano hinge with no "stop" so they must use a cooler-box style piece of piano wire to hold the lid open. When that breaks, I'm sure the piano hinge will bend or shear off the case.
10.) Rod lock to interecept all four locks. Well and good for security, unless you lose the rod or it is bent/broken by baggage nazis. At that point, you've got 4 lock holes that require four locks and the original rod brought that down to a flimsy single lock that is now non-functional. (E.g. look at how many cases are sold on ebay with broken/missing rods)
11.) All pop-rivets are of a smaller gauge
12.) Recessed lip on the interior lid. That's a sharp edge. If the rifles shuffle, damage may occur on either end. Americase by comparison does not have an exposed metal edge on any part of the interior.
13.) Lesser materials. The Kalispel weighs 24lbs in two-gun configuration whereas the Americase weighs 27 pounds. The variety of superior hardware listed above explains the myriad of reasons it weighs less.
14.) Vestigial carry handle. There is a handle in the middle of the case lid. No way to carry a 50lb filled case that is 52" long from a central, useless hande.
15.) No tie-down d-loops so you can bungy your carry-on bag to the top, nor a luggage shelf, so you can't easily navigate an airport with this case as you're running out of free hands.

Am I ripping on the $550 Kalispel case? No. You don't get much for $550 made in America anymore. But would I trade 1 Americase for 3 Kalispels? Not a chance. Not even in the same stratosphere.

Hello Rookhawk,

Thanks for your detailed analysis of the Kalispell, versus, the Americase. As we know the devil is in the details. Not having gone to Africa for a hunt, but business, I rely on veteran hunter/travelers. I know that air travel can be a challenge, especially luggage. Sometimes the luggage handlers act like they are just unloading stones for a pyramid!

Looking forward to Americase's response to this run. If they are forward looking, with all the interest in a short time, Americase could probably do a run of 50 cases every year.

 

[rookhawk]

Received the final answer from Americase. At quantity of around 10-20, it’s a $1000 approximately for a case. If you want to contact them directly, get your name on a list, and order one, the salesperson there is named Cliff. Not sure what their process will be for taking interest/deposits or calculating final order numbers but you’re free to contact them and try to figure it out.

 

[wesheltonj]

Sounds like they don’t want to make them to me.

 

[xbr897]

Agreed. From that price it sounds like they don't want to deal with this.

 

[kdenn]

@rookhawk, thanks for your time and effort trying to put this deal together.

 

[rookhawk]

Yep, according to them, the old price 3 years ago (around $460 wholesale) is now below their manufacturing costs. A cursory look at raw aluminum indicates the metal has more than doubled recently, no idea if the sheet goods and hardware have increased even more than the metal itself over that time.

They conclude at current manufacturing costs they cannot make them for less than ~$1000 and they would notify me in the future if raw materials decrease in price.

I don’t like their answer but I suspect their answer is 100% true. We’re seeing macro inflation of material costs, plus soaring wages, lack of ability to find employees, etc. The notion of 225% price increases over 3 years is sadly, plausible.

 

[Inline6]

Yep, according to them, the old price 3 years ago (around $460 wholesale) is now below their manufacturing costs. A cursory look at raw aluminum indicates the metal has more than doubled recently, no idea if the sheet goods and hardware have increased even more than the metal itself over that time.

They conclude at current manufacturing costs they cannot make them for less than ~$1000 and they would notify me in the future if raw materials decrease in price.

I don’t like their answer but I suspect their answer is 100% true. We’re seeing macro inflation of material costs, plus soaring wages, lack of ability to find employees, etc. The notion of 225% price increases over 3 years is sadly, plausible.

Fuel is almost doubled, that does directly effect material prices.

4 -5 years ago I purchased some refrigerant for a house I had. Went to replace that this week. Price was well more than doubled. Have seen prices from vendors in my field go up 30-40% in the last 6 months. It is just a crazy time.

It sucks when we pay double the price for fuel. It sucks to pump 150.00 into our fuel tank. This case is now in 4 digit range which is a mental thing too. Not hard to believe that it doubled just hard to swallow.

 

[VertigoBE]

Let’s wait 9 to 12 months and then ask again. I think the price will look better then (unfortunately)

Edit: and that will probably be for all building materials…

What I’m hearing from the big basic material producers right now in Europe, is already -25% in production volumes since beginning of the year. Some are already further than that.

Energy itself however will take longer to cool off.