Pelican case question

[Iron City]

Was considering a Pelican 1400 for storage for my 1911 and a Glock 26.

Would like to be able to fit both guns in one case with two mags a piece. Is the 1400 the right size,or would you recommend a different model?

 

[MutedRaccoon]

Was considering a Pelican 1400 for storage for my 1911 and a Glock 26.

Would like to be able to fit both guns in one case with two mags a piece. Is the 1400 the right size,or would you recommend a different model?

What size 1911? Any Magwell or other oddball items that would throw off the normal sizing on either the Glock or 1911?

Do you want to add any other "extras" in the case? Some people like to add a cleaning kit and earplugs just so there is always one with the guns.

Do you plan on keeping a mag in each gun and then only one in the foam? Or both in the foam?

 

[Iron City]

All good questions, that got me thinking...

What size 1911? Any Magwell or other oddball items that would throw off the normal sizing on either the Glock or 1911? Gov't model 1911 no oddball stuff.

Do you want to add any other "extras" in the case? Some people like to add a cleaning kit and earplugs just so there is always one with the guns. Good point, on second thought yes I would.

Do you plan on keeping a mag in each gun and then only one in the foam? Or both in the foam? Either way is fine.

 

[OwenM]

Consider the depth of the case/foam vs. the width of the items you want to fit in there. Some of the Pelican cases are deep enough that you could probably cut out a section on the bottom side of the foam for, for example-a container with a cleaning kit, and not have to go to a larger size for the additional stuff. All of my Pelican cases are the micro sizes(1020, 30, 50, 60), so I'd have to look at the specs to know which of the larger cases have the necessary depth. My 1050 has no foam, but does get items stacked due to having greater depth than the others.

 

[Gollnick]

A case with fitted foam is not a good place to store guns long-term as the foam can trap and retain moisture. The sealed nature of the Pelican cases only complicates this; what keeps moisture out also keeps moisture in.

 

[bobofish]

A case with fitted foam is not a good place to store guns long-term as the foam can trap and retain moisture. The sealed nature of the Pelican cases only complicates this; what keeps moisture out also keeps moisture in.

You can always use desiccants or a baggie of raw rice grains.

 

[MutedRaccoon]

You can always use desiccants or a baggie of raw rice grains.

http://www.casesbypelican.com/guncases.htm

My Pelican case I keep my rifle in has a cutout for a desiccant pack, didn't know about it when I ordered it and I had antisipated on cutting the foam to put a pack in but low and behold it had one already...So I was forced to stick a extra mag in instead. Though I believe pistol cases don't have any slot for a pack in them.

I'm thinking a 1600 would work out for dual mags for each and some goodies. (21x16x7.75) If your good about packing you can have plenty of extra room to grow. Though as said I would "mock up" how you would lay the pistols out and the mags and any accessories you might want. From there measure the "box" that they are contained in (be sure to leave some leeway around the edges) and then find a case that is within those measurements. Also if you didn't catch it the 1600 case is quite large and it gives you way more room then you need but I'm sure you could fill in that room with something...Just do a mockup and see how much space you would need.

Personally when I ordered my 2x Rifle case I was thinking about room to grow. I knew that there would be a time(s) that I needed to just huck a bunch of misc things into my case for the range or whatnot...So I ordered large and then cut a "box" slot which allowed me to toss/lay in 6 mags or other misc items. Having the big empty square allows me to toss in my shooting glasses or gloves or whatever spare thing I need to bring, also when in a "Oh **** gotta run" type situation its nice just to shlep a bunch of things in and not have to worry about it.

EDIT: One thing I made sure I had a cutout for was a multi-tool and some oddball tools (dental pick..etc) so no matter what I could do a fix at the range. Just a word to the wise, don't put lube or other liquids in the case (make cutouts for or take them inside it) because if they leak its a pain in the rear to clean up.

 

[Gollnick]

Keep in mind that desiccant -- including raw rice -- are not miracles. They don't just magically make moisture go away. They attract and retain a certain amount of moisture. Once they have absorbed a certain amount of moisture, then they are no longer effective and any additional moisture encountered will not be absorbed. Furthermore, under the right circumstances -- primarily changes in temperature and/or pressure or altitude -- they can actually release the moisture they have trapped thus becoming the source of the very problems they were intended to prevent. Proper procedure is to bake the desicant packs to drive off all moisture before placing the packs into the containers they are to keep dry. That bake is typically 18 hours at 300F... yes, 18 hours. Then, keep in mind A) the more you open the case, the sooner you will have to repeat the bake, B) the less sealed the case is, the more often you will have to repeat the bake, C) no container is perfectly-sealed so even with something like a Pelican case, you will need to periodically rebake even if you never open the case at all. Properly used, desiccant packs will work well, but the operative work there is "properly." Keep in mind that by the time you receive them, packs received in shipments are usually nearly saturated and will need to be baked before any reuse.

Finally, long-term storage in a sealed container with a desiccant can be very bad for some materials such as wood and leather.

 

[Jason B.]

The 1400 would work but you might want to get one with more inside height. There is enough room for laying down but not standing vertical, and the two layer pick "N" pluck foam would force you to stack the weapons. It would be ok for long term storage and trips to the range but if you want easy access to both weapons I would go with something bigger.

The length and width are good but it suffers in height.

 

[Bushman5]

Pelican cases work great. But in addition to dessicant packs use VCI's (VAPOR CORROSION INHIBITORS). Tests done show that VCI's will protect bare carbon steel from rust in a sealed case, where moisture is present.

 

[gadgetgeek]

lee valley has desiccant packs that change color as they absorb water. I'm sure other places have them as well. might be something to look for.