A few years ago, I bought a case for my new Rem 870 Express Mag 20 GA. I went all over trying to find a soft case that was built well with a HD zipper. I finally found one. An "Allen" with nice black high denier outside cove with a nice leather plaque in the middle with a Pheasant on it, the traditional rubber end to guard the muzzle, and a HD zipper most cases didn't have. I was happy with the purchase until this fall. I have always unzipped the case about half way and pulled the gun out for shots and put it back in. the other day I bought the HiViz Bird-buster site kit and installed it. There seemed to be resistance when putting the gun in the bag and it not going in all the way, so I opened it up all the way and found the whole interior of the muzzle end ripped up, foam to. Evidently from the bead and the vented rib that is quite sharp on the edges. Boy was I pissed. I had searched all over for the features I wanted only to find the inside was cheaply made. So, now I have to find a better case with a durable inside liner and the other features mentioned above accept now I want one with a separate pocket on the outside for the HiViz site and other accessories. I wonder if they make one with leather on the inside / muzzle end, that would help the gun slide in & out without snagging the material ripping it? Your experiences and suggestions are needed.
Thanks.

Been there and done that. I have not found one that would not eventually get ripped on the inside if you do not fully unzip the darned thing, except the ones that don't unzip and are therefore designed to have the barrel, sharp rib and all, slide into them. What I have done is take an old cut off pants leg or shirt sleeve and wrapped it around the muzzle before inserting and that did it. With a little practice it is a two second one handed operation. I have had good luck with this one:
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product. ... n%252Bcase

Good luck.

Thanks, I figured others had to have had this problem to. I did look at that same case on the Cabelas site last night and liked it. Unfortunately the closest store is 170 miles away and I usually like to do a hands on before buying things. Funny thing is, I was just down there a week ago to try on several pairs of boots to know which ones would truly fit. Then they didn't have the wide ones I needed in-stock so I bought a few other items, came all the back home and ordered them. They arrived and fit great: "Danner 8" High Ground" 400 gram GTX. I was thinking I could make a leather insert that would stay in the case and cover the gun barrel up to about the end of the mag tube, then I could slide it & out out. I still want a new case and the one you mentioned may be it. I'll check out some locally today with the zippered pocket at local GS's. The case in question is reasonably priced and looks like a "Boyt" made for Cabelas but more affordable.

I went to 3 GS's on Sat. and they were sold out of any models that had features I wanted, so I'm going to get a piece of thick leather and sew it together in a roll with black Dacron and then stitch it into the soft case I've been using so it won't slide out. It will then stay in place when pulling the 20 GA in & out of the case. I'll try to remember to enclose a picture when I'm done. I would like to be able to keep the HiViz magnetic gun site on the gun while in the case.

R20G-UMC3 wrote:I went to 3 GS's on Sat. and they were sold out of any models that had features I wanted, so I'm going to get a piece of thick leather and sew it together in a roll with black Dacron and then stitch it into the soft case I've been using so it won't slide out. It will then stay in place when pulling the 20 GA in & out of the case. I'll try to remember to enclose a picture when I'm done. I would like to be able to keep the HiViz magnetic gun site on the gun while in the case.

Hi-Viz sight should stay on. Mine has 3 magnets and stays on when I pull the gun out when partially open. Hope you found the Hi viz model with smaller diameter tube as makes sighting easier and does not cover the whole aiming area like the larger tube.

I just remembered, I knew a guy that stuck a piece of CPVC conduit (thinner than the pipe) inside his gun case to address that problem and it worked so well when the care wore out from the outside he transferred the conduit to the new case. He glued it in place with something. Something to consider.

mauser9 wrote:

R20G-UMC3 wrote:I went to 3 GS's on Sat. and they were sold out of any models that had features I wanted, so I'm going to get a piece of thick leather and sew it together in a roll with black Dacron and then stitch it into the soft case I've been using so it won't slide out. It will then stay in place when pulling the 20 GA in & out of the case. I'll try to remember to enclose a picture when I'm done. I would like to be able to keep the HiViz magnetic gun site on the gun while in the case.

Hi-Viz sight should stay on. Mine has 3 magnets and stays on when I pull the gun out when partially open. Hope you found the Hi viz model with smaller diameter tube as makes sighting easier and does not cover the whole aiming area like the larger tube.

Yes, I bought the "HiViz Birdbuster" kit which has a small diameter green or red tub and also a larger of each in a triangular shape. Additionally three different rail attachments for different size ribs. I stuck with the small green one. Those magnets are quite strong, probably rare earth neodymium.

Virginian wrote:I just remembered, I knew a guy that stuck a piece of CPVC conduit (thinner than the pipe) inside his gun case to address that problem and it worked so well when the care wore out from the outside he transferred the conduit to the new case. He glued it in place with something. Something to consider.

That's a good idea, I thought along those lines but want something in-between hard and soft. Soft materials will snag and hard materials will either scratch the gun or widdle away at the CPVC leaving white shards in the case and possibly on the gun. Leather is the best thing I can think of off hand, for starters anyway. Nylon is another possibility, but still too hard I think leaving peelings.

Yup sliding any long gun into a partially zipped case will ruin the case, AND wear the blue off the muzzle and any other high spots.

I think Boyt made the best cases, dense cotton canvas and brass zippers.

I like and did look at the Boyt cases, they're too expensive for me. I wouldn't mind having one though.

CPVC is dark gray, and you can slide a vent rib over it 5,000 times and get zero shards. But don't let grit get in anything and stay or it will sand the bluing right off.

R20G-UMC3 wrote:I like and did look at the Boyt cases, they're too expensive for me. I wouldn't mind having one though.

If your case is still otherwise serviceable, why don't you take the case to a shoe repair shop and have a slab of leather sewn into the muzzle end of your case?

I bought some black leather and black Dacron to sew it into the case myself. I sure as heck won't pay someone else to do it. I'll do it when I get time we're right in the middle of our firearms deer season right now. I'll get it done and try and post a pic. as time permits.