Shipping to custom shop

[Californio]

I want to ship a long gun to a custom shop out of State. I can ship that gun direct to the custom shop without going to a CA FFL and they can ship it in return directly to me when its finished.

Correct?

1. Best carrier to ship it.?

Easiest to deal with.

2. Best container to ship it?

How rough is the shipping, vendor handling, going to be. Will a padded cardboard box be ok or do I need a Pelican Case or Aluminum Case?

Thanks

[Rumpled]

IF they have an FFL, you can ship it directly to them. If not, neither you or a FFL can.
I haven't shipped so can't advise, but I can tell you not to go to a FedEx/Kinko's or to UPS store. Go to the real deal for those.
I'm not sure if you can ship USPS.

Most guns are shipped in cardboard boxes. CMP uses a nice thick one with styro foam type inserts, got to my house nicely.

A Doskocil(sp?) type case is pretty inexpensive and might give a bit more piece of mind. No guarantee it'll be shipped back to you that way.

Mostly, check with your shop, maybe they'll ship you a container and all via their preferred method. (I'm sure it'll cost you though)

[leelaw]

I've had good experiences shipping long guns via USPS.

As stated above, if the smith has an FFL, then you may ship direct. Call and verify this first.