Customer Reviews

Plano Protector Four Pistol Case

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There have been several negative reviews of this case surrounding it's strength. I think those reviews need to be tempered with a little reality. If anyone orders a $15 case and really expects it to be comparable to a $75-$100 Pelican case, they need to seriously rethink their shopping strategy. This is a $15 case and is a fantastic product for that price. Would I trust it as a standalone piece of luggage on an airliner? Maybe not, but I've never seen a $15 case that would meet anything near that criteria. I just wanted the ability to store several items, both gun and non-gun, that made them both more resistant to damage than a soft side case, and be easy to transport. I've been to many gun shows that have offered countless cases that were inferior to this one, at the same or even higher prices. I've bought more than one of these cases because I was so satisfied with the first, and I intend to buy even more of them. They offer good, sturdy storage without breaking the bank. The plastic won't support an elephant, but is plenty strong enough for typical storage, and I feel perfectly safe tossing them into a closet or storage room with mutiples of other items on top of them. I can stand on top of mine (carefully) without damaging it and I'm on the not so pretty side of 200 pounds. It bends and flexes, but it doesn't break, and it returns immediately to it's original shape when I step off.

Another reviewer mentioned that these appear identical to another reel (as in rod and reel) case. He is correct. Aside from the color and some words molded into the cover, these cases are totally identical, except this one is cheaper. A major advantage of three pieces of foam in this case, besides allowing two levels of storage, is that one of the pieces of foam has hundreds of tiny, pre-perforated sections in it. You just tear out whatever pieces you want to create a custom 'mold' for whatever item you want to store, whether it be a gun or some other item. Much easier and neater than trying to cut out special shapes on your own.

I used Pelican cases many times to transport equipment during my military career and they were great, but those cases would be serious overkill for my personal storage needs. If you want the ultimate in protection or are concerned with possible severe treatement like you might get with some airline baggage handlers, then $15 cases really aren't where you should be looking. But if you want simple, durable, reliable and inexpensive storage for your guns or anything else, then you can't do any better in this price range than these cases.

The construction is everything you would expect from Plano, excellent hinges and rigidity. Plano makes one other case very similar to this one, but I have to wonder why anyone would buy it other than lack of research.

Plano's reel case sports the exact dimensions as this case. In fact, they appear to be carbon copies of one another with the exceptions that it is tan instead of black and the foam is two-piece instead of three. I find this 2nd cavity quite useful for storing spare spools and spinning reel handles while not in use.

For the shooter and wargamer alike this is a good item. As a wargamer I can put a lot of figures or vehicles in it and know they are secure. As a shooter I use them for my pistols both for storage and transport with excellent service. The only reason that I did not give this listing a full five star rating is that the same case can be found at retail stores for several dollars less.

I was looking for an inexpensive case to hold a paintball marker of mine, and ran across this. It isn't a Pelican like what I have for some other stuff, but in a way that's good because I couldn't afford the appropriately-sized Pelican case.

This isn't meant to shield valuables from heavy damage, that's what a Pelican would do, but you'd pay 10x the price. This will be excellent for carrying anything which would fit.. netbooks, electronics, firearms, etc, on a daily basis. It isn't waterproof.

DETAILS:

It's a sturdy ABS-style plastic, with actual hinges for the clips and the case itself. It'll withstand average forces, and light impacts. It comes with 3 layers of foam: 2 outer layers of eggshell-style foam, and the inner layer which has perforated sections which you can tear out as needed.

DIMENSIONS:

I didn't see dimensions in the description, which would've been beneficial, but here they are.

The label says (presuming outside measurements): 16.75" x 14" x 6"
My actual measurements (inside): 16" x 10" x 6"

Inside measurements will always be a little less as seen above. This will fit a paintball marker and barrel nicely.

Not much else to say.. it's a case, it was $20 shipped, and it'll keep my paintball marker safe during transport. Well worth the money.

Great product. Wish it would close tighter against the gun's to keep them from shifting better but the foam isn't quite dense enough for that. All in all, as gun/pistol cases go it get's the job done.

Estimated 12x15x5in. thick, good for gadget case or laptop case but it will not 100% protects your laptop
for hard impact, this is not designed to be dropped/rugged used just a temporary protection only.
Plastic used is not hard so dont compare this item to a pelican products. Well for 15 bucks what more u can ask for.
Pros:
-Cheap,Not bad design
-with double egg foam included (Foam alone will cost you $10-15)
-fits all 10-13inch Laptop
Cons:
-Not hard plastic
-Will not 99% protects your device

Not bad for a case, I used this in my electronic gadgets and my testing tools.
Durability 3/5
Price 4/5
Rugged 2.5/5
Protection 2.3/5
Material 2.5/5
Design 3/5
Lock system 3/5

I have a Glock 30 and a 1911 target 45 I wanted to carry to the range. Both guns fit in this case in their soft cases.

In the bottom I put 4 Glock 21 magazines, 1 Glock 30 magazine and 3 1911 magazines. The case was slightly bulged but they all remained in place. For $20 you cannot beat the price.

Don't buy this expecting a Pelican, because it's not. However, if you want to just store guns at your house, or transport them to the range, this is not a bad case to do it with. I don't know that it's really a 4 pistol case, especially if you custom cut the middle layer of foam for your gun(s). But if you put 2 on top of the middle layer (There's 3 layers total) and 2 on bottom, and then sit on the case, it may just shut.

Personally, I cut the middle foam to put in a pair of Sig P226's and 3 clips, and that takes up most of the room in the case. I suppose I could fit a little more in, depending on where I put it, but I like my guns to be protected, and protected they are.

Oh, and since I didn't mention it, the middle layer of foam is cubed, for ease of shaping.

My son is a warhammer player -- a game that involves lots of small hand built figures. These 4-pistol cases are excellent alternatives the the expensive carrying cases sold by the gaming stores and websites. The foam inserts are perfect for securely and safely carrying the figures. Gave one to my son for X-mas with some new figures. It's worked so well, I just ordered two more.

I have some vintage camera lenses that came with really nice leather storage cases. As much I like the dedicated cases, I do not want to spoil them by lugging them around in the car or truck. And in fact one of these cases has a zipper that failed leaving it unsuitable for storing camera lenses on the go.

When I started looking for portable cases to store these lenses when I go on the road, I came upon the Pelican and Otter Box style cases. These are everything they promise - rugged, water and dust proof, and capable of withstanding years of hard abuse. And they're pretty expensive. Now I really want to protect my camera gear, and when I'm traveling under hostile conditions I use Zero Halliburton cases that are the metal version of the Pelican and Otter cases. But for car or truck-based trips where I am not going to be subjecting the gear to rough handling, and a lighter case would be appropriate, enter the Plano Four Pistol Case.

Make no mistake about it - this case is not waterproof. It will keep a casual splash out of the case, but I would not recommend this for heavy wet conditions, like a boat for example. Go with the high-end cases meant for this sort of activity.

The foam lining is not the same grade of foam as the Zero Halliburton. This foam is a lot softer and does not support the same amount of weight. It appears that this foam is not meant to be cut though it does have pre-scored cubes for that purpose. I cut the solid piece of foam and used it for the top layer. The two lenses, both large (300mm and 400mm) soon showed that the foam would not support their combined weight. I got another piece of foam from factory computer packing and made a second layer of foam. This cured the problem and now the lenses stay in their cut-outs and do not shake around when the case is closed. This is the only reason I gave this item a four star rating.

The case itself closes and latches well, is lightweight and reasonably compact. They're large enough for quite a number of items. I use a second one, not cut out, to transport our walkie-talkies, charger bases, and rechargeable battery chargers and power cords.

There is a provision for locking the case, though that's really silly because the hasp could be cut with a razor knife. I like to look at this feature as an additional way to secure the cover and "keep honest people honest" since it really would not prevent a motivated individual from getting into the case.