Panzer Sabre 54 Double Case
- By Graham Allen
- Last updated: 25/08/2017
There are all manner of rifle slips, bags and cases available but when you really need to protect your expensive hardware, a tough, rigid case can’t be beaten. I saw the impressive range of Panzer gun cases up at the Northern Shooting Show and I have an example here on test. First up, this thing, like the battle tank, is strong! Made from High Impact Resistant ABS Engineering Resin, the super-tough design looks like you’d be able to drop it out of a plane without it or its contents getting damaged! Okay, that might not be such a great idea in reality but you get my point, I’m sure. Panzer have a wide range of products, from quite small cases suitable for scientific instruments, cameras etc. right up to these ones, specifically designed for firearms and shotguns. The overall look is very impressive, with a well-designed and made feel. They are waterproof, shockproof, shatter proof, crush proof, dust-tight, chemical and corrosion resistant, and have a manual pressure equalisation valve for easy opening!
These cases easily exceed the minimum requirements for most airlines, and provide the ultimate damage protection from water, impact, chemical corrosion, etc. Their simple ergonomic design also makes them easy to stack, store, load and transport by vehicle. The Panzer Sabre 54 Double Gun Case is a sort of ‘clamshell’ design, with the bottom section roughly two thirds and the lid one third of the case.
The case is 1189mm/46-inches long, 405mm/16-inches wide and 160mm/6.3-inches deep for a volume of 54-litres. There are moulded in reinforcement sections and a folding, heavyduty handle on the side and a smaller handle on each end; there’s also a couple of wheels on one end, so that the case can be wheeled along behind you. I would consider these wheels vital, as even without anything in it, this ‘super case’ weighs a whopping 9.35-kilos or 20.6lbs!
The case is sealed via an O-ring style seal within a groove in the lower portion that mates with a ridge in the lid and is held closed via four heavy-duty latches. The case can be locked closed with a padlock or padlocks using the four moulded-in locking points if required. It would appear that Panzer have thought of everything with this case! The case is foam-lined (‘eggshell’ in the lid) and the foam can be customised easily, as it is partially pre-cut into 20mm squares.
This allows the user to lay their rifles on the foam and remove individual squares to follow the outline of their rifle or rifles. There’s enough room in this case for a couple of long guns and magazines etc. I easily fitted a full length AR15 straightpull fitted with an ACOG sight, with more than enough room for magazines etc. into the Sabre 54 but a rifle and shotgun could also fit with plenty of space to spare.
I didn’t have need to chuck the case around but I’m sure it would be unscathed if I did and I can see these cases becoming increasingly popular. All this protection comes at a price of course and the Panzer Sabre 54 Double Gun Case comes in at £222.89. However, when you consider that the case could quite easily hold guns worth many thousands of pounds, I think it’s actually very good value for money. If I were travelling abroad with firearms, I would definitely want my rifles safe and sound in one of these Panzers!