Best AR-15 Hard Cases Of 2025 According To A Firearm Specialist
- Gary Anderson
- Nov 21, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 31
The right hard rifle case will help keep your AR-15 safe and protected. Here are the best options for the money, and I promise you'll wonder how you went so long without one of these in your life.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Pelican Vault V800 - AR-15 Gun Case
Highlight: Lifetime guarantee.
Helpful review: I have a shotgun case that is billed as a double gun case. If I have old-school hunting guns in there that don't mind bumping into each other, that is fine. My old case depends on the tension of the top and bottom foam to keep the guns in place and fails. This hard-side case has cutout foam that will keep any long gun or other gun in its respective place, no matter the environment.
The Pelican cases are where to look at the top of the heap in the hard side case. They use open-cell foam, but it is all one piece, so it needs to be cut out. So this will take a little more planning, but how hard is it to place your guns around in the case and draw outlines with a marker. The foam is easy to cut with a box cutter; just use a lot of blade. I mash down the foam so it's like cutting cardboard boxes, or I could use an electric carving knife. The electric carving knife is everyone's favorite tool for cutting this foam, and I may have to go that route myself someday. They only cost twelve bucks on Amazon; throw it in the cart as well.
This case can hold two AR15 or two AR10 rifles, all the kit, and all the cool stuff attached. Its wide and long measurements make it a dream case for three gunners. I have seen some three-gun folks cut out the rifle, shotgun, pistol, and backup pistol into one case. The three gunners usually have a separate case for all the magazines and another for the ammo. This case, made to haul a bunch of nice and cozy guns, will be heavy, so Pelican has included a wheel to roll it around. When I move these cases, it feels like a hand truck without the handle in the back, which would be very nice (hint) for hauling down the walkway to the ranges that always seem to be half a mile away.
The handle and latches are made so they will not get broken by hitting things. The old-school latches took all the energy from banging into things. The new way Pelican makes them is by using a bumper to fit all the way around the breakable parts, and they are now even tougher than before.
Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns
2. Plano All Weather II - AR-15 Case
Highlight: Easily customizable pluck-to-fit foam.
Helpful review: This case can be customized to fit the AR15 of your dreams, with all the add-ons and wild things anyone could mount on a rifle. The pluck-to-fit foam is easy to use, and it takes just a little planning to have a custom-fitted case.
I have used many cases with the pluck to fit foam for custom rifles and shotguns. One issue with pluck-to-fit foam is that once it is plucked, the remaining foam will give away like a bank of a river washing away. That said, the medium-density foam will protect the weapons inside perfectly. I use cases made with this foam to protect my camera gear, and it has never let me down. One thing I will say about the plucked foam that falls into the open spaces - it can be put back in place and keep the stuff safe. I save the plucked pieces and fill them into voids around my gear like a package filled with peanuts, and it will have no problems.
If anyone is going to use a foam-lined case, especially a hard side case, keep rust prevention in mind. We don't have much trouble with this here in the high desert, but the folks with humidity issues will be a problem to cure. All I do is get some desiccant packets from Amazon for about fifteen bucks for a hundred, if I remember, and toss one in by the trigger and one right in front of the handguard.
If I wanted to put two shotguns in this case, say two Mossberg 590s without any optics mounted on top of the receivers, this would fit both just fine. The case will need a deadlift technique to lift it into the truck, but the guns will barely even notice when it slams into the truck's bed from my less-than-perfect technique.
What I usually do with this style of hard case is to fit the rifle and make it nice and comfy, then pull out some foam and place a stack of two or three magazines in three voids, making a full load out for the gun. I tried to do this once and included some ammo boxes, and the weight and small package pulled the foam apart on just the ride to the range.
The case is made from high-impact plastic. I don't know exactly what kind of plastic, so please forgive me. This case will tumble down a hill, get stepped on, bang around in the truck or trailer bed, and never damage the guns inside. The hard-sided case will lock with two paddle locks, one on each end, to keep fingers off your items. The outside is secured tightly by a full-length hinge on the back and tight snapping hasps around the outer edges.
Get it from Amazon now: $129.99 & FREE Returns
3. Eylar - Cubed Foam AR-15 Rifle Case
Highlight: IP67 Waterproof protection.
Helpful review: The owner's manual says this case is waterproof. It has a rubber seal around the lid and fits very snugly when the latches are clamped down. The problem is that the side with the hinges does not clamp down, so I don't think this is dunkable and pulled out with dry guns inside.
The one thing I can say about this sealed hard case is that it will never get dusty inside with the guns. I have toolboxes like this on the back of my RZRs, and they never get dusty inside. They also never get wet inside from rain, snow, or the hose washing off mud and spider webs.
The foam insert is the pull-and-pluck style to secure and stabilize the guns. Like all the other pull-and-pluck foam, the challenges of the pieces not falling apart are always there. I have tried spraying some plastic dip coating on the foam to keep it together, and it worked for a while. The plastic dip spray looks very cool—very James Bond super rifle kit—and will keep the cubes together longer.
Solid foam pieces can be bought to fit this and all cases with the pull-and-pluck foam from Amazon. You can just cut it with a razor or an electric carving knife. This foam replacement will cost between 20 and 65 bucks, depending on the piece needed.
This hard case does not have built-in wheels, so get ready to break a sweat if it has to go very far. I can fit two AR10s in this case and have room to include some accessories, such as magazines. This carrier gets heavy quickly with two full-size rifles, ammo-filled magazines, and hard-sided heavy plastic.
This hard-side case is not up to the super quality of cases like Pelican, but it costs about half for a slightly lower build quality. Unless I need to dive with a gun in my hard side case, I don't see the need to buy one case when I can buy two for the same price and get one of these.
Get it from Amazon now: $189.99 & FREE Returns
4. Plano H-Series - Scoped AR-15 Hard Case
Highlight: Egg-crate style padding to keep your AR-15 safe and secure.
Helpful review: This case is a basic model for a long gun case. I always use this type of case when hauling rifles around in the truck. One thing I like most is that I can stack guns on each other.
This case will only haul around one AR15 without the rifles banging into each other. Two shotguns can ride together, but they will bang around inside the case again. The case has no cutouts to hold the AR in place; it depends on the top and bottom squeeze or tension to keep it secure.
I use one of these to haul around a slider mount for my camera gear, and this piece of equipment will never get hurt. I have also seen some contractors keep their four—and three-foot levels to ensure that gear is not bent or chipped.
This simple case does not have to be a gun-only protector, but man, do they work like champs protecting stuff. I have seen one guy haul in a case like this filled with boxes of ammo to the indoor range. That must have worked his shoulder joints halfway to arthritis, but the case held up to that level of weight without bending or warping.
Plano now recesses the latches to prevent them from getting damaged and not staying latched and closed. The hard side case can be paddle-locked for security like all the other quality hard cases.
Get it from Amazon now: $69.99 & FREE Returns
5. HQ ISSUE - AR Carry Case
Highlight: Wheeled for easy transport.
Helpful review: This case is made very well from thinner plastics than the premium brands. So it will not take getting kicked from the truck to unload or dropped from a helicopter if that happens, but it will carry guns to the range and do it very well.
This case is made like others, with a rubber gasket ring to keep out dirt and water to a point. The inner foam is the same pull-and-pluck style. The top and bottom of the case are covered with egg-crate-style foam, and the guns I have placed in it are very stable.
I have this case filled with four sub-machine gun-style weapons. By using thinner plastics, I can afford the weight of more guns tucked nicely and happily in the foam liner. I also included two magazines next to each weapon, which all fit like a champ.
The weight is a factor for what can be placed in the hard case and how well the case will deal with abuse. The case will suffer damage sooner than the others by using lightweight plastics. This hard case will last me forever for one that can ride in the trunk or the back of the truck.
If I need to fit and protect camera gear in a long case, I will use this case over the others. I can afford more of these to store and transport gear. For construction tools, maybe this is not the right option due to the damage that can happen on a construction site.
Now for the good news on this hard case: the price tag is barely over one hundred bucks! For that price, I could get one or more of these to hold and secure a shotgun or two under the bed for things that go bump in the night and not worry about the price killing my plan. The case is thin enough to slide under the bed frame and be out of little finger access.
Get it from Amazon now: $199.99 & FREE Returns
