KIT & GEAR: PARRA CASES

ON THE (PARRA) CASE!

WITH SAFE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF RIFS EVER MORE IMPORTANT AND SECURITY ALWAYS PARAMOUNT, BILL TAKES A LOOK AT THE NEW RANGE OF HARD GUN CASES FROM PARRA, RECENTLY RELEASED TO MARKET BY NUPROL AND FINDS THE NEW RANGE VERY MUCH TO HIS LIKING!

As Jon rightly highlights in his “T.O.D.” column this month, picking the right gun case is very much a matter of personal choice, but one that is more and more important when it comes to safely transporting, safeguarding and securing your beloved RIFs and gear. If you are lucky enough to travel to a game or event in your own vehicle then you can “get away with” a certain amount, as your vehicle, in effect, becomes your personal mobile gun safe - as long as all your prized goodies are stored out of sight!

However, there are still some sites that require you to move through publicly viewable areas, and indeed some hardcore city-livin’ ‘softers still travel by public transport to their game, so having the right carriage options can become VERY important - as none of want a quick visit and “uncomfortable” inspection from an Armed Response Team, now do we?

Whether you play airsoft or shoot real firearms, or both, there are several things that cross over and at the top of the list for me (after safe handling and eyepro) comes transit safety and security. When you’re at an airsoft site or at a range then your pistol, rifle, shotgun or carbine can be out in the open, but when you’re in transit it needs to be out of sight, and preferably under lock and key. Many of us in the past have simply made use of padded sleeves which are great value for money, but in many cases are hard to secure properly. Add to this that they are usually not rigid there’s a still a real possibility of damaging or breaking whatever is inside.

When I was still travelling with airsoft replicas from the USA to the UK and back I bought myself a couple of rigid hard cases that could be secured using pad or combination locks; whilst they conformed to the requirements of both the American TSA and the airlines they were not fancy top of the line models as I didn’t want to break the

“…SOME HARDCORE CITY-LIVIN’ ‘SOFTERS STILL TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO THEIR GAME, SO HAVING THE RIGHT CARRIAGE OPTIONS CAN BECOME VERY IMPORTANT - AS NONE OF WANT A QUICK VISIT AND “UNCOMFORTABLE” INSPECTION FROM AN ARMED RESPONSE TEAM, NOW DO WE?”

bank. Over time and many, many air and road miles, they became decidedly shabby and I replaced them as soon as NUPROL released their own range of hard cases (and as soon as my pocket money allowed) and the new cases have been excellent!

Thankfully though, the team at NUPROL just keep on adding to their portfolio of quality brands and they told me recently that they are now very pleased to be supplying a broad range of Hard Case Solutions from PARRA Case.

This of course made me step back a pace; why on earth would a company who, quite frankly, have provided some of the best, value-for-airsoft-buck hard gun cases of their own want to offer another brand? The answer to this is that NUPROL always want to offer us options, and for those of that travel a lot and shoot real as well as replica there are certain models that simply don’t exist in their airsoft line, and the PARRA range adds to, and enhances, what they already offer, because PARRA have a great reputation for offering high-spec cases to the entire shooting community, of which airsoft is just a part!

Add to this that PARRA cases have certifications from third-party quality assurance company Intertek, and you can be sure that you’re getting something first rate. For those who haven’t heard of them before, Intertek is an industry leader with more than 43,800 employees in 1,000 locations in over 100 countries. They deliver Total Quality Assurance to ensure that products meet quality, health, environmental, safety, and social accountability standards for virtually any market around the world and they hold extensive global accreditations, recognitions, and agreements… talk about covering all the bases!

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

Simply put, when you look at it in detail, PARRA Case’s range of products is vast, with Injection Moulded Waterproof Hard Cases, Rota-Moulded Military Cases, PARRA Lite Leisure Cases, Ammo Boxes, Coolers and a range of Dry/Tool Boxes. Whether you’re looking for a small case for electronics or valuables, or need something a bit bigger for gear and RIFs, PARRA have options to suit. Ideal for storage, transit or even everyday use, their cases come equipped with secure locking mechanisms, carry handles and in some cases, foam internals to keep your items protected… C’mon, they even do coolers to keep your post-game adult beverage of choice nicely chilled to go with that “Victory Ceegar”!

Breaking these down onto further categories shows just how diverse the range is:

WATERPROOF HARD CASES

The PARRA range of Waterproof Hard Cases are all Injection Moulded, manufactured from Polypropylene and toughened with the addition of Glass Fibre. The range includes 40 cases from 1 litre through to 200 litres in

capacity! Filled with Pick & Pluck foam, these cases can be customised to accept almost any item deemed valuable enough to require this top-level protection. IP67 Ingress Protection, Shockproof, Crushproof and Chemical Resistant, the Waterproof Hard Cases will give you first rate protection for years to come!

“…THEIR CASES COME EQUIPPED WITH SECURE LOCKING MECHANISMS, CARRY HANDLES AND IN SOME CASES, FOAM INTERNALS TO KEEP YOUR ITEMS PROTECTED… C’MON, THEY EVEN DO COOLERS TO KEEP YOUR POST-GAME ADULT BEVERAGE OF CHOICE NICELY CHILLED TO GO WITH THAT “VICTORY CEEGAR”!”

ROTA-MOULDED CASES

Rota-Moulded cases are manufactured via Rotational-Injection Moulding. This manufacturing method ensures that the Polyethylene mix is evenly distributed throughout the mould and results in a stronger case than typical

injection moulding. Due

to this

increased strength, savings can be made on the amount of material used with Rota-Moulded cases outer walls generally thinner, but just as strong as Injection Moulded cases.

PARRA LITE

These colourful little Polycarbonate cases are ideal for keeping your personal items safe when the environment gets tough. These cases feature a 2-stage compression latch, keeping contents secure and protected. A non-slip, coloured base acts as a gasket to provide IP65 protection when closed. Due to this seal, a small PRV valve is fitted for when these cases go on flights overseas.

AMMO BOXES

Not really something that we need for airsoft as our “ammo” comes neatly protected in either its own dedicated bag or bottle, but PARRA do offer a selection of 50 round and 100 round ammo boxes for a range of calibres. I’ve kept this category in as a way of illustrating that PARRA make their boxes and cases for the “real deal”, so we, as airsofters, can be certain we’re getting the very best levels of protection, safety and security.

DRY/TOOL BOXES

A selection of affordable Dry Boxes, perfect for items that require a carry case, but not the more expensive level of protection afforded by options such as the WHC and Rota-Moulded cases. These are absolutely ideal for keeping things safe, like a more comprehensive FAK, or… well… tools…

COOLERS

And last but by no means least… PARRA Coolers are designed with premium insulation technology to ensure the contents remain ice cold for days at a time! This may not seem a big thing if you live in a “temperate” climate like the UK but trust me, if you ever go and play airsoft in a really hot/humid environment like I did when I played in Florida, then a good cooler is a godsend, especially at weekenders! Pushing this out further, if you’re reliant on meds that need to be kept cool or need to carry them “just in case” (think snakebite kit!), then a top-rate cooler is a necessity rather than a luxury!

AIRSOFT ACTION PICKS

With such a vast range of options to choose from, you might well think “but which do I choose” and of course this returns to being a very personal thing as only you know exactly which combination of RIFs and kit you’ll need to transport, and exactly what your requirements are for your case or cases.

To pick a couple that I really like the look of (as I already have and use the excellent NUPROL gun cases), I’ll start with the LITE 1.37.

This smart little case is perfect for cameras, passports, smartphones and the like and it offers an IP65 watertight design as well as crush and dustproof performance. It’s rated to withstand temperatures between -10°C and 200°C, allowing you to take your most delicate valuables to not just your local site, but literally to the ends of the earth if that’s where your journey leads you! • Exterior - 24.8 x 14.0 x 6.5 cm • Interior - 20.8 x 11.0 x 6.0 cm • Lid | Base - 2.4 cm | 3.6 cm • Weight (empty) - 380 g • Capacity - 1.37 L

The PARRA 1258 moves things up a bit and will protect the contents stored inside with real effectiveness. It is independently tested, assured and certified by Intertek to be waterproof, safe from impacts and crushing, as well as offering protection from extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to 90°C. With several layers of eggbox, protective and Pick n’ Pluck foam inside, you can depend on this case to protect any sensitive or delicate equipment inside,

such as NVGs. • Exterior - 35.7 x 29.3 x 19.3 cm • Interior - 33.0 x 23.1 x 16.5 cm • Lid | Base - 4.3 cm | 12.2 cm • Weight (empty) - 2.35 k g • Capacity - 12.58

PARRA also offer wheeled cases that are perfect for the “airsoft commuter” and the PARRA 3286 is an ideal example of this, as its where hard case meets travel case!

With an IP67 waterproof rating, protection from extreme temperatures, pressure changes and impacts, as well as easily modifiable Pick and Pluck Foam, a set of integrated wheels and a fold-out travel handle, this is the ultimate accessory for those who frequently travel with expensive or delicate items… And let’s face it we all have a few of those in our collections of airsoft goodies, don’t we? • Exterior - 54.5 x 32.4 x 21.5 cm • Interior - 53.0 x 31.0 x 20.0 cm • Lid | Base - 4.0 cm | 16.0 cm • Weight (empty) - 5.15 kg • Capacity - 32.86 l

Now these examples are what I personally would find useful to add to my load-lugger collection (along with a cooler, natch!) but as I said earlier, the PARRA Case collection is VAST and there’s literally something for everyone in the range, from the smallest watertight case for your phone, through rifle and transit cases, to big old “team gear” haulers, all of which come with the highest possible levels of quality assurance given only after stringent testing.

All in all, I believe that PARRA is a superb addition to the NUPROL family and once again they’ve shown that they can find what we as airsofters need… before we even know we need it!

PARA Cases are in store now, but please do check out www.nuprol.com for more information on the entire range! AA