Combat Games Essentials Basic Rifle Case

Hard cases get heavy fast, and past a point the extra mass is doing nothing for the gun inside. The Basic range keeps the shell to polymer engineering materials and the fittings to what gets used, which is how a case this long comes in as light as it does.

What it does keep is the part people actually use. Sliding locks hold the lid shut, there are cutouts for TSA padlocks if the case is going in an aircraft hold, and there is a carry handle rather than a strap you have to buy separately. The inlay is egg-shell wave foam, which suits a rifle and a few magazines without any cutting.

The feature worth knowing about is the shell itself. The external moulding lets CGE cases lock together without clamps, in any size combination, so a rifle case and a pistol case travel as one block in a boot instead of sliding around separately. If you own more than one gun that is the difference between a tidy car and a game of Tetris.

It carries an IP55 rating, which covers dust and sprayed water. That is a case for getting kit to site and home again in British weather, not for leaving out overnight in it.

Specifications

Good to know before you buy

Padlocks are not supplied. The cutouts take TSA-pattern locks — our case locks cover both the small and the rifle-sized fittings.

Wave foam is fixed-profile, so it cradles a rifle and a few magazines but will not hold an awkward shape the way pick-and-pluck does. If your kit is an unusual shape, look at a pick-and-pluck case instead.

Measure your rifle with the magazine out and any optic fitted before choosing a size. The external figures above include the shell, so the usable length inside is shorter.

IP55 is a dust-and-spray rating. It will shrug off rain between the car and the safe zone; it is not a case to submerge or to leave standing in a puddle.

If you want a sealed case with a pressure valve for flying or long storage, the waterproof and premium ranges are the ones to look at.

Frequently asked questions

Which size do I need?
Measure the rifle first. Medium is 84.6cm externally, Large 100cm and Extra Large 120cm. A standard M4 with a stock extended usually wants the Large; a long DMR or a rifle with a suppressor fitted wants the Extra Large.

What does the stacking actually do?
The outside of the shell is moulded so one CGE case sits into another and locks, without straps or clamps, whatever sizes you mix. It is for carrying several cases as one unit rather than for storing them on a shelf.

Will it take two rifles?
Not comfortably. Wave foam is cut for one gun plus accessories. Two rifles in one case means they rest against each other, which rather defeats the point.

Is it airline legal?
The TSA lock cutouts are there for hold luggage, but every airline and every country sets its own rules on carrying airsoft guns. Check with the carrier before you book, not after.

How does this differ from the waterproof CGE case?
Rating and weight. This one is IP55 and 2.4kg in the large size; the waterproof version is IP67, deeper, and 4.5kg. You pay for the seal in both money and weight.