When a rifle, a camera, or a kit of sensitive gear absolutely has to survive a baggage handler, a boat, or a drop off a truck, the answer is usually a Pelican case. For nearly fifty years Pelican has made the crushproof, watertight hard cases that the military, photographers, and shooters trust, and it backs every one with a genuine lifetime guarantee. For gun owners the lineup runs from the gun-specific Vault rifle and pistol cases to the classic Protector hard cases, plus rugged tactical flashlights and gun safes. Here is who they are, what they make, and what is worth buying.
Who Pelican is
Pelican Products is a Torrance, California company founded in 1976 that makes the crushproof, dustproof, watertight hard cases used worldwide to protect firearms, cameras, and gear — all backed by an unconditional lifetime guarantee. It also makes gun-specific Vault cases, tactical flashlights, and gun safes.
The company started with scuba diving, not guns. Founder Dave Parker was a diving obsessive, and in 1976 he built his first product in his Torrance garage: the “Pelican Float,” a simple dive marker made from about a hundred feet of twine wound on a hockey-stick handle with a metal weight to anchor it. His next project — a rugged, waterproof first-aid case for divers — was the real beginning. That sealed, indestructible case was a hit with anyone who needed to protect something from water and impact, and the protective case became the company’s signature.
Pelican sits at the premium end of the protective-case market, and the price buys something specific: cases that genuinely do not break. The brand grew from a one-man garage operation into the global leader in protective cases, temperature-controlled packaging, and portable lighting, and it has stayed true to the founder’s line — “Protecting All That You Value.”
What Pelican makes
Vault gun cases
The Vault line is Pelican’s purpose-built firearm range, designed to hit a lower price than the full Protector cases while still being seriously tough. The Vault V800 double rifle case, the V730 single rifle case, and the V200/V300 pistol cases come with high-density foam, over-molded handles, and heavy-duty latches. For most shooters, a Vault is the sweet spot between a flimsy plastic case and a full Protector.
Protector hard cases
The Protector series is the original and the toughest. Models like the 1510 Carry-On, the 1700 and 1750 long cases, and the smaller 1170/1200 pistol cases are crushproof, IP67 watertight, and dustproof, with customizable pluck-and-pull foam. These are the cases that fly in cargo holds and ride in helicopters and come out fine.
Tactical flashlights
Pelican makes a respected line of tactical flashlights, including the rechargeable 7600 and 7100. They are built to the same durability standard as the cases — sealed, tough, and bright — and are popular as duty and everyday lights.
Gun safes, range bags and coolers
Pelican also makes lockable gun safes and vault-style storage, soft range bags, and — outside the gun world — its well-known Elite coolers. The common thread is the same overbuilt, guaranteed-for-life construction.
Build quality and the guarantee
A Pelican Protector case is built from solid-wall HPX polymer that is crushproof, sealed with a watertight silicone O-ring for an IP67 rating, and fitted with an automatic purge valve that equalizes air pressure so the case opens easily after a flight or an altitude change but stays sealed against water and dust. The hardware is stainless steel and the handles are over-molded rubber. Most of the line is made in the USA in Torrance. Backing all of it is the Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence: if you break a Pelican case, the company replaces it, full stop. That guarantee, more than any spec sheet, is why people buy Pelican once and keep it forever.
How Pelican compares
Pelican’s main rival is Nanuk, a Canadian brand with a similar lifetime warranty and a slightly more modern latch design, often at a comparable price. SKB makes excellent mil-spec cases and competes hard on its own unconditional warranty. Plano and Flambeau sit below Pelican on price with lighter-duty cases that are fine for casual transport but not the same crushproof class. Where Pelican wins is reputation and the no-questions guarantee — it is the default that nobody gets fired for choosing. Where it loses is weight and price: a real Pelican is heavy and costs more than a hardware-store gun case, which is exactly why the cheaper Vault line exists.
Who should buy what
- Most gun owners who want a great case at a fair price: a Vault rifle or pistol case.
- Air travelers and serious gear haulers: a Protector case (the 1510 Carry-On or a 1700-series long case) — TSA-friendly and bombproof.
- Pistol owners needing a lockable hard case: the 1170, 1200, or 1450 Protector.
- Anyone wanting a duty-grade light: the rechargeable 7600 tactical flashlight.
- Shooters who want secure home storage: a Pelican gun safe or vault.
If you only move a gun from the truck to the range now and then, a cheaper Plano case is honestly enough. But if you fly with guns, work in the field, or just want to buy once and never think about it again, Pelican earns the premium.
The Pelican philosophy
Pelican’s whole approach comes from a diver who needed his gear to survive conditions that destroy ordinary equipment. The company never set out to make pretty cases — it set out to make cases that do not fail, and then guaranteed that promise for life. Everything else, from the purge valve to the foam to the stainless latches, exists to serve that single idea: protect what is inside, no matter what happens to the outside.
How to choose your Pelican setup
Start with what you are protecting and where it is going. For a rifle that mostly travels by car and lives at home, a Vault V730 or V800 is the right balance of toughness and price. If you fly with firearms or haul expensive gear into rough places, step up to a Protector long case for the full crushproof, watertight build and airline durability. For handguns, match the 1170/1200 Protector or a Vault pistol case to your gun and add a padlock for TSA-compliant transport. Decide between pre-cut foam (clean, model-specific) and pluck-and-pull foam (customize it to your exact kit). Then, if you want light to match, add a 7600 flashlight and you are running Pelican from end to end.
From a garage in Torrance to the cargo hold
It is a long way from a hockey stick wrapped in twine to cases that protect satellites, surgical gear, and sniper rifles, but that is the Pelican story. Dave Parker’s diving habit produced a company whose cases are now a kind of universal standard — when a movie crew, a soldier, or a competitive shooter needs to know their gear will arrive intact, they reach for the same black case with the pebbled lid and the little purge valve. The guarantee has never changed, and neither has the idea behind it: build it so it cannot break, then stand behind it forever.
Shop Pelican Parts & Prices
Live Pelican products and current prices, organized by department and updated automatically.
Protective Cases
Rifle & Long-Gun Cases
Pistol Cases
Gun Safes & Vaults
Range Bags
Tactical Flashlights
Where Pelican Fits in Our Buying Guides
Pelican FAQ
Where is Pelican based and where are the cases made?
Pelican Products is headquartered in Torrance, California, where most of its Protector cases are made in the USA.
What was Pelican’s first product?
Not a case — the “Pelican Float,” a scuba dive marker founder Dave Parker built in his garage in 1976 from twine, a hockey-stick handle, and a weight. The waterproof cases came next.
What is the difference between Vault and Protector cases?
Protector cases are the original, fully crushproof, IP67-watertight, USA-made hard cases. Vault cases are Pelican’s more affordable, gun-focused line — still very tough, with foam and heavy latches, at a lower price.
Are Pelican cases really waterproof?
Yes. Protector cases carry an IP67 rating, sealing 100% against water and dust thanks to a silicone O-ring, and an automatic purge valve equalizes air pressure so the case still opens easily after a flight.
What does the lifetime guarantee cover?
Pelican’s Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence means if you break a Pelican case, the company replaces it — no receipt, no questions. It is one of the strongest guarantees in any industry.
Can I fly with a gun in a Pelican case?
Yes. A lockable Protector or Vault case meets TSA hard-sided, locked-case requirements for checked firearms. Add TSA-approved padlocks to the case’s locking holes.
Pelican vs Nanuk or SKB — which is best?
All three make excellent, lifetime-warrantied cases. Pelican is the proven default with the widest model range; Nanuk offers a modern latch design; SKB competes on mil-spec value. You will not go wrong with any of them.
What tier is Pelican?
Pelican is a premium, top-tier protective-case brand — overbuilt, USA-made, guaranteed for life, with the budget-friendlier Vault line for gun owners.
Related Gun Storage & Cases Brands
- Plano Parts
- SKB Cases Parts
- Allen Company Gear & Accessories Parts
- Bulldog Cases & Accessories Parts
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