3V Gear Ranger 42" Double Rifle Case: Soft Case Value for Range Days

Channel fans and family, if you want to protect your rifles with something better than the cheap soft cases that fall apart after one trip — without jumping straight to a heavy lockable hard case — this one is my go-to soft option for range days: the 3V Gear Ranger 42″ padded double rifle case.

In the video I walk the features, the hard-vs-soft tradeoffs, and why the 42″ double makes more sense than the smaller sibling for most of us who actually shoot.

TL;DR

What it is: a soft, padded double rifle case from 3V Gear sized for rifles up to 42″.
Why I use it: enough protection for normal range trips, tons of accessory space, and you can carry it by the padded handle or as a backpack.
Not for: flying with firearms (you need a lockable hard case for that) or max crush/drop protection.
Sibling options: a 36″ double, plus more discrete single-rifle soft cases (36″ and 48″) without the tactical patches/MOLLE look.
Related on the site: we already covered modular soft cases at a booth in our Tasmanian Tiger modular rifle cases piece — this article is the budget range-day double-case deep dive instead.

Hard case vs soft case (the honest trade)

People will dump thousands into a rifle, glass, and ammo, then show up with a cardboard box or a soft case that dies after two trips. A hard case wins on crush protection, drop protection, and security — a pocket knife opens most zippers in seconds — and it is what you need when you fly with a firearm. The cost of that is money, weight, and bulk that may not even fit a normal trunk.

A soft case like this one will not match ABS plastic and foam for abuse, but it is lighter, more pliable for vehicle trunks, and plenty for regular range trips if you treat it like gear instead of a shipping crate. That is the lane this Ranger lives in.

Main compartment: double rifles with real padding

Open the center with the dual zippers (they meet with a hole for a small lock, plus pull cords). Inside you get one large lightly padded compartment with a divider sewn on both sides, plus two Velcro straps to hold rifles in place. On each side there is a sleeve for the barrel and another for the buttstock, which helps especially with a bull barrel that has no flash hider or muzzle brake.

It will take two firearms, but two big bolt guns with tall bolt handles, folding stocks, or ARs with wide optics side-by-side can get snug. Around the zipper there is a thick foam strip that adds edge protection and keeps gear from catching the zipper from inside, and the walls themselves are padded.

Accessory storage (and the handgun I lost for two months)

The front zippered compartment is huge — big enough for a complete AR upper. I use it for paper targets, ammo boxes, and accessories. Inside that flap there are four more pockets: two zippered compartments separated by thin vinyl, plus two padded pockets that work well for handguns or anything else you want protected. That last bit is how I temporarily misplaced a handgun after a range day — filmed with it, stuffed it in there, and did not find it again for over two months. Those pockets sit out of the way, so label or inventory if you are like me.

Outside that flap you get more zippered pockets under MOLLE panels. The skinny ones on the front were too narrow even for my smaller hands without fighting the zipper, so I mostly ignore them. The three larger center pockets are the useful ones for magazines, cleaning kits, and similar. Just do not hang the kitchen sink off those outer pockets — all that weight rides on the zipper instead of the case body, which is not great for long-term durability. Easy rule: do not overpack a big case.

Carry options

Padded handles on top for car-to-bench duty, and thick padded backpack straps with a sternum strap when you need both hands free. For the money, that dual-carry setup is a big reason this stays my range case.

Sizing notes from the lineup

3V Gear makes several soft cases. I prefer this 42″ double over the 36″ double for most modern rifles. If you want something quieter looking — no patches, no MOLLE, no big flags — they also have discrete single-rifle soft cases in 36″ and 48″ (the longer one helps with precision rifles). Those discrete bags only hold one rifle, so pick based on whether you need double capacity or low-profile looks.

Our take

This is not a Pelican replacement and it is not airline luggage. It is a soft double case designed by people who actually shoot: barrel/buttstock sleeves, zipper-edge foam, backpack carry, and more accessory space than most of us will fill wisely. If you are on a budget and need a range-day case that will not fall apart after two trips, the Ranger 42″ double is the one I keep recommending. For a different soft-case approach (modular panels, booth first look), see our Tasmanian Tiger modular rifle cases write-up.