NANUK 990 Gun Case Review: Drop Tested & Military-Approved

The NANUK 990 is a rugged hard case that is both waterproof and dustproof, and tested to military standards for being submerged with no damage.

When storing gear like your rifle, scope, ear defenders, or ammunition, you want to be confident that your hard case is durable and rugged enough to keep your gear safe.

In my time serving in the military, we would use hard cases all the time. They’re vital for storing gear and used extensively for deployment kits.

Full Disclosure

NANUK did provide their 990 hard cases for this review. I’m also an affiliate with NANUK, which means any purchases made using the links I provide earns me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Specs

Is the NANUK 990 Hard Case Worth It?

The NANUK 990 is very well priced to the competition. With all the things that could be considered for a hard case to store an AR-15, the NANUK 990 is worth it.

At the time of this article, the NANUK 990 (with foam) costs $504.95 CAD (roughly $370 USD).

Check NANUK for the latest pricing!

Use my discount code “TGG15” at the checkout for 15% off your order!

If you don’t require foam inserts, the price will be reduced by about $60. Keep in mind that if you buy foam inserts separately you’re looking at around $90. So including it with the hard case will save you money.

NANUK also offers free shipping for orders over $200 CAD or $150 USD to most of Canada and the USA.

Durability

NANUK hard cases are made from NK-7 resin which is very smooth, lightweight, and durable.

The NANUK 990 has been tested for durability in many areas for survival in harsh environments. It meets Military-Specifications for submersion, and has been drop tested for real-world drops for situations such as transportation.

Everything about this hard case feels solid. I’ve even shook this thing around with all my kit inside it and nothing on the case or inside was loose.

I got a couple nicks and scratches on it from slamming it into a rock, but no cracks or damaged contents.

Handles

The NANUK 990 has two handles. One on the end for wheeling the case around, and another on the side for carrying.

The handles have really good grip and comfort, which is great if you’re carrying or wheeling it around for longer distances.

The handles are spring loaded also, and snap flush against the case when released.

Wheels

The wheels on the NANUK 990 are very smooth and made from polyurethane. They’re impressively quiet as well.

Over the life of the hard case, the wheels will eventually wear down with use, but as you can see above there is a removeable pin that allows you to replace the wheels.

TSA PowerClaw Latches

The NANUK 990 has four patented PowerClaw latches along the front edge of the case. The two latches in the middle are lockable as well and includes two keys.

Both keys are the same, and they work regardless of what way the key is orientated, so no guessing which way to insert the key to lock/unlock the latch. This is something you don’t want to worry about when trying to access your rifle.

The TSA Locks have the Travel Sentry TSA Red Diamond logo which allows security agencies to open the hard case when required during travel.

Each lock has a unique code that tells the security agencies which tool to use in order to open the lock. This is an excellent innovation by NANUK.

Automatic Pressure Release Valve

The NANUK 990 has a pressure release valve which prevents the case from sealing itself shut. This could be caused by changes in altitude, temperature, humidity, or geographical location on earth.

Having this release valve allows the NANUK 990 hard case to release pressure when needed, and is IP67 rated which prevents water from getting inside.

Interior Layout

There’s a ton of room inside the NANUK 990 for a single AR-15 or similar rifle and extra kit.

My kit contents are usually the following:

• Kodiak Defence WK181C-Z (18.7″ length barrel)
• Scorpion Optics 1-4x LPVO
• Fenix M-LOK Flashlight
• 4x Magpul AK/AKM Magazines
• Peltor 6-S Tactical Ear Defenders
• Barrel Snake & Oil
• Howard Leight Ear Defenders
• EOTech Red Dot
• TriggerCam 2.1

NANUK even makes a laser cut foam insert specifically for an AR-15 rifle! So if you, or the professional organization you work for, needs a rifle case for an AR-15, definitely check that out.

Foam Inserts

The NANUK 990 has the option to include foam inserts for a slightly higher cost of $60, which is cheaper than if you bought the 990 Foam Inserts separately.

I do like how NANUK offers foam inserts on their site, so if at some point you decide to store a different rifle in your hard case, you can do so.

The NANUK 990 has 4 layers of foam.

The bottom layer is a thinner piece.

The two middle layers is the foam where your equipment will fit into. Having two layers for the middle is great for giving more options with placing different sized gear. For example, my tactical rifle had an M-LOK flashlight mounted, so cutting into the second piece of foam allowed my rifle to sit flush in the hard case.

The lid layer is rippled and not completely flat, which I like as items that stick out a bit will be nicely held in place.

On my Kodiak Defence WK181C-Z, I had a flashlight mounted on the M-LOK Rail. So, I just cut into the second piece of foam and this allowed my rifle to sit flat with my flashlight fitting nicely further in.

Conclusion

For the first time since starting this website 3 years ago, I’ve reviewed a product that I couldn’t find anything negative to say about it!

I’m incredibly pleased with the NANUK 990 hard case for my tactical rifle and kit. It fits everything I need, it’s waterproof and dustproof, has a pressure release valve, TSA locks with keys, PowerClaw latches, and is military-approved to survive anywhere you take it.

If you need a hard case to protect your rifle from the elements and wont get worn out as years go on, then seriously consider buying a NANUK 990 hard case.

Also, if you’re Canadian like myself, then you can be happy to know that NANUK hard cases are made right here in Canada.

Thanks for reading my review of the NANUK 990 hard case and supporting my blog! I hope it’s been informative and helpful for you.