[swampsniper]

This is the text of an email I sent to a friend who bought a precarved Hawken stock I had. The incident was even more heated than this, but I was so upset when I posted it that I forgot some details.

Good morning,
I took the package in to UPS. The young lady put it on the scale, and asked me "what is in the box,sir"? I told her, "a precarved stock for a Hawken rifle". At that point, things began to run downhill. She turned pale. She told me that they would not ship "weapons". I told her that I lied the first time, it was a wooden lamp base. She said she would need to open the box. I said O.K., if you will use your tape to reseal it. She slit it open, and peeked in as though it contained live Cobras. I asked her if she wanted me to pull it all the way out. She said she was calling her boss, and did so. He said no weapons. By this time, other employees were watching, other customers were edging for the door, and I was getting pissed off. I told her, and everyone, that it was not a "weapon, it was a chunk of wood, and that they had no valid or legal ground to refuse my business, and they would accept my money and ship my damned package or I wanted the name and contact number of every damned executive in the company to give to the lawyer I was going to contact. After a huddled conference, she said O.K., they would make an "exception", but she was just following company policy. I told her that in any job I ever had company policy demanded that I use common sense from the start. I hope the bomb squad doesn't blow your stock up. Also consider that it may be delivered by an undercover agent disguised as a UPS driver.



__________________
:fire:

[Triad]

If you ever find yourself in a situation like this again, perhaps it would be better to describe it as a piece of carved wood. It's a shame you should have to do that though. *sigh* Some people's kids...:banghead:

[swampsniper]

I just don't think of lies automatically. In this day and age it seems I will have to learn, though. I was taught that the truth would always cause you less grief than lies, but that is gone, I guess with, so many other good things.
Where do we go from here?:what:

[Sleeping Dog]

Did that hawken stock have the carved wooden pistol grip or bayonet lug? Was the patchbox built into a collapsible or folding buttstock?

It really could have been an evil chunk of wood. Protect the children.

Anyway, thanks for the warning. From now on, it's "wood sculpture".

Regards.

[BryanP]

Why do I suddenly have this image of taking an old box from a stereo system, putting a gun in it and when they ask you say "It's an old receiver and some parts to go with it. " ?



(Yes, I know, different case and different laws apply. )

[Tamara]

Makes me thankful for my local post office...

"Wow, that's heavy for its size. Whatcha shippin' this time? It's too small to be a sword..."
"Gun barrels."
"Oh, cool." :cool:

[TonyB]

I sold a folding stock for a 10/22 to a guy in another state once.I went ot Mailboxes Etc. to mail it.I had it in a box, and before I took it out I said"ok,this is NOT a gun ,just a stock that MAY look like one."The guy kind of looked at me funny,but he was OK with it.We had a time trying to find a box it would fit in,and other customers were kind of leary......but nothing too bad.:cool:

[Leatherneck]

You probably don't want to hear about the nightmare we had when I wanted to ship a dozen or so boxes of odd-lot ammo to some fellow THR members around the country. UPS was positively obstructionist with the apparent desire to sequentially throw every and any hurdle they could think of in our way. I think they're "Brown" for a reason. :evil:

TC
TFL Survivor

[TallPine]

Cabelas ships their bulk ammo by UPS :rolleyes:

( or at least they used to ... I should find out in a few days who they are using now :) )

[mtnbkr]

Everytime I've shipped a gun, it's been by UPS. They never blinked an eye, even for handguns. Fedex on the other hand, wouldn't ship my handgun back to Ruger because the manager there couldn't read his own regs. Thought it only applied to shotguns because that was the example listed. :rolleyes:

Chris

[cameroneod]

I hope the bomb squad doesn't blow your stock up.



Dont worry about it. Thats what I do for a living. I wouldnt blow it up. :D

[dshimm]

Who ships CMP's rifles?

[C.R.Sam]

So sad.
And they used to come by mail.:fire:


Sam

[swampsniper]

Cameron on the Kenai, All my future shipments will be clearly labeled "NUDE STATUE JANET RENO". Remember this throughout your career. If this doesn't work I will try "NUDE STATUE HILARY CLINTON" "The mail must go through" No self respecting LEO would ever deface fine art. Keep your powder dry, friend. I have great respect for your profession. It just seemed that things were getting out of control. I will never ever utter those awful words "HAWKEN RIFLE" in the prescence of a possible idiot again. The girl is blonde, might be left handed. Oh, my gosh, now I am getting in trouble.:D

[Sleeping Dog]

Who ships CMP's rifles?

FedEx.

[Bob F.]

Stupidity is the number one sexually transmitted disease!!
Somebody else said that, don't remember who to credit it to!! Aaahhh' to whom to credit it!

[Futo Inu]

Sad. Hard to believe they can't tell the difference between a weapon and a stock for a weapon, especially in Dixie.

Nude statue Janet Reno - Bwaaaaahaahahahaa!
Hawken collapsible stock - tee hee.

[swampsniper]

Does anyone want a nice statue of Janet or Hilary done in Curly Maple? It may be a better hobby than making Longrifles. Just let me know. Every one can tell I never want to rock the boat!!!:rolleyes: Some on tell me how to reduce photos so I can post them. They won't go as they come from the camera.

[Mikul]

I shipped an H&K magazine back to H&K via USPS. The counter-dude recognized the address and said that he and his girlfriend own one and we talked about H&K's until I left.

Considering where I live, it's a darn miracle that SWAT wasn't put on standby.

[4v50 Gary]

Kinda happened to me in Montreal when I was attempting to fly home to the US. Had a nice curly walnut stock off a Swedish Mauser 96. I think the buttplate & screw were about the only metal fittings on the stock. Anyway, the baggage screener says it can't go through. I insist that it's just wood. She says it can't because someone else may bring the rest of the gun. I said it's her responsibility to prevent it, not mine.

Anway, she calls the cops and the cops look at it and say it's just wood. I go through. She's still fuming :D

[jsalcedo]

I had a hell of a time shipping some ammo back to century via UPS.
My wife is a manager there at the facility and even she couldn't find the regulations.

Finally I found this number
1-800-554-9964.

Made the counter person call it.

They explained to the counter clerk that ammo was not hazmat I did not need a hazmat account and to stick an ORM-D lable on the box and ship it.

UPS does ship guns including handguns from their centers (not UPS store or mailboxes)

Only to a licenced dealer. Have a copy of their FFL (sometimes they will ask for it) If the UPS person gives you crap have them call this number:
1-800-742-5877 and ask to speak to a manager.

They will educate the clerk

I agree it is ridiculous that shipping companies have untrained people working their counters.:banghead:

[RobW]

We have to admit, this is one of the great victories for the Brady "Hypocrite" bunch. A lot of people get a near heart attack when you even SAY the word "gun".

What has our country become...

[Frohickey]

Does anyone want a nice statue of Janet or Hilary done in Curly Maple? It may be a better hobby than making Longrifles.

You would need to change the name of your business to SwampSniper's Obscene Sculptures! :D

[DMK]

UPS does ship guns including handguns from their centers (not UPS store or mailboxes)

Only to a licenced dealer. Have a copy of their FFL (sometimes they will ask for it) If the UPS person gives you crap have them call this number:
1-800-742-5877 and ask to speak to a manager.

They will educate the clerk
Not to be picky, but they don't only ship to dealers. They ship to an FFL. A dealer is an FFL, but an FFL is not necessarily a dealer. I have an 03 FFL. I am not a dealer.


Shipping regs reference:

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/firearms.html

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub52.htm

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm

[Standing Wolf]

O.K., they would make an "exception", but she was just following company policy.

I don't do business with anti-Second Amendment bigots. I gave up on U.P.S., and how ship everything by Federal Express. It's by no means good, but at least less awful.

[Lars]

I just sold a rifle on the board and had problems with Fed Ex. I went over to UPS and they gave me no trouble at all. One of the employees asked me what kind of rifle it was and started talking about hunting. They took time to explain everything and mentioned that they would also be happy to ship my ammo if I ever went hunting somewhere if I had to fly. I think that it has a lot to do with who is on the counter.

Lars

[rayra]

Absolutely has to do with who is on the counter / runs the office.

Just yesterday I called the Fedex 800 number to inquire about shipping a handgun, and got an immediate 'No' from the answerer. I'd already hit the Fedex site for the relevant info - http://www.fedex.com/us/services/express/termsandconditions/us/firearms.html , and was calling to ask for details, so I immediately shoved it right back at'em. They had to read it twice before they agreed with me. And even then, I never got the extra info I was seeking. Oh well, expect to go to the Fedex center next week sometime, reg in hand, and see just how gun-phobic north L.A. county can be. :(

[pcf]

You can create your own UPS at account http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/shipping/index.html and print up shipping labels at home. Then just walk into any UPS center or find a UPS truck and hand it over. This means you completely circumvent the idiot at the counter.

[Black Snowman]

I was told or read (either way 2nd had) that person to person (IE, no paper trail) gun shipping was abandoned by UPS not for any political reasons but because they couldn't keep their employees from stealing them. Some obsurd and upspecified % were disappearing. The liability and insurance costs were getting prohibitive.

Gee, ever think of, oh I don't know, hiring people you can trust?

Again, 2nd hand, and now 3rd so take with a grain of salt.

[BluesBear]

"It's an old receiver and some parts to go with it. " ?


BWAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAA!!! Bloody Brilliant!
(Root beer through the nose TICKLES)


My local brown store told me that UPS regs specifically say that when shippng a firearm it MUST NOT say Firearm anywhere on the outside of the package.

Anyway, when they ask me, what I am shipping, I just say "machine, tools".





(edetted fur speeling)

[Sven]

I've sent many packages with "parts", never had a problem - at least in getting them to take the package. In regards to the service itself, I've had problems documented elsewhere on the forum.