[XD40EZO]

How do you legally ship a firearm?

[Calhoun]

UNLOADED!!!:D




But seriously, I have always heard that UPS or FedEx is the way to go. Best bet would be to call one of them, or a local FFL dealer and ask. I don't think that there is much to it. Make sure it's unloaded, package it well, think about springing for overnight delivery, and it's probably a good call to insure it.

Peace out,
Calhoun

[No4Mk1]

Depends on where it is going from/to, what type of firearm, etc. Follow the link below to the BATFE FAQ that covers this topic.

HTH!

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b9

[XD40EZO]

I'm fairly new to the forum...what does FFL mean? Is it wise to disassemble the firearm? or it doesnt matter?

[NJ3]

FFL = Federal Firearm License.

No, do not disassemble the firearm. You can use a cable tie though the barrel if you like.

[XD40EZO]

Thanks. Do I ask my local gun dealer where to find an FFL?

[Sunray]

"...Do I ask my local gun dealer where to find an FFL?..." Seems to me US dealers MUST have an FFL. Or he would not be able to receive any firearms from suppliers.
In addition to good packaging, avoid having any indication on the outside that it is a firearm. Marking the package as a firearm is an invitation to theft. No matter how you ship it.

[Jim Watson]

As an American Commoner, you may ship a firearm ONLY to the manufacturer or to a gunsmith with Federal Firearms License for repair or modification. (Anybody who sells or works on guns for income must have a Federal Firearms License, FFL.)

You may ship by common carrier, mostly UPS or FedEx. You may mail a rifle or shotgun but not a handgun.

You must package it well and notify the carrier that it is a firearm. Do NOT mark it as a firearm on the package. The company will likely have a shipping address that doesn't identify them as being in the gun business.

The carrier will require you to pay for Next Day Air delivery. This is because such packages are more closely tracked in shipment and it reduces losses due to theft by their own employees. It also lets them charge more.

Air freight is not a legal requirement, it is a company requirement. But since it IS a legal requirement that you tell the carrier that you are shipping a gun, they pretty well have you trapped into a $30+ shipping cost. If you do not notify them what you are shipping so as to get the ground rate, you are out of luck if it disappears or is damaged in transit.

Do NOT ship ammunition in the same box as a gun.

[9x19]

The belief that one must notify the carrier that the item being shipped is a firearm likely comes from a statement on BATF's website that is, at best poorly referenced, and at worst, just plain false.

I'm referring to:
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#b9

B9) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by carrier to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm. [18 U. S. C. 922( a)( 2)( A) and 922( e), 27 CFR 178.31]

The law this bit of disinformation references is at:
http://www.atf.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/gca.htm

922. Unlawful acts

(a) It shall be unlawful --

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce, to persons other than licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped; except that any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of the trip without violating any of the provisions of this chapter. No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm.

In other words, if you are shipping the pistol to a federally licensed entity, which you should be if its crossing state lines, then you don't have to tell the carrier anything.

Another guy put alot of this information together on his website, here:
http://www.1bad69.com/keltec/shipping.htm

[saddlebum]

a nonlicensee can ship a gun to a license holder in any state , so long as the gun is legal in that state. only handguns must go overnight. saddlebum

[ruger357]

I play it safe and let my local gun dealer ship it.

[Guns_and_Labs]

I'm wondering, though, if UPS has changed its regulations to be more restrictive. Their website says:


Use These UPS Services for Your Firearm Shipment
Firearms will be transported only between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, and licensed collectors, as defined in the United States Gun Control Act of 1968.


This would seem to indicate that they no longer allow a private citizen to ship a firearm to a repair facility. I've been using FedEx recently, for other reasons, but am wondering if anyone knows if UPS's policy changed.

[macavada]

I shipped a gun Monday afternoon. I went through UPS. I was expecting to have to spring for the overnight priority, like their website states (although I don't recall where). I went in and entered the information in their electronic system, and insured the gun for $650. I told the girl at the counter that it was a handgun, and she couldn't tape the package shut fast enough. She let me chose which rate I wanted. I guess she didn't know UPS' policy. I went with three day ground service, $22 instead of nearly $50.

You never know what you're going to get though. The last guy insisted on overnight priority, and must have asked me three times whether or not it "was going to a licensed dealer for repair or modifications."

Legally, any non-licensee can ship a gun to a licensee accross state lines whether it be for repair or not. The "repair or modification" requirement is the carrier's policy and not law - at least that's my understanding.

[mondocomputerman]

How do you ship a firearm?

Hold on a sec, let me give you my address... ;)

[JNewell]

Yeah, well, then again, I've had to argue with UPS clerks about whether they would accept a single-shot, black powder, muzzleloading flintlock for shipment or not.

:banghead:

[bradvanhorn]

I ship all my custom machine parts UPS Ground ;)

[Mac's]

Any US citizen who can legally own the firearm can ship the same firearm to a FFL holder and have it returned directly back to him/her without having to deal with a FFL holder on his/her end.

That means Joe Public can ship us his/her firearm and we'll return it back to whatever address he/she lists as the "Return Address". There is no special paperwork/ licenses, gun shops, etc. required on his/her end.

FFL holders have a few more shipping options between themselves but Joe Public is limited to FedEx Priority Overnite for "Complete and Functional" handguns. Long guns can be mailed at the Post Office or FedEx Ground or even Overnite but that's expensive! FedEx Ground is cheaper than the Post Office for long guns.

Per their web site and their District Supervisor, UPS will no longer ship any firearms for any non-FFL holder Joe Public. This is a new ruling so some shipping clerks may not have gotten the word yet.

Even though ATF considers the serial numbered part, the "Firearm", the shipper does not. A frame is not the gun and does not require Overnite shipping. A box of parts that can not be assembled into a "Complete and Functional" handgun is not a gun.

Declaring a firearm as a "thingymajube" to the shipper can backfire big time. Packages do sometimes grow legs and run away. Then the insurance problems start. Worst case scenario: It gets stolen, somebody gets killed with it, the law traces it back to you etc, etc.
Why risk it? It is not illegal to ship firearms!

I do suggest having a copy of the FFL of the person that you are shipping it to when you go to the shipper. Sometimes clerks want to verify that it's really going to a licensed shop.

And finally: Stay away from third party shippers. (Shippers R Us, Mailboxes etc., Etc) They charge a LOT more for the same shipping and if it does get lost, the shipper will blame the shipping company who will blame the shipper while you just loose.

Bottom line? It's easy and no big deal.
Keep Yer Powder Dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons (http://www.shootiniron.com)

[XD40EZO]

Through Internet Inquiry:

Thank you for your inquiry. The following list explains who
can send and receive shipments of handguns or firearms through
UPS:
____________________________________________________________________________

Shipper
-Licensed Collectors

Consignee
-Licensed Collectors
-Licensed Gun dealer
-Gun Manufacturer (as a result of repair or adjustment only)
-Law Enforcement Agency (not a police officer at home)

Clarification: A police officer may be licensed to carry a handgun,
but is usually not a licensed dealer.
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Shipper
-Gun Manufacturer

Consignee
-Gun Manufacturer
-Licensed Gun Dealer
-Licensed Collector
-Individual (as a result of repair or adjustment only)
-Law Enforcement Agency (not a police officer at home)

Clarification: A police officer may be licensed to carry a handgun,
but is usually not a licensed dealer.
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Shipper
- Licensed Gun Dealer

Consignee
- Licensed Gun dealer
-Licensed Collector
-Gun Manufacturer (as a result of repair or adjustment only)
-Law Enforcement Agency (not a police officer at home)

Clarification: A police officer may be licensed to carry a handgun,
but is usually not a licensed dealer.
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Shipper
- Individual

Consignee
Gun Manufacturer (for repair or adjustment only) and from a person
not otherwise prohibited by Federal, State or local law to a
licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer for
the sole purpose of repair or customizing.
____________________________________________________________________________
___

Please note, the shipment of a firearm from an individual to
an individual is prohibited in the UPS system.

UPS will only accept handguns for shipment (from and to authorized
legal parties) via UPS Next Day Air services (Early A.M., Next
Day Air, or Next Day Air Saver).

Handguns cannot be shipped from the following:

One Time Pickup
On Call Pickup
Letter Centers
Internet Shipping
UPS Sonic Air
UPS Authorized Shipping Outlets (ASOs)

This UPS procedure change affects only handguns, not all firearms.
As a responsible corporate citizen, UPS wants to ensure that
handguns are transported as safely as possible by restricting
them to special handling methods within the UPS system. We intend
to continue serving our customers who lawfully ship handguns.

Other firearms, including shotguns, rifles, etc. can continue
to be shipped by authorized legal parties via One Time Pickup
service, On Call Pickup, and UPS Customer Counters.

Firearms will not be accepted for shipment from any Commercial
Counter and/or Authorized Shipping Outlet.

There cannot be anything written or printed on the package that
indicates the package contains a handgun or firearm. The shipper
cannot pack ammunition in the same shipping container as the
handgun. The shipper must segregate handgun shipments for the
driver. The shipper must apply the Adult Signature Required
label (21 years of age or older).

Antique Firearms

Antique firearms may be shipped via the UPS system, and are not
required to be shipped via UPS's Next Day Air service. An antique
firearm is a firearm that was manufactured in or before 1898,
or any replica, muzzle loading rifle, muzzle loading shotgun,
muzzle loading pistol, which are designed to use black powder
or a black powder substitute. An antique firearm cannot use
fixed ammunition and is not considered a handgun for the purposes
of determining the method the antique firearm may be shipped.

Fireworks

All common fireworks or fireworks devices suitable for use by
the public and designed primarily to produce visible effects
by combustion, and/or small devices designed to produce audible
effects are prohibited in the UPS system.

Ammunition:

UPS accepts domestic ground and air shipments of ammunition that
have been classified by the shipper as "Cartridges, small arms",
or "ORM-D" (Other Regulated Material). The package must be properly
marked according to the requirements of Title 49 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (49 CFR). A Hazardous Materials Transportation
Contract may be required to ship such packages with UPS. Contact
the Hazardous Material Support Center at 1-800-554-9964 for details
on regulatory information.

BB Guns, Pellet Guns and Air Rifles are not considered firearms
and can be shipped with no additional restrictions. Please note,
UPS cannot ship a CO2 cartridge that may be part of an Air Rifle.

We hope this information is helpful. If we may assist you in
the future, please let us know.

[XD40EZO]

Let say I buy a handgun from one of you (some Joe from the Forum) , how would you ship that gun to me?

Where will your address it?

Do I have to be a licensee to receive it?

I've never bought or sold any firearm that needed shipping, so I dont really know what's up. So help me understand. Thanks.

[Jim Watson]

If you buy a gun a poster has for sale, it must be shipped to a FFL licensed dealer, at the address shown on his license, who will register it just as though you had bought it in his store. He will, of course, charge you for the service (unless you are a very good customer.)

It would be smart of the seller to have a FFL do the shipping, opinions vary and I am not a lawyer. But it MUST be recieved and booked out by a FFL.

[ny32182]

I'll tell you about my UPS experience on Wednesday. Keep in mind this was my first time shipping a firearm, and I know I didn't do everything right. It is supposed to arrive at its destination today, so I'm eagerly waiting to see if that happens.

OK, backround: I'm shipping a handgun to an FFL for a refinishing. The FFL told me I could ship it only by two day air for it to be legal/click with UPS regs. So, I box it up, take it to the UPS store, and tell them I need to ship this package by two day air. They tell me that there is no way they would ship it by air since its only going about two states away. I told them, fine, ship it however you like as long as it gets there by the end of the week. (mistake, I know). They start ringing me up, and at first didn't care in the least about what it was.

Then they ask the question: would you like to purchase extra insurance to insure the item for more than $100? I say yes, I would like to insure the item for $700. Suddenly they want to know exactly what it is. They wrote down that it was a "gun slide".

So has UPS changed their policies? Yes, it seems so, since they didn't want to take a handgun according to the way the FFL told me to ship it.

I have been tracking the package, and it was last scanned yesterday about 3.5 hour drive from its final destination, so it is most of the way there and is supposed to be delivered today sometime. Hopefully it will get there in one peice and I can stop worrying.

Lesson learned; next time I will be doing a better job on finding out ahead of time who really will ship and insure the thing.

[XD40EZO]

ttbadboy,

that's exactly what I'm afraid of...

[Jim Watson]

You got a clerk who did not know company policy or was too lazy to follow it.

[ny32182]

The tracking software says it has been delivered, so I guess I can stop worrying now.

[XD40EZO]

whew...can I breath now too...

[Shmackey]

Having gone through this a few times now, I have some advice.

Go to FedEx.com and set up an account for yourself. It's free, and you'll save 10% or so just by doing this. When you want to ship something, you fill out all the info online, and you can then print out a label.

FedEx will even send you, free of charge, all the shipping supplies you want/need. They'll send you boxes, envelopes, the clear Airbill sleeves--everything.

So, it's time to ship a gun. Go online, fill out the info, and print your label. Do it per overnight regs if it's a handgun, etc. Pack up everything. Slap on the label. Drop it off at a FedEx center--or even a Mailboxes-style place, if they take FedEx dropoffs--and go home.

The worst part about shipping a gun is going into the FedEx store with a gun that's not totally packed up, making a big deal about the whole thing, and wondering what the counter folks are doing with your box now that you've made a scene. Shipping online takes care of all of that.

[Shmackey]

BTW... Someone asked something like "What do I do when I buy a gun online and I want it shipped to me?"

The person shipping the gun will need to send it to an FFL for you. There are no two ways about this. You will need to go to the FFL, fill out the forms, and pay the FFL for the service. Usually $25 around here. Go to the buyer's section of gunbroker.com for a list of FFLs in your area.

The only way someone can ship your gun straight to you is if you sent it to them already, e.g., for repairs. The repairer in question would need to be licensed to receive firearms. You can't ship the gun to your cousin Fred and then have him ship it back to you.

[Zak Smith]

This question has been asked and answered multiple times on THR already.

Next time I suggest trying the "Search" function first.

-z

[DMF]

DELETED

[Marko Kloos]

How do you ship a firearm?

I take the firearm to work.

I box up the firearm.

I hand it to Rebecca in the back office, and say, "Please ship this for me; here's the ink-signed FFL copy."

Rebecca says, "Hokay."

The pay ain't much, but that's one of the perks of the job.

[BluesBear]

So Zak, just how long have you been working in customer service? :rolleyes:

[Zak Smith]

BluesBear,

There is a wealth of information here, and the power of the forum is that we can search topics that have been hashed out definitively over the last several years.

Need help with shipping question please. (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=78303)
Shipping Firearms via UPS/FedEx (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74028)
Another Shipping Question - They want what? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63205)
why do we need a ffl to ship fire arms? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57959)
FFL to Ship/Rec or just Rec Firearm? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24335)
How do I ship a rifle? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64714)
Hand gun shipping back to the factory (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67542)
Verifyng FFL when shipping guns (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72944)
Shipping of Firearm Question (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74291)
Shipping (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49493)
What exactly is the procedure for selling guns to someone out of state? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52111)
need a transfer question answered (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45228)
Handgun Shipping Laws, FFL to FFL (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34810)
Out of state private sale of handgun. (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33411)
Transferring a gun out of state (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29002)
Shipping handgun for repair. (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23748)
Shipping firearms - new BEWARE (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13267)
Angry My FFL's wants to have me arrested.. (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11879)
Upon Sale: Must I Ship From FFL to FFL (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2295)
Fedex/UPS: Don't Ask, Don't Tell? (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3806)

Showing up and asking a question first without doing any research is like walking into a library and asking the first person you see to do your homework.

-z