Holy Cow, Shipping Guns is Expensive

Status
Not open for further replies.
I sent a revolver to taurus a few years ago thru the post office nextday air,cost me $25 . got it back2 weeks later the same way with nothing said by anybody.
maybe I broke the law and didn`t even know it :confused: but that is how taurus told me to do it.
I recently had to ship back a box of 30-30 shells back to remington, they sent me a label
for overnite from fed-ex
 
turkeybuster said:
maybe I broke the law and didn`t even know it but that is how taurus told me to do it.
Click to expand...
It's sad that they told you that, but they're not the ones putting themselves in line to go to federal prison.
 
DeepSouth said:
Yep, you are also suppose to tell them if it is a handgun, because they (long guns and handguns) have different shipping requirements. These things are company policy not law, so sometimes you get lucky. For instance, I got my wife to take a Walther P22 to UPS she came back and and I asked her what it cost to ship it, 8$ and some change. I asked if she told them it was a handgun, she said she told them TWICE and the second time the lady looked at her and said "yeah you already told me" so my wife said I just "shut up and let her do her job"
Click to expand...
Federal law requires you to in form the shipper that the shipment contains a firearm, not just if it is a handgun.

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm through the U. S. Postal Service. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. A nonlicensee may not transfer any firearm to a nonlicensed resident of another state.

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]
 
If you called Ruger before shipping it, they would have sent a label to have it shipped to them at their expense as well.
Click to expand...

I also recently had to send a Blackhawk back to New Hampshire. During online correspondence with Ruger, they said that they had never heard of my problem, but to go ahead and send it in. They never offered to pay. It cost me $63 with Fedex.
 
Occam's Razor said:
Federal law requires you to in form the shipper that the shipment contains a firearm, not just if it is a handgun.
Click to expand...

I was waiting for someone to post this incorrect information. Federal Law requires you to inform the shipper IN WRITING of a firearm shipment in only ONE instance: that instance being if the firearm being shipped is going out of state to a non-FFL holder. If the firearm is being shipped within the same state to anybody, or if the firearm is going out of state to an FFL, such as a licensed manufacturer, Federal law DOES NOT require notification to the shipper.

Title 18, Chapter 44, Section 922, Subsection (e) of United States Code:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000922----000-.html

(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
Click to expand...

And if you don't believe me, here is the BATF confirmation:

http://yfrog.com/5kbatfnj
 
On Friday, February 19th I sent a rifle to a shop in Idaho. Just as soon as I told the USPS clerk what it was, he yells out "OMG, it a GUN" !

Then I was told I could not ship it ! Rather than have a P*****g contest I asked immediately for the main supervisor. While waiting I let them know I knew the rules after another employee said I had to be a dealer to send anything!

Even then it took about 45 minutes to get it done. Most of that time was spent waiting for the supervisor to "find" a certain paper I was supposed to sign. It was worded as if for a dealer to fill out rather than for a person other than a dealer.

Total cost was $43.00 + change including $600.00 insurance.


Where do they get these morons who don't know their regulations, (then want to argue with you that they're right) ?



Thanks,

CI
 
Shipping anything yourself through UPS locations is expensive, I remember sending off my video card for a trade in thing set me back about $45
 
Just sent a S&W handgun back to Massachusetts yesterday for service. Total round trip cost? Zero.

While we have these unconstitutional laws in place, S&W's return policies are definitely a factor in favor of my doing business with them in the future. In other settings, I have never paid more than $35.00 to ship handguns through an FFL. There it pays to have a preexisting relationship with one though.
 
I made the mistake of using UPS to send off a Money order i used to pay for a gun the other day and it was $11 to mail a letter... nothing fancy, nothing fast. I just had to get it out that day and was too tired to worry about a stamp and finding a drop box blah blah blah.

lazy excuse i know but oh well.

JOe
 
I've heard horror stories about attempting to collect insurance when everything was properly declared. And how do they know it's not properly declared if it's lost in space?

On one hand, I want to believe they do extra tracking to make sure a parcel that is at apparently high risk arrives safe and sound. On the other, it would probably have a better chance of an uneventful journey if attention wasn't focused on it.

It does seem ironic that the shipper pays a steep price for thieves hired by transport companies.

Oh, regarding the title of this thread: Great guns, shipping cows is expensive!
 
Last edited:
My FFL can get a handgun or long gun anywhere in the country for an average of $18 insured (+FFL fee). Long guns go Fedex and handguns go USPS.

Regular shippers can get an agreement with UPS to ship Second Day Air for firearms, its just a matter of talking to them, they will do it without issue.
 
NavyLT said:
I was waiting for someone to post this incorrect information. Federal Law requires you to inform the shipper IN WRITING of a firearm shipment in only ONE instance: that instance being if the firearm being shipped is going out of state to a non-FFL holder. If the firearm is being shipped within the same state to anybody, or if the firearm is going out of state to an FFL, such as a licensed manufacturer, Federal law DOES NOT require notification to the shipper.

Title 18, Chapter 44, Section 922, Subsection (e) of United States Code:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000922----000-.html



And if you don't believe me, here is the BATF confirmation:

http://yfrog.com/5kbatfnj
Click to expand...
You are correct. My post was to clear the apparent misconception that notification needs to be made only if it is a handgun.
 
Under what circumstance would you send a firearm to a non-FFL holder?

The last few times I shipped handguns I used UPS 2nd Day Air and called them machine parts, but they were going to FFLs. A few years ago I went to a UPS "hub" (30 miles), declared it as a handgun, and the clerk opened the package and had me remove the handgun and unload and show clear. :rolleyes: Then it cost me over $50.
 
CMP ships Fed Ex overnight, rifles, for 22.95.....but they probably have a deal
going with fed ex......?
 
Under what circumstance would you send a firearm to a non-FFL holder?
Click to expand...

A private sale. Inside the same state, in most states it would be perfectly legal. Going out of state, it would be illegal, hence the requirement in Federal law to notify the shipper in writing, in that one particular circumstance only (going out of state to a non-FFL) - because that shipment is more than likely illegal anyway.
 
This was discussed in depth here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=317345

I no longer disclose when shipping guns. If UPS tries to refuse paying should they lose one (they haven't yet) we are going to court. The fact that I did not declare what is in the package had no bearing on the fact that they lost it.

The only reason UPS requires you to declare a firearm is because their employees steal them otherwise. Therefore, I contend that notifying UPS that there is a firearm in the package INCREASES the odds of an employee stealing it.

Even so, if I ship a 3 pound handgun from Orlando to Yonkers, the cost for shipping overnight with a $1000 declared value is $91.

I can send it second day air for $19, a savings of $72. As long as UPS loses fewer than one in 14 shipments, I am coming out ahead.
 
While we have these unconstitutional laws in place, S&W's return policies are definitely a factor in favor of my doing business with them in the future.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! S&W is my first choice when looking for a new gun. Now that they make AR15s, maybe they will start making AKs :)

--wally.
 
nalioth said:
Depending on circumstances, you may be breaking federal law doing this.


I am not sure why these threads descend into "he said" "she said" "the office monkey said" type posts. .

The laws and shipper's policies are stickied several places here on THR, as well as other places on the internet. Guessing games while shipping firearms can land you in prison. One should follow the laws, not what "I heard on an internet discussion board".
Click to expand...

Well said.

Here are the shipping laws and code reference.

A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.

[18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract 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), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]

A FFL can send a handgun to another FFL through the U.S.P.S. DMM 432 Using Form PS 1508

So take your handgun to an FFL, this is why you see dealers charging $30 shipping of handguns on auction sites.
 
Rubble said:
A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract 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.
Click to expand...

Rubble,

The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has admitted, in writing, that their FAQ which you have posted (it is not a LAW by any means, it is a FAQ) contains an error:

batfn.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

BringHomeTheBacon
  • Locked
I had an issue shipping a handgun UPS today.
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
CraigC
CraigC
hso
  • Locked
Airports, Absent Mindedness and Happy Stories
Replies
3
Views
645
hso
hso
dogtown tom
  • Locked
  • Sticky
How to ship firearms 17 Dec 2022
Replies
0
Views
2K
dogtown tom
dogtown tom
PCCUSNRET
  • Locked
Remington 700 Sent For Possible Repairs
Replies
17
Views
589
kyle1974
K
N
  • Locked
Handgun Stolen While Shipped Via UPS!
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Zak Smith
Zak Smith
Back
Top