Ever Have an issue shipping a Firearm?

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Averageman

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I was shipping a Colt 1991 off to have some custom work done on it by a in state Gunsmith and FFL. His instructions included a bit of a warning about dealing with these folks and the issues I might encounter.
So, I was warned, but I had no idea I would encounter something on the level of an episode of "The Three Stooges." when I tried to send my pistol through Fed Ex.
The Clerk "We don't ship firearms."
Co Worker "Yes, we do ship Firearms."
The Clerk "Do you have an FFL."
Me "No, I'm shipping it to and FFL."
Clerk "Then we cannot ship your Pistol."
Co Worker "Yes we can as long as he is shipping it to a FFL holder."
The Clerk "Are you shipping it to an FFL?"
Me "Yes as I stated earlier I am shipping it to an FFL, here is his name and address on the label."
At this point her Co Worker takes the information from me to verify the package is going to an FFL. I get to go to the end of the line while he does the verification.
45 minutes later and $78.00 lighter, my pistol is insured for its value (another three way conversation full of "No we cannot's" with the Co Workers "Yes, we can's" ) and is on its way to San Antonio.
I'm not sure if She just didn't want to help me or She was totally ignorant of the process, but it certainly was a frustrating experience.
All that was missing was an eye poke and a thrown cream pie.
 
Had a similar problem. The website said they do, with a weight and price-per-distance to the other zip code. Get down to the office, the counter guy says they don't ship pistols. Another person says they do. Guy shrugs, punches buttons in a keyboard, looks at the screen, and quotes a price about twice what I figured. I hand him the printout I had made from the website. He consults with another. They get on their own website and talk about it. They finally accept the package and the original amount I had calculated, and off it went, finally.

Oh, for the good old days when you could just mail firearms back and forth.
 
It happens all the time both Fed Ex and UPS. You also have to use the "official" Hub and not a Pack and ship or UPS Store, or similar type private business.

It's usually cheaper and less hassle to ship from your local FFL.
 
It happens all the time both Fed Ex and UPS. You also have to use the "official" Hub and not a Pack and ship or UPS Store, or similar type private business.
It's usually cheaper and less hassle to ship from your local FFL.

That's funny, I used the pack and ship.
You may be right about that, but I'm thinking when it is time to pick it up I will just fire up the Mustang and drive on over to S.A. to get it.
I may have to stop for fuel once and BBQ twice though.
 
New UPS charges....

The last time I sent a firearm to a custom shop(gunsmith) was 2007. :rolleyes:
I used a FedEx Office location to send my Beretta 96D .40S&W to Robar Guns in AZ by express(overnight-insured), www.robarguns.com .
I put my unloaded pistol & 2 extra magazines(which I wanted to be given NP3) in a black Doskocil gun case.
The FedEx Office clerk neither asked me what the item was or inspected the items in the case. He just put the gun case in a FedEx package & processed my shipment w/o incident. ;)

Id add that UPS is now reportedly going to start charging more $$$ for the delivery service. :mad:
The media says UPS had lower sales during the 2014 holiday season so they will now have higher delivery charges.

Id also point out that if a UPS or FedEx clerk/manager wants asks, guns can be sent by the owners to gunsmiths or gun companies for repairs, service or custom work. This was noted in the federal Gun Control Act of 1968.

Rusty
 
Next time you have to do that, take it to your friendly neighborhood FFL for shipping. He can ship it via USPS Priority mail for 1/4 of what you can via FedEx. Even after the fee for his time/trouble, you'll still be way ahead.
 
Hmm.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, I've sent numerous guns off to gunsmiths for work and have never had a problem or hassle.

I use FedEx and take the package to a FedEx hub (which is fortunately nearby). I tell the counter person it's an unloaded pistol going to an FFL and that I want it shipped overnight insured for $xxx.xx (full value). He/she calculates the cost. I pay my money, and I'm on my way.

Last time I shipped a gun off was a few years ago, but all my experience with FedEx has been good. It's not cheap, but neither were the guns I was sending off.
 
I was turned away from one MBE in the 90s with a pre-1898 and went to another. Just recently I sent a SxS shotgun receiver to a smith for some work and the USPS lady demanded to know if it was a "sawed off shotgun" because the box was "too small" (ironically that gun has 30" barrels).

I had a very confused MBE employee about 12 or 13 years ago challenge my shipping of a sword saying "You can only ship a weapon to 'a maker'." I insisted the recipient was "a maker". :)

But generally, and especially in recent years, I've had no trouble. I think MBE and similar stores are the reason that carriers now accept weapons at hubs only.

My biggest recent issue was about a year ago having to pick up some shotgun shells at a regional UPS warehouse (one level above a hub) an hour away (and the closed up early the first time so I had to make the 2 hours round trip twice). I still don't know why my shells got the HAZMAT treatment--they are usually just left at my door. It was shipped with the new white trapezoid on black "small quantity of hazardous consumer goods" instead of ORM-D and I wonder if they were confused by that. All ammo shipments since have been left at my door.

Mike
 
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I would agree that at least one of our two local FFL's would have done it cheaper, but then again with a 5 pm drop off it simply isn't going to happen overnight and I would have no guarantee that my insurance would equal the full replacement value unless I did it myself.
I seem to remember our local hub being filled with more "whack a doodles" like the lady at the counter, but I will look in to it if caught in that situation again.
I will pick up the pistol on my way back from a business trip I will be taking in April through May. The cost savings of doing it that way will make up fir the $78.00 price they got from me this time.
Also I had a 5 lbs Pork Roast waiting for me in the oven at home while Fed Ex was goofing this up. I didn't want to be late for dinner.
 
I have always taken my pistols to my dealer ready to ship. He then takes to Post office and sends . I pay him the postage. He does this since I am a regular customer as part of his service. I enclose return information inside with the pistol.
 
I used UPS to ship a handgun from SC to NM recently. Cost me $100 and change for "Next Day Air", which is the only way they'll do it for a non-FFL. Of course, this pistol was insured for 'a lot'.
 
Interesting discussion. I guess I just never thought of difficulties in shipping a firearm. I just use my UPS/FedEx accounts to prepare the shipment including packaging, insurance, and printing out the shipping labels. I then just drop it off and away it goes. It is my responsibility to insure that I am shipping to a person/business legally able to receive the firearm, not UPS/FedEx.
 
I have a little recent experience about how FedEx pays damage claims. It was involving an instrument but would be applicable to any shipment. They will assign the responsibility for the damage to the last hub to handle it unless someone confesses to having caused the damage earlier in the package's travel. They will send people to pick the damaged package for inspection and then ship it back to the sender. The folks who do the inspection are working in the same hub that is going to be charged with the damage. In other words, "No bonus for you" if the damage totals rise too high. Great system, right? You will need pics of damage, the box and the packing. You will need an estimate of repair cost which will not be allowed to be for more than the declared value. You will have file your own claim online and include all of the above docs. You will wait at least seven working days for a decision and will not be called or notified. You will get a check or not. Plan on lots of calls and having to twist arms to get to speak to the claims department who will not discuss the claim of give reasons for their failure to make a decision. This was my experience. I am really sorry about FedEx. I had a really positive opinion of them before this. It has been drastically altered.
 
I've used FedEx and UPS to ship various firearms.
The last time I shipped a firearm the clerk asked why I was shipping the rifle I answered "Cause it was to heavy for a homing pigeon". There was a cop waiting to ship an item and he thought the answer was pretty funny,the clerk gave me a dirty look.
 
Last time I shipped a firearm FedEx, the clerk was a bit inquisitive about the pistol. Overly so I thought, but it turns out he was just a friendly personality and firearms enthusiast himself. He even bemoaned the posted no firearms policy (the clerk next to him rolled her eyes) at the FedEx location, noting that he'd feel a lot safer if he were allowed to carry (and gave me a tale of some nutjob that they had the prior day, and needed police to haul him out). Aside from the social bantering, the FedEx process was not overly horrible, mor expensive than I would have liked, but the shipping price at the counter was a bit cheaper than the on-line estimate.

Anyways ... Fedex/UPS overnight charges are extortion, but their insurance and tracking are at least better than USPS (thinking back to the FFL suggestion). It's just me, but my local FFL's fees+USPS shipping are pretty much break even with FedEx/UPS in most instances. And USPS is unreliable, at best, IMHO.

I'll be a happy man if I never have to deal with another USPS claim again. Have had many problems collecting USPS "insurance." I have five claims over the past 10 years, not a single one has been resolved (packages arrived ripped open and contents gone; fragile items shattered and the box looked like the delivery truck parked in it; two packages I've shipped that just plain vanished from the face of the earth despite tracking and delivery confirmation). :banghead:
 
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The last two long guns were shipped by fedex. Measured and weighed the box at home, logged on, paid, and printed a label at home. Both times i walked in, set it on the counter and let them know it was a rifle. Clerk scans the bar code, sticks the label to the box and hands me a receipt. Next...
 
FedEx has been good for me too shipping long guns. I have a USAA sponsored FedEx account which saves some nice coin, plus I just schedule at home pickup for a few bucks... Box gets a label printed from my laser printer, paid online from my account, driver shows up and takes the package, scans it, and on its way it goes.

Really nice way to do long guns if you have the pick up at home ability.
 
I use FedEx also, and typically use a less expensive service than overnight. I go to a hub, and have never had a problem. One thing I usually do now, is take a picture of the gun sitting beside the prepared/labeled shipping box; I've never had one lost or stolen during shipping, but doing this is pretty quick and easy, and I think it would make filing a claim easier at some point if I ever had to do so. (I also routinely take a picture of my gun sitting next to its hard sided lockable case, and the airline declaration tag, before it all gets locked in my suitcase before a checked baggage airline flight. I get some funny looks from airline gate agents, but I have also had several say "good idea"!)
 
Normandy said:
I used UPS to ship a handgun from SC to NM recently. Cost me $100 and change for "Next Day Air", which is the only way they'll do it for a non-FFL. Of course, this pistol was insured for 'a lot'.
Click to expand...

If you are any where near Columbia SC, come see me next time you do something like that.

I charge $20 (my normal transfer fee) plus the actual cost of the postage/insurance. For a handgun, that probably would have been $40 tops.
 
It happens all the time both Fed Ex and UPS.
Click to expand...
This. Visit their website, print up their guidance and be prepared to educate their employees. Be prepared to ask for a supervisor.
With their own company's guidance, in print, you will be successful...although it may be frustrating.

You also have to use the "official" Hub and not a Pack and ship or UPS Store, or similar type private business.
Click to expand...
Yep.

It's usually cheaper and less hassle to ship from your local FFL.
Click to expand...
Yes, if your local FFL will ship using USPS and not try to rape you.

It's always nice to have options.
 
I'm lucky that the local worker in the FedEx office has shipped firearms so it's a non issue.
 
I've never had much trouble, and in this day and age while they were arguing I'd have looked it up on their website on my phone and showed them their own policy. ;)

I've done that kind of thing before, it'll shut people up real quick.
 
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