OK here is my question. I go to Alaska every summer for a few weeks. I want to ship my handgun up there and I will leave it there with my buddies so I don't have to mess around with it and the airlines. How do I have to ship it? neither of us has an FFL. thanks for your help!
How do i ship a handgun
- Thread starter kgpcr
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Since you are not a dealer, you can't us US Mail for a handgun, will have to use UPS or FedEx. You can ship it to yourself at wherever you will be staying.
You don't want to ship it to a dealer, as they would have to do a transfer to give it over to you, and you're not a resident.
But it really is no big deal to fly with one, probably easier than dealing with the often misinformed counter staff at the shipping companies..
You don't want to ship it to a dealer, as they would have to do a transfer to give it over to you, and you're not a resident.
But it really is no big deal to fly with one, probably easier than dealing with the often misinformed counter staff at the shipping companies..
dogtown tom
Member
There's a sticky on shipping firearms at the top of this sub forum.
While Federal law permits shipping to oneself, current FedEx or UPS tariffs prohibit shipping to a nonlicensee. Violate their tariffs and any claim for loss, damage, or theft is invalid.
Correct.
This is the OP's only option.
Well, being that their written tariffs prohibit shipping to a nonlicensee they likely are not misinformed.
It doesn't matter what the counter clerk says is "okay", the published tariff is the final word.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
You are transferring a firearm to someone who is a resident of another state.
Yes, I know you think you're just storing it with him. That doesn't matter. Possession is 9/10th of the law here (well, 10/10ths really) and you can't just give a firearm (or ship one) to someone in another state.
You could ship it to YOURSELF, at his address. He may not open it. You'll have to do that when you get there. Once you're done with your visit, you'd need to ship it to yourself at your own address. You can't leave it there, as that would be an illegal transfer of a firearm across state lines. As Tom points out, this is a practical problem at the moment due to the common carriers' policies.
About the only way for a friend to "hold it for you" is for you to do a legal transfer of that firearm through a dealer (in HIS state, since it's a handgun) and he then is lawfully receiving it. Might as well just ship it to your pal's local dealer and let them do the transfer. Of course, then it isn't "yours" but you can borrow it when you're in the state. The best way to do that is to have YOUR local dealer ship it for you to his local dealer, as your dealer can take advantage of much cheaper rates than you can.
...
Of course, the most practical way is to simply (VERY simply, and easily) fly with the gun. It's no big deal and saves so much time and effort and all the knotty problems of transferring and shipping.
Just read up on how to fly with a gun and do it. Nothin' to it.
dogtown tom
Member
Not via USPS.
Not via UPS.
Not via FedEx.
So how is he going to ship it?
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
To quote myself, "As Tom points out, this is a practical problem at the moment due to the common carriers' policies." By law, he could. Finding someone who WILL is a pain at the moment.
NavyLCDR
member
Advatages to flying with the gun in checked baggage:
1. It will be cheaper.
2. You can take ammo with you in the same checked baggage as well. If you wanted to ship ammo it would have to go via ground shipment while the handgun would have to be shipped via air. Which is really a moot point since UPS and FEDEX are not supposed to (due to company policy) ship handguns between two (or the same) private parties anyway.
3. You get your gun right away at the airport.
4. You only make one trip to the airport, vice a trip to the shipping company to ship the handgun and then a second trip to the airport.
1. It will be cheaper.
2. You can take ammo with you in the same checked baggage as well. If you wanted to ship ammo it would have to go via ground shipment while the handgun would have to be shipped via air. Which is really a moot point since UPS and FEDEX are not supposed to (due to company policy) ship handguns between two (or the same) private parties anyway.
3. You get your gun right away at the airport.
4. You only make one trip to the airport, vice a trip to the shipping company to ship the handgun and then a second trip to the airport.
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