Post Office Ban On Mailing Replica Or Inert Munitions

[Cavalier Knight]

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Friday, April 4, 2008

The Post Office is wading into the gun control debate.

That's right, the U.S. Postal Service is trying to keep people from shipping replica or inert munitions through the mail.

They have no authority in the law, since Congress has kept for itself the power to decide what can and cannot be shipped. But the Post Office is trying to say that replica or inert munitions are hazardous!

Gun Owners of America's attorneys just found out about this outrageous proposal which was issued by the Post Office. Although the deadline for postmarking is Monday, April 7, our attorneys say that e-mails and letters should be sent anyway.

If you are a re-enactor or collector of replica or inert munitions, you are in the Post Office crosshairs. If you are not directly involved in this, you should still be outraged that a bunch of bureaucrats are trying to further restrict Second Amendment activity.

By the way, there is one interesting dimension to all of this: Canada wants the US to help shut off shipment of these items into Canada. So it looks like our bureaucrats are eager to appease other governments by changing our laws to make them as bad as our neighbors'.

You can read the Postal Service proposed regulations here:
http://uxoinfo.com/blogcfc/client/enclosures/Proposed-Ban_ShippingInert.pdf

You can read GOA's comments to the Postal Service here:
http://www.gunowners.org/fs0803.pdf

ACTION: Please send your comments to the Post Office ASAP. The letter must be postmarked by Monday, April 7, 2008. Here's the contact information.

TITLE: 73 Fed. Reg. 12321: New Standards Prohibit the Mailing of Replica or Inert Munitions

E-MAIL: [email protected]

SNAIL MAIL:
Manager, Mailing Standards
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Room 3436
Washington, DC 20260-3436

 

[Animal Mother]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current Postal Service standards do not
prohibit look-alike weapons from the mail. In order to ensure safety of
postal employees and prevent damage to postal property or other
mailpieces, inert munitions have been handled as ``live ammunition''
when found in the mail. In the past, facilities have been evacuated
when inert replicas have been identified in the mailstream. In 2006,
the Postal Service recorded 849 suspicious incidents involving mail
that exhibited characteristics of possible explosives. Postal
facilities were evacuated on 100 separate occasions due to these
occurrences. Postal Inspectors or local emergency first responders
reacted to each of these occurrences to assess the items. Evacuations
cost the Postal Service time and money, create unnecessary stress for
employees, and can impact service commitments.
Most importantly, employee safety can be jeopardized when
facsimiles of potentially dangerous items are permitted in the mail.
Both real and replica explosives have been found in the mail and the
replicas often are not readily distinguishable from the real articles.
The Postal Service is concerned that without prohibition of these types
of mail pieces, continued exposure to replicated munitions, over time,
will lead to desensitized reactions should an employee encounter
items in the mail that should be regarded as dangerous.
This proposed rule is part of our ongoing commitment to increase
the safety of the mail and provide a safe working environment for our
employees.
Although we are exempt from the notice and comment requirements of
the Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C. of 553(b), (c)] regarding
proposed rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites
public comment on the following proposed revisions to Mailing Standards
of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM),
incorporated in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 111.1.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
PART 111--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414,
416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633
and 5001.
2. Revise the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as follows:
* * * * *
600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
601 Mailability
* * * * *
11.0 Other Restricted and Nonmailable Matter
* * * * *
[Renumber current 11.5 through 11.20 as 11.6 through 11.21. Insert
new 11.5 to read as follows:]
11.5 Replica or Inert Munitions
Replica or inert munitions that bear a realistic appearance, such
as simulated grenades or other simulated explosive devices, are not
permitted in the mail.
* * * * *
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes if the proposal is adopted.
Neva R. Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. E8-4459 Filed 3-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P

I would think that it would definitely be important that you fire off a letter to prevent this. This is just another example of government bureaucrats creating legislation through regulations. Just think, you can't ship out inert munitions, so any snap caps that are used for safety's sake are prohibited. No more dummy rounds, or even airsoft.

A lot of fellow gunnies scoff at airsoft, but its one way for kids to get involved in shooting sports if they live in an area where they can't easily get to a range. They can help a lot with the perception of guns among our youth.

Lets also hope that your reloading brass or lead bullets aren't considered inert munitions by USPS. You can kiss goodbye the idea of receiving reloading supplies via the USPS if this regulation is adopted.

If anything we need to be rolling these restrictions like these back from the USPS. If not the day will come when UPS or FedEx refuse to ship firearms, and then where will we be? We are already at the mercy of private companies in order to receive ammunition and firearms via shipping. We don't need this regulation to further insulate USPS from shipping anything weapon related. You would think the USPS would understand inert munitions are by definition 100% safe from explosion.

 

[WayneConrad]

Tomorrow is the drop-dead day for our comments. Time to get the lead out!

The letter must be postmarked by Monday, April 7, 2008.

constrast with:

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before April 7, 2008.

I'm writing a letter, which I will send. But a literal reading of the PDF would seem to mean that we'd better be sending emails at this late hour. Comments?

PS: When you write your letter... you are taking a few minutes of this nice Sunday to write a letter, aren't you?... make sure you urge that congress should fix this for them. Once it gets to congress, we can pressure congress to remove the ban on handguns being mailed. That's the real fix. Do not mention that part in your letter.

 

[WayneConrad]

Snail-mail letter attached.

My email is pretty much the same. Just not as pretty:

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regards to the proposed new standards to prohibit the
mailing of replica or inert munitions. I disagree with these
standards for these reasons:

The postal service lacks the statutory authority to prohibit
such items.​

The regulation is vague and may ban other items not intended
to be banned.​

If a prohibition is necessary, that prohibition must come from
congress. I urge you not to adopt these standards.

Best Regards,

Wayne Conrad
17802 North 50th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85308

I've shown you mine. Now, you show me yours.