This may be old hat for many, but I have a question about a non FFL shiping a handgun to a FFL. What are the legalities and what do we have to do to be legal without it costing an arm and a leg for shipping? Thanks, Anthony
Q on shipping hanguns
- Thread starter Walkalong
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joab
Member
This is what I have followed in the past
Mad Magyar
Member
+1 I've shipped about 5 pistols over the years, and FedEx always delivered. I like the Overnight service; costly but reliable..
The frame is legally the firearm, however, that only keeps you from shipping it USPS. It's fully, 100% legal to disassemble the gun and seperate it into two boxes (i.e., frame and slide, or frame and cylinder) and ship both as "gun parts" via UPS or FedEx ground, so long as the frame goes to an FFL. And the box without the frame can be shipped as parts via USPS. If you ship them by different carriers, to different addresses (like the frame UPS ground to the FFL, slide USPS Priority Mail to the buyer), that pretty much eliminates the chances of anyone figuring it out and stealing the gun.
Federal law states you must tell the carrier the box contains a firearm only if the box is not being shipped to an FFL.
Federal law states you must tell the carrier the box contains a firearm only if the box is not being shipped to an FFL.
AirForceShooter
Member
Make very sure the FFL will accept it.
AFS
AFS
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
FedEx OVERNIGHT (Air)
Greeting's AC My Friend-
This regulation was put into effect due to the amount of handguns being
stolen off of trucking terminal docks. I don't think the government had a
thing to do with this decision; but rather this is a FedEx written policy. I
think they have established a standard rate for overnight air; but I'm not
positive about that? At any rate, its worth the cost to insure that your
firearm isn't stolen~!
Greeting's AC My Friend-
This regulation was put into effect due to the amount of handguns being
stolen off of trucking terminal docks. I don't think the government had a
thing to do with this decision; but rather this is a FedEx written policy. I
think they have established a standard rate for overnight air; but I'm not
positive about that? At any rate, its worth the cost to insure that your
firearm isn't stolen~!
joab
Member
It's FedEx policy
UPS has the same policy
USPS has a no handguns for commoner policy and the other shippers have a no gun policy
"The frame is legally the firearm, however, that only keeps you from shipping it USPS. It's fully, 100% legal to disassemble the gun and seperate it into two boxes (i.e., frame and slide, or frame and cylinder) and ship both as "gun parts" via UPS or FedEx ground, so long as the frame goes to an FFL."
The serial numbered frame remains a firearm no matter how many parts you remove.
The serial numbered frame remains a firearm no matter how many parts you remove.
I've had lots of experience shipping packages and know the fedex system well. I probably shouldn't encourage this but of all the shipping services always use FedEx overnight, by 10:30am, not by 3pm.
Government checks happen at all places randomly but generally overnight packages are barely checked because if you drop it off near 5pm (usual cutoff time) it gets picked up and shipped out within 4 hours on a plane, so there isn't alot of time to go through packages.
Don't ship ammunition, unless you know how to make sure not even a hint of gunpowder gets anywhere. That means if you handled a firearm, left the house to ship a sealed package, you probably left enough scent for a dog to pickup.
Use gloves, disassemble the firearm, ship it in two packages, taken apart.. Some packages will be x-rayed, I've never had a problem, but put a note inside each package, about how you are following the law, and believe this is the right way to ship the package in the event you package does get opened you will just be a victim of misunderstanding who is an upstanding confused citizen.
Try not to break the laws if you can help it.
Government checks happen at all places randomly but generally overnight packages are barely checked because if you drop it off near 5pm (usual cutoff time) it gets picked up and shipped out within 4 hours on a plane, so there isn't alot of time to go through packages.
Don't ship ammunition, unless you know how to make sure not even a hint of gunpowder gets anywhere. That means if you handled a firearm, left the house to ship a sealed package, you probably left enough scent for a dog to pickup.
Use gloves, disassemble the firearm, ship it in two packages, taken apart.. Some packages will be x-rayed, I've never had a problem, but put a note inside each package, about how you are following the law, and believe this is the right way to ship the package in the event you package does get opened you will just be a victim of misunderstanding who is an upstanding confused citizen.
Try not to break the laws if you can help it.
And? Federal law says you can't ship a handgun, by federal law definition, via USPS. So don't do that!
UPS and FedEx company policy says you can't ship a "handgun" by their definition of a handgun, not federal law definition, unless it's overnight. So don't do that, either!
Problem solved. Don't ship the frame USPS, don't ship a complete handgun UPS/FedEx Ground.
RNB65
Member
That is exactly what federal law says. But, unfortunately, the BATFE doesn't follow federal law. They make up their own law by making their own interpretations of federal law regardless of what the law says. And the BATFE says you must notify the common carrier:
I believe that federal law does not require you to notify the common carrier if you're shipping a firearm to an FFL. But the BATFE says you must and if you get caught doing otherwise, they're going to persuade a federal prosecutor to file charges against you in federal district court. With a really good lawyer you might eventually win the court battle, but it's going to cost you an arm and a leg. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Like the IRS, the BATFE does not have a sense of humor and they do not fight fair.
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