Shipping Ammo - Texas to Alaska

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DickP

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Hey all:

I'm trying to ship a small quantity (approx. 250 rounds) of ammunition from Texas to my friend in Alaska. The BATFE agent I spoke with told me that the feds didn't have any problem with my shipping handloads (.480 Ruger) directly to an individual's home address in Alaska, and that I could do so through UPS or FedEx.

The FedEx agent I spoke with told me that FedEx would only ship ammunition "to a business address." I don't know if he meant an FFL holder, or if he didn't grasp the distinction I was trying to draw between firearms and ammunition, or if it is in fact FedEx's policy not to ship ammo between individuals...

I contacted UPS, and the agent there confirmed that individual-to-individual shipments of ammunition were permitted, but it would consititute a shipment of hazardous materials. I then spoke with UPS's haz-mat division, and was told that because the shipment would have to go via air, rather than ground, a $25.00 haz-mat fee applied. "Okay" I said.

"But sir, to ship haz mat via air, you'd have to be a contractor with us, which requires you to complete a hazardous shipping training course, and apply for a haz-mat shipping contract with UPS, etc., etc."

"Huh. So, practically speaking, there's no way for me to send ammunition to somebody in Alaska?"

"No, I'm sorry." She didn't sound particularly sorry.

Is there anything I can do? If it's not practically possible, then I can live with that - but what the heck?

Thanks!
 
Welcome to my world! The answer is either fly it up with you on a jet while complying with the airline regs or barge it from Seattle. It's the small quantities like you have that are the most troublesome.

Easiest way to deal with an off-beat round like the .480 is to ship the unprimed brass and the bullets, leaving out primers and powder. Loaded ammo is a non starter.
 
I love how even the companies doing the shipping don't know the law or their own rules, or just make stuff up as they go along.

The biggest issue with going to Alaska is of course that ammo shipments normally must go ground. In ground shipments, loaded ammo and primed brass are not haz-mat, they are "regulated materials" and just need the ORM-D label on the package.

I've received ammo shipments via FedEx Ground to my residential address, so that's probably fine with them.

Wish I could provide you with a better idea of how to get the goodies to a non-CONUS address.
 
Unfortunately it's not OK with them to do it that way. The problem with shipping ground is Canada. The carriers have to route by air, which makes ORM-D into hazmat.
 
Thanks guys.

My buddy's been talking about getting into handloading - from what you all are telling me, now might be the right time...

What about ammo from Midway, and the like? Is it just 'cause I'm an individual, or do Alaskans have to deal with these hassles on transactions from commercial ammo dealers?
 
Unlike you or I throwing a case of ammo in the trunk and heading north, UPS is considered a "bonded carrier" and can carry ammunition and guns and whatever through Canada to Alaska in it's trucks. All truckloads heading to Alaska are sealed and the seals inspected at both entry and exit, and it doesn't matter what's in them (so long as the seals aren't broken, but that's another story).

You need to find a UPS clerk that ain't full of poop.
 
I agree they probably COULD and they probably SHOULD but they WON'T. Not for a private individual with no hazmat certification.

What about ammo from Midway, and the like? Is it just 'cause I'm an individual, or do Alaskans have to deal with these hassles on transactions from commercial ammo dealers?
Click to expand...

We have to deal with them from everyone. Fedex maybe willing to ship as "dangerous goods" but the costs are extremely high, delivery restricted and most vendors will not do it.
 
nalioth said:
You need to find a UPS clerk that ain't full of poop.
Click to expand...
Or better yet, don't ask them squat, just hand over the box with an ORM-D label on it - the same label that goes on hairspray and aftershave. They probably won't ask anything, so you don't have to say anything.
 
Unlike you or I throwing a case of ammo in the trunk and heading north, UPS is considered a "bonded carrier" and can carry ammunition and guns and whatever through Canada to Alaska in it's trucks.
Click to expand...

While this may be true, I can tell you from experience that neither of them will ship ammo to or from AK from a private individual. I have tried multiple times, and they would not. Most retailers like Midway USA will not ship to AK either. Doubletap ammo will, but it will cost you. For me, it was one of the major down sides of living there. I still go back up there fairly often for work, and I just make sure to bring enough of it with me on the plane.

Unless you plan on buying bulk and justifying the cost of a freight forwarding service, you are pretty much limited to the ammo that is available in the state. And if you thought the ammo/reloading supplies shortage in the lower 48 was bad, you should have seen it up there.
 
If FedEx will do ground transport through Canada but only to a business address, can't an individual ship it to an Alaska FFL of the friend's choice? Or have a friendly FFL here ship to an FFL there? No law is involved, and it shoukl satisfy company policy.
 
only problem is that neither fedex or UPS ship ground, and a regulated material can be flown, for a few extra dollars and the hasmat fee, and at that price you would be better off just calling wild west guns or gun runners and have them order some up.....

You can carry it in your luggage, refer to the airline website and look under shipping guns and ammo, just make sure its unloaded, OH and BTW, powder and primers ARE has-mat, and must be shipped via barge, with a limit of 300#'s, FOR THE ENTIRE STATE, so it only comes up in small amounts, a little at a time, and you will pay a premium.

OH, and Canada, that is fun, first do the ATF export paperwork, then the canadian import/export paperwork, and then the ATF import paperwork. Cheaper to just fly with it.
 
Of course it matters. It's going by jet at least part way, and it's classified as dangerous goods under IATA. And I'm pretty sure you'd have to lie on the shipper's declarations. Bad idea. Very bad idea. There's a boatload of CFR's and USC's imposing penalties for trying to skirt these rules.
 
mgkdrgn said:
If it is properly labeled ORM-D .... where is the trick? ORM-D is ORM-D is ORM-D, doesn't matter if it is bullets or perfume.
Click to expand...

ORM-D is only for domestic shipments. It cannot be used for international shipments and most carriers will not accept it for air shipments.
 
Cosmoline said:
Of course it matters. It's going by jet at least part way, and it's classified as dangerous goods under IATA. And I'm pretty sure you'd have to lie on the shipper's declarations. Bad idea. Very bad idea. There's a boatload of CFR's and USC's imposing penalties for trying to skirt these rules.
Click to expand...
If it was going to go by AIR, I would agree. But I thought this was an attempt at a GROUND shipment. ORM-D doesn't go air. (spent several years as an air cargo agent, and even more as an IATA certified haz mat specialist)
 
Either it goes by ship (and that is a completely different set of International regulations) or it goes air. Or it goes ground, except they don't truck stuff through canada, I've driven the Alcan, never saw a truck on it, didn't see the commercial inspections stations at the boarders......

So, either call a place in anchorage or where ever you are going and have them put the order in, expect to put money down, or fly with it in your luggage, which is pretty easy, as LOTS of people fly with guns in alaska and to alaska.
 
can't an individual ship it to an Alaska FFL of the friend's choice? Or have a friendly FFL here ship to an FFL there?

the feds didn't have any problem with my shipping handloads

I don't think a FFL wants to put themselves in the loop of distributing someone's handloads.
 
all ammo and gun powder must go to alaska by barge and even then in special dangerous goods area on board. My info from 15 years ago ,however doubt anything has changed with Air Cargo.
 
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