Shipping Firearms to Yourself

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vintage68

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Hello All,

I recently relocated to Florida where I am not a yet resident, having moved from Colorado where I still have residency. I'm flying back to Colorado for a few days next week and want to pick up a new handgun or possibly a shotgun.

Can I legally ship a firearm back to myself at my new home in Florida? I'd rather not bring it back with me on the plane since I have to transfer twice and I'm leery of trusting a high-value firearm to the TSA.
 
I know it is legal to do this in most cases, the only catch I can maybe see is your lack of residence in FL. I think your best bet would be to just fly with it. As long as you have a decent case and a good lock, I wouldn't worry about it. I have flown with my military firearms on multiple occasions and have never ran into any issues. I don't know if I would fly using a cheap "walmart" case that can be pried open even when locked though. Firearms are treated just like any other piece of luggage, they get checked with everything else and transferred with everything else.
 
Its perfectly legal, residency doesn't matter. You will have to use UPS, since FedEx will only ship to an FFL.

"May a nonlicensee ship firearms interstate for his or her use in hunting or other lawful activity?

Yes. A person may ship a firearm to himself or herself in care of another person in the State where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. The package should be addressed to the owner. Persons other than the owner should not open the package and take possession of the firearm."

"May a person who is relocating out of State move firearms with other household goods?

Yes. A person who lawfully possesses a firearm may transport or ship the firearm interstate when changing his or her State of residence.

Certain NFA firearms must have prior approval from the Bureau of ATF before they may be moved interstate. The person must notify the mover that firearms are being transported. He or she should also check State and local laws where relocating to ensure that movement of firearms into the new State does not violate any State law or local ordinance."

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(4) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.28 and 478.31]
 
Its perfectly legal, residency doesn't matter. You will have to use UPS, since FedEx will only ship to an FFL.
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Yup.I HIGHLY recomend you go to UPS's website and print out their policy to take with you, and if you have a C&R, take that with you too.I had to argue with UPS when I shipped a bunch of long guns to myself.The guy claimed I couldnt do it, in spite of me handing him the printout of thier own policy.Then he changed his story to snidely ask if I had an FFl (I'm guessing he assumed I wouldn't have one, so this could be his new excuse to not ship them).Well, since he didnt specify, and he was clearly a moron,and I didnt need to have one anyways, I just showed him my C&R license.He obviously wasnt at all happy shipping the guns, but he grudgingly did it after seeing my license.:rolleyes: :banghead:
 
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The firearm will be out of your control much longer if it goes UPS rather than via the airline. The guys at the UPS where you drop it know it's a gun.

It's not the TSA I'd be worried about it's the luggage handlers.

If it's a long gun the case will be rather distinctive. But people do this all the time. I fly 1 - 2 times a year with firearms from Texas to Colorado and sometimes the total value runs over $1200. From their postings, some of the other members fly with rifles worth at least $2000. This is not a huge amount of money for firearms but it sure would suck to lose them.

If it's a handgun then it'll be packed in your luggage and your luggage will be locked with TSA locks (I assume). The luggage handlers won't see it.

Obviously do what you're most comfortable with but flying with a gun is not that big a deal.

In fact, an interesting thread might be to ask how many people have had trouble shipping by carrier and how many flying w/ guns.

Good luck - hope you enjoy Florida! It's where I'm from & it sure is a nice state. (Excepting parts of the east coast..;)) Enjoy your new guns.
 
If it's a handgun then it'll be packed in your luggage and your luggage will be locked with TSA locks (I assume).
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No...No...No...

Use TSA locks for bags that don't have firearms.
Use non-TSA locks and take the bag to security yourself after declaring, etc. Unlock the bag yourself, let them check out the bag, and relock it yourself with the key that you keep.

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm
 
I wasn't talking about a handgun "container" as specified in the TSA regs. I put a non-TSA locked handgun container inside a luggage bag ("checked baggage") that I then lock with a TSA lock.

TSA can get into the baggage to do their normal inspection but can't get into the handgun container.

That's how I've done it before. I think we're talking about the same thing, I don't use the word "bag" for the hard sided container required by TSA.
 
Ass-uming the firearms are legal for possession in FL, mail them to yourself.

Waiting to fight with a know-it-all airline clerk or TSA inspector and potentially missing your plane is no fun. I personally have not had a problem flying with my guns, but loose snap-caps did infuriate one Sea-Tac TSA clJerk to make me wait over an hour for "permission" to just put some duct tape around them AND my mag openings. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I missed my plane and no, he wouldn't take my word, the word of his co-workers or the armed airport officer that Snap Caps are inert and solid aluminum.

Justin
 
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