Shipping/Mailing Handguns from Me to Me in another state - Yes or NO!

[Foto Joe]

I have attempted to find my answer on the forum but it appears I'm attempting to do something few people do.

I am a legal resident of both Wyoming and Arizona, owning property and working in both states. I also am a CCW Permit holder in Arizona and my drivers license is issued by Wyoming.

I will be flying commercial to Wyoming for a few days and will NOT be checking any luggage. I would like to pick up two handguns from my house in Wyoming and have them with me in Arizona for the next couple of months, I neglected to take these with me when we left in October for the winter (when we departed we drove).

As the legal owner and a resident of both states would it be legal to ship/mail these guns to myself?

I have read on another thread that it is prohibited to use the USPS to mail a handgun but, twice in the last three months I have Priority Mailed two different handguns back to the manufacturer for repair. I was advised by the manufacturer that this was acceptable and they returned them to me the same way, with signature required of course. According to this link that is not legal. I'm more than a little confused.

I can live without these guns of course but I'd like to have them and I'd rather not wind up in the pokey doing it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[nalioth]

The manufacturer would not be paying your legal defense bills if you were caught. It is illegal for you to use the US mail to ship handguns unless you are an FFL holder.

It is legal to ship guns to yourself. Long guns can be sent via any methods, and handguns only by common carrier.

There are plenty of threads here on this, including multiple stickys.

 

[bushmaster1313]

I would not mail any handgun by U.S. Mail.
I think FedEx and UPS will ship handguns but they require air frieght and that can cost about $50.00

 

[mes227]

+1 on NOT using USPS and that UPS and FedEx will gladly ship the guns for you. But you can return them as checked luggage for about the same price (or free, depending on which airline you fly).

 

[Foto Joe]

Well...:banghead:

Thanks for the confirmation of what I figured was going to be the overall opinion anyway. Noliath, I did read a considerable amount of info on the subject but a little lightbulb just went off in my head about why the manufacturer might have told me to Priority Mail the gun. I'm thinking that the customer service rep probably assumed that since it was "Non-functioning" it was acceptable. I WILL try to avoid doing that again!!

Again, thanks for the confirmation. THR has been very good to me as far as education has been concerned.

But you can return them as checked luggage for about the same price (or free, depending on which airline you fly).

It's a sad state of affairs when I trust the government (USPS) more than the airline NOT to lose something.

Interesting side note: Way prior to 9-11 I was flying out for a shotgun event via commercial airline. I took my gun case to security to have the weapons checked and the case sealed. The "Security Agent" asked if they were loaded, duh!! Then proceeded to pull the 870 out and close the action which I had purposefully left open. He did this without even looking in the action as he did it, then pulled the trigger and dry fired it. I almost hit the floor!!! Granted it didn't have anything in the magazine tube but....if that thing would have gone off, I'd have pee'd my pants while pieces of the skylight rained down on us. I said nothing, not wanting to get jacked up by a "Rent-a-Cop", but it taught me that IQ tests are seldom performed on the people who need them the most.

 

[AStone]

...it taught me that IQ tests are seldom performed on the people who need them the most.

That person was yet another victim of the dumb down policies of former (and presumably, current) presidents.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Thanks for the confirmation of what I figured was going to be the overall opinion anyway. Noliath, I did read a considerable amount of info on the subject but a little lightbulb just went off in my head about why the manufacturer might have told me to Priority Mail the gun. I'm thinking that the customer service rep probably assumed that since it was "Non-functioning" it was acceptable. I WILL try to avoid doing that again!!

There are no exceptions to firearms laws do to guns being non-functioning due to being broken. The exceptions to firearms laws are for guns that have been made permanently non-operating:

27 CFR 478.11:

§ 478.11 Meaning of terms.
When used in this part and in forms
prescribed under this part, where not otherwise
distinctly expressed or manifestly
incompatible with the intent thereof, terms
shall have the meanings ascribed in this
section.

Permanently inoperable. A firearm
which is incapable of discharging a shot
by means of an explosive and incapable of
being readily restored to a firing condition.
An acceptable method of rendering most
firearms permanently inoperable is to fusion
weld the chamber closed and fusion
weld the barrel solidly to the frame. Certain
unusual firearms require other methods
to render the firearm permanently
inoperable. Contact ATF for instructions.

You committed an illegal act by mailing a handgun through the US Post Office without possessing an FFL, regardless of whether the gun was broken or not. <--- not saying it was intentional... just saying that it was.

 

[Foto Joe]

You committed an illegal act by mailing a handgun through the US Post Office without possessing an FFL, regardless of whether the gun was broken or not. <--- not saying it was intentional... just saying that it was.

Hopefully "Big Brother" has better things to do than to track down an unintentional felon and make his life miserable. Since I've been a government employee at one time, not to mention fingerprinted for work more times than I've got fingers and own enough guns to scare David Koresh, they would probably show up at my RV with an armoured personnel carrier and a SWAT Team. That would more than likely scare the neighbors dog.

If I ever have the opportunity to send a gun back the manufacturer again, I will refrain from using the government for my courier service. Thanks for the info.

 

[NavyLCDR]

True! Unless you put Talcum powder in with the gun! Then you would get busted for the powder.

 

[brickeyee]

You can use a common carrier (UPS or Fedex) to ship your guns to yourself.

YOU must send them, and YOU must receive them (though someone can accept the package and NOT OPEN IT).

The law is that specific.

 

[nalioth]

You can use a common carrier (UPS or Fedex) to ship your guns to yourself.

YOU must send them, and YOU must receive them (though someone can accept the package and NOT OPEN IT).

The law is that specific.

You can also use the USPS to mail your long guns to yourself.

 

[brickeyee]

I would like to pick up two handguns from my house in Wyoming and have them with me in Arizona...

RIF

 

[dogtown tom]

brickeyee You can use a common carrier (UPS or Fedex) to ship your guns to yourself.

YOU must send them, and YOU must receive them (though someone can accept the package and NOT OPEN IT).

The law is that specific.

FedEx will not deliver to a nonlicensee, even if it is yourself (company policy).