Shipping of Firearm Question

[mparris71]

Okay, Good Friend of mine moved to AK last year, he drove up and had to go through Canada so had to leave his pistols. He asked me to find out how to get them up to him. There will be no ownership change. I am Guessing a FFL will have to be involved so what's the best way legally to make this happen

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Since they are already his firearms, you can ship them UPS/FEDEX straight to him. A person can ship their own firearms to themselves across state lines without a FFL.

 

[Bob Locke]

Since they are already his firearms, you can ship them UPS/FEDEX straight to him. A person can ship their own firearms to themselves across state lines without a FFL.

While this may be true (and I'm not really sure about it), UPS and FedEx aren't likely to play ball. I was told by both that I would have to go through an FFL holder on MY end to ship a revolver to an FFL holder. Seemed strange to me, but that's the policy.

Hypothetically, I guess you could break them down to their component pieces and ship them as "machined parts"...

 

[AJ Dual]

Yeah,

You're square with fed.gov if you "self ship" and no real transferrance is taking place. The other circumstance is inheritance of firearms, but you have to take posession in the originating state before you ship them to yourself. Breaking the guns into parts dosen't count though, as the frame or reciever, no matter how stripped of parts counts legally as "the firearm".

However UPS and FedEx will require an FFL at the destination in their own private rules. When I was shipping inherited firearms home, they required this, but I got them home anyway. I even declared everything. When it didn't arrive, I thought they refused the next-day-air handgun shipment because I was not an 01 FFL, and was going to bluff my way through with my 03 C&R FFL, but after a several frustrating calls to the service center, it turned out the "license" I needed was for air transport of "hazmat".



Turns out the box I shipped the pistols in next-day-air was originally valve oil for air tools, and it was labled ORM-D. Magic markered it off, and resent it without trouble. If you self-ship firearms interstate, but with no transferrance of ownership, you're only breaking UPS rules. The only thing is that I'd ship air to Alaska, as I can only assume that ground goes through Canada.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

go through an FFL holder on MY end to ship a revolver to an FFL holder

Nothing in federal law requires this and federal law specifically states you can ship firearms to yourself.

If UPS/Fed Ex don't like the fact the person physically sending the box isn't the same person receiving the box, mparris71 could actually ship the firearms to himself "care of:" the actual owner's name and address.

 

[EOD Guy]

The problem here is that the individual is not shipping the firearms to himself. He is asking someone else to ship to him. Federal law doesn't care about ownership of the firearms. Possession is what matters. If the friend ships the firearms, it is an interstate transfer and the firearms must be sent to an FFL holder.

One possible solution might be for the owner to give mparris71 a power of attorney to act as the owner's agent in shipping the firearms. I have no idea if this would be legal and would ask the BATF.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

But what if mparris71 shipped the guns to mparris71 c/o "real owner" at "real owner address"? He then gives "real owner" verbal permission to open the box and store contents at his residence.

 

[EOD Guy]

But what if mparris71 shipped the guns to mparris71 c/o "real owner" at "real owner address"? He then gives "real owner" verbal permission to open the box and store contents at his residence.

Then mparris71 would be lying to get around the law and the real owner would be violating the law by opening the package because he is not the addressee. I don't think the BATF would be amused. There are legal ways to get the owner the firearms. I would still call the BATF and ask them. Hell, if you want to, call from a phone booth. It won't hurt a bit.

 

[Blue Line]

I checked with ATF prior to elk hunt in Mt. regarding shipping two rifles out there. They gave me the reg and it said I could ship to myself no problameo. No transfer of ownership is/was involved. They were addressed to me at the C/O to theGuide. I would ship them to myself insured and not worry about it. Also my guns were FedEx'd but ATF said USPS would be OK also. FedEx didn't say anything about it being a gun. They just wantd the green which from FL to MT was $200! I hope your buddy doesn't have a lot of long guns to ship. Also I believe FedEx and UPS want pistola's shipped overnight which is more expensive. My long guns went regular FedEx