Shipping primers

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The Wiry Irishman

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I've been wanting to get started loading .380 for a while now, but the primer shortage has been getting in the way of that. A friend of mine in a different state managed to pick some up for me, but now I have to figure out how to go about getting them. I'm assuming he can't bring them out here with him (he's flying) so shipping them looks like the way to go. I'm also assuming that their hazmat status is going to make shipping them tricky. Does anyone have any advice on who to deal with to get them shipped?
 
Check with the airline. Firearms and ammunition can be stowed in checked luggage (make sure you tell them). I'm thinking primers could be as well.
 
No way an airline will let just primers on board. Loaded ammo is different and much safer to transport.

He'll have to find a haz-mat certified shipper to box and ship the primers. I don't expect that to be easy. I'd start calling shipping companies in the area.

The easiest way I can think of to ship primers is in the form of primed brass. You send your sized/deprimed brass to him, he primes it, then ships it back via UPS or Fedex ground. Once the primer is in a brass case, the haz-mat issues go away.
 
Yeah, as 1911user said, there's no way the airlines will allow them on board.

He's either going to have to drive to you (or you to him) and hand them off to you personally, or do the primed brass thing.

Sucks, but otherwise you're looking at a ton of money to find a properly licensed shipper, if you can even find one at all.
 
I'm not sure about airlines, but one of the questions on the bus driver's CDL exam is how many rounds of ammo can a person bring on a bus?

Answer: 500

:D

So there's your answer. Send your buddy all your brass and let him prime and clean them for you. Then he can send them back on the bus.
 
I know this is off topic, but the BATFE would have a field day auditing all the people selling primers on gunbroker who are not going through the proper hazmat route.
 
I know this is off topic, but the BATFE would have a field day auditing all the people selling primers on gunbroker who are not going through the proper hazmat route.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

The "HazMat fee" is nothing but an extra tax on the part of UPS. They know that the USPS won't ship them, leaving them as the "only game in town".
 
I would go with the primed brass approach as the safest and least expensive option, as mentioned above by 1911user and kingpin008.
You could look for a certified shipper, not sure how inexpensive that'll be if you do primers only.
I'm certified to ship by air for hazardous materials, you have to have designated packaging, labeling and paperwork.
I have all of my regulations at work, will copy some of that and put it in a thread in the near future.
I was investigated last year by the Federal Aviation Administration for possible shipping violations (they had 3 against me). Was dropped after a lot of explaining, letters, meetings, etc. Apparently the FAA was investigating Fedex and I had the wrong packaging for some liquid chemicals, but the packages were accepted by Fedex.
In regards to shipments not being marked as hazardous when they were, a lab I ship to gave me the following percentages:
Hazardous samples shipped and not marked as such: ~50%
Hazardous shipped and marked but not packaged correctly:20%
Hazardous shipped and packaged and designated correctly:30%
Pretty scary, really. Many items end up on passenger airlines that are hazardous, but in limited quantities. Makes you wonder what goes on unmarked, on the plane you're on. Yikes!
 
My friend called the TSA and they said flying with primers should be fine, but to check with the local airport first. We'll know Monday whether they're OK with it. He's going to call around to various shippers, as well.

Also, he can't prime brass because he doesn't have a reloading setup.
 
Ship a basic hand priming tool with the brass to be primed. He doesn't need a full reloading setup.
 
Just thought I'd post again for the sake of anyone using the search for this same issue.

My friend cleared it with the TSA and the local airport security chief and was able to travel with 3000 primers in a locked box in his checked luggage.
 
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