Unionized Parcel Smashers

[beerslurpy]

Carknocker, sorry for misreading your post earlier.

About the shipping, it really sucks. I had no idea how close to an outright ban we already were. I mean, you almost literally cant take a weapon from point A to point B anymore unless you put it unloaded into your trunk. And even then you can barely drive through the Northeast without getting arrested.

I suspect this is the rotten fruit the 68 GCA was eventually meant to bear.

 

[Zedicus]

Sounds quite bleak to be honest.

I wonder if getting your own FFL would be an option...?

 

[carp killer]

I have never had a problem shipping a long gun. I just disassemble and box up. I use a mom 'n pop shipping place. And they always have some clueless teenage girl doing the shipping. And she doesn't ask what I'm shipping. Easy.

 

[Car Knocker]

Stu,

The carriers require that you declare a firearm. The feds mandate it. If you fail to and the firearm is lost/stolen, the best that would happen is that you probably wouldn't be reimbursed for the loss. The worst that I can think of would be if the lost/stolen firearm was used in the commission of a crime, recovered and traced to you; I imagine the Asst U.S. Attorney for your region would be having a heart-to-heart with you re:criminal charges for failing to meet fed requirements.

 

[Car Knocker]

Zedicus,

It is difficult in many locations to get an 01 FFL. In addition to the federal requirements re: business hours, storage, recordkeeping, unannounced inspections, sales requirements, etc., you have to meet any requirements your state, county and/or city may impose.

There appear to be a significant number of people who seem to exist by doing internet sales and transfers but it may be that their locale may have relatively lenient requirements.

 

[fredcwdoc]

Mind you, I was not dressed like a homeless person or someone out of Deliverance. I am a clean shaven white guy always wearing either a polo shirt or a shirt and tie. I speak perfect english, not creole, spanglish or ghetto slang.

Good God no wonder they won't work with you. You stand out to much!

 

[Car Knocker]

carp killer,

As long as your firearm gets to where it's going without problem, no one knows that you're flaunting fed regulations and shipping co. regulations. It's when it doesn't get there that you have problems. It may be a bit difficult to convince UPS that the "machine parts" are really a $10,000 Kreighoff shotgun.

 

[onerifle]

"Brown" destroyed a musical instrument of mine some five years ago, took over a year to pay the claim, and then only after they had initially cut a check payable to the wrong person. When coupled with the fact that they post 30.06 signs in Texas, I refuse to give them any of my business, now or in the future. It even annoys me to receive packages that are shipped via UPS.


FedEx or the USPS gets the nod.

 

[Zedicus]

Mind you, I was not dressed like a homeless person or someone out of Deliverance. I am a clean shaven white guy always wearing either a polo shirt or a shirt and tie. I speak perfect english, not creole, spanglish or ghetto slang.

Good God no wonder they won't work with you. You stand out to much!

you know, that would be funny if it wasnt so true....

& Car Knocker, Thanks for the Info.
Allthough If I had the cash I'd take the chance & get a FFL and buy over a mom & pop Gunstore nearby that is closing down as soon as the owners find a buyer.
Hate to see a Good shop go.

 

[Thrash1982]

Seems like I'm one of the few who has had no trouble shipping a firearm back to the manufacturer. Sent my FAL back to ORF to have the barrel timing fixed. Took it to an A1 Packaging store in West Lafayette, IN. Didn't give it a second look, just got the info they needed and sent it right out via FedEX.

I did however, have a problem when FedEX returned it to me. The left it on my front porch, with no one home, and obviously without getting an adult signature.

 

[rick_reno]

Be thankful that you live in a country where you can ask about shipping a gun that you own.

 

[SMMAssociates]

I did however, have a problem when FedEX returned it to me. The left it on my front porch, with no one home, and obviously without getting an adult signature.

Major problem when I let somebody ship to my favorite gun shop.

Getting an adult signature is kinda problematical.

Somehow the term "adult" and the counterkids doesn't quite match, and this is including the owner (62), the part-time smith (65+), and one guy who claims to be 70. Store motto is "If you don't see what you want, ask. It's probably around here someplace."

In defense of FedEx or UPS not getting a signature when fairly clearly asked to get one, in some cases the drivers know you or your habits well enough to trust a front-porch delivery on a residential site. Other times they're just in a hurry. My usual kvetch is that they hang around and ask for a signature (i.e., drag me away from working on something or sitting on the porcelain throne) when it's a couple of books from Amazon, but just toss $100 worth of gun parts from Brownells on the stoop....

(We won't mention the time that I checked the FedEx web site and noticed that one of those "signature required" shipments was on my doorstep.... Or the time one of them was shown delivered on the web site but apparently not on the doorstep. It never did turn up.... There's a house on another very nearby block with the same number and a similar street name - kinda like "Smith St." v.s. "Smythe St."....)

Can't win....

To whoever suggested getting an FFL, the Clinton-Reno Justice folks pretty much killed small FFLs. I think you have to have a storefront and/or a certain number of sales, etc. You can't just decided to apply 'cause it'll be convenient. A lot of small dealers gave up. Lots of paperwork. It's probably easier to just argue with FedEx. Downside is that it raises the prices we pay at local stores because of lessened competition, and adds to the mail-order muck.

Regards,

 

[Trip20]

Mabie we should start our own Gun Friendly Shipping service & Name it "Fed-UP"

Freakin hilarious!

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Mabie we should start our own Gun Friendly Shipping service & Name it "Fed-UP"

What a great idea. Their slogan can be "More bang for your buck!"

 

[Trip20]

...or we can name it "Belt-Fed"

 

[therealsteamer]

USPS ok for me

I have had to send my Hi Point Carbine back to the factory for repairs twice. Both times I packaged it in the original box, taped the ends, and took it to the PO. Never mentioned what was inside, but was asked if was any ammo in the box. Told em no and was out the door, normal parcel post.

They did however leave it on my front porch, both times, for several hours b4 I got home. Did make an effort to hide it though, both times putting it behind our recycling bin and once putting it in an empty potato bag in an attempt to hide it I guess.

Steamer

 

[jer1949]

Maybe you can't from the USPS (US postal service) but I know for a fact you don't have to be an FFL to ship a handgun TO an FFL. Fedex and UPS will accept them anytime from an individual.

That's not exactly true either. I just went through this scenario while working a handgun trade across the country. I was told by UPS and FedEx both that I could not ship to the other party's FFL. USPS is an absolute NO NO. I wound up paying my local dealer to ship it for me.

Life's such a b*tch

 

[beerslurpy]

I found a USPS clerk who would ship it for me today. He actually made some pro-2nd amendment remarks. I was amazed.

So anyway Post Office: thumbsup
UPS: thumbsdown

 

[Moto]

UPS sucks, I wanted to ship a gas powered concrete cuttoff saw with an abraisive disc blade, you know the dull black ones, in which it is nearly impossible to cut yourself on unless you run the saw over your hand. Well the guy at the ups store asked me what It was that I was shipping and I mistakingly told him, then he goes on all about how they don't ship dangerous hazardous items and that beause the damn ups store didn't package it there was no way to be sure if the "blade" was packaged properly and he is just looking out for the safety of the carriers. No explaining of how the "blade" is actually a round wheel that is not pointy or sharp in anyway at all would work for him and was told that they would not ship it unless I removed the "Blade" or let them package it. That was the last time I have ever shipped anything via UPS .

 

[Nnobby45]

US Post Office

I was recently in a US Post office and asked if there'd be any problems sending firearm parts thru the US mail. He said "NO" and told me I could mail a handgun if I wanted to. I told him it was my understanding that firearms were prohibited in the post office and he said I was correct--unless it was packaged up and ready to mail.

Has anyone send a handgun thru the US mail?

 

[beerslurpy]

I think FFLs can do it. I think normal civiies can technically do it if you split the handgun into 2 non operational parts and ship them separately. The only requirement is that the package not contain contents that can be assembled into a functional firearm.

And guns ARE allowed in post offices if it is lawful to do so in the area where the post office is located. They post sections 1 and 2 of the law (which refers to section 3, exceptions) but they dont post the rest of it. The deleted part essentially overrules the 1st two to a significant extent for CCW etc. Check your state law regarding places of nuisance and CCW.

 

[SMMAssociates]

Dunno about shipping handguns via the USPS, but Beerslurpy's right about carrying. IANAL, but it appears that if you've got a "permit", and your state doesn't include a prohibition (like OH does!), you're OK.

AFAIK, the USPS doesn't accept handguns at all, although others on this thread have indicated that FFL's can use it. There would be no problem shipping "parts", but the ATF considers the frame (actually, the part with the serial number) to be a handgun, so you could ship a barrel, or a slide, or a cylinder, but.... Splitting it up into two packages might be a problem. I'll wait for wiser heads ....

Here in OH, our "anti" friends didn't read the Federal regs completely. They really don't want anybody to carry, so it's one more hurdle.

The former day job was a plastics company. We needed to ship some effluent water (the stuff that hits the drains after being used to cool the product during manufacture) to a laboratory for analysis. Five gallon jugs of not-quite-Haz-Mat material.... Not a peep from the PO.... But you should have been there the day that I tried to mail some plasticizer samples....

("Plasticizer" is an organic chemical - there actually are a bunch of them, and I can't even remember which one this was; it was over fifteen years ago - that's used to make vinyls flexible. Usually clear to light amber in color, but it handles like Hoppe's oil when you try to clean it up, etc. About as flammable, too. That's what got 'em excited. "It'll burn?!" Actually, it will, but the flash point is high enough you can crush out a cigarette in it without risk. Just makes a mess if you spill it....)

They took the stuff, but it took us a half-hour with their book to figure out what to call it, and whether to accept it.

Regards,