What are the ABC's of shipping a pistol through USPS

[saenzrich]

Say I am an average Joe who is looking to sell a firearm (handgun) to Joe in another state and do not want to go to a UPS hub and pay a arm and a leg. How would I go about shipping it USPS. Do I have to mention what I am shipping...how do I verify their FFL is legit. About how much should it cost for this.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Unless you're an FFL shipping to another FFL, it's illegal for you to mail your pistol through the USPS. You have to use a common contract carrier like FedEx or UPS.

It might be cheaper to do an outbound transfer with an FFL and have them mail it out. Generally they will charge their standard transfer fee, plus actual shipping. I charge $20 per weapon and handguns can be mailed for around $15 on average, so if I customer came to me for this service they'd be looking at around $35 all said and done.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Only FFL's can ship handguns via USPS. The rest of us must use common carrier-UPS or FedEx. The rub is, they both require you do go overnight which is very expensive. A lot of folks go to a local FFL and have them mail it for you. Should be $25-$30 or so depending on what the FFL charges for the service.

 

[9mmepiphany]

A. If you aren't a FFL, you can't use the USPS to ship a handgun
B. You can pay a local FFL to ship it for you
C. There is no C when dealing with a handgun and the USPS

 

[DPris]

And don't even mention the "Machine Parts" dodge.
See above.
There are certain military & police exemptions, but if you're neither, then see above.
Denis

 

[saenzrich]

Thank you.

 

[dogtown tom]

saenzrich Say I am an average Joe who is looking to sell a firearm (handgun) to Joe in another state and do not want to go to a UPS hub and pay a arm and a leg. How would I go about shipping it USPS. Do I have to mention what I am shipping...how do I verify their FFL is legit. About how much should it cost for this.

Read this first:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=651375

 

[mgkdrgn]

Say I am an average Joe who is looking to sell a firearm (handgun) to Joe in another state and do not want to go to a UPS hub and pay a arm and a leg. How would I go about shipping it USPS. Do I have to mention what I am shipping...how do I verify their FFL is legit. About how much should it cost for this.

Unless YOU are an FFL, and the party on the other end is an FFL, the ABC's of shipping a handgun via USPS is very simple:

NO!

 

[gym]

You can't. No matter what you heard. Unless you are in the gun business, FFL only

 

[saenzrich]

Thanks again...so I take it, it is a No No...haha

 

[12131]

Anybody else feels like piling on the OP? Or, should we just let this die already?

 

[franconialocal]

I think he gets the point

 

[9mmepiphany]

I think we can close this one