Help with info on shipping long gun

[hondo1892]

I posted this once under another title but no responces. I'm thinking about putting a rifle up on the site for sale. I need info on shipping. What is the best way and do I need the copy of the ffl holder I'm sending it to, to present to the carrier? Post office never ask what is in the box your shipping, so do I need to inform them if I ship by them? Thanks for any help.

[Mike D.]

You can ship it yourself through the USPS. Box it, well protected, and mail it. No, you do not declare what the contents are, it is not their concern. An FFL does not need to be involved on your end, but you will probably have to send it the a receiving one.

[kirkwood]

It depends on your local station manager when going by USPS. Some will want to see the condition before insuring it and some don't care. Some will follow the rules and ship, while others will refuse to ship unless you are also a FFL holder or unless you are sending it back to the manufacturer for repairs or they will make up some other nonexistant rule. With USPS you can get a lot of different answers just depending on the political leanings of the local manager or the person working the counter.

UPS may seem like a better option, but if anything happens to the gun, they can refuse to give it back (without your ever seeing it again) and will give you the insurance value. I've had bad luck with UPS on damage. I've had better luck with Fedex, but you never know.

I would say be prepared by bringing along all the paperwork you think you need, but don't go looking for trouble. Don't volunteer more info than is necessary up front unless asked and be sure to get it fully insured. Don't outwardly indicate that it is a gun or that it is going to a gun dealer unless asked. This will limit theft as well. If a station gives you a hassle, then try the one in the next zip code.

[Old Time Hunter]

My understanding is that you can not ship a gun to a non-FFL holder unless the gun is pre- Dec 31 1898 or it is classified as a curio/relic and the recipient has a C & R 03. Depending on your local/state laws, you generally do not need an FFL to ship, but to receive.

I live in a semi rural area between two small towns, the GM of one post office, she refuses to allow any shipping of ANY firearms, the other GM doesn't care....go figure what the actual regulations are.

[Bear 45/70]

If the morons at the post office refuse to ship your long gun, contact the post master. He will fix the problem for you. Do not tolerate some minor moronic bureaucrat who is not following the law and postal rules because of their unenlighted view of the Constitution and the law. They work for you, make them act like it.

[marlinman93]

You most certainly do need a copy of the buyer's FFL on your end! You don't need to, (or want to!) tell USPS what is in the box, but have the FFL in your pocket, and keep it for your records. Without an FFL in your posession there's absolutely no way for you to be sure the receiver is a licnesed FFL holder. BATF doesn't require you to have a copy of an FFL to receive your own gun back, nor do they require you have a copy to send your gun for repairs, or service, but if it's changing hands you still need a copy.
That copy can now be emailed to you, so you can print it out, and keep for your records.-Vall

[ceb]

Marlinman93, are you saying that there is no requirment to inform the USPS that you are shipping a firearm? Had I known that I could have saved myself a lot of hassle, I shipped a rifle to a FFL in another state and thought I had to declare the contents. I first got the FFL to FFL only speech, I showed them their own rules and it still took over an hour. Not that they were giving me a hard time, they just honestly didn't know their own rules or the law. I had a copy of the FFL I was shipping too, but the postmaster called several other post offices before agreeing to ship it for me. I don't think she ever got a definitive answer from anyone, but she finially shipped it for me anyway.

[TedH]

I would just use FedEx. Last long gun I sent was no hassle at all. I wasn't in the building 5 minutes. They did want to see the FFL, and made a copy of the FFL and attached it to the box.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Marlinman93, are you saying that there is no requirment to inform the USPS that you are shipping a firearm? Had I known that I could have saved myself a lot of hassle, I shipped a rifle to a FFL in another state and thought I had to declare the contents. I first got the FFL to FFL only speech, I showed them their own rules and it still took over an hour. Not that they were giving me a hard time, they just honestly didn't know their own rules or the law. I had a copy of the FFL I was shipping too, but the postmaster called several other post offices before agreeing to ship it for me. I don't think she ever got a definitive answer from anyone, but she finially shipped it for me anyway.

You are required by federal law to inform a common or contract carrier if you are shipping a gun but you aren't required to inform the USPS. Unless you plan to insure it. If you fail to declare it USPS has no obligation to reimbuse if it is lost.

As a non licensee sending a gun out of state you are required to send it to an FFL. But, unlike FFL to FFL you aren't required to have a copy of the FFL. But it certainly does come in handy when dealing with some of the brain dead counter folks and just in case the FFL is not really an FFL it will CYA.

To verify if the FFL is for real click here; https://www.atfonline.gov/fflezcheck/ plug in the numbers then check the premises address. The scammers use the name and # but change the shipping address to illegally receive the gun.

[Bear 45/70]

I would just use FedEx. Last long gun I sent was no hassle at all. I wasn't in the building 5 minutes. They did want to see the FFL, and made a copy of the FFL and attached it to the box.

I agree, FedEx is way less hassle anyway you look at it. To many of the UPS places are not owned by UPS and they seem to set their own rules and UPS doesn't seem to give a rats butt about it.

[jdad]

I have found that USPS Priority Mail is the only way to go...especially since I'm in Oregon and everything seems to travel from the East Coast.

UPS is notorious for poor handling. We refer to them as Usually Pieces Scattered.

[hondo1892]

I didn't plan on going to UPS they gave a hassel over shipping a scope back to leupold. You would have thought I was shipping a weapon of mass destruction! My USPS never ask what I'm shipping when I take a package to them, not even when I have it insured. I may try fedex. Thanks for the link to check out the ffl.

[Gun Smith]

The ATF Federal firearms law does NOT require you to SEND FFL to FFL *. anyone, (unlicensed included), may SEND it to an FFL license holder. What I have run into in the last week is most, (all in my area), RECEIVING FFL's will not accept ANY firearm sent by a non FFL licensed shipper. The excuse they use is that the shipper may send them a "hot" gun or it may have some other problem with it. They don't have to do business with you, so you're stuck. Me for $25.00 at the shipper's end in my case.

* U.S.C. 922(a)(3) and (5), 922(d), 27CFR 478.29 and 478.30.

[Old Time Hunter]

GunSmith, it is unfortunate that some of your FFL holders in your area feel that way. Personally I do not do any business with businesses that take that position. Fortunately I have plenty of FFL 01's to work with in my area most of whom it is not there primary business (one guy has a bait shop, another a gunsmith), but I was privy to sitting in on a group of shop owners at the NRA convention a couple of years ago. The gist of the meeting was trying to get shop owners to push for FFL to FFL and not accept private transfers. The excuse might be possible "stolen" but the real intent is financial...protecting one's turf, so to speak. Since I am a current 03 holder my needs are not necessarily dictated by the thugs of the industry and I find it abhorant that some people use Guberment regulation for profit.

[Pete44ru]

Every firearm I don't sell FTF goes out via the US Mail - since it's by far the least expensive.

I pick up a USPS Flat Rate Box for my FFL and have him mail my handguns - but mail my own long guns after getting a copy of a receiving FFL as an adressee.

I declare my contents as a rifle/shotgun because I insure them - and I will only send via Certified Mail, delivery/return receipt requested.

USPS Certified Mail goes Priority-style, but takes a bit longer to get to it's destination - as every single person who touches the package MUST sign for it - thereby allowing a trace if it goes astray (which hasn't yet happened to me in over 20years/15 long guns).

My local PO clerks now give me zero hassle, since I had them read their own regs to accept my first mailing, long ago.

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