Home Forums Gear Free Classifieds Average shipping costs long gun?

Considering UPS, lower 48.

Thanks.

I use usps.Normally around 30.00.Depends too on how much insurance.

In my recent experience it will cost anywhere from the upper $20 range ($28 or so) to go to the next state over all the way up to the mid $40 range. Basic shipping isn't too awful bad but they kill you on insurance and special handling like adult signature required which can add $15 or so (both together).

USPS will ding you on insurance about the same amount as UPS and FedEx but if insurance is over $500 then signature required is part of the deal. I just shipped a rifle USPS from ID to MT and it was $31.50 with full insurance. FedEx would have been $34. Plus the post office doesn't (shouldn't) ask questions about the contents like UPS and FedEx can, although there are ways to avoid that with the latter two as well. Obviously you can't ship a handgun through USPS unless it goes through an FFL dealer.

Any of the big three can screw up but they all manage to deliver literally millions of packages successfully each day. Personally I've only had screwups with UPS, three times in the last few years, all where packages were misrouted. You can call or chat with customer support and they are very polite about it - "yes, we freely admit that it's entirely our fault and no, we aren't going to lift a finger to resolve the issue. Case closed. Is there anything else we can do for you today?" The packages all eventually worked their way to me but it took much longer than it should. Also, UPS apparently doesn't work at all on weekends. I had to pay for "UPS 2nd day air" on a package sent from S. California to Boise, ID. it was shipped on a Thursday and was flown to Louisville, KY first, then sat there all weekend before it was sent to Boise and finally arrived on Tuesday. Some folks have good experiences but I don't have much nice to say about UPS.

$48-$57 using FedEx with insurance.

mine avg about $60 with $1000-$1500 ins. with UPS.

$64 the other day with fed ex!

USPS Priority Mail works well for me but can be $40+ for long guns and ins gets expensive but you need to get it. Their Click and Ship web feature is very helpful for shipping and two to three day delivery,with USPS is nice also.

USPS remains the best choice and regardless of the people that find fault with USPS they are the cheapest and will deliver in less time than either Fedex or UPS...

Box size can make a huge difference in price, USPS is the only affordable way to ship to Alaska and the most dependable.

Try the code "easy" on UPS... I shipped a stock (within VA) for $9.12 the other day. No insurance and Ground, but it was cheap.

Average of at least $50, UPS, insured

40.00 usps, waste of time to buy insurance, they won’t pay.

Without knowing the actual package dimension, the weight, and the destination - you are going to get averages at best.

Having used all three services in the past few years, the USPS has still been the best of the three for me - including claims.

Maybe a bit off topic, but does anyone ship long rifles with the action off the stock? I would seem like a smaller, more compact, package would survive better, and maybe cheaper due to shorter length.

Bingo. Easiest way to prevent a broken stock wrist.

My shipping costs run a little higher. I line the inside of the box with cheapass 1/4 or 3/8" plywood, whichever I have laying around. Adds to shipping costs but surprisingly less than you might think, and is also cheap insurance against breakage. A buddy who spent 30 years with UPS advised me that a package better be made to withstand at least 100 pounds of weight bearing on it or safe arrival is a crapshoot. Imagine your box being on the bottom of a floor-to-ceiling stack of other boxes in a semi-trailer, no matter who the carrier is.

Where possible, yes, that's a very good idea.

It's not easy to collect on a claim from usps but they actually will pay, but to collect the insurance from usps you have to surrender to them the broken items, in this case the broken gun.

I've shipped many, many rifles via usps, always in a plastic gun case, haven't had to file a claim, they haven't broken one yet.

Stay away from usps!! I have had several gun stocks broken during shipment with usps. 1 browning bar stock,1 Remington 1100 lt 20 stock, 1 Winchester model 12 stock an a forearm busted on a super x 1. All due to poor handling not the packaging process either on the other end. Just bought a 264 from guy on here it was shipped usps an the box had 3 holes in it. Luckily only damage was to end of barrel looks liked they drug it across the concrete.

I had a $4,000.00 claim when they broke the stock on a rare Sako. It didn’t happen overnight, but they did pay. I wouldn’t have wanted to suffer that loss...

I remove the bolt and wrap in bubble wrap and add a square of thin plywood or masonite to both ends of the box. Both measures prevent damage from boxes dropped on the side or on end, cheap insurance. I use UPS to ship all long guns, last on from IN to TX taken down cost me $27.00 with insurance.