Just mailed a rifle today. No trouble standard Priority. Here is a cut and paste of the USPS regs. Color and bold is my edit

432.3 Rifles and Shotguns

Except under 431.2, unloaded rifles and shotguns are mailable. Mailers must comply with the rules and regulations under 27 CFR, Part 478, as well as state and local laws. The mailer may be required by the USPS to establish, by opening the parcel or by written certification, that the rifle or shotgun is unloaded and not ineligible for mailing. The following conditions also apply:

a.Subject to state, territory, or district regulations, rifles and shotguns may be mailed without restriction when sent within the same state of mailing. These items must:
b.Bear a “Return Service Requested” endorsement.
c.Be sent by Priority Mail Express (“signature required” must be used at delivery) or Registered Mail.
d.Include either insured mail service (for more than $200) requiring a signature at delivery or Signature Confirmation service.
e. A shotgun or rifle owned by a non-FFL may be mailed outside the owner's state of residence by the owner to himself or herself, in care of another person in the other state where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. These mailpieces must:
1.Be addressed to the owner.
2.Include the “in the care of” endorsement immediately preceding the name of the applicable temporary custodian.
3. Be opened by the rifle or shotgun owner only.
4. Be mailed using services described in 432.3a.
f. Mailing of rifles and shotguns between licensed FFL dealers, manufacturers, or importers are not restricted. USPS recommends these items be mailed using those services described in 432.3a.
g.Rifles and shotguns may be mailed by a non-FFL owner domestically to a FFL dealer, manufacturer, or importer in any state. USPS recommends these items be mailed using those services described in 432.3a.
h.Except as described in 432.2a, licensed curio and relic collectors may mail firearms meeting the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 domestically to licensed FFL curio and relic collectors in any state. USPS recommends these items be mailed using those services described in 432.3a.
i.Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest may be accepted for mailing without restriction.
j.Air guns that do not fall within the definition of firearms under 431.1a are mailable. A shipment containing an air gun with a muzzle velocity of 400 or more feet per second (fps) must include an Adult Signature service under DMM 503.9.0. Mailers must additionally comply with all applicable state and local regulations.



The section in red is the requirement of priority express or registered mail. It applies only to mailing within the state or mailing to yourself in another state.

In green applies to shipping to a ffl, manufacturer etc. It is recommended to mail the gun as described in the red text. But does not say it must be shipped in such manor.

So if your buying or selling out of state it is business as usual. Only in state or mailing to yourself is a expensive pain in the ass now with USPS.

All that is currently on their website which is what I went by when I mailed the rifle today. With some more diggin after seeing this topic I found my info was current as of 6/23/16. They have revised it as of 10/13/16. It has been simplified. Again cut and paste color is my edit


Publication 52 Revision: Change to Mailing Standards for Firearms

Effective October 13, 2016, the Postal Service™ is revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, part 432, to correct an error published in the June 23, 2016, edition (22444) of the Postal Bulletin, and to provide uniformity with regard to the mailing options that can be used with firearms.

In the revisions announced in Postal Bulletin 22444, the Postal Service included a new requirement specifying that regulated firearms, mailed between Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) licensed dealers, manufacturers, and importers (FFLs), must be mailed by a product, or include an Extra Service, that provides for tracking and signature capture at delivery. Although the Postal Service strongly recommends that all regulated firearms be mailed using these services, it was not the intent of the Postal Service to place new requirements on commercial shipments between FFLs.

Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail

* * * * *

4 Restricted Matter

* * * * *

43 Firearms

* * * * *

432 Mailability

432.1 General

* * * * *

[Revise 432.1e. to read as follows:]

e. Except for shipments between licensed dealers, manufacturers, or importers, all regulated firearms must be mailed using a USPS product or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

* * * * *

432.3 Rifles and Shotguns

* * * * *

[Revise 432.3a.2 to read as follows:]

2. Be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

* * * * *

[Revise 432.3b.4 to read as follows:]

4. Be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

[Revise 432.3c. through 432.3e. to read as follows:]

c. Mailing of rifles and shotguns between licensed FFL dealers, manufacturers, or importers are not restricted. The Postal Service recommends that these items be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

d. Rifles and shotguns may be mailed by a non-FFL owner domestically to a FFL dealer, manufacturer, or importer in any state. These items must be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

e. Except as described in 432.2a, licensed curio and relic collectors may mail firearms meeting the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 domestically to licensed FFL curio and relic collectors in any state. These items must be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

* * * * *

We will incorporate this revision into the next update of online Publication 52, which is available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.

Normal priority is a class of mail that provides tracking and adding signature required is a extra service is only a couple bucks. So again firearms and priority mail should be basically business as usual.Only thing the revision does not directly address is mailing to ones self.