Is FEDEX next day the only game in town?
Not no, but F*CK NO. There is NO law
ANYWHERE requiring you to ship a handgun "next day." That's the policy of two chickensh*t companies. Provided you're not as stupid as they think the average gun owner is and openly declare you're shipping a firearm, you may ship via Federal Express or UPS any way your little heart desires.
This is the standard boiler plate citation of the '68 GCA I am now offering in these threads:
The law only requires declaration to UPS or Federal Express (i.e., "contract carriers") if the recipient is NOT an FFL holder. The BATFE's website miquotes this, though their legal department will provide you a letter on official letterhead stating as such.
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� 922 Unlawful acts.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce, to persons other than licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped; except that any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of the trip without violating any of the provisions of this chapter. No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm."
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� 478.31 Delivery by common or contract carrier.
(a) No person shall knowingly deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce to any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped:
Provided, that any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of that trip without violating any provision of this part.
(b) No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container indicating that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm."
http://www.atf.gov/publications/download/p/atf-p-5300-4.pdfSimply stated, it says this:
"It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to deliver or cause to be delivered...to persons other than...licensed dealers...any package...in which there is any firearm...without written notice to the carrier that such firearm...is being...shipped..."
You would be required to give notice if you were a gunsmith or manufacturer returning a firearm after repair. (Among other scenarios.) The BATFE's legal department will provide a binding legal determination stating as such if you request it in writing.
I try and balance UPS' or Federal Express' service types against my needs; if I'm shipping a Glock 17, Ruger SR9 or anything else reasonably easy to replace, I'll go regular ground. I'm in compliance with the '68 GCA and the costs are reasonable. On the other hand, if I'm shipping a high-ticket item like a Colt SAA, S&W Triple Lock, etc., then I want it OUT of the shipper's system ASAP. It would be tough to replace one of those items in the event of an insured loss.
Do yourself a favor -- A BIG FAVOR -- and sign up online for a UPS or Federal Express account. It's free and allows you to print and pay for shipping labels for anything you want to ship. No one asks what you're shipping and it's as painless as can be. Weigh your packages on the bathroom scale if necessary. (Reasonably decent postal scales can be had for under $50 at most office supply places as well.)
They -- UPS or Federal Express -- will supply their account holders with free supplies, including shipping labels upon request. It'll be the most worthwhile 15 minutes you've spent in quite some time signing up for an account.
CLICK D LINKCLIQUE LE LINQUEJust to be safe, let me clarify.
I WILL NOT SHIP TO KALIFORNIA!
Why is that? You afraid they might turn you gay or something? Christ, don't play into the anti-gunners' hands. Flood that piece-of-sh*t state with all the legal guns you can. That pretty well proves all of their chickensh*t efforts to ban guns won't stop the legal interstate sale or transfer by law-abiding citizens. California dollars spend just like other dollars.
