Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Shipping question

I recently sold a gun, and tried to ship it via usps to an FFL in a different state. My local post office asked me if there was a gun in the package and then proceeded to tell me that I cannot ship it unless I was a dealer. We’re they correct? It was to my understanding that it was not their right to know what was in the package. Any info is appreciated, this is my first time shipping

They were wrong unless PA has some state law disallowing it. I suppose they could ask to see the FFL for the destination but I've never had to do that either. Find another PO or ask to see the postmaster.

That is true for handguns though - just remembered. Long guns are OK though.

The PO tried to pull that on me in WA state. I found the info on their website and had to make a stink about it. Eventually they shipped it, but as Mike says, as long as it's a long gun.

They are wrong. In fact, they violated USPS rules by even asking or giving advice.

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_009.htm

No shipping handguns by private citizens. That's just not allowed.

For long guns:

Rory beat me to it.

Thanks guys. At least I know I wasn’t wrong. They looked at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears, then they did say they could ship it if the barrel could be detached from the gun, not sure where they got that information

Tell them to look at the regs. Not the first time I've heard of them making up chit on the fly.

Thanks. They tried to make me fill out a form saying I was an FFL to ship it. I told them I wasn’t signing it lol. What a bunch of jackasses. I’ll go back tommorow with more info thanks to you all. I appreciate it

Go to a UPS STORE ,,Screw the post office

I had to educate our local guy. I took in a screen print of the regs with the number of the regulation on it. Did not have a problem once he saw that.

If you have a liberal working there tho.. good luck.

Guns cannot be shipped from a UPS Store.

Except that a helluva lot of UPS Stores (if not all) are privately owned franchises and as such can make up their own rules. Not shipping guns is one of them. Around here one must take a gun to the UPS central location, which for me is 20 miles away. Screw that. I use FedEx or the PO, they're better anyway IMO.

I do about 90% my firearm shipping via usps, but these days they are clearly struggling. I think I would go fedex or ups. until USPS gets thie feet under themselves again. When I do tuse fedex I would rather use my online account to print the label and have them pick up, so as to not have to deal with the idiots at the location.

Calhoun, I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m dealing with.

not..............clerks that work there don't know what day it is

They are not UPS employees

They have their own rate schedule....H I G H

I've shipped a lot of stuff the last 18 months or so....all USPS..been lucky maybe....

Have my own account...print a label...drop box off at the window & leave

I'll suggest on lever guns...remove butt stock...wrap extra well...put in same box with barreled action wrapped well

The box will be shorter...not look like a gun...but you can legally ship it to an FFL on the other end

It's my understanding..that you can ship a long gun...to Joe Blow in your own State...correct me if I'm wrong

You may not be able to do that if you have an factory numbered box that goes with the sale..

the buyer wants the factory OEM box

My wife has been at the post office for more than 30 years. She is now the postmaster of a large city in Virginia. It is perfectly legal to send a long gun through the mail as long as you are sending it to a dealer. Only handguns need to be sent dealer to dealer. One guy I know who sells a lot of handguns online goes by the rule "if it fits it ships". Nuff said about that. You don't need to tell them what you are shipping either, only if it is liquid, hazardous, lithium batteries etc., etc, Answer no. Don't give them any extra information. I have sent dozens of guns through USPS over the years. I made the mistake of telling one of the tellers several years ago that there was a gun in the package. She called her boss the postmaster (my wife unbeknownst to her) to come to the front desk. I guess she thought my wife was going to call the postal inspectors and have me arrested on the spot. My wife told her to send it. I thought the lady's chin was going to hit the floor.

Regrettably many of the employees working at the window of many post offices just assume that it can't possibly be legal to ship a gun through USPS.

It is.

The postal monkeys have busted 8 purchased guns for me. Hate em. Hard to work with. Downright crooked liars when it comes to paying out on a claim.

Bastards. But that's just my opinion.

But how do you really feel?

If everything goes perfectly with a gun shipped thru USPS guess there are no issues. A couple hypotheticals tho.

Is it even possible to insure a valuable firearm (hundreds or even thousands of dollars) and in the event of loss, damage or theft collect on an insurance claim if one had never declared the parcel contains a firearm or does one just roll the dice and ship a valuable firearm without insurance?

Also, the USPS may require the mailer to, “open parcels containing firearms or give written certification that the weapon is unloaded or not concealable”. Are there any legal consequences if the shipper fails to indicate that the parcel contains a firearm and some bizarre incident occurs during shipment?

Ted, I forget if it was Clint Eastwood, or some other cool old movie? They claimed their anti tank rifle to be drilling equipment. If it got damaged I don’t think any shipper would pay the claim for falsifying the contents. I do know UPS only wants to pay the claim at the price that was paid for the item, not the sold for price. I think if you wanted to claim the item as being irreplaceable, antique, historic, you would have to take out a short term insurance policy with an insurance agent. When you told them you were shipping it USPS, they would probably laugh and say, “ let’s skip the paper work, you want the check made out in your name.”

I ship with UPS at a UPS shipping center.As long as the gun is going to an FFL they have no problem with it.I always take a copy of the receiving FFL to show to the clerk just to be safe.None of the UPS stores in my area will take guns of any kind.The post office is just a pain to deal with because they do not know the law.

I used to do a fair amount of this. I created an online account with FedEx and used online shipping. Put the label on the box and drop it at FedEx as a prepaid shipment. Never had a problem.

All shippers have problems but in all the shipping I did in the past FedEx was the easiest to file a claim with and actually get paid.

Yeah, I've had less problem with FexEx accepting shipments than with UPS. USPS is easiest, but not sure I'd trust them lately.

I sent 3 sheets of paper to the NFA office in WV in a UPSP Priority envelope. I was quoted 4 days (Saturday) which was longer than normal. Was not delivered till Tuesday! $8.25 includes insurance and the ability to track the envelope and be pissed off because it took 7 days.

They have ask me before. I tell them it’s collectible baseball bats. Ship on!

I think you can buy as much insurance as you want on anything you ship USPS. One thing to note, if you file a claim and get paid, you don't get to keep whatever the thing you claimed is. USPS owns it if they pay the claim. So if they pay a claim on a chipped toe, or a broken front sight, you get the money but lose the gun.

I take my rifles to Staples for UPS shipping. None of the young folk working there bat an eyelid at the fact it's a rifle. One young fellow was ex-military, and was interested in rifles. The UPS stores and hardware stores I used years back got anxious over shipping guns.

...golf clubs.