Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Outrageous Firearms Shipping Costs

Elk Snort is referring to me...

12.35 lbs actual weight...

22.00 lbs billable weight...

50x14x5" dimensions...

$700 insured...



Charges:

$53.70 Ground Commercial

$8.05 Service Options

$20.50 Additional Handling

$82.25 Total

One of those last 2 charges is insurance (not sure). What I am sure of is that the 3 service agents at the main shipping hub were all new and completely inept.

This will be the last time I cover shipping. I prefer local transactions anyway. Guess I got popped for the length of the package. I was standing in line thinking I shouldn't have double-boxed the package, or maybe disassembled the gun, but I didn't want to repackage the shipment. Oh yeah, 40 miles round trip on my dime to ship out of the main shipping hub, passing countless UPS Stores because of their rediculous policy not allowing shipping firearms from those locations. Live and learn.

I shipped one from Kentucky to Iowa a couple of weeks ago for less than $25, and that was with $500 insurance, USPS Priority Mail. I don't know where some of you are coming up with these prices, but they sound out of line.

Weight, actual package dimensions, and destination all make a huge difference.

Fed-Ex? Avoid them like you'd avoid the plague!


How was it boxed? What did it weigh? Did the buyer ask for insurance?

I had to ship a customer's rifle to FL a few years ago.. A VERY heavy solid case and rifle.. Insured (his preference).. A tad over $100..

ElkSnort: The price for "shipping" anything these days is horrific!
I try NOT to use UPS, FED-EX and the usps whenever possible.
ESPECIALLY the horrible, irresponsible, lackadaisical, useless, slow as snot, bordering on criminal, we don't care because we don't have to, bankrupt, usps!
And, sadly, its gonna get worse under china joe biden and his ho.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

When it comes to common carrier - DIMS, weight and insurance all play a role as does actual pick and delivery location. Again, density in their network. USPS is pretty much flat rate - other's are much more dynamic in pricing structure.

UPS, USPS, and Fed-Ex all have websites where you can compute prices, shipping has gotten more expensive from all of them though. I don't know how folks are shipping rifles for $25 - $35 like some have posted, nothing that I can find lets a person ship that cheaply.

drover

$80-$100 to ship from here.

When possible, I like to transfer through my FFL and have him ship USPS, especially with handguns!

UPS has a $15 surcharge for items over 48". Seems this was specifically to target guns and get more money from gun shipments. That started 3-4 years ago.

I too have gotta wonder how this is being done so cheaply. When I've tried to ship through U.S. Postal Service, they said they couldn't do it unless I was a FFL holder sending to an FFL. So, I was left to believe FedEx and UPS were my only options (as a non-FFL).

Are you guys getting it done so cheaply not using insurance? And if you're using insurance, are you omitting that it's a firearm you're sending? Yea, I know it's none of their business. But I can guarantee the insurance won't cover it if they found out it was a firearm after the fact.

Regardless which service you use, they act like they don't want your business (even if they CAN ship guns legally)!

Some may be using an intermediary to get it cheaper. Think of a Costco for shipping - they do a lot of volume so get a break on the price and pass that along to gain even more volume.

It's why often it's cheaper for me to use a broker to ship LTL vs calling Old Dominion myself.

The last rifle I shipped was labeled machine parts. I really didn't much care if I got the piece of schitt back or not. Mossberg ATR100.

Only an FFL can ship a handgun through USPS. Anyone can ship a long gun through USPS. ...of course shipping has to be to an FFL or a resident in state....or yourself.

I have shipped rifles or shotguns to an out of state FFL many times. Take them down so they fit in a short box. $30 to $50 depending how heavy and how far it's going and how fast you need it there.

Bubble wrap and don't send heavy crap with it.

Some people could make tying their shoes into an ordeal.

Priority mail and they will pay a claim because it is legal to ship long guns through them

Today was a prime example. I handle GunBroker at work. I shipped a Remington 700 in an old Tikka box. The box inside a shipping box measured 49.5". Cost was $48 and change and we get a discounted rate. I performed some box surgery and got it down to 46". Cost dropped to $28.

Shipped a rifle NJ to MT this week thru UPS. $85. Shipped another to Arkansas $65. From here out, shipping costs are on the buyer.

I see a lot of guys shopping for guns lately and they tell me that they find a fair amount of guns cheaper online than in local shops. I tell them to always check the shipping an FFL fees before hitting the buy it now button. Some FFLs charge a lot more than other FFLs to receive/ship a gun.

Guys, U.S. Postal Service charged just $90.10 on a rifle that UPS wanted $475 to ship!!! That included Insurance coverage of $8,600 yes $8,600. The route was Florida to central Virginia. The U.S. Postal Service status assigned to the package was two-fold: PRIORITY and REGISTERED, (plus I added Return Receipt Requested, which was NOT required by the post office). The REGISTERED status was what allowed for the insurance to be above $5,000. The REGISTERED status required that the item had to be signed for by each person along the way who handled the item. This DID slow the progress of the box in its travels, but I felt it was necessary for the integrity of the shipment. The post office at the starting point has to see the FFL of the recipient. Easy!