https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/sh.../firearms.page

Bob Jurewicz

Technically right now usps is the only carrier that an individual can ship a long gun through.

This is due to fedex and ups bowing to pressures from the house a few years ago changing their own rules regarding individuals shipping guns. Even if they are going to a dealer. They dont care.

Shipping
 

Look, UPS and FedEx requires an account to ship these days. It takes like 5-10 minutes to open an account. Once you have the account you can take it to any UPS or FedEx shipping outlet an send it, since it will have a pre-paid label on it. NO QUESTIONS. The other thing you can do, once you print out the pre-paid label and put it on the box, is to give it to any UPS driver and they will take it. I sometimes have both systems open on my computer and compare the two to see which one is cheaper. DO NOT buy their insurance. Get one of these insurance companies that have been discussed here. Gun & Trophy or Collectibles from Hartford. And if you don't have one of these insurance companies you have a huge hole in you asset base; Huge hole! The USPS is THE most expensive of all of these, by far. And they will not insure anything over, I think, $5000 anyway. It ain't that big a deal.

Another aspect here: if you sign up for the Gun & Trophy insurance from Cushman Insurance agency that has a full page advert in the current Parker Pages, the policy also includes substantial coverage for your guns in transit and you don't have to buy insurance from the carrier (if it even would be honored). It's relatively inexpensive and depending on your coverage desired. Also if you're a pgca member you get a $25. rebate to cancel out the admin cost of the policy, at least I did. Be sure to state you're a pgca member on the on-line application. I am not affiliated with Cushman in any capacity except as a policy holder.

That is all fine and dandy. But if you process the label online (ups). They ask to disclose the contents. Before their regulations changes it was no issue to just put “shotgun” or “rifle” as the item description. Once those regulations changed the system will kick back as “prohibited” items if you are actually honest in what you are shipping.

Of course you can just put down whatever you want to get the system to take it, but if something happens you will not have a leg to stand on because you shipped prohibited goods by their standards.

UPS and FedEx no longer accept guns from private individuals. If you ship it and are not licensed and give them false information about contents they will not pay insurance or be concerned about the gun.

UPS page
https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/sh.../firearms.page

UPS web page - Shipments containing Firearm Products are accepted for transportation only from shippers who are federally licensed and have an approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.

FedEx page
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping...-firearms.html

FedEx page - The FedEx Service Guide prohibits firearm shipments. However, customers holding a Federal Firearms License (FFL) may work with their FedEx account executive to obtain approval to ship firearms with FedEx. This will require customers holding an FFL to execute a FedEx Firearms Shipping Compliance Agreement. For more information, contact your FedEx account executive.

Thanks Brian and Brian for the info. I didn’t know UPS asks about contents when you do the shipping request and label using an on-line account. FedEx does not, at least it doesn’t ask me and there is no place on the Fedex on-line shipping template to do that. And while I am a 03 FFL, FedEx doesn’t know that. I once tried to execute a "Compliance Agreement" with FedEx and made several calls to locate my account executive but no one there knew anything about that position and who it might be. All this shows how confusing things are.

Well anyway, nowadays I will very rarely ship guns that are worth any more than a nominal amount. Better to show and legally sell in person, or consign to a reputable on-line auction service. Just too much of a hassle to ship, the seller takes all the risk, and often you have to deal with individuals who want to return the gun for casual reasons and that puts a stigma on it when you readvertise to the limited audience interested in vintage double-guns. All this is my experience and opinion of course.

FACTS
 

You know some people shouldn't speculate and accuse others of doing things when they do not have the facts.

What ever happened to "Shall not be infringed"?