Shipping guns parts and ammunition within USA
 

What carriers are recommended to ship guns/ammo within the states?
Fedex?
UPS?
USPS?
DHL?

George, you will get many opinions on this as some have had horror shows with certain shippers. I use either UPS or FedEx, and have not had a problem with either to date.

My wife and I use UPS to ship gun parts and have been pleased so far. A seller I used had a bad experience with them and used USPS and was pleased with USPS. You will probably find a wide variety of opinion, but I think the best advice is to use any of the reputable shippers and make sure you are properly insured and get tracking and delivery confirmation.

Please remember that it is illegal to ship munitions via USPS. Otherwise I ship firearms via USPS Priority. I always ship on a Monday so that the package is delivered no later than Thursday. This avoids a gun sitting in a Post Office over a weekend.

Mark

That is a good idea about shipping on Monday

Everyone has opinions...mine is that USPS is the worst way to ship because its "tracking" number system is a joke. Unlike UPS and Fed Ex, the USPS tracking # tells you nothing about where the shipment is at any particular time or where it was last scanned. There is a very expensive ($100 or so) USPS registered mail option that does give you a real time tracking #, but that's at more than double the cost of UPS or Fed Ex. I learned this lesson the hard way when I shipped an insured gun to a buyer and it didn't arrive on time. I was shocked to learn that my USPS tracking # could not tell me where the gun was last handled. It finally showed up about 2 weeks late with the carton in tatters, but fortunately I had packed it well and the gun was undamaged. In the meantime I had to repeatedly placate and reassure the first time GB buyer that I had in fact shipped his gun, as he was beginning to think he may have been scammed. USPS told me that they just wait until a package is overdue more than 30 days before considering it lost, and hope it shows up in the meantime. What a joke; USPS shipping--never again for me.

My wife and I are trying to ship one of my guns to be restored right now and we have had a bad experience with both USPS and UPS. We had developed a good working relationship with our local UPS office and they informed us yesterday that the rules have changed (as in the last week or even days) and, long story short, it is now more expensive and more complicated to ship through them. We then called USPS and got the runaround as well. . . . We were first told to package it and take it to our local office and now we are told we need an FFL. Very frustrated right now. Gubment work if there ever was such a thing.:dh::dh:

Mills, you could try printing off the shipping regs from the BATF website, which clearly shows that it is legal for you to ship to an FFL gunsmith. But the problem I've encountered is that even within the same state, every local UPS, Fed Ex, etc depot can make its own policy with respect to shipping guns and ammo. In other words, just by proving that you can ship legally to a licensed gunsmith doesn't mean that they are likely to change their position. For years I had a great local UPS depot owner who let me ship without hastle after I showed him the regs and proved to his satisfaction that it was legal. Then he sold his business to a new guy who is clearly gun-phobic, and now I find myself starting from scratch with the education process. So all I can say is good luck.

We are now thinking of getting a local FFL to ship the gun to our gunsmith. We have talked to several people at UPS and USPS and have several different stories. My concern is that it gets stopped by some bureaucrat on the way and we never see it again. Thanks for your advice.

I just dropped off a Parker to UPS for shipment. no hassels, no probles. They printed up the shipping label retaped some of the box and I was in and out in less than 10 min.
I just received a Parker via Fed Ex. I used their on line tracking and the gun appeared at 9am on the day specified. once again no problems. The one thing with Fed Ex if an adult signature is required you have to be there to sign which can be a pain if you work. i have had them send a gun back to the company when no one was home to receive it.

USPS has a new standing policy to deny any non FFL holders shipping, I hold my ground and tell them they are following the rules from 1968 gun act and eventually they get it.

Ruff Hunter is confusing a UPS contractor with a UPS "office". No one sells a UPS office. You will get different service from real a UPS office. Also, is Labowner saying that the PO will no longer allow non FFL holders to ship, receive, or both? I have a hard time swallowing that one. A non FFL has never been allowed to ship to another non FFL. No change there. By the way Ruff, i don't remember any $100 Registered Mail fees, insurance maybe, but we buy insurance at all levels of service. What's the real story? I've used Registered a lot, and like it.

Well, I tried another post office, and sent my gun out with no problems. Our problems came from low level employees making their own rules and I suspect that is true with some of the other people on this thread. Now . . . fingers crossed that it arrives safely

Some years ago I tried to send one for repair through our closest UPS agency store. They wouldn't do it except from an FFL holder after clearance from the main office. I went to the other agency in town and declared it and insured it as an "antique Parker" and it went through with no problem.

When dealing with bureaucrats, act stupid and be persistent but generally polite. If anyone works for the government out there, I also did in my early career and know this from the inside

Just plain don't deal with a UPS agency store. They may not be there when you make an insurance claim.

Bill I am sure you know this but for people that don't know, you can not send a gun from a UPS store front only UPS depot, the store front will take your money for insurance but if the gun is lost or stolen you can not collect since the store fronts are not suppose to ship guns. Happened to a couple of guys over on double gunshop. So if you ship and insure thru UPS make sure you ship through a UPS depot.

Guess I lucked out.

I ship a fair amount of guns (shipped one yesterday). I'm not an FFL dealer, but I get the receiving dealers FFL and include a copy of that with the gun. I normally ship Registered USPS, but I have been known to ship insured USPS. The hassle with Registered is the package has to wrapped in brown paper and all corners taped with brown paper tape that USPS doesn't even sell in their stores. Thus you have to go to Staples or wherever to get it. The advantage of Registered Mail is it won't be lost as is has to be signed for every step of the way. I know that because I'm a retired Fed and we used to ship high value items via registered mail because there was a tracking system in place.

The negative thing with the USPS is many of the people in my area don't know the rules about shipping guns and they tend to get all stupid and pulling rules out of their tail when I show up. Because of that, I don't tell them its a gun. Last time I shipped a gun and they asked I told them it was circassian walnut and machined parts (sort of true).

PS. I do a lot of business with my local gun dealer. I always goes to the same post office he uses (if I'm going to see him) and the lady at the PO knows him. When I get there to ship a gun I just tell them I've got something from John (the dealers name) that I'm shipping for him. She's known John for 20 years and therefore she knows its a gun and she knows it legal, etc. etc..

I had to explain in a firm but polite way the US Postal regulations about shipping guns and antiques (1898 and older firearms) to the clerks at my local post office. I also quoted the National Firearms Act to explain what an antique was.

A clerk had ask for a copy of my C&R licence. I asked her, "What will you do with it?" She didn't have a good answer. I told her that Postal Regulations only require me to declare that the package contains a firearm. That was that. If it had not been enough I would have demanded to speak to the postmaster.

If one doesn't humiliate a Postal clerk they may appreciate the education.

PS: Leighton taught me that Priority Mail shipped on a Monday is a safe way to ship. It was good advice.

No one at my PO has asked me what is "in the box" in 37 years. They only ask how much insurance I want to buy.

Bill that is because they know if you are shipping a package that there is a 98% probability that it is a firearm! Why ask what you already know? :)

Shipping Ammo
 

I just learned something new last week that others may already know.
My friend shipped two boxes containing several boxes of ammo in various gauges for the upcoming state sporting clays event. The lady at UPS told him to make sure they were marked small arms ordnance and he would have no problem. He made these labels on his computer and used this bright yellow to make sure they showed up. He shipped them for $6 each and they arrived two days later, no hazardous waste fees or other special fees of any sort. The UPS guy just dropped them on my door step and took off, no signature, no anything.

Is that great or what?

I order from RST all the time and the shells show up on my doorstep with no problem

I have used all of the big three. I have had great luck with USPS Priority Mail Registered and Insured. We they go threw the questions I just tell then an antigue and insure it for an amount I am comfortable with. No muss...No Fuss...