What is going on with UPS?

[B. Dudley]

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.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

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.

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Larry Stauch

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.

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Larry Stauch

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.

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.

[Phil Yearout]

Originally Posted by Larry Stauch

The USPS is THE most expensive of all of these, by far.

Every time I compare shipping charges on ANYTHING UPS and FedEx are more expensive than USPS. JME.

Anyway, I'm not buying or selling guns online but I do occasionally send/receive a gun for repair.