Ever have an issue shipping a Firearm??

[Averageman]

I was shipping a Colt 1991 off to have some custom work done on it by a in state Gunsmith and FFL. His instructions included a bit of a warning about dealing with these folks and the issues I might encounter.
So, I was warned, but I had no idea I would encounter something on the level of an episode of "The Three Stooges." when I tried to send my pistol through Fed Ex.
The Clerk "We don't ship firearms."
Co Worker "Yes, we do ship Firearms."
The Clerk "Do you have an FFL."
Me "No, I'm shipping it to and FFL."
Clerk "Then we cannot ship your Pistol."
Co Worker "Yes we can as long as he is shipping it to a FFL holder."
The Clerk "Are you shipping it to an FFL?"
Me "Yes as I stated earlier I am shipping it to an FFL, here is his name and address on the label."
At this point her Co Worker takes the information from me to verify the package is going to an FFL. I get to go to the end of the line while he does the verification.
45 minutes later and $78.00 lighter, my pistol is insured for its value (another three way conversation full of "No we cannot's" with the Co Workers "Yes, we can's" ) and is on its way to San Antonio.
I'm not sure if She just didn't want to help me or She was totally ignorant of the process, but it certainly was a frustrating experience.
All that was missing was an eye poke and a thrown cream pie.

[Crow Hunter]

I was shipping a Colt 1991 off to have some custom work done on it by a in state Gunsmith and FFL. His instructions included a bit of a warning about dealing with these folks and the issues I might encounter.
So, I was warned, but I had no idea I would encounter something on the level of an episode of "The Three Stooges." when I tried to send my pistol through Fed Ex.
The Clerk "We don't ship firearms."
Co Worker "Yes, we do ship Firearms."
The Clerk "Do you have an FFL."
Me "No, I'm shipping it to and FFL."
Clerk "Then we cannot ship your Pistol."
Co Worker "Yes we can as long as he is shipping it to a FFL holder."
The Clerk "Are you shipping it to an FFL?"
Me "Yes as I stated earlier I am shipping it to an FFL, here is his name and address on the label."
At this point her Co Worker takes the information from me to verify the package is going to an FFL. I get to go to the end of the line while he does the verification.
45 minutes later and $78.00 lighter, my pistol is insured for its value (another three way conversation full of "No we cannot's" with the Co Workers "Yes, we can's" ) and is on its way to San Antonio.
I'm not sure if She just didn't want to help me or She was totally ignorant of the process, but it certainly was a frustrating experience.
All that was missing was an eye poke and a thrown cream pie.

Every time I have shipped one I get a different 3 Stooges scene.

I don't usually have problems with UPS when I go on the day a particular very pretty and sharp girl works there. She is one of the few in the area that actually knows the rules. Particularly the difference between handguns and long guns. I don't even go to the Post Office anymore. I just confuse them and frustrate myself.

The last several times that I have sold a gun I have specified that it would be going UPS and shipping on either a Monday or a Tuesday after 5 pm just because it is so annoying otherwise. (I don't ever ship Fed-ex because they are morons)

[BBossman]

I've shipped 1911's off to gunsmiths several times using FedEx without issues. Most FedEx staff, again MOST understand the shipping of firearms. I just print out FedEx's policy and have it on hand to show the folks that don't. Its a pain in the ass, but it is what it is. I can remember the days when you could ship handguns Ground without issue. Common carriers, FedEx and UPS instituted the "Air Only" policy to solve their own in-house theft/loss problems. Many years ago when a local UPS hub had their trash compactor replaced, they found dozens of empty handgun boxes stuffed underneath, and if I remember correctly the ATF got in a shoot-out at the same hub during an investigation into stolen firearms.

ETA: My mistake, no shootout, archive link to a WaPo story...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-12/24/071r-122499-idx.html

[bp7178]

Your experience will often differ if you use one of the various office type stores or go straight to one of the distribution hubs, the latter of which is the ONLY way to go.

[J-Dub]

Once at a po-dunk USPS office. They almost lost their shit when my response to their question "whats in the box" was "a rifle". It was a Krag Jorgensen 30-40. I reassured them that I didn't have to mail it to an FFL (was to a fellow resident of Texas), and that there was no ammo in the weapon.

UPS is always cool.

[Averageman]

The good side if this is the Pistol is in the hands of the Gunsmith as of 0700 this morning. So at least Fed-Ex got that part right.
I went with Ten-Ring Precision as I got some recommendations on his work and reputation. His web site mentioned some of the possible issues with shipping.

[Shorts]

Sounds like a new-er/ish clerk that doesn't know the finer points of the big regulations. At least there was the second clerk there correcting the first. Could have been worse. You could have been talking to two brick walls.

[diving dave]

Years ago I shipped a Remington 700 through UPS to a gunsmith for re-barreling.. Used a cheapie plastic case inside a box. Somehow, UPS had the package on the ground and managed to back over it with a truck.. Cracked the stock. They made good pretty quick but I shit a brick when they notified me.

[Lnxgeek]

I once had a FedEx employee insist that I could only ship a handgun if it was field-stripped.

A UPS Store once refused to ship a stripped upper receiver ... (legally not a firearm, so no restrictions really, but they just refused)

[Kain]

A UPS Store once refused to ship a stripped upper receiver ... (legally not a firearm, so no restrictions really, but they just refused)

Yeah, shipping gun parts can be pretty interesting in its own right. I honestly have gotten to the point when I am shipping gun parts, magazines, or what not that I just state when asked that they are machine parts, plastic components, or some shit like that. Because I have literally had a bitch go into hysterics because I was shipping the foreend of a shotgun off to be fitted with a new locking plate. Holy shit you would have thought I had just said I was shipping a bomb. Also, the guys who don't freak out also all have tended in the past to be rather skiddish about putting anything firearm related in the description when it is not actually a firearm.

[Iraqgunz]

There is no need to tell them it is an upper receiver so save yourself the headache. Anything non firearm I ship is called machined parts.


I once had a FedEx employee insist that I could only ship a handgun if it was field-stripped.

A UPS Store once refused to ship a stripped upper receiver ... (legally not a firearm, so no restrictions really, but they just refused)

[ChicagoTex]

I've had a couple minor adventures.

I ended up brokering the sale of some firearms that belonged to a dear friend on behalf of his wife after he passed away. All but one were long guns, so I shipped those USPS. I lived in a fairly small town in Illinois at the time that handily enough had the county post office two blocks away from the house I was renting. In anticipation of possible interference, I printed off the pertinent parts of USPS policy from their own website to take with me when I went to ship the first gun, as well as a signed and dated affadavit that the firearm was unloaded and had been packaged and was being shipped in complete accordance with USPS policy and federal and state law.

The fellow at the counter had apparently never shipped a gun before, so I ended up dealing with Postmaster. Apparently the PM had never shipped a gun before either, because when I explained to him that I wanted to ship a gun, he told me he wasn't sure they could take guns from non-FFLs. Naturally, I produced my printouts showing clearly that, in fact, the USPS would ship long guns from civilians to FFLs. Judging by his response, documentation from his own agency's official federal website was about as believeable as if I had told him the sky was purple and my hair was on fire. He went in the back and produced some sort of official USPS policy handbook that he looked through for several minutes while I stood there before he told me that he needed to look into it some more and make some phone calls, and that I should check back tomorrow. While I was a bit baffled by his response, I was in no particular hurry and my place was a stone's throw away so I went along with it. To his credit, when I came back the next day he informed me and his employee at the counter that was I was trying to do was, in fact, completely above board and I had no problem shipping long guns through that post office afterwards (though I continued to furnish affadavits each time).

My experience shipping the handgun through FedEx was a little bit different, though I did (once again) have the good fortune of living fairly near one of FedEx's distribution centers. Once again I carefully read and printed FedEx's pertinent policies from their website. I don't know if it still does, but at the FedEx stated in their policy that they had the right to inspect the firearm to verify that it was unloaded before shipping, so I brought it down boxed, but not taped or labeled. The woman I ended up dealing with when I got there didn't give me any guff about not shipping firearms after I showed her the printouts from the website, but she responded to the box after I told her it was a firearm like it was kryptonite, and just touching it would spell all kinds of unspoken doom. She distanced herself from her desk, vigorously refused when I asked her if she needed to inspect the firearm, printed out the label after I paid the king's ransom of $78 and then proceeded to hand ME the label and her tape gun for finishing up the package. Seeing as the poor girl was clearly traumatized, I obliged, but it was a real challenge to keep from laughing after she had to finally pick up the box (JUNG JUNG JUNG!!!) and place it on the roller belt 6 feet behind her. As you might imagine this process was not unlike some average joe handling a bomb in any hollywood blockbuster you could name. But hey, to her credit, at least she didn't hoop and holler or drag supervisors of supervisors of supervisors to get involved.
I guess some people really do believe guns just randomly fire themselves. Even when unloaded and boxed.

[Eurodriver]

I might get burned one day, but I don't tell them what is in the box regardless of what is in the box.

I'm okay taking the risk of losing a $350 BCM lower sent out to be engraved with my trust info if it allows me to use the UPS store by my house instead of dealing with that nonsense.

I might act differently with a $2000+ 1911 however.

[scooter22]

If you are a private seller (non-FFL):

UPS hubs are the best way to go. UPS stores are an absolute no-go.

You must disclose that a firearm is in the box. They will ask you to show them that it is not loaded.

Only long guns can be shipped ground; pistols must be next-day.

You must produce a copy of the recipients FFL.

It's clearly stated on the BATFE site. Too lazy to post a link.

If a UPS hub employee tells you that they don't ship firearms, tell them they are wrong. I've done it - it works.

However, now I just go through my FFL.