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Shipping a Firearm, what is the policy
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If I wish to ship a rifle, via FedEx or UPS, across state lines. Am I correct in believing that if I, not being an FFL holder, can ship the rifle to a recipients local gun dealer, providing he has sent/faxed me a copy of his FFL to enclose in the shipping carton with the rifle. I am sure you folks know these rules by heart but I have very little experience with this and would appreciate your input. Thanks in advance for your guidance.
 
Posts: 245 | Location: The Show Me State | Registered: 27 November 2008Reply With Quote
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Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
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The ATF rules/regs are just part of it.

UPS and FedEx have some weird policies involving guns. You have to use a bonafide outlet, not a local counter (sub-contracted). My nearest UPS counter is 87 miles away and FedeX 110!

I use USPS Priority Mail.


PA Bear Hunter, NRA Benefactor
 
Posts: 1621 | Location: Potter County, Pennsylvania | Registered: 22 June 2005Reply With Quote
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+1 on shipping USPS.
 
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
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UPS will pick up from me and ship, but I have had better luck with the post office.
Butch
 
Posts: 8964 | Location: Poetry, Texas | Registered: 28 November 2004Reply With Quote
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The easiest way to ship is the United States Postal Service...

and for the 1000 time, a non FFL holder DOES NOT NEED a copy of the FFL's license. In fact many ATF agents instruct FFL's to not send a copy of the their license to non-FFL holders.

UPS requires you to have one but that is UPS's rule not the law.

That is one of the reason's why using the USPS is bar the easiest.


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10136 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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The problem is not with the policy of the shipping service used but more so the SOB behind the counter that has no clue what the law is.

This may not be UPS policy but the Dumb ass behind the counter at my UPS hub said I needed an FFL to return an AIR PISTOL to the manufacturer. An Air pistol for crying out loud.

Either way as stated by many here USPS is the only way to go with any kind of reliability and ease of shipping.


www.KLStottlemyer.com

Deport the Homeless and Give the Illegals citizenship. AT LEAST THE ILLEGALS WILL WORK
 
Posts: 2534 | Location: National City CA | Registered: 15 December 2008Reply With Quote
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Getting a signed copy of the receiving dealer's FFL is best practice.

Which is to say that it's the best way to prove, if required to do so, that the firearm was in fact shipped to a federally licensed dealer - as required by federal law for interstate shipments.

To kick the due diligence up a notch, one can also check the license against the BATFE's computerized license data base.

I am talking about what is prudent here, regardless of what may or may not be required by the letter of the law.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13667 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by kcstott:
The problem is not with the policy of the shipping service used but more so the SOB behind the counter that has no clue what the law is.

This may not be UPS policy but the Dumb ass behind the counter at my UPS hub said I needed an FFL to return an AIR PISTOL to the manufacturer. An Air pistol for crying out loud.

Either way as stated by many here USPS is the only way to go with any kind of reliability and ease of shipping.


Unfortunately, the woods are are full of 'em.
 
Posts: 8169 | Location: humboldt | Registered: 10 April 2002Reply With Quote
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I don't know if it would help any of you, but you can get a UPS credit card account. You type everything on your computer, label is printed out, and they will pick up at your house or business. They never ask the contents.
Butch
 
Posts: 8964 | Location: Poetry, Texas | Registered: 28 November 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Getting a signed copy of the receiving dealer's FFL is best practice.


This is many times VERY impractical. I was in the firearms business for many years and can tell you that there were maybe 2-3 non business related people that I would EVER give a copy of my license to, because you don't know how they are going to use it.
Secondly, just try to get Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Colt, Winchester, Browning, Kimber, etc, to send a private individual a copy of their FFL...ain't going to happen.
 
Posts: 1669 | Location: Colorado, USA | Registered: 11 November 2002Reply With Quote
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You fellas are a big help. I really appreciate it.
 
Posts: 245 | Location: The Show Me State | Registered: 27 November 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by congomike:
. . . there were maybe 2-3 non business related people that I would EVER give a copy of my license to, because you don't know how they are going to use it. Secondly, just try to get Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Colt, Winchester, Browning, Kimber, etc, to send a private individual a copy of their FFL...ain't going to happen.


Mike, pursuant to federal law, an interstate firearms shipment is essentially business-related, in that the recipient must be a federally licensed dealer - or a gunsmith, although that does not seem to be the subject of this question.

And nationally known firearms manufacturers, or gunsmiths, for that matter, aren't the destinations that anyone would need to worry about!

I would never send a firearm in interstate commerce to anyone (other than a manufacturer or gunsmith) who was unwilling to give me a signed copy of his FFL. (BTW, a faxed copy will suffice.)


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13667 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Mike_Dettorre
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The purpose of ATF EZ check is so you don't need a copy of the FFL.

You get the leading digits and the trailing digits as specified do the check and you can print the screen shot. Voila proof the place you shipped it has a valid FFL.

I always find this issue intersting in that in general most members of the gun community complain about regulation and the hoops they need to jump through and some members impose hoops on themeslves.

To each his own.


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10136 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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Picture of Michael Robinson
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Mike, I only drive down my own road.

Yours may lead another way.

One would hope, and pray, that your path will not lead toward a federal facility for the legally disadvantaged. Cool

Knowing, of course, how considerate, and forgiving, the federal government can generally be, insofar as felony firearms charges are concerned.


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13667 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Mike_Dettorre
posted Hide Post
I love predictability.


Mike

Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.



What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
 
Posts: 10136 | Location: Loving retirement in Boise, ID | Registered: 16 December 2003Reply With Quote
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