Shipping an action UPS

[Keith Glasscock]

I'll need to ship my action off to my smith next month (he holds an FFL). This is a rifle action...

My reading of the UPS website shows that I must ship handguns via next day and advise the UPS employee that it is a handgun.

This isn't a handgun, so I believe that I can ship to the FFL by ground UPS, adult signature required. There also appears to be no requirement to notify UPS that a firearm is in the box on UPS' web site. Edit: Federal law requires notification.

I had a really confusing conversation with the UPS guys today about this. They seemed exceedingly worried about whether my gunsmith has a residential vs commercial address.

Am I right? How should I do this in order to be safe?

Thanks!

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I just found the federal law where I must notify the carrier (Ups) that there is a firearm in the package. Guess I better have the FFL in hand to show them that it is going to the right place.

 

[Sniper338]

Ship it and insure it. Not a big deal.

 

[shoot4fun]

How is "firearm" defined? If you are shipping the action only (bolt but no trigger/barrel attached) is that defined as a "firearm" with UPS?
I usually take a copy of the FFL I am shipping to with me to Fedex (I don't use UPS) but they have never asked to see it. They know me so they know if I have a really long box it's a rifle. They don't even ask any more.
UPS is loaded up with firearm/ammo dummies and the company doesn't care at all when their people make up s**t to make it hard for you to legally ship anything related to guns or ammo.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I know the answer to the firearm question - Yes. If it has a serial number (like this action) it is a firearm.

 

[Keith Kilby]

I'm not sure if UPS has the same rules from depot to depot even. Our shop ships firearms back directly to the person that shipped them to us without an FFL....if we have the package picked up by UPS at our shop. If we hand carry a package to the depot we have to show an FFL for the receiving end, which is contrary to ATF which says we can ship back to the owner. We're of the opinion that, at least at a corporate level UPS tries to make it difficult to ship guns ( our local UPS people are great ). You need to understand that Federal law and UPS rules are different....as long as UPS rules meet the minimum requirement of the law, THEY can choose to have their rules stricter than the Federal requirements.

Check the USPS regs....we send and receive way more stuff via Priority mail than UPS without the headaches. See section 432.5 under mailability on the USPS website.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

My biggest worry is that the action will be in a small box - really easy to confuse with a handgun.

I've been playing with the idea of shipping it in a box big enough to hold an assembled rifle. The barrels then can come back with it in the same box...

For those that have shipped just an action UPS, USPS, or FEDEX ground, have you had any trouble convincing them that the little box containing an action is a rifle?

 

[Keith Kilby]

I've never had USPS ask what was in the box..........

 

[Jason Boersma]

Most people probably don't say what's in box just insure it for it's value and ship it. I use a local shop to ship for me.

 

[rangertim]

Just shiped a Action Thur postal service to a FFL Dealer insure it and let it go for a 3 day ride to your FFL ! If you are sending it to a person with no FFL than that's a deferent story !

 

[Eric Leonard]

the Post Office around here will not ship any kind of gun to anybody and the local UPS drop off will bend over backwards for my money,,I figure it has more to do with the people running the place than the actual law

 

[therifler]

I send USPS when ever i can . it goes no questions asked . but not handguns .

 

[GrocMax]

Does it matter if its crossing a state line? That was my understanding- state line crossed must go FFL to FFL. Can anybody clarify? Is this for transfer (sell, purchase) only?

 

[Chris Few]

I have shipped a few fire arms and it isn't a a big deal. You have to ship it at a UPS hub though not just a UPS store. Even if it is in a small box they won't question it. I personally would just be up front with them about it and tell them it is and make sure that it is insured as well which i'm sure that you already planned on doing.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I use fed-x cheaper and better for me. I tell them the truth , copy of FFL in my hand a copy in box...
Everything up front No laws danced around.

 

[Phil]

I take them to my FFL, boxed, labeled, taped and ready to go, and let him ship it for me....

It really helps when you have a friend with an FFL......

No additional cost and the shipper knows what they are dealing with in advance.


Phil.

 

[normmatzen]

I have shipped pieces of guns (action and barrel plus barrel blanks) to various gunsmiths lots of times by USPS. They are usually shipped back same way.
I have learned that UPS is NOT the best way to ship anything that USPS will ship first class or Priority. The old USPS is quicker and usually cheaper and the staff seem to have more common sense than FED-X and UPS.
I NEVER mark the box "FIREARM" or anything denoting GUN to preclude theft. This includes gun cases etc that aren't covered by a box.

 

[rifleman700]

No FFL license required with rifle when shipping when it is not a transfer.

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/0813-firearms-top-12-qaspdf/download

 

[tonyb]

No FFL license required with rifle when shipping when it is not a transfer.

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/0813-firearms-top-12-qaspdf/download

Great info. Thanks for posting this.

Tony.

 

[Shaggy357]

Machined parts require no notification. You can insure machined parts for the correct value. Assembled parts that create an operational device is something wholly different.

Stay out of the weeds....look at the whole picture....What would a reasonable and ordinary person define the item which you are shipping?

Steve