HEADS UP,UNCLE SAM WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR MAIL!!

[jonbearman]

Thank you for the heads up on the ups.That is really sad that society views gun lovers of all type's lumped basically into 1 group. You know,criminals. When I was young a criminal broke the law,now they are regarded with more rights than we have.Ups and others should be boycotted,but it is impossible.

 

[whiskey08]

ive kinda got a different take on it, i remember when bubba gutted the CIA and all the other related activities, and as soon as 9/11 happened everybody blamed the CIA. I like my privacy same as the rest of you, but I also understand that theres a bunch of radicals that declared war on this country, whether or not we want to be at war. So I expect these government agencies to find, track, and disrupt those who would do us harm. Ive got nothing to hide so ill accept that theyre supposed to be paying close attention to to whats happening in this country. No matter that this country is being currently run by a bunch of french wanna be libs, there is still rough men standing on the wall protecting this country. Theyve got my support

 

[TheSnake]

Snake you bet they were,the postal inspector told me with the way things are today they are gonna be way more cautious. I dont like anyone going in a roundabout way of calling me a liar.

jonbearman,
I can't tell from your statement if you think I was calling you a liar or someone else was. ??? If you think I was calling you a liar, rest assured, I was not. I was stating that I think they can open whatever they want and don't have to ask anyone for permission, so they must have been wanting to see how you reacted to the questioning. I don't look over my shoulder to see if anyone is there, but I do listen from time to time and keep my nose clean.

 

[spclark]

It's against Federal regulations to ship loaded ammunition. It says so right on the posters at every Post Office I've been in for almost 10 years. You can't ship lighter fluid either, or pressurized hair spray, or matches, or many other common household products.

You CAN ship bullets - jacketed or cast lead - or unprimed brass cases (new or fired), but not primers & surely not propellant.

To do otherwise is foolish given the potential for prosecution. Mail Inspectors are licensed to carry machine guns in all 50 states. If they don't have one in their hands when they come knocking on your front door, rest assured it's in the trunk of their vehicle....

Given the state of the world these days I'm glad they're so restrictive. There are a lot of folks out there who would do most of us harm if they could. Making it easy for them to move stuff around the country, stuff that could hurt you or I or our loved ones isn't something I'd want to have happen.

 

[15Tango]

Mail Inspectors are licensed to carry machine guns in all 50 states.

Oh yeah, all those mail inspectors roll with 240 Bravos and M249s strapped to their backs. Mail inspectors are the highest trained and authoritative force since the Gestapo.

Given the state of the world these days I'm glad they're so restrictive.

Oh for sure! Restrictions and regulations always bring safety. Especially since the only way to move dangerous stuff around the country is through the USPS.

Since this is just getting silly, I better go find a tin foil hat. Hide y0 kids, hide y0 wife!!1!

Wayne

 

[Erik Cortina]

I sent a dummy round to my gunsmith so that he could set up the freebore. Well, he never got it! We started looking into it and the mail man said it was probably confiscated! I asked why? He said he wasn't sure, he gave me a number to call, so they will be getting a phone call from me on Monday morning and every morning after that until I get this resolved!

 

[fdshuster]

Some of these problems may be due to the firearms/ loading component knowledge level of each individual postal inspector. Years ago, even before all the "new" regulations I tried to board a commercial airline flight with a paper bag of about 100 fired, empty brass 30-06 cases in my carry-on bag. The person working the security counter went ballistic, causing an ugly scene, her supervisor called security and thankfully one of the guards was knowledgable enough to explain to them that the brass cases were harmless. A really nasty experience! I've sent jacketed bullets & empty brass thru the mail, and received same, and have not had any problems-------yet.

 

[model 12 toby]

id say we haven't seen s**t yet. make sure ya vote. ;D

 

[spclark]

Agreed.

 

[jonbearman]

SPClark,I was shipping only bullets and I do know the regs that deal with this.The whole thing that upset me was the mind games they were playing with me.I dont look over my shoulder as laws are laws.I will vote for new canidates to rid us of the ones that believe that just a law will make it all better.

 

[spclark]

Jonbearman, my apologies if you feel I was "dissing" you - that was not my intention at all.

I meant only to clarify whether you were in fact sending loaded cartridges - contrary to postal regulations - or merely projectiles, which I take users of this forum to mean when they write bullets.

Most members of today's general public will use that term to mean loaded cartridges.

I've had no problem sending bullets packed in both small and large boxes for many years via the USPS. They need to be securely packed so as not to rattle or fall out of the packaging, but other than that they've been good to go. The package may be very heavy for its size, which may bring some scrutiny but otherwise shouldn't cause any rules to be broken unless you're shipping by prepaid Priority Mail which does have weight limits per carton size.

There are no USPS regulations that I know of that prohibit mailing of metal items, whether they be bullets or unprimed brass, or nuts & bolts or what have you, as long as the metal itself isn't radioactive or otherwise hazardous to handle (white Phosphorous & Mercury come to mind, along with metallic Sodium, finely powdered Aluminum, probably many more elements).

http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/pub52apxa.htm

http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub52/pub52apxd.htm#ep292752

Curiously, under the heading Ammunition in that document it mentions projectiles....

I'd be very interested to have anyone who's reading this direct me to contrary information.

A few years back I discovered that FedEx will allow individuals to ship ORM-D - rated hazardous materials via Ground Transport (specifically loaded small arms ammunition - Hazard Class 1.4C / Cartridges for weapons, inert projectile or cartridges, small arms) once they've passed an on-line class in hazardous substances handling, at that time costing about $200. The certification lasts 1 year.

I can't find the relevant link on their website but will try to get it & post it here later.

Certification for companies is more expensive and not available from on-line training, but once obtained permits shipping the same materials via air transport.

I don't know whether the same certification for individuals is recognized by UPS.

 

[model 12 toby]

i get poweder sent here. 20 bucks to ship even a pound. haz mat shipping. i have many times.

 

[jonbearman]

I was sending 2 boxes of hornady bullets(projectiles) to texas period.I have done it dozens of times.The newbie woman I think freaked out.The rest is history.The only thing though is it scared the heck out of me.I thought I was going to jail or something.It was 6 hours of misery since I try my best to follow every law. I now go in and declare what is in the box.Nobody else has done this in front of me,just me!!!!!! I feel violated.

 

[spclark]

I can appreciate your aggravation. There's nothing to explain why you had to be treated in this manner. Mailing of common metal pieces is permitted whether of stainless steel, aluminum, copper-jacketed lead or any other otherwise non-hazardous metal.

You may want to seek out your local Postmaster & have a quiet conversation about your dissatisfaction with the employee who reacted improperly. Overreaction to a non-existant threat only leads to ill will and distrust & has no place in a professionally run operation. Employees should know & abide by the rules under which they operate; anything less & they're not doing the job right.

When I ship via USPS I typically describe the contents as machined parts & leave it at that. I've never had a problem.

 

[Taildrag15X]

Gotta ask why did the BATFE call you? I'm agreeing that it was scanned and got a hit, but to be turned over to the BATFE makes it seem like more would of happened.

The last I knew the "item" would not of been handled, opened or xrayed.....it's collected and made inert, after disposition an investigation would of been done to determine if charges could or would be brought forward.

 

[jonbearman]

I cant answer that,They opened and repacked it .Then it was sent to a 6mmbr member.Have not heard anything since.However when I go into the postoffice and mail bullets and other things ,I have to declare what is in the box. Not one of them will talk to me about it,they acknowledge it but they say they cant discuss it. That's it.

 

[spclark]

That's why I advocate using the simplest terms to describe the contents.

Machined / metal parts does that nicely with no "trigger" words to raise any suspicions.

If the contents are safe enough to ship under the current, published regulations, you ought to have no problems.

 

[moorepower]

I just shipped 500 bullets, and they rattled a little. The post master just asked me what was in the package, and I told him bullets only, no powder or primers, and he said OK no problem. Of coarse he listens to Rush and Hannity in the post office.

 

[jonbearman]

Thanks for all your tips on mailing and spclark I will try your method! I mailed a barrel the other day and the postal worker acted funny,so machined parts sounds better.

 

[4xforfun]

ive worked at UPS before. everything that is sent has the living s**t beat out of it wether it says fragile or explosive or what ever.

I had a conversation with my UPS delivery guy. He was a 30 + year veteran with UPS. When we got around to how well things need to be packaged, he grabbed the box he had just delivered, held it at eye level, and dropped it on the floor!!! He said if you don't think it would survive without damage, DON'T SEND IT WITH US!!!!

Also, I was told by someone who sends/recieves firerarms regularaly......As stated earlier, UPS is not to gun friendly. Send all firerarms with the USPS....fully declaired and insured, of course. That way, if a gun turns up "missing" , the BATF gets involved....things get resolved in a hurry!!!