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How to ship ammo? Gun parts? Alternative Methods?

BOLTED

Silver $$ Contributor
I talked to the UPS and Fedex stores in my area and they are refusing to ship ammo or gun parts. UPS will ship a firearm FFL to FFL only, from the local UPS hub, but not any type of gun related parts. My local UPS is considering ANY live ammo as hazardous/no ship without the full meal deal hazmat training and license. No triggers, barrels, stocks, brass or bullets either. Even BB's are on the no ship list! Fedex is just an unapologetic flat NO to everything, even with a call tag.

How is everyone shipping this stuff? Yes, I could fib about what is in the box, but I don't need trouble in my life. Are there other shippers that are willing to do this that anyone knows about? The funny thing is that UPS and Fedex have both delivered this type of stuff to my house in the VERY recent past.

Does anyone know if any DOT rules have changed on any of this for 2021?

I heard that UPS is being or has been sold, is this a result of new owner rules, or is it just an anti-gun type decision of my local UPS and Fedex locations? I do know that they do not have to ship anything they don't want to, even if it is perfectly legal to do so. I also read up on what is legal to ship by ground (ORM-D) as far as small arms munitions goes.

Frustrating, as I have some factory ammo I wanted to sell to help fund a new item, and now seems the best time to do that. For the time being, I am just going to list locally.

Anyone else running into this issue?
 
No.

First off, you are under no obligation to tell them what is in the box unless it is hazardous or a firearm. Firearms and hazardous materials have to be sent from the actual hubs, not USP stores or FedEx Office locations. Those are privately owned franchises and they can make up their own rules. The actual FedEx and UPS hubs follow their policies, which are easily attainable online.
As for shipping ammo, there are posts about how to do this. It just requires the correct labeling.
Primers and powder require hazmat shipping, which does have special regs associated with it.

My advise to all regarding shipping is to do your research. Again the rules and policies are easily found. Once you have that information, go in prepared and if any of the employees tell you something different than what is in the policies, ask to speak to a supervisor.
 
I couldn't argue with the employees that I talked to, and the UPS employee said this information is from the hub, who (whom?) she had just called the day before for a gentleman asking the same question. I definitely will go to the actual hub of both companies (none in my town) myself and confirm.

Thanks
 
The best thing to do is read the current regulations on the UPS/Fedex website and if what you want to do is not prohibited - print out a copy and bring it with you to the actual hub. I wouldn't say all but a good percentage of customer service representatives are ignorant of their own regulations. What is written down takes precedent over what amounts to someone's opinion.
Be aware that UPS stores are privately owned businesses and can refuse to ship whatever they want.
If you're really lucky, you might find a business with a shipping account that the UPS driver stops at every day for pickup and delivery. If its allowed, they will ship your items without any backtalk and their account allows them a discount that they may pass on to you. Machine shops may be a good place to ask about this. These are different from drop off locations.
 
BOLTED said:
I talked to the UPS and Fedex stores in my area and they are refusing to ship ammo or gun parts. UPS will ship a firearm FFL to FFL only, from the local UPS hub, but not any type of gun related parts. My local UPS is considering ANY live ammo as hazardous/no ship without the full meal deal hazmat training and license. No triggers, barrels, stocks, brass or bullets either. Even BB's are on the no ship list! Fedex is just an unapologetic flat NO to everything, even with a call tag.

How is everyone shipping this stuff? Yes, I could fib about what is in the box, but I don't need trouble in my life. Are there other shippers that are willing to do this that anyone knows about? The funny thing is that UPS and Fedex have both delivered this type of stuff to my house in the VERY recent past.

Does anyone know if any DOT rules have changed on any of this for 2021?

I heard that UPS is being or has been sold, is this a result of new owner rules, or is it just an anti-gun type decision of my local UPS and Fedex locations? I do know that they do not have to ship anything they don't want to, even if it is perfectly legal to do so. I also read up on what is legal to ship by ground (ORM-D) as far as small arms munitions goes.

Frustrating, as I have some factory ammo I wanted to sell to help fund a new item, and now seems the best time to do that. For the time being, I am just going to list locally.

Anyone else running into this issue?
Click to expand...
Live ammunition in my area must be taken to a UPS customer service hub they will ship gun parts and firearms there also and a recent change for this year is the labeling now instead of Orm d it is a limited quantities label
 
The UPS or Fedex Office locations are not trained in shipping. They are pretty much clueless and know that if they have a question "no" may not be the right answer, but it is the answer that keeps them out of trouble. When it comes to ammo it is actually the right answer for them.

Gun parts are another story, but you can't make any carrier accept freight, so you're just SOL there.

You have to go to a UPS customer center. It will be attached to a warehouse and surrounded with brown trucks.

Ammo is regulated as Hazmat and is no longer shipped ORM-D. It has to be shipped as a Limited Quantity since Dec 31.

Search for posts under my handle here regarding shipping. I've posted a few.

For ammo, go to the UPS website: Ammo instructions

Then search for shipping ammo under my handle here. I've posted more than once.

FedEx is usually harder.
 
mudduck said:
I have never had anyone ask was in the box. I mean midway, brownells, and any box store is using them. Why can’t you? Hell just tell ther it’s adult sex toys if they ask lol.
Click to expand...
If you are shipping ammo the Federal charges should probably discourage you.

Undeclared Hazmat (oxygen generators) put ValueJet 592 into the everglades and lots of people died. Undeclared Li batteries have resulted in fires that have burned several multi million dollar airplanes.

How many @(&#! UPS threads have you seen with people complaining about damaged packages? If your box falls off of the convenor and scatters cartridges all over the floor of a warehouse all it takes is enough initiative from one supervisor. What are you going to tell the DOT special investigator who shows up at your door?

I've had those meetings, but I'm in the business. I have the right answers and backup. you probably dont.
 
hogpatrol said:

Shipping Special-Care or Regulated Items | UPS - United States

Learn about how to ship regulated and special care items with UPS, from perishables and wine to firearms and animals.
www.ups.com
I'm not an FFL holder but have shipped firearms UPS no problem. Just needed proof that it was going to an FFL. Ammo, it's been a few years but just needed the ORM-D stickers and not more than 66 lbs.
Click to expand...
Any legal owner of a firearm can ship it to a FFL for repair, customization and receive it back to their doorstep. USPS will not ship handguns to my knowledge. What irks me are those who will not ship a bonafide C&R firearm to a C&R license holder.
 
With UPS and FedEx, you can schedule a pickup - i.e., don't have to take it to the customer center.
As mentioned, you still need to/should be clear on what is being shipped.

Our local UPS/FedEx store won't accept anything firearm related. They did say they are happy to pack it up - just they cannot/won't accept it for shipping.
 
XTR said:
If you are shipping ammo the Federal charges should probably discourage you.

Undeclared Hazmat (oxygen generators) put ValueJet 592 into the everglades and lots of people died. Undeclared Li batteries have resulted in fires that have burned several multi million dollar airplanes.

How many @(&#! UPS threads have you seen with people complaining about damaged packages? If your box falls off of the convenor and scatters cartridges all over the floor of a warehouse all it takes is enough initiative from one supervisor. What are you going to tell the DOT special investigator who shows up at your door?

I've had those meetings, but I'm in the business. I have the right answers and backup. you probably dont.
Click to expand...
I referred others to your prior posts about Hazmat requirements for shipping primers and powder. A moderator on a forum I will no longer participate in claimed it was legal to ship either using ORM-D if under 25lbs. I corrected him, shared links to your posts, and the fact ORM-D is gone and got chastised for doing so. See ya.

I appreciate your straight forward, no nonsense replies regarding Hazmat requirements and Limited Quantity shipping.
 
XTR said:
If you are shipping ammo the Federal charges should probably discourage you.

Undeclared Hazmat (oxygen generators) put ValueJet 592 into the everglades and lots of people died. Undeclared Li batteries have resulted in fires that have burned several multi million dollar airplanes.

How many @(&#! UPS threads have you seen with people complaining about damaged packages? If your box falls off of the convenor and scatters cartridges all over the floor of a warehouse all it takes is enough initiative from one supervisor. What are you going to tell the DOT special investigator who shows up at your door?

I've had those meetings, but I'm in the business. I have the right answers and backup. you probably dont.
Click to expand...
I wasn’t meaning any thing hazmat related. But everything thing else should be no issue.
 
Thanks for all the info everyone.

Just an interesting tidbit is that the UPS worker said the the NO ship info she got from the hub is due to a anti-gun type person that is in some kind of charge over there. She said they just say NO to everything except shipping a firearm FFL to FFL only, and they don't like to do that either. For all I know, she could be the one that is just saying NO to everything and not being truthful about calling the hub, but I have no reason to doubt her until I go to the hub and ask myself. I feel like UPS is a little more friendly about this kind of stuff than Fedex.
 
For firearms besides handguns ship via USPS, I have never had an issue with using them. I have no other way to ship since I am 150 miles from a Fed-Ex or UPS facility and If you have a friendly FFL then give him a few dollars and have him ship the handgun, they are allowed to ship via USPS.

Loaded ammo or primed brass cannot be shipped via USPS. Powder and primers require Haz-Mat shipping so that takes it off the table as far as an individual being able to legally ship those by any carrier.

drover
 
Walgreens is a drop point for FedEx. They never ask what is in the box. Let your concience be your guide.
UPS Stores I have had a lot of dealings with. When I first went to work in the firearms industry I was required by my employer to get a "secure" shipping address. All the other guys had UPS Store boxes so I got one too. They received everything sent there for a while. One day, for an upcoming show, I was shipped a pallet of guns to that address. They refused it and said they would no longer accept or ship firearms. That was around 2008. I went two blocks down the street, got a new address at an independent (no brand name) place that handled shipping. Told the guy right off what I was doing and he was more than happy to take care of anything I needed. In fact, we became good friends.
I routinely shipped cases and cases of ammo. It had to me labeled properly but no problem to ship.......until.
One day Fedex refused to accept a shipment from me at the hub. Told me I had to schedule pickup and let the driver come pick it up at my house. That's the way both UPS & Fedex want it done now.
 
mudduck said:
I have never had anyone ask was in the box. I mean midway, brownells, and any box store is using them. Why can’t you? Hell just tell ther it’s adult sex toys if they ask lol.
Click to expand...
They never asked me too. I just box it and ship it via FedEx or UPS.
 
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