Successfully shipping A Long Gun with New UPS Regulations

[Rare Breed]

I thought it would be helpful to share my experience this very day shipping my 500 NE to its buyer when I am not an FFL and yet I had to ship to an FFL though UPS.

First and foremost...you must have patience...UPS personnel are confused themselves by the new policy.

New Policy with UPS: Only an FFL can ship a Long gun to another FFL...no longer can an unlicensed person such as myself ship to an FFL.

What I did: I went to SHIP MY GUN.com. (Thanks @Tanks) They have a very simple to understand 5 step process that worked today.

They ask you to list the FFL you wish to ship to, in my case it popped up...if it had not, patience...it is not hard to get the FFL you want into their system.

I paid $81 that also included $5,000 in insurance which was about $125 cheaper than when I had to ship from UPS myself to ship the rifle today.

SHIP MY GUN within 24 hours sent me two things you will need: THEIR OWN SHIPPING LABEL GIVEN THEY ARE AN FFL through email...they also sent me a copy of the chief UPS officer telling their own personnel to accept an FFL like SMG. What caused some confusion was my name and address are on the pre-printed label. I told them when the gun arrives at the FFL, it must have my name and my drivers license is packed within the package...critical!!! They also said it was missing RS which means returned service. PATIENCE, smile!!! I told them nicely this was not a return service which only applied to repaired guns which was not the case here. I then nicely asked to see their supervisor. When he came up he confirmed that the label on my package was not mine but the FFL...I had them pull up the shipper SMG customer number and then they saw it was an FFL so that in reality I was just dropping off their package and was within the FFL to FFL requirements. They apologized to me saying that the policy is new and they appreciated my patience.

Hope this helps anyone shipping guns.

 

[shootist~]

Great info - thanks! Bookmarked for future reference!

Is UPS considered to be a better option than USPS? I'll be shipping a long gun myself in a few days. Albuquerque, NM to Wasilla, Alaska if it makes any difference.

 

[Doug3006]

You should have told them that you are delighted to help them learn their jobs! Your standard fee for a learning and development job is $400 per hour….or free shipping for a year!

 

[TOBY458]

Great info - thanks! Bookmarked for future reference!

Is UPS considered to be a better option than USPS? I'll be shipping a long gun myself in a few days. Albuquerque, NM to Wasilla, Alaska if it makes any difference.

Some USPS offices will ship it for you. Some are dumb asses and won't. They don't even know their own rules. And when you show it to them in their own website they still won't do it. Can you tell I've had issues with them? Lol!

 

[thi9elsp]

@Rare Breed and @Tanks Thank you both for this. I have a drop off center nearby if and when I need to do this. John

 

[gbflyer]

Great info - thanks! Bookmarked for future reference!

Is UPS considered to be a better option than USPS? I'll be shipping a long gun myself in a few days. Albuquerque, NM to Wasilla, Alaska if it makes any difference.

We use USPS. It’s perfectly legal and within their guidelines. I’ve never been asked what is in a package and if they did the answer is it’s not hazmat.

 

[shootist~]

It's been several years, but USPS did the last rifle I shipped. Seems like I had to show them a copy of the FFL's license and complete a form. Good chance I'll find out if that has changed or not.

 

[Rare Breed]

Great info - thanks! Bookmarked for future reference!

Is UPS considered to be a better option than USPS? I'll be shipping a long gun myself in a few days. Albuquerque, NM to Wasilla, Alaska if it makes any difference.

I would trust UPS before postal service. Just my opinion

 

[BeeMaa]

I ran into this for the first time today trying to ship a shotgun from a UPS customer service. Thankfully the people there are very nice and politely informed me that I needed a FFL to FFL shipping label. They said I could have the receiving FFL send a shipping label to me (via email), I attach it to the package and drop it back off at the UPS counter.

I ended up going to the USPS and shipping it with them. The person at the counter was also very nice and understood that they do ship shotguns and rifles.

I appreciate the information from @Rare Breed and @Tanks about the ShipMyGun.com...I'll be looking into that for my next sale.

As for trusting the USPS or UPS...toss up IMO. There are jerks everywhere.

 

[Philip Glass]

I would just use USPS.

 

[Tanks]

...

As for trusting the USPS or UPS...toss up IMO. There are jerks everywhere.

My insurance company will not honor any claims if a firearms is shipped via UPS.

 

[Aaron.F]

I have shipped several rifles here via USPS semi recent, no issues here.

 

[BeeMaa]

I would just use USPS.

Agreed, but sometimes the person at the counter can be a PITA. @TOBY458 mentioned this to me about his experience at the USPS.

I’d encourage those who are encountering PITA employee (UPS, USPS or anywhere else for that matter) to remain CALM and be NICE. Usually a short conversation with the shift supervisor will have their misunderstanding of the rules straightened out.

Getting loud, demanding and using abusive language will not help you in any way. Not to mention play into their perceptions of gun owners

 

[Daniel Cary]

I'm sorry, .. I always thought a long gun had to be shipped from an FFL to another FFL
Thank You though.

 

[Tanks]

I'm sorry, .. I always thought a long gun had to be shipped from an FFL to another FFL
Thank You though.

Receiver has to be an FFL unless it is a return from service or repair that was sent prior. In that case shipper is an FFL and the receiver is the customer whose firearm is being serviced.

 

[BeeMaa]

I'm sorry, .. I always thought a long gun had to be shipped from an FFL to another FFL
Thank You though.

For a pistol or NFA item, I believe that is the case. FFL to FFL only. But even then there are exceptions like sending a pistol out for custom/repair work, because ownership is not being transferred.

Some FFL's require any firearm being shipped to them, must come from another FFL. I'm not in touch with each state or local jurisdiction for laws, but I've run into it from time to time.

 

[JimP]

I have never had a problem shipping a firearm to a FFL holder or for him to ship it back to me since I am the owner of the firearm. Both long guns and pistols, zero problems. Both UPS for pistols and rifles and USPS just for rifles and shotguns.

However, shippers are starting to come up with their own rules that you need to follow if you want to ship with them.

 

[Philip Glass]

Agreed, but sometimes the person at the counter can be a PITA. @TOBY458 mentioned this to me about his experience at the USPS.

I’d encourage those who are encountering PITA employee (UPS, USPS or anywhere else for that matter) to remain CALM and be NICE. Usually a short conversation with the shift supervisor will have their misunderstanding of the rules straightened out.

Getting loud, demanding and using abusive language will not help you in any way. Not to mention play into their perceptions of gun owners

I would never go to the PO with a gun or ammo. I use a private company here called Shipping Point who ships through all carriers and knows the rules. I have enough government employees looking down their noses at me traveling with a rifle!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I have been shipping firearms for a couple decades.

USPS is easy. UPS was easy..

A legal gun owner may ship to a receiving FFL only if the gun is being transferred to a resident of another state.

Depending on the state, one may ship to another state resident without any FFL to transfer the firearm. This one is sketchy but it is technically legal under Federal law. Honestly, I have never done this.

One may legally ship a handgun to a FFL but not via USPS. For that, UPS and FedEx require overnight shipping. That was of course up to the recent policy changes. The cost of overnight made it cheaper to pay an FFL to transfer and ship to the receiving FFL.

If one isn't comfortable in the above then please use your local FFL to ship to the receiving FFL.
Please check the Federal, state and if applicable, local laws.

 

[Rare Breed]

Mark, you are correct in legal has not changed yet UPS has changed their policy...you can no longer ship a rifle even in state unless you ship from FFL to FFL. USPS has not changed their policy...you do not need to ship from an FFL to an FFL.