Can I ship in state?

[Guest Rem_700]

I have a guy who is wanting to buy my Marlin 1894 and he lives outside of memphis and I live directly North of Knoxville.So its about a 4 to 5 hour drive.So We have decided to ship it.I was told that it is legal for me to ship it directly to his house without going through a FFL,as long as both buyers are residents of the same state.Is this correct?We plan on useing UPS,and insureing the package.Any info or pointers?

[Guest jdavis]

According to the ATF, instate transfers can be shipped without an FFL.

18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]

(B8) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier? [back]

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]

[Guest Rem_700]

Thank you jdavis!!

[Guest jdavis]

that is all the info i could find on the question i tried to look up some more info but couldnt find any, maybe that much will help the post came from another gun board.

[Guest Rem_700]

I found the same thing on ATF website.So I think I should be okay.I may call a gun shop and see if they know for sure.Or maybe the ATF if I could actually talk to a real live person.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

thing is will the "carrier" understand and play nice.... this should be interesting.

[Guest jdavis]

i think you will be fine shipping instate.

[Guest Rem_700]

thing is will the "carrier" understand and play nice.... this should be interesting.

I hope so.Gonna try UPS.Fedex won't even bother shipping a firearm.They may call the police on me when I walk in the store carrying a gun!Im gonna need to buy a box for it from them.I may buy the box first and then box it up at home.Don't want to end up on the 6 O' clock news!!!

[Guest jdavis]

keep us posted and let us know how it goes, i am actually in the same place with a gun trade myself we had just discussed shipping them today.

[Smith]

Long guns are easy. You can even use the USPS for long guns. Buy one of their triangle tube boxes and some bubble wrap ($5) take it out to the car. Stuff the gun in there, take it back in tape it up and send it for about $10.

BTW Fedex is much better than UPS...ask me how I know.

[Oh Shoot]

Long guns are easy. You can even use the USPS for long guns. Buy one of their triangle tube boxes and some bubble wrap ($5) ...

Priority Mailing Boxes are free, including the triangular tubes.

Trouble is, most POs don't ever have them.

They can be ordered online for free, however.

They must be used for Priority Mail, though, not another class.

It's also true that you can mail long guns (intrastate only) legally with USPS.

Neither FedEx Ground or FedEx Express will deliver handguns OR long guns between individuals, interstate OR intrastate. FedEx Ground will not accept handguns under any circumstances.

I don't know what the UPS policies are.

- OS

Edited February 18, 2009 by OhShoot

[Guest Rem_700]

Which ever I use,it will be fully insured!I have some ammo to go with it,I know that the post office will not ship live ammo.I'll have to ship that UPS.Knowing that The post office does it,i'll probly **** the rifle USPS and the ammo UPS.THe nearest UPS store is 50 miles away,one way.So yeah!!LOL>

[Smith]

Which ever I use,it will be fully insured!I have some ammo to go with it,I know that the post office will not ship live ammo.I'll have to ship that UPS.Knowing that The post office does it,i'll probly **** the rifle USPS and the ammo UPS.THe nearest UPS store is 50 miles away,one way.So yeah!!LOL>

Schedule a pickup and let them do the work. Again with long guns it is like shipping anything else. The difficulties come when you are shipping handguns.

[Oh Shoot]

dupe

[Guest Rem_700]

Well,I just got off the phone with the UPS store and they said that they will not ship a firearm,unless it is going to a dealer.I told her about what the ATF website said and they still said no.Got off the phone with the post office,and she said yes at first.Then she called back and she said new regulation said that you can only ship a firearm through the USPS if it is going back to the dealer for repair.What a crock!Im gonna try a differ UPS store and see what they say.

[Oh Shoot]

Well,I just got off the phone with the UPS store and they said that they will not ship a firearm,unless it is going to a dealer.I told her about what the ATF website said and they still said no.

Yeah, that's what you run into with FedEx, too, see my post above. Their own rules are tighter than the federal regs.

Got off the phone with the post office,and she said yes at first.Then she called back and she said new regulation said that you can only ship a firearm through the USPS if it is going back to the dealer for repair...

I don't find anything like that at usps.com, doing search.

The federal law seems to indicate that only "common or contract carriers" need to be notified that shipment contains a firearm, and also seems to be specifically addressing shipping handgun when it says this. As I understand it, USPS is not a common or contract carrier.

So, this isn't advice, but me, I'd probably just send it USPS Priority, insured, and not mention what it is. One can print all this online and just drop it off at counter, without even standing in line, using "print a shipping label" from main menu USPS.com menu.

- OS

edit: I can't believe you actually got somebody on the phone anywhere in USPS system!

Edited February 18, 2009 by OhShoot

[Guest Rem_700]

edit: I can't believe you actually got somebody on the phone anywhere in USPS system!

I just kept pressing 0 until I got a real person.

[Smith]

don't ask. You will find that they don't know their own policies. I have gone round and round with UPS and Fedex until finally giving up and just shipping per regulations and kept my mouth shut. Haven't had a problem yet and that is with several handguns and a few long guns. Don't want to sound like i suggesting skirting laws, you're not, just their own ignorance and paranoia. If you are smart you can follow all ATF rules and still comply with the LAW and cicumvent the hassle. PM if you need any help.

[Oh Shoot]

don't ask. You will find that they don't know their own policies. I have gone round and round with UPS and Fedex until finally giving up and just shipping per regulations and kept my mouth shut. Haven't had a problem yet and that is with several handguns and a few long guns. Don't want to sound like i suggesting skirting laws, you're not, just their own ignorance and paranoia. If you are smart you can follow all ATF rules and still comply with the LAW and cicumvent the hassle. PM if you need any help.

Only prob with that (FedEx/UPS) is that is gun is damaged or disappears, they for sure won't honor the insurance, not even the base $100 that comes with the shipping price, since it IS against their published shipping guidelines.

I admit the odds of anything going wrong is slim, though.

- OS

[56FordGuy]

Not sure how close you are to a UPS hub, but they should accept it there. My local UPS Store told me that they can't ship some things (like guns or ammunition) through the store, but if you carry the item to a UPS hub they'll accept it there. Perhaps scheduling a pickup, and giving it directly to a driver would be the way to go.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

I didnt think the "carriers" would play nice. And by now you could have driven across the state and delivered it. Good luck, but I have heard several horror stories when individuals have tried to ship guns to other individuals.

Anyway, good luck.

[Oh Shoot]

I didnt think the "carriers" would play nice. And by now you could have driven across the state and delivered it. Good luck, but I have heard several horror stories when individuals have tried to ship guns to other individuals.

Anyway, good luck.

Well, FedEx is pretty upfront about it in their service guide.

NO individual to individual shipments of any kind of firearm, period. Not long gun, not pistol. Not intrastate/interstate, not Express, not Ground. None, nada, zip.

UPS says they will ship individual to individual in keeping with the law, but good luck.

USPS doesn't have specific wording against shipping long guns legally individual to individual, which would only be intrastate, but good luck.

- OS

[Guest Rem_700]

I sold the gun local this afternoon.So no need to worry about shipping.Me and a post office lady got into a pretty heated argurement,She kept cutting me off while I was talking and just saying NO,to everything out of my mouth.I just proceeded to tell her that she was just a lazy over paid postal worker who didn't want to look anything up,and hung up on her.Made me mad!

[DaveTN]

That is pretty much what has happened to several of us that have tried to ship.

Even though it is legal; most won’t do it.

As far as keeping your mouth shut; if you do that you are committing a crime under Federal law. You are required to notify any shipper that you are shipping a firearm.

I have given up on it. I just figure in FFL fees; if that makes the price too high I pass.

[Guest Seminole]

You absolutely can ship long guns intrastate via USPS. If a clerk gives you any trouble keep going up the chain of command. It helps to have a copy of the law with you.