Need help shipping primers

[godsey1]

I hope this is allowed here. I live in Crossville and recently sold some shotgun primers. I have checked USPS, UPS, FedEx, all the gun shops and pawn shops around and was told that to ship these it has to be someone with a Hazmat license.  I checked with a guy I work with that has the FFL license and he can't do it. Who around Crossville/Cookeville area can I get to help with this? Thanks for any help.

[DaveTN]

6 hours ago, godsey1 said:

I get to help with this? 

I’d package them and take them to a USP or FedEx service center (not a store), some have licensed people, some don’t. But yes, they are Hazmat.

You can put them in a shotgun shell and ship them as ORM-D, but by themselves you can’t. 

[Dirtshooter]

You need someone hazmat certified to ship them legally. Check with the Gunshop in Crossville I think they might do it, probably charge you. 

[godsey1]

I checked with them first and they said no, it's not worth their time(said it takes like 2 hours just to fill out the paperwork). Told me to check with Dave's pawn shop they also said no. I would like to see what all it takes to get these license. Thanks for the input. Anyone know where to look at getting the license, I know it wont be cheap, but it could help people around here.

[Dirtshooter]

It has been awhile but the usual jumping of hoops. Knowledge testing, I was certified because I worked at a chemical company. The shipping companies like Ups make sure you the shipper has properly identified, labeled, packed etc. So all they have to do is pick it up and ship it. You might ask the Gunshop how to be certified. Hope this helps.

[Darrell]

Have you tried Tabor's?  I've never tried to ship through them, so I don't know they can do it, but they're pretty friendly and responsive in there, and if they can't ship it perhaps they know who can. 

I'm interested to see the hoops you're trying to jump through. It makes it tough to sell primers or powder unless it's a local guy, and when you find a shipper, they're going to want $20 or so just to handle the shipping. Good luck!

[godsey1]

Thanks for the replies. Yep tried Tabor's they dont ship either. I was told that a UPS location in hwy 111 will ship them, so I will try to get in touch with them. I have them tripled boxed (factory box, in another box packed out and in an outer box). I will contact a couple of the locations and see if any can tell me how to do the Hazmat. And I would pay $30 more to get them shipped today or monday. I'll wait until Monday evening to get in touch with him and tell him that I cant do it. Thanks again.

[godsey1]

I'm checking online for courses that I can take to do this. I found one that says they will make you compliant for shipping for $119 and at least 3 hours, you can go at your own speed. I dont know what to do. The place is Compliance Training Online I'm about ready to do it.

[Darrell]

I think if I were in your shoes I'd contact the buyer, explain the problem, and apologize for the inconvenience.  You've made a good-faith attempt to follow through, and if the buyer is a reasonable person he'll understand the situation.

[DaveTN]

3 hours ago, godsey1 said:

I'm checking online for courses that I can take to do this. I found one that says they will make you compliant for shipping for $119 and at least 3 hours, you can go at your own speed. I dont know what to do. The place is Compliance Training Online I'm about ready to do it.

It’s the DOT… you will probably want to check if you are required to be a business. And your local laws… I doubt they will let you handle hazardous materials at a residence. Just like an FFL, I would guess there is more involved than the $200 for the FFL.

[godsey1]

UPS does the course, but they do not have any until 2021. I may just wait and do it then. I went a head and refunded the buyer. I just hope he knows how hard I worked on this. Thanks for all the input and great advice.

 

[chances R]

how many and what brand primer?

 

[godsey1]

5000 Winchester 209.

Edited December 13, 2020 by godsey1

[chances R]

what are you asking for the primers?

[Ronald_55]

I looked into this when I thought about selling some. Seems to be very hard to do. Evodentislk from what I read it is more than just taking sone class. I saw $1100 quoted somewhere as the cost to be a compliant shipper. It seems the issue with primers is the possibility of chain detonation.

Some of the Gunbroker sellers seem to be individuals, so I am betting they are shipping unlabeled or labeled as ammo. That carries legal penalties if caught. Seems a few people said some buyers were reporting people.

So I decided not too sell any. 

Good luck

[godsey1]

I decided to cancel the sell. I wouldn't in a thousand years would think it was this hard to send a package out.

[DaveTN]

13 hours ago, godsey1 said:

I wouldn't in a thousand years would think it was this hard to send a package out.

I sold a shotgun to a forum member a few years back. Then it was legal to ship from a UPS service center. I declared it at the counter as required by law. The “security officer” told me it was a UPS violation and a violation of law. I knew it wasn’t a violation of law, but had to check UPS procedures. It wasn’t a violation and I called their 800 number. Their customer service told me the clown at the service center was wrong; but because a gun was involved they could not override him.

My choice was send it through the Central Smashing Station at the USPS; or deliver it myself. So I made a 200 mile round trip I hadn’t planned on to deliver the gun. I don’t try to do any shipping of guns anymore unless it is FFL to FFL. And that’s usually cost prohibitive.

[Darrell]

I had a similar experience five or six years ago when I sold a handgun through Gunbroker. It turned out that both UPS and FedEx will ship, (the buyer held an FFL) but they require overnight shipping on handguns, and the cost is prohibitive. It was much less expensive for me to pay an FFL to ship the gun for me. He was legally able to take it to the post office for mailing. I think I paid him $25 or so on top of the actual shipping cost, but it was far less than the overnight fee for UPS or FedEx. 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Darrell

[deerslayer]

11 hours ago, DaveTN said:

I sold a shotgun to a forum member a few years back. Then it was legal to ship from a UPS service center. I declared it at the counter as required by law. The “security officer” told me it was a UPS violation and a violation of law. I knew it wasn’t a violation of law, but had to check UPS procedures. It wasn’t a violation and I called their 800 number. Their customer service told me the clown at the service center was wrong; but because a gun was involved they could not override him.

My choice was send it through the Central Smashing Station at the USPS; or deliver it myself. So I made a 200 mile round trip I hadn’t planned on to deliver the gun. I don’t try to do any shipping of guns anymore unless it is FFL to FFL. And that’s usually cost prohibitive.

Doesn't sound like it was a violation of law, but UPS requires either the shipper or receiver to be a licensed manufacturer, dealer, importer, or collector.  Not sure if a C&R would qualify as a licensed collector.  FedEx will not allow a non-FFL licensed shipper to ship to another nonlicensee.  

Edited December 17, 2020 by deerslayer

[LawVol]

On 12/14/2020 at 10:54 AM, Ronald_55 said:

I looked into this when I thought about selling some. Seems to be very hard to do. Evodentislk from what I read it is more than just taking sone class. I saw $1100 quoted somewhere as the cost to be a compliant shipper. It seems the issue with primers is the possibility of chain detonation.

Some of the Gunbroker sellers seem to be individuals, so I am betting they are shipping unlabeled or labeled as ammo. That carries legal penalties if caught. Seems a few people said some buyers were reporting people.

So I decided not too sell any. 

Good luck

Gunbroker could help cut down on the gouging nonsense if they would require sellers to show Hazmat certification when listing primers.  

[No_0ne]

1 hour ago, LawVol said:

Gunbroker could help cut down on the gouging nonsense if they would require sellers to show Hazmat certification when listing primers.  

Gunbroker is a listing site, they aren't concerned with how shipping is done or what sellers and buyers do after the sale (and shouldn't be).  Plus, there are instances where two parties choose to meet up locally after a listing ends, and transfer the items directly - I've made several purchases (guns, not primers but the process would be the same) that way, all of which I bid on specifically because the distances between myself and the seller made that possible ...

[DeepSouth]

You could have asked up for a mule train. That's where you'll drive so far to meet up with someone that will carry the package as far as they can to meet up with buyer or transfer it to someone else.

I did that on Wewe. Traded 2 cartons of primers for 350 rds of 38spl ammo with a guy in Jacksonville, FL. My primers went through 7 hands and 16 days to get to him. His ammo went through 9 hands and 18 days to get here.

[RED333]

14 hours ago, DeepSouth said:

I did that on Wewe. Traded 2 cartons of primers for 350 rds of 38spl ammo with a guy in Jacksonville, FL. My primers went through 7 hands and 16 days to get to him. His ammo went through 9 hands and 18 days to get here.

While I have faith in Man kind, I do not have that much trust.

[RED333]

Well it appears our OP showed up the start this thread and after he found out we could not help, just left. I have sent him a PM 5 days ago offering to buy the primers and have not gotten a reply.

[Jamie Jackson]

1 hour ago, RED333 said:

Well it appears our OP showed up the start this thread and after he found out we could not help, just left. I have sent him a PM 5 days ago offering to buy the primers and have not gotten a reply.

I'm shocked

 

That takes a lot of trust @DeepSouth. I'm not saying I would absolutely rule it out, but I'd have to know and trust the individuals involved. Perhaps I'm a bit too skeptical at this point in my life. I'm glad that worked out for you.