Question on shipping a rifle action to have a barrel fitted

[jphillips63]

I have a guy in Memphis that I want to fit and chamber. Barrel for me to one of my competition actions. Does he have to have an FFL in order to receive my action to fit a barrel to it? I'm wanting to ship the action to him along with a used barrel.

[Caster]

Yes

[Dolomite_supafly]

It definitely is a gray area. If he is a friend doing it for a friend then there is no issues at all. Now if he is doing it as part of a business and charging you then he probably needs to have an FFL.

[Oh Shoot]

If he is "in the business" of gunsmithing, he's supposed to have an FFL. But that's a separate issue.

 

As far as shipping, you can legally ship any firearm intrastate to whoever.

 

The prob is that FedEx and UPS won't do it between unlicensed individuals and you are supposed to inform by their TOS, and even by federal law, since the shipment is between unlicensed individuals and they are "common carriers".

 

That leaves USPS, which is supposed to simply ship whatever you give them as long as it is not hazardous or restricted (in ways that firearms are not). It has ever been a gray issue as to whether USPS is a "common carrier" and whether you must inform of the shipment. I never have, but that is not legal advice.

 

If you print your own paid label, you can just drop it off at counter, don't even have to stand in line, which is what I have done in the past.

 

USPS is supposed to ship between legal folks period, so even if you inform, they are supposed to do intrastate between unlicensed individuals. Note that YMMV depending on which idiot clerk (or even stationmaster) you may get.

 

- OS

Edited December 6, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have shipped several long guns, and stripped receivers, through the post office. I have not had any issues at all. I do call ahead to make sure the person working the desk knows it is legal. If they say I can't then I print off their rules and bring it with me along with the gun that is being shipped. You cannot ship handguns through the postal service unless you are a dealer, even if going to a dealer, but anyone can ship a long gun.

[jphillips63]

Thanks everyone it's a rifle action off one of my competition rifles that I'm wanting to get a barrel fitted and chambered for.