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specific mailing and listing questions...

tws
pardon for the questions;

i've not yet found the specific answers to:

shipping (as a seller) a long rifle registered thru the us mail.

what form do i ask for from the post office?

i'm trying to minimize the selling hassle by having the responsibilities for shipping, handling, payments and legalities clearly and correctly explained in the listing.

it would be handy if some of this text were available to cut and paste into the listing.

if so, can someone direct me to the link.

I do understand that I must ask for and receive a completed FFL form from the potential auction winner before i can ship the rifle.

i've got extensive images of my rifle online and understand that i can link to them via the gunbroker listing.

this is what i intend to do:

package the rifle and take it to the post office for weight and measure to ascertain a price for shipping registered and insured to either coast. this i can than post in the listing with the clear knowledge that the buyer will be responsible for the cost of shipping and handling. i wish also to indicate that this rifle will be sold as is and not returnable.

this is why i've taken care in producing clear images and an explanation of the rifles condition and nomenclature as clearly as i understand it.


thanks for clarifying this process for a new seller.

tws
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    You are to be commended for doing your research BEFORE you list your gun; I wish more folks did that.

    First, your description should include the statement, "Be sure your FFL is willing to receive this gun from a nonlicensee." This is important because some dealers insist upon receiving guns only from another dealer. The receiving dealer must enter the name & address of the sender in his "bound book"; to allay this concern, I would also put in the description, "I will include a photocopy of my drivers license with the gun."

    Before I list a gun, I pack it (without sealing the box) so that I can measure & weigh it at home. Then I use the USPS online rate calculator to determine the exact cost of shipping to the furthest CONUS zipcode from where I live. Most buyers want to know exactly how much shipping will cost before they bid.

    There is no USPS form for a nonlicensee to prepare for shipping a long gun. There is no need to inform the clerk your package contains a gun. However, you must truthfully answer "yes" to the "4 questions" & you must open the package for inspection if requested to do so.

    I always ship Priority Mail, insured, delivery confirmation requested. I see no advantage to registration, others may believe they do.

    A photocopy of the receiver's FFL is nice, but not necessary; you only need to know the name, address, & FFL #. In all cases, you should do an FFL EZ-Check, mail only to that address, & print out the form for your records.

    Neal

    EDIT: Federal law requires that everyone must notify a common carrier that your package contains a firearm (see ATF P5300.4, page 178, B8). The only common carriers that ship firearms are UPS & Fedex; USPS is a government agency, not a common carrier. I would ask anyone who believes otherwise to cite a source.

    EDIT: UPS or Fedex may save money, especially on expensive guns, as USPS gouges us on insurance. But, the OP is not in business, so he would have to take his gun to the closest UPS or Fedex customer service counter (hub), not a UPS Store, not a Kinko's, not a Walmart, not anything else, &, for some of us, that could be a long, long ride from home.
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  • tsr1965
    I am with Neal. Ship priority mail, with delivery confirmation, and insured. Find a rural post office to do this from, as it is mostly the big city locations that give a hastle. Make sure you tell them that it is a firearm, and make sure it is unloaded. Seal the box after you do this, as they may ask to see that it is unloaded.

    I always state, that buyer is to make sure:

    1. That it is legal for him to own

    2. That his dealer will accept shipment from a non-FFL holder

    3. That if his dealer will not accept, there will be an extra
    transfer fee for the dealer on your end.

    4. No items will ship until payment has cleared YOUR bank.

    Best
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  • tws
    Thank you both for your comprehensive reply...

    must i offer a photo copy of my drivers lic? i have a commercial lic and am not comfortable sending photo copies to just anyone.

    would my pictured Veterans Affairs card or another type of ID suffice?

    thanks again,

    tws
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  • 11b6r
    TWS- when the recieving dealer (you are going to need to ship to a dealer) gets your gun, he must log it in to his reocord of acquired and disposed firearms. To do that, he needs an ID that would be used "In the normal course of business"- just as if you were selling a gun to him face to face. A copy of a drivers license or other government ID is what is normally used. I would not be concerned about sending a xerox of a CDL to a gun dealer- he has enough other paperwork headaches to deal with.

    If the staff at the Post Office are not up on their regulations (imagine that!) here is a copy from the Domestic Mail Manual, section 432.1 D:
    Unloaded rifles and shotguns may be mailed if the mailer fully complies with the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-618) and 18 U.S.C. 921. The mailer may be required to establish, by opening the parcel or by written certification, that the gun is unloaded and not excluded from mailing because of the restrictions in 431.2b and c.
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  • tws
    thanks 11b,

    this is much clearer now...

    tws
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  • 41 nut
    Almost almost all good advice. Except for one thing. Federal Law requires that whenever you ship a firearm that you notify the shipper that the package contains a firearm. This means that if you mail it you must tell the clerk that you are mailing a long gun. There is no form required by the postal dept to ship a long gun. Only for handguns.
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  • kimi
    nmyers has posted some good information, especially so in his edit note regarding the distinction between "common carriers" and the USPS as to when the sender is required to state that the package contains a firearm. Numbered Insured package numbers can be tracked just like Delivery Confirmation numbers, Certified numbers, Registered Mail numbers, and other types of tracking numbers for various services by various carriers, however, the charge is nominal and it seems to be a popular thing to do, but don't expect the postal clerk to volunteer this information to you. Also, sending firearms by Registered Mail can be a very smart thing to do should they be, for example, high-dollar or rare pieces where the seller or the buyer demands maximum protection and insurance. This said, I would ordinarily choose to ship Priority Mail, Insured.
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  • ATF
    Hi, I don't know where you live but here in Maine I check shipping and insurance prices and ALWAYS find U.P.S. much cheaper than the Post Office.I have been a FFL for over 20 years. GOOD LUCK [:)]
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  • tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by ATF
    Hi, I don't know where you live but here in Maine I check shipping and insurance prices and ALWAYS find U.P.S. much cheaper than the Post Office.I have been a FFL for over 20 years. GOOD LUCK [:)]


    Is that with regular registered mail, or PRIORITY mail? I have found that Priority Mail, insured, with delivery confirmation, has blown just about anything else away. Many other's on this site will attest for that too.

    Best
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  • ATF
    quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by ATF
    Hi, I don't know where you live but here in Maine I check shipping and insurance prices and ALWAYS find U.P.S. much cheaper than the Post Office.I have been a FFL for over 20 years. GOOD LUCK [:)]


    Is that with regular registered mail, or PRIORITY mail? I have found that Priority Mail, insured, with delivery confirmation, has blown just about anything else away. Many other's on this site will attest for that too.

    Best


    I If I ship a long gun through the Post Office by Priority Mail Insured the Insured UPS RATE is much cheaper. (UPS has a much cheaper insurance rate than the Post Office).Check it out I'm not wrong.[:)]
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