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Long gun shipping

delsoul
I am a new FFL shop and want to get ideas of what the most economical way to ship long guns to another FFL? Trying to figure it out on the USPS and UPS website is not easy. I need to ship a 22 inch shot gun and 28 inch bolt action rifle. I want to do it all in one package. About 15 pounds total. How are you guys doing it and not pass along ridiculous shipping costs to your customers?

Thanks,
Mike
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • colt423
    Ive found the best over all method between dealers is the usps if you are rual most shops prefer ups regular pick ups but the cost is more for shipping.Depends on how much the other ffl is willing to spend on shipping.
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  • delsoul
    I am looking at the USPS site. Looks like Parcel Post is the cheapest way to go. Can a FFL ship long guns via Parcel Post? Didn't see anything saying otherwise.

    -Mike
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  • mark christian
    UPS is more common for long gun shipping, but they can tack on a lot of surcharges, including a five buck extra fee if the package goes somewhere outside their usual delivery zone. That means that of you ship to a small shop out in the boonies it may cost you some extra money. The UPS four dollars adult signature fee when compared with the seventy cent USPS Delivery Confirmation fee doesn't look too good, but you do get $100 is automatic insurance with UPS while you pay for all insurance coverage with US Mail.

    Back when I first got into the gun business shipping was so cheap that most often it was tossed in as a part of the deal. Five bucks for a handgun (before the days of UPS mandating handguns going by air shipping only) and eight dollars for a long gun were about the maximum I can ever remember paying. Those days are done and the customer has to be made aware that shipping a firearm is not inexpensive. Since very fee UPS contract stations will accept firearms, it doesn't mean much if UPS is two dollars cheaper than USPS if you have to drive twenty minutes back and forth to the main UPS depot. For shipping long guns to Alaska or Hawaii the US Mail is the only real option.
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  • mark christian
    quote:Originally posted by delsoul
    I am looking at the USPS site. Looks like Parcel Post is the cheapest way to go. Can a FFL ship long guns via Parcel Post? Didn't see anything saying otherwise.

    -Mike


    As an FFL dealer you can ship any firearm, including handguns, using the US Mail. Priority Mail shipping usually costs only a few dollars extra and shaves many days off the Parcel Post delivery times...Which can range from slow to legendary!
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  • tsr1965
    I do all my shipping of firearms thru the USPS now. The only bad deal with USPS, is that they will not ship any live ammunition. That goes thru UPS. By the way, MC is correct. I shipp all the firearms by Priority Mail.

    Best
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  • andrewsw16
    Also, there is no FEDERAL LAW that says you have use the Next Day Air option at FedEx or UPS. That is only a corporate rule that you can choose to adhere to or not, but only "IF" you are shipping to an FFL. About the only time the LAW requires you to declare it is if you are shipping a gun to a non-FFL, by common carrier (UPS/FedEX), which is rare. About the only example I can think of is when a shooter ships a gun inTERstate to himself at his hunting or competition location, to avoid the airline baggage hassle, which is legal. Then it is FEDERAL LAW that it must be declared to the carrier. If you are shipping to an FFL via common carrier and choose NOT to declare it (which is legal), then all you have to do is present the plain wrapped box to the clerk without stating what is in it, decide if you want insurance on the contents, and pay the bill for the less expensive Ground Delivery and walk out.

    Responding to comments below:

    The federal law is quite specific. There is no legal obligation to tell the common carrier what is in the box except under the conditions set by law, and I gave one example of such. As far as complying with what many of us consider unreasonable requests from a commercial carrier, that is up to the sender. Personal choice. If you choose to disclose the contents, even when you are not legally required to, the clerk will almost certainly require you to ship by the expensive air option. However, I know many FFL's and non-FFL's who choose to ship to FFL's via FedEX/UPS Ground instead of the expensive air option. I won't condemn someone who chooses either way. That is a choice they are free to make. I was only providing a shipping alternative to USPS and common carrier overnight air. Also, I am referring to only the U.S. federal law. Some states/counties/cities here in the U.S. may have stricter rules. That's always a good final statement. We sometimes forget this forum is read worldwide and not just here in our own state.

    But, this particular option is pretty much moot, since the OP is an FFL and is authorized to use USPS for both long guns and handguns. I agree with the poster below and I think that USPS is a good choice.

    Best wishes to all. [:)]
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  • tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by andrewsw16
    Also, there is no FEDERAL LAW that says you have use the Next Day Air option at FedEx or UPS. That is only a corporate rule that you can choose to adhere to or not, but only "IF" you are shipping to an FFL. About the only time the LAW requires you to declare it is if you are shipping a gun to a non-FFL, by common carrier (UPS/FedEX), which is rare. About the only example I can think of is when a shooter ships a gun interstate to himself at his hunting or competition location, to avoid the airline baggage hassle, which is legal. Then it is FEDERAL LAW that it must be declared to the carrier. If you are shipping to an FFL via common carrier and choose NOT to declare it (which is legal), then all you have to do is present the plain wrapped box to the clerk without stating what is in it, decide if you want insurance on the contents, and pay the bill for the less expensive Ground Delivery and walk out.


    I am thinking since there are several other threads related to the misinformation that you just gave, that you might want to use the search function, and look them up, and carefully read thru them. First off, the only person with the exception of ones self, or the factory shipping back to the customer, anyone is allowed to ship to is a FFL holder. Secondly, although not LAW, if the "common carrier's" rule is that you declare it, then to avoid any mayhem, you really need to declare it.

    Best
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  • Grasshopper
    USPS Priority,,with delivery confirmation....insurance your call.There is NO better way/
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  • wpage
    They are both reliable and good. Pricing seems about the same UPS gets auto 100.00 Ins and signitures on packages carrieng rifles/shotguns.
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  • bk0331
    UPS always asks what is in the package and always gives me a hard time when I try to ship a gun. FedEx and USPS never ask what's in the package. No complaints with either one.
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