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I’ll be needing to ship out a rifle across the country very soon. Was hoping to get some good advice on what carrier to use–USPS or UPS? Which would be the best, safest, and most economical for shipping a rifle? Also, within each service what method to use–priority, next day, ground, etc. I’ve heard of the USPS service (forgot what it’s called) that it has to be signed for at every point it changes hands as an option, but I had a seller use that option a few years ago and it took nearly a month for it to deliver from Arkansas to Oregon. Was close to filing a claim for lost/stolen package and then it finally showed up. Don’t really want to repeat that scenario. Any input or advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Don
Don,
My choice would be Fed-Ex Express Overnight. Use a hardcase.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
There’s good and bad experiences all over with each of them, so luck of the draw unfortunately….but what you control is how well it’s packed and how long you leave it in their hands….go with the fastest method you can afford so it spends the least amount of time in their hands.
When I ship it goes in a hard case, and then a cardboard box encloses it, heavy duty. then UPS/Fed-X. Bill
If you’re shipping as a non-ffl you technically/legally can only ship long guns via usps. They are more expensive than fed ex and ups. I’m not a fan of kneeling to the rules and regulations of any firearm regulations, but don’t chance the possible nightmare of a firearm ending up lost or damaged if shipped through ups or fedex where a claim might be disregarded.
You can ship usps priority insured signature tracking and each location the gun passes through, the tracking should update. You may be able to ship long guns usps registered mail which is typically considered the safest method.
The bottom line is to package and wrap well. The more bubble wrap the better. Small bubbles. Several layers. Make sure the gun once wrapped can barely fit in the box, and can’t move whatsoever once the box is sealed.
I have seen problems with all of them. Brother shipped a long gun in just a hard case alone Fedex air. It was a heavy duty pelican type case. Problem was he put the label on the plastic and during shipping it came off. He did have his name and address melted in the plastic but that does not count. It was recognized as a gun case so they put it in a lockup. After describing the case they found it and he got it back. Lesson learned was to put it in cardboard box so the labels stay on.
Just had a Friend ship 2 barrels for his hunting rifle off to a gunsmith 2nd day air UPS and they went MIA in the Louisville KY hub. Still waiting on the outcome.
USPS seems to have the worst tracking of all of them.
I wondered if you put a Apple Air Tag in the box if you could have your own tracking?
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
For years USPS tracking would show you each way point the package passed through.
Then, when a new Postmaster took office last year, he implemented a cost-saving measure: intermediate scanning was no longer required. The practical effect of this was an initial scan reporting package received, sometimes a scan showing package received at the regional center. The package then disappeared from view until it was scanned at the.destination post office and marked out for delivery. If there were delays, you would not know where the package was. All in all, it became unnerving.
My last understanding about UPS is it would not accept firearm shipments from non-licensees, a drastic change from their past policies.
As a non-FFL, USPS PRIORITY MAIL insured is the only practical method of shipping a long gun, unless someone will bear the horrendous upcharge for Priority Mail Express. Handguns are impossible except through an FFL who will ship outbound. Right now, I only know of one locally and he charges $100, although that does include postage..More if you want insurance.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
1873man said
I wondered if you put a Apple Air Tag in the box if you could have your own tracking?
Yes you can! I’ve seen videos of people online doing this and then comparing it with said company’s tracking system. There can be some drastic differences. In one video a guy’s package was lost at a sorting center. He got ahold of the manager at the sorting center and while their system said it was somewhere else. He proved to them it was still in their facility then magically the tracking system update itself and the package was no longer lost.
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
November 7, 2015
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Maverick said
1873man said
I wondered if you put a Apple Air Tag in the box if you could have your own tracking?
Yes you can! I’ve seen videos of people online doing this and then comparing it with said company’s tracking system. There can be some drastic differences. In one video a guy’s package was lost at a sorting center. He got ahold of the manager at the sorting center and while their system said it was somewhere else. He proved to them it was still in their facility then magically the tracking system update itself and the package was no longer lost.
Great idea! Then have your recipient send the Air Tag back to you via a USPS small flat rate box you thoughtfully packaged with the rifle.
Mike
Thanks everyone for all the ideas and advice. I am a non-FFL shipping to an FFL dealer in Indiana so it can be transferred to the buyer. That said, it looks like I’m stuck with USPS Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express. I’ll get quotes for each and let the buyer decide which way he wants to go. Got the rifle (carbine) packed up today and took pictures every step of the way. Probably overkill (photos below)…carbine shrink-wrapped then wrapped in bubble-wrap, then inside a thick piece of foam cut out to the shape of the rifle with foam sheets added on top and bottom. Then taped and shrink-wrapped again and placed into a tight-fitting heavy cardboard box. Then taped and shrink-wrapped again and placed into a foam/bubble-wrap lined wood-constructed crate fastened together with lots of screws. Cardboard box fits very tightly inside the wood crate. The crate will again be shrink-wrapped and taped so the label stays adhered to the crate. I have a feeling the FFL receiver is going to be a bit irritated unpacking, but it’s good peace of mind for me and the buyer. That FFL will definitely earn the transfer fee on this one. What do you guys think?
Don
I don’t think you can ship in wood boxes with USPS. You are going to have to cover it with cardboard or brown paper.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
1873man said
I don’t think you can ship in wood boxes with USPS. You are going to have to cover it with cardboard or brown paper.Bob
Good to know. Thanks Bob. I’ll cover in cardboard.
tim tomlinson said
Don, I’ll buy some more shares of 3M!! Tim
Good move Tim, stock is up almost $3 a share after I bought more tape last Friday…😁
There are some important details that I don’t think have been mentioned in detail so far in this thread.
In order to ship a firearm with UPS/FedEx you must now meet the following four requirements. 1-You must have an FFL. 2-You must have an account with UPS/FedEx. 3-You must ship to an FFL. And finally, as of last fall a new requirement was instituted by FedEx & UPS in order to ship firearm or firearm products. In addition to having an FFL license and a UPS/FedEx account, you must now also have a firearms shipping contract.
In other words, a non FFL/C&R cannot take a post antique firearm to UPS/FedEx and ship it. You can only use USPS to do that.
Below is a copy and paste from the FedEx website. UPS requires the same.
Key Requirements:
- Federal Firearms License (FFL):Only customers holding a valid FFL and federal, state, or local government agencies are generally authorized to ship firearms with FedEx.
- FedEx Firearms Shipping Compliance Agreement:You must enter into a specific agreement with FedEx before shipping firearms. Contact your FedEx account executive for more information on obtaining this agreement.
- Approved Shipper with Signed Contract:You need to be an approved firearms shipper with a signed contract on file with FedEx.
Specific Requirements of the Compliance Agreement (among other things):
- Designated Account Number:Firearms shipments must be shipped using a specific account designated for firearms shipments.
- FFL Recipient:Firearms can only be shipped to recipients who have an active FFL.
- Signature Required:Shipments containing firearms must utilize either the Adult Signature Required (ASR) or the Direct Signature Required (DSR) Delivery Signature Option.
Packaging Requirements:
- Unloaded Firearm:Ensure the firearm is completely unloaded and contains no ammunition.
- Secure Packaging:Use a sturdy, durable box with adequate padding to secure the firearm during transit.
- No identifying markings:The outer package should not contain any markings that indicate it contains a firearm.
Important Considerations:
- Contact FedEx:It’s crucial to contact your FedEx account executive for specific instructions and to initiate the approval process.
- Compliance:You are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the shipment of firearms.
- Restrictions:FedEx may have restrictions on certain types of firearms or specific destinations, so be sure to clarify these details with FedEx.
- Prohibited Items:Do not include any ammunition in the package with the firearm.
That puts FEDEX beyond consideration for non-licensees — and its regs do not make any exception for those holding a collector license.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Zebulon said
That puts FEDEX beyond consideration for non-licensees — and its regs do not make any exception for those holding a collector license.
Bill,
I’m quite certain that a C&R is still OK like an FFL. But as mentioned, they would also need an account & the contract.
UPS has these four requirements as well.
Ned
November 5, 2014
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Bill-
There are several different types of FFL, but insofar as I am aware 03 FFLs (C&R) and 01 FFLs (“in the business of” dealers) are all “Federal Licensees”. The UPS/FEDEX regulations do not discriminate between 03 and 01 FFLs. So a C&R is OK… The issue (for us ordinary humans who only occasionally ship firearms), is the “Contract” part…
I am a C&R licensee. Within the past year I have received (at my FFL “Premises Address” – which is my house), C&R long guns from three different auction houses (RIA, Kramer, and Redding) and one dealer (Frontier Guns). RIA and Kramer both use UPS, Redding uses FEDEX. Presumably, as high volume shippers of firearms, they have “Contracts” with UPS/FEDEX, whereas I (the licensee “Recipient”) do not. Dave Morris (Frontier Guns) uses USPS Priority Mail. Other than USPS holding my shipment at the local Post Office (2.5 miles away), they’re about the same… My house is a long way off the road and my mailbox (out by the black top) isn’t big enough… At least USPS doesn’t leave a “Signature Required” parcel out in the elements leaning against a mailbox out on the road… 😀
So for no issues with any of them, knock on wood!!!
As for insurance, I don’t know what the auction houses do, but Dave Morris has an insurance policy with a private company that charges MUCH less per shipment than USPS/UPS/FEDEX and actually pays off in the event of a claim (which I think he’s had to do once – due to damage in shipment). On the very rare occasions that I have shipped (licensee to licensee) I’ve used USPS Priority Mail. The only thing my local Postmaster wants is to see a copy of the Recipient FFL so that he can verify that the delivery address on the package corresponds to the Premises Address of an FFL licensee. Of course I pack the Hell out of the shipment and my collection insurance policy does have coverage for damage/theft during transit or shipment…
Good Luck!!!
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
I stand corrected, having forgotten that a Curio & Relics license is indeed a federal firearms license.
As you say, though, what is in the “contract” ? I wonder whether an 03 C&R holder who has an “account” and a “contract” can ship non-C&R firearms, e.g. a modern handgun, to an 01 dealer? That would be the only reason I would bother with UPS.
Considering that I can pay a flat $100 to my friendly pawn shop to book and mail via USPS a modern handgun to an 01 dealer, which amount covers the postage, insurance and booking fee, I’m not sure a once a year hobbyist like me would find it economic to mess with UPS.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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