muzzleloader shipping

[buggybuilder]

Is it legal to ship a muzzleloader (T/C) thru the US mail w/o going thru a ffl?
If so, what is the best way to pkg so item arrives in good shape? I don't want to ship in a rifle box so that unscrupulous employees know what's in it. Was thinking about shipping with stock removed from rifle to make the pkg shorter. Thanks for any help.

[2wheelDuke]

Maybe look into UPS? The one I bought came that way.

[johnson1942]

ups has lost more guns than any other shipper. try and get through the red tape to get your money out of them. good luck. fedex and the united staes post office doesnt loose any guns. i use the post office and ship my muzzle loader in a good box, full length, and declare it as machine parts. which it is. a muzzleloader is a machine. i always insure to the max but never have had to use it. dont use ups. they have lost more guns and barrel than you can count. every time you call the number to call you get a new number and then your back at at your first number. they are a feces co. dont use them. calm down, the us post office is really good. if you want to ship in pieces a anal postal worker wont catch on. their are anal workers in every co and those are the ones to watch out for. my local small town post master is a personal friend but i dont even tell her what im shipping. again, dont use ups.

[waksupi]

I ship several dozen a year through USPS. Whatever box you use, pad it well. DO NOT label it as containing a gun, and don't tell them what it is. None of their business.

[rockrat]

There might be a few localities where even shipping a muzzleloader to, is prohibited. Might check

[bubba.50]

I too have sent dozens of them through the mail. as long as it's not illegal at the destination it's good to go USPS. I usually do as you say & take the barrel out of the stock to make the package smaller. pad it well, tape the devil out of it, and as stated-NEVER-EVER-EVER say anything on the package OR to the postal employee what is in the box. just answer no when they ask ya about all the stuff on their banned list like "is it liquid? does it have batteries? " & all the other nonsense they ask.

[bedbugbilly]

Some localities prohibit it so check with your buyer/receiver to make sure it is not illegal to send to them in the locality which they live. I bought a under hammer front stuffer from a guy on here one time - it should have been shipped with the barrel removed. It arrived with a broken wrist on the butt stock . . and I wasn't too happy about it.

When I have shipped them - I wrap the barrel well with bubble wrap and tape it in place. I wrap the stock well with bubble wrap and tape in place, making sure that the barrel channel and the thin wood on the sides is well protected. When boxing it up, I cushion it all well and make sure that the heavy barrel is nowhere near the stock or barrel channel - as we all know if you put FRAGILE on the box it is French for "please toss and drop me". I never tell the postal clerk what is in it - it is none of their business as it is perfectly legal to ship a muzzleloader by USPS. A box such as what 4' fluorescent bulbs come in in a case of 10 works well. Once the guns packed and well cushioned, then tape the box well with packing tape. I do a lot of packaging so I always have a hand taper on hand that holds the rolls of clear packing tape. I get the holder/dispenser at Sams Club where I also buy the packs of six packing tape rolls and the boxes of bubble wrap.

For shipping, the ramrod can be slid in to the bore. A little care taken to make sure that everything will arrive at the destination with no damage is money well spent and saves a lot of hassle if damage does occur. And, I never ship something like that without insuring it for the value.

[starmac]

There is something like 9 states that require them to go through an ffl.

[trebor44]

There is something like 9 states that require them to go through an ffl.

It is critical to know which ones require an FFL as receiver and some allow rifles and not pistols. You can get a good idea by checking the restrictions posted on the various muzzleloader sites e.g. Dixie, Track of the Wolf, Buffalo Arms etc. to name a few.

As others have said: separate the barrel from the stock, lots of padded wrapping etc. Pack it the way you would want to get it sent to you.

The USPS will do long guns but they should be dismantled, no bolts in place check their site for more info.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I shipped an 1894 Winchester to JES Reboring via USPS and got it back the same way.

[Paul_R]

Yes you can. And you don't even have to tell them what's in the box since by federal definition it's not a firearm. And you're only obliged to obey your state, local and federal laws. Any laws on the receiving end are on the receiver to comply with. Unless you're an FFL holder.