shipping guns, but for travel not for sale.

[atl5029]

Hi everyone,

Say I was going west for a hunt and wanted to ship my guns ahead of me rather than take them as checked baggage, or my brother who lives out west wanted to borrow a rifle for elk hunting and I wanted to ship it to him, but he wasn't buying it or otherwise taking ownership of the gun. Do they still need to be shipped through an FFL?

Thanks,

Tony

[runfiverun]

last I checked you could ship your guns to yourself.
and I have received guns in the mail from a gunsmith before. [took like 12 day's to get here and 3 to get there]
but if I were going to California or something like that I'd rather have the gun in my 'possession' from gate to gate.
break it down, use a smaller case than normal and add extra foam.

[Smoke4320]

You can ship guns to yourself in another state.
you can NOT legally ship guns directly to another individual..
You can ship guns to the MFG or Gunsmith and they/he can return same guns directly to you

[elk hunter]

UPS will only ship to an FFL and they want a copy of it.

[M-Tecs]

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-nonlicensee-ship-firearm-common-or-contract-carrier

May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm or ammunition, prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm and requires obtaining written acknowledgement of receipt.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a)(5), 922(e) and (f); 27 CFR 478.30 and 478.31]

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-nonlicensee-ship-firearms-interstate-his-or-her-use-hunting-or-other-lawful-activity

May a nonlicensee ship firearms interstate for his or her use in hunting or other lawful activity?

Yes. A person may ship a firearm to or herself in care of another person in the State where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. The package should be addressed to the owner “in the care of” the out–of–State resident. Upon reaching its destination, persons other than the owner may not open the package or take possession of the firearm


The UPS people working at the counters are limited in their knowledge. I have been told all manor of BS from them. One told me I was committing a felony by shipping a firearm to myself and he was going to call the police and have me arrested. I informed he needed to get his manager down ASAP. This was at the main terminal in Mpls. The manager came down and asked him what the issue was. She than asked me what I wanted to do. I explained what I was doing and what the laws were. She told the cleric to apologize to me since I knew his job better than he knew it.

This was a couple of years ago. At the time the UPS policy stated ""UPS accepts packages containing firearms, as defined by Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53 of the United States Code, for transportation from and between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, and licensed collectors, as defined in Title 18, Chapter 44 of the United States Code, law enforcement agencies of the United States (or of any department or agency of the United States) and law enforcement agencies of any state or department agency (or political subdivision of any state), and from and between persons not otherwise prohibited from shipping firearms by federal, state or local law and when such shipment complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws applicable to the shipper, recipient and package."

https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/ship/packaging/guidelines/firearms.html the current policy does not include the language in bold above so while legal they may not.

[minmax]

I contacted BATFE, got the infomation above. They told me they could not tell the common carrier how to run their business. When both UPS and Fedex would not ship my guns to myself in Texas.

[Duckiller]

Yes you can legally ship a gun to yourself. The challenge is finding some one that will do it. I have decided that it is probably easier to buy a GQQD gun case and check it in as luggage. Just make sure the airline foesn't get carried away with fees.

[Geezer in NH]

USPS can ship long guns for you. When they refuse at the counter make a formal complaint to the postmaster general. Postal must follow their own rule and refusing to is delay of the mail and taken very seriously.

The PO's in my county got to go to remedial school after several complaints for the refusal to ship them or needing extra non-required by postal law. This was a concerted effort by clubs whose members got that treatment by postal employees.

[TXGunNut]

USPS can ship long guns for you. When they refuse at the counter make a formal complaint to the postmaster general. Postal must follow their own rule and refusing to is delay of the mail and taken very seriously.

The PO's in my county got to go to remedial school after several complaints for the refusal to ship them or needing extra non-required by postal law. This was a concerted effort by clubs whose members got that treatment by postal employees.


Yes sir! Have your ducks in a row going in and be firm but polite.