Mailing a barreled action?

[BD]

Does anyone know if the USPS regulations allow mailing a barreled action? I'm sending my WBY to Douglas for a barrel. The package would be action, barrel and bolt only. No stock, bottom metal or trigger assembly.

BD

[rockrat]

Yes, just like mailing a complete rifle

[woody1]

YUP. If it's got the serial number on it it's a gun. Question is, can you mail it? I don't know for sure but I'd ask Douglas. I'm fairly certain they'll know and advise you. Regards, Woody

Mebe this'll help ...... or not!

How To Ship Guns To Ahlman's

Federal laws apply only to SELLING guns through the mail. It's perfectly legal to ship your gun to any gunsmith in the country for service work as long as you're not SELLING it.

from: http://www.ahlmans.com/shipping.html

[Ben]

You can mail one, because when my barreled actions ( 3 of them in the past 3 yrs. ) have come back to me from JES's reboring, they arrived US Postal. I notice in all three boxes copies of his FFL.

[deltaenterprizes]

Long guns are fine to ship with USPS.

[Char-Gar]

You can mail a long gun for repair a and modification as long as it comes back to you and no transfer of ownership. You must inform the PO when you put it in the mail and they can ask you to open it so they can make certain it is unloaded. Be prepared for an argument if the clerk is not familiar with the regulations.

[samdweezel05]

You can mail a long gun for repair a and modification as long as it comes back to you and no transfer of ownership. You must inform the PO when you put it in the mail and they can ask you to open it so they can make certain it is unloaded. Be prepared for an argument if the clerk is not familiar with the regulations.

I would be curious to see where it says you are required to tell them you are shipping a firearm. I have had this discussion with 4 different post offices and none of them could find where the law stated that I had to inform them I was shipping a firearm. I have had no issues with using the USPS to ship a rifle or shot gun and I have never told them what it was.

[BD]

Thanks for the answers. I actually received a timely response from the horses mouth this morning:

Dear Mr. Dallam,



Thank you for your inquiry to Postal Explorer. Postal Explorer is an online resource and we attempt to provide guidance in using the Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com.



You didn’t mention if you were licensed so we contacted the Douglas Barrel Company and found them to be a FFL licensee. As such, individuals can mail barreled actions through the mail domestically. We recommend, but don’t require, that the mailer include an extra service that requires a signature upon delivery.



Thank you for contacting the United States Postal Service. We look forward to serving you in the future.



Postal Explorer

BD

[Swampman]

As mentioned above, no FFL is required to mail it unless it's changing ownership. IMO you are required to let the carrier know it's a firearm, but most folks say you don't have to.

[bubba.50]

had my p.o. lady look it up for me and she said it's okay to send guns in mail to gunsmiths but to have nothing on the package indicating a gun is being shipped and not to inform postal workers yer shippin' a gun. look what happened to shippin' pistols by u.p.s. gunowners hafta pay extra so they can catch their own employees stealin'. my opinion and yer welcome to it, bubba.

[spqrzilla]

As mentioned above, no FFL is required to mail it unless it's changing ownership. IMO you are required to let the carrier know it's a firearm, but most folks say you don't have to.

This is a bit too over-generalized to be a correct statement of the law.

Long guns can be mailed through the USPS so long as the addressee is either a resident of the same state, an FFL in another state or the sender himself.

You do have to notify a "common carrier" of the contents of the package but that applies to UPS, Fed Ex et al.

You cannot mail handguns through the USPS unless it is 01 FFL to 01 FFL (and a couple of other insignificant exceptions). There is a form for such that must be filled out.

[Char-Gar]

USPS is not a common carrier. Both UPS and FedX have a company policy that you must disclose the contents and they will charge a higher rate for firearms for expedited shipping. If you falsify the shipping documents you can have troubles.

When I need to ship a firearm, I go to our local independent mail box place. They have zero paperwork and hand it off to UPS, FedX or whatever. That way I get the lower rate and don't have to fib on the paperwork.

[samdweezel05]

but to have nothing on the package indicating a gun is being shipped and not to inform postal workers yer shippin' a gun.

This is exactly what I was told.

USPS is not a common carrier. Both UPS and FedX have a company policy that you must disclose the contents and they will charge a higher rate for firearms for expedited shipping. If you falsify the shipping documents you can have troubles.

When I need to ship a firearm, I go to our local independent mail box place. They have zero paperwork and hand it off to UPS, FedX or whatever. That way I get the lower rate and don't have to fib on the paperwork.

You do not have to disclose to UPS or fed Ex that you are shipping a firearm. Even a pistol. Law says you have to ship a pistol next day air (not through the USPS) but there is still no reason to inform the carrier what you are shipping. Only time you have to tell a carrier what you are shipping is if it has to be shipped with the proper HAZMAT stickers (loaded ammo, powder ect.) Of the 15 or so pistols I have sent through UPS, not once was there any paperwork to fill out, even after telling the clerk what it was that I was shipping.

[spqrzilla]

sam, the ATF does not agree with you. From their FAQ:

Q: May a nonlicensee ship a firearm through the U.S. Postal Service?

A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.

[18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]
Q: 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 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 and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]
Q: 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 himself 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. Persons other than the owner should not open the package and take possession of the firearm.

(bold added by me)

Further, Federal law does not require shipping by next day air. That's a carrier policy that they adopted to charge you money because their employees steal.