Shipping a shotgun questions

[Beagle333]

I have a shotgun that I want to put on the sellin' page sometime soon, as it has been a safe queen since I bought it new and is has become pretty apparent that I'm not ever going to fire it, and I was wondering how you guys ship shotguns efficiently and safely? It's in the original box, which I figure I should put in a bigger box of some sort, or wrap another one around it as much as possible and tape it into a new box. It's a Citori Super Lightning (double barrel over/under) and the factory box is 10" x 3.5" x 36".
Which shipper would you use and how would you best package and insure such a gun? I sure would have to have something happen in travel and even more hate to have the shipper give me grief about the insurance and say "Hey, you weren't supposed to even be shipping it with us anyway and we're not going to honor your insurance".
Thanks.
Chuck.

[725]

Depends on who you ship it to. If you send it to a repair facility (FFL), you can just mail it @ USPS. I just sent a rifle to JES for conversion and the post office was very helpful on the process. For a private sale, it has to go to a FFL to handle the paperwork. Some FFL's take 'em from a private mailing, some prefer it come from another FFL. Any substantial box will do (I crated mine in a wooden box I made just for this mailing) and I wrapped mine in plain brown wrapper paper, taped the heck out of it, labeled it for the mailing. Your local gun shop / FFL can handle it if want to give the fee for the service. Insure it. Keep a complete description of it in your records - serial number, and so forth. I don't have any experience using UPS, but have heard horror stories about them.
I was very uneasy about using the USPS at first. I went to my post office to inquire about the process and they just gave me the scoop. I didn't want to show up there, gun in hand, so to speak, before I knew what they required. Turned out to be easy.
Hope my experience helps. Good luck.

[frkelly74]

I have used USPS to send some of my guns I sold to people. It worked every time so far. Be sure you follow the laws so that if the item goes missing you have a leg to stand on for your claim. Winter weather will slow delivery down and the tracking is not always kept up to date. I felt better using the small town office that had people who I knew working in it, I was not as easy about using the big city office while we were in Florida but it still worked out. A fitted box should keep every thing from shifting around and getting banged up, It is important to keep things from rattling around , and use plenty of tape. You can figure about $30 to $40 for postage and insurance. This is from my experience, yours may vary.

[bdicki]

Gun shop owners I know buy a hard case from Brownells, it comes in a cardboard box that can be used to ship it in. On a side note I had a 100 year old Parker in excellent shape destroyed by UPS that was shipped in the same setup. Good luck.

[NSB]

The post office (USPS) has a pretty good record of getting things like guns to their destination in good shape. They don't use the elaborate conveyor systems UPS and FedX use, so there's less chance of damage. If there is damage, UPS and FedX are difficult to collect from. I've never had a problem with the post office. You do not need to use an FFL on your end to ship, but you must ship to an FFL on the receiving end. You just need to make sure that the receiving FFL will accept guns from a private party (actually, most will). You cannot have anything on the outside of the box showing there is a firearm inside (post office will ship only long guns for a private party, handguns need to be shipped by an FFL on the sellers end). Get a copy of the receivers FFL for your own records and keep a copy. I did have the post office one time request to see the FFL before accepting the package. Make sure the gun is unloaded (this should be a no brainer, but it still happens). The most important thing for you to do is make sure the gun is secure in the box. The original factory box is good, because it's designed to hold the gun securely. Putting that box inside another box, or over-wrapping it with cardboard is a very good idea. It's not that hard, I've done it quite a few times and I've never had a problem. One final note: pay for expedited shipping. Doesn't have to be overnight, but it should be Priority mail. It spends a lot less time in "no man's land" that way.

[bdicki]

The dealer in Massachusetts collected insurance money from UPS and they called to say they would be by to pick up the gun, he replied not a problem as long as whoever comes by has the proper permit and can pass the NICS check. They replied never mind keep it.

[Beagle333]

I had thought about buying the new case with a new outer cardboard box, as I had done that with a rifle I sold a couple of years ago, but I figgered the buyer might want the original sectioned box with the Browning, since it is 12 years old, but still really NIB. It IS just a cardboard box though, with a styrofoam molded insert, and an odd size that isn't close to any of the boxes that the shippers around here sell. It would make life easier on me to get the new hard case with the new box and assemble the gun for shipping. 8-)

[frkelly74]

You can make a box to go over the factory box out of a larger box or other card board. I keep sheets of Card board from bathtubs and stoves and other appliances to make mulit-layered boxes out of. Of course coming into a supply of large cardboard is easier if you are into remodeling an old house as we are usually doing. Use lots of tape!

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon
If the original box was designed to have the barrel did-mounted that would be far better.
Have purchased numerous rifles and a couple shotguns. No rifle or shotgun was ever damaged that was sent with the butt stock removed.
The only lever rifles I have received damaged we sent assembled in cardboard boxes.
When I purchase a rifle I ask that it be shipped with the stock removed. A Krag rifle in an original stock would be an exception.
Mike in Peru

[Beagle333]

All good advice. Thanks everyone! [smilie=s:

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have shipped several guns recently including one to Mike in Peru/AZ His got the stock removed. I just sent my Ithaca M37 back to them to get the barrel tweaked. I shipped it back in the box they sent it to me in after refurb. That box had fitted foam lining and the gun was very solid in it. That box was stuffed into another Box and shipped via Fed X which was the cheapest at slightly less than $50! I stated the contents were "Sporting Goods" as broadcasting the box contains a gun is stupid. They do actually employ people who steal stuff and guns are a prime item to thieve.

There was no FFL involved and there won't be one coming back either. I have owned that gun since 1973

I keep all boxes that guns come in as you never know if you will need to ship it somewhere. Pretty much all of my guns will eventually be sold and unless it is a local sale they will have to be boxed up and shipped.

Your Browning shotgun came in a nice box that had the gun disassembled. Find a box that box fits in and it will be good to go. UPS FedX USPS all work just fine.

I might add that all my 'NICE" shotguns have "hard cases" they live in. That keeps the gun and all of it's accessories in one place and safe from harm.

Randy

[Petrol & Powder]

All good advice.
The box over a box would likely be the least expensive route.
If it's an expensive shotgun, I'd recommend buying a hard case and add that expense to the cost of the gun. It becomes a small percentage of the total cost if we're talking about something north of $2K. You can always ship the empty original gun box wrapped in brown paper to the same address.

If we're talking about a less expensive gun, the cardboard over cardboard solution with the gun well padded inside the inner box will probably get the job done just fine.

USPS regulations will allow long guns to be shipped as long as the law is followed BUT I would NOT use USPS. They are just a PITA to deal with and the chances of theft or loss is greater with USPS. I always use FedEx and deal with them at the local distribution hub and not one of their satellite facilities. Never had a problem.