OK, perhaps I can shed some light on a variety of subjects discussed in this thread.. But first a word regarding my situation. I own & operate an independent mail & parcel shipping center where we accept items from the general public and we properly package and ship the items depending upon what is being shipped, where it is being shipped to and which carrier the public desires to use.
I am an independent store operator meaning I am not owned or operated by UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL or any other alphabet shipping company. I set my own rates. fees & hours. I do have to comply with the contracts I have signed with each of the carriers. Each carrier has their own website where they publish their Rates and most importantly their rules & tariffs.
Although I am an independent I must abide by the laws of the United States and the Rules and Regulations established by the U.S. Government ( primarily the Dept Of Transportation (DOT). and BATF ( nasty ******** !) and then there is the situation with each carrier. Therefore I MUST know every carriers rules or at least where I can find the rules I need to know about..
I am a USPS Approved Shipper, a FedEx Authorized Shipping Center, a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet, I was involved with establishing the DHL Authorized Shipping Center program within the industry many years ago and I continue to work with leaders within this industry to improve conditions for the owners as well as the public.
Since I am an independent owner operator I am generally classified by the carriers as a "Third Party" ( 3rd Party) when referenced in their rules, regulations & tariffs.
The DOT regulates locations that are licensed to ship Hazardous materials ( HazMat) and the DOT regulates what is and what is not HazMat in conjunction with the manufacture of the product. Each manufacture is required to make available to the public Safety Data Sheets. These Safety Data sheets will tell you a lot about the product as well as to HOW it can be shipped. I am going to use Winchester rimfire ammo as an example.
Olin / Winchester Safety Data Sheet
http://www.winchester.com/SiteCollec...%20RIMFIRE.pdf
DOT says that it is a Class 6 Explosive,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPPING REGULATIONS: This product is classified as dangerous goods under 49 CFR 172.101. Note: May be reclassified domestically as an ORM-D or Limited Quantity if packaged in accordance with 49 CFR 173.63
I ask - Do you know the regulations for proper packaging in accordance with 49 CFR 173.63 ??? Really ??? If you do then you can properly package it & properly mark it as ORM-D ( Other Regulated Materials - Class D )
UPS Tariffs state that a UPS ASO (3rd party) shipper ( that is me ) CANNOT ship firearms. No handguns, no long guns, NO Explosives, No HazMat. Their reasoning is that UPS will be liable for any problems that may arise with DOT !!!! If I do & I get caught UPS can take away my UPS Account and I lose the ability to make a living. Same goes for FedEx, USPS, DHL.. Plus if any fines are to be levied by the DOT or the carrier those fine become MINE not UPS or FedEx or USPS fines. You can go to the DOT website and search it out and you will find a list of companies and individuals that have been fined HUGH sums every year..
THE UPS Stores are franchisees of their parent company UPS (under an old umbrella of Mail Boxes Etc.)..These stores are also classed as 3rd party stores just like I am. There are many independent franchise companies such as PostNet , Postal Annex, Aim Mail Center,
Handle With Care Packaging Stores, Parcel Plus, Sunshine Pack & Ship, and Annex Copy Center to name jus a few..
and then there are a very large number of stores like myself that are not franchise stores at all. ALL these stores are 3rd party stores and must comply with the UPS or FEDEX rules regarding 3rd party stores. - NO UPS 3rd part store is permitted to ship HazMat.
FedEx Office locations are owned and operated by FedEx. They are not regulated by 3rd party rules.
Harv33 - let me answer tour original question - What is the cheapest way to mail loaded cartridges. Take your loaded cartridges to the local UPS COUNTER ( Not a UPS Store ) or a FedEx Office location. Make damn sure that you tell them what is in the package !!!! Then pay their price. That is the cheapest way. No fines, no jail time, no bail bonds, no loss of income, no attorneys fees, no time off the job, etc. etc. Do NOT take it to the USPS ( Post Office ) it is illegal to ship ammo thru USPS !!!!!! The USPS does not own any airplanes. The USPS just MAY ( their choice ) decide to place your package on a commercial aircraft carrying a couple hundred passengers. Therefore they don't want to have to segregate your packages. YES they do offer Ground shipping but that is also subject to being placed on a passenger plane therefore, no HazMat !!
Brass Magnet.. YES all HazMat materials MUST be shipped via ground services. Would you like to have your family on the plane that is chock full of illegal explosives ??? Dynamite,?? Homemade nitro ?? Lithium batteries ??
Rusty Reel - I certainly hope those costs do not entail all of the above hazards.. I sincerely hope all goes well.
Shawlerbrook - when you obtained that account you also signed a contract that said you would comply with the UPS Rules, regulations & tariffs. Have you read them..
RogerDat - You are correct. Take it to the UPS Customer Counter ( HUB ) or the FedEx Office location, They will record your information and record your I.D. info so the DOT knows exactly where to find you should a problem arise. ALL 3rd party locations are SUPPOSED to be obtaining I.D. info for UPS shipping of anything..Not just HazMat.. Very few comply.
Mr Peabody.. Yes you can use UPS and FedEx from the proper locations and both should require the ORM-D label to be prominent on the package.. I certainly hope the store you use "downtown" is properly complying with the rules. Otherwise you could lose everything you ship with them. - YEP, those stores that are refusing to ship your HazMat item are your friends !!! They are telling you the truth. They are trying to keep you out of jail and keep their front doors open so they can make a living. Frequent them and use them every chance you get. They really are your friends !! It is that they don't want your business ( money ). It is a simple fact they can make a living from jail..
MJWCASTER -- Classic example of - some will follow the rules - others will not even when they know what they are doing is illegal. Winchester - a manufacture of explosives. Licensed in HazMat shipping by DOT. Wwill ship with many carriers but be assured they will ship legally. They also like to stay in business.
Dolfin... You have some correct info. BUT 3rd party FedEx locations are permitted by the FedEx tariffs to ship hand guns via FedEx Priority Overnight ONLY. FedEx permits 3rd party locations to ship longuns ( rifles & shotguns) via FedEx Ground or FedEx Express. BUT please keep in mind that the shipper must also comply with the laws of the city, municipality, county and state of the shipping locations as well as the receiving locations as well as the BATF rules and regulations which in part state that you cannot provide firearms or ammo to a minor. Now just how are you going to insure some 13 year old isn't going to get his hands on your FedEx package left on the receivers front porch?? Does either the shipper or the receiver possess a Federal Firearms License ??? Make sure you obtain an Adult Signature upon delivery. Only way to insure that 13 year old didn't take possession of the package,
Dolfin gives you some very good information BUT only by following it to the letter can you ship HazMat legally..
In the link he provided for UPS you will also find this statement: ( it is way down towards the bottom )
Domestic Cartridges, small arms shipments that meet the exception for Limited Quantity/ORMD packages and that comply with all UPS requirements for the shipment of ammunition (as set forth above, in the "Shipping Firearms or Ammunition" guidelines, and in the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service and the UPS Rate and Service Guide in effect at the time of shipping ("UPS Terms")) may be delivered by UPS to a third party retailer or UPS Access Point™ location in the United States.
Know what a UPS Access Point is ?? If the delivery address is a residential location the UPS driver will make one (1) attempt to deliver the package. If the package requires an Adult Signature and an Adult is not available to receive the package then the driver will route your package to a UPS ACCESS POINT ( UPS Store, gas station, grocery store, convenience store, library, Starbucks, Hobby Lobby, Little Mike Hamburger Rest. etc, etc, etc, ) Ups will deliver the package to the Access Point the following day. and - should - be available for you to get it sometime that following day. Be aware there have been a lot of problems associated with the Access Point system and to be quite frank I only hear the horror stories and I am sure there are a lot of success stories there also..
I am a UPS ASO - NO I will not ship your firearms or ammo via UPS !!
I am a FedEx FASC - YES, I will ship your firearms. Handguns will go Priority Overnight.. Long guns can go Ground service.
I am also a USPS Approved Shipper - Sorry NO firearms !!, No ammo..
Shipping ammo.. No I will not ship it - take it to your carrier of choice - UPS hub or UPS Counter or FedEx Office.
When someone walks into my store with a firearm the first thing I do is take possession of the firearm and make sure it is completely unloaded. No ammo in magazine, chamber, cylinders, etc, etc, There are a lot of people in the shipping business that do not know how to do that and are scared to death of handling a firearm. These are people that have NO business shipping any firearm !! BTW if there are any cartridges in the magazine or firearm they go in my pocket. They will not be shipped with the firearm.
In conclusion. Very few really understand the HazMat rules, regulations, etc., etc, etc, .. So please do not bad mouth those stores that are refusing to ship your illegal HazMat materials.. They may not fully understand the rules and regulations either but they have made the decision that it simply is not worth the problems associated with it.
I really hope this helps you to understand the problems associated with shipping firearms, primers, ammo, etc. It is not that I don't want to ship all this good stuff it is a situation that my hands are tied in some respects by the shipping companies that owns the ball and all the bases and DOT owns the playing field. I just get to bat and run the bases occasionally and sometimes I have even hit a home run..
Ron