CaseHardened
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Legal Shipping of Firearms & Ammo for Dummies 2016
First of all I'm not a Lawyer. This is not Legal advice.
I welcome suggestions, and when I receive information that I feel advances the thread, I will update it as best I can. This advice is current as of January 2016.
And as this a Guide for Dummies, I will refrain from quoting laws and sub-chapters, lest both our heads explode.
Also, laws vary widely from State to State, even City to City. This Guide will address no local variations, but will focus exclusively on laws and regulations that affect all US Citizens.
This Guide applies to the Continental USA only.
I have investigated USPS and UPS. I've been told Fedex is similar to UPS, but have not verified this.
Note that shipping Firearms and Ammunition in the same box is never allowed.
I have gathered this information after combing many Web Sites, and speaking to fellow gun owners, collectors, FFL's, the USPS, UPS, and ATF. All were helpful, yet I received a great deal of information that was simply wrong. Gun Laws suck.
AMMUNITION:
Shipping Ammo to adults 21 or over who are legally able to own ammo is simple and inexpensive, if you know the tricks. Protect yourself: Get proof of age and a statement from them that they can legally own it.
USPS: No, never. The U S Postal Service will ship no ammo of any sort. No one can do it legally. Yet people do it all the time. Don't you do it.
UPS: UPS will ship common small arms cartridges, by Ground, and does not even charge a premium to do so ! You must have UPS come to you to pick it up, or you can drop it off at a real UPS Customer Center. That means no Mail Boxes Etc., no Staples, no Office Depot. And you must mark the box, clearly, ORM-D. You can print out a label from the UPS Web Site, or hand-mark the package per the guidelines:
https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/r...ging/guidelines/ammunition.html?WT.svl=SubNav I mark each box on all sides, but one side may be ok.
A Tip: Don't ask the Clerk for ORM-D labels. Most likely they will have no idea what you are talking about. If you insist, twenty minutes later a manager will appear with the labels in hand - just enough for today - never enough for next time. Just save everyone aggravation and mark the box yourself beforehand.
Another Tip: Citizens of Massachusetts are forbidden to ship each other ammo. Even a MA FFL-01 can't ship another MA FFL-01 Ammunition. Why ? It's the law - it does not have to make sense.
LONG-GUNS:
USPS: Shipping Long Guns is so inexpensive and easy by this method I stopped my research right there. The USPS Web Site explains it fairly well. Any legal owner of a Long Gun can ship their item via USPS to most FFL's - and only FFL's. I say "most" because there is a version of FFL called C&R FFL-03. You can ship a special subset of Long Guns to them - generally these Long Guns are over 50 years old. You cannot ship modern Long Guns to a C&R FFL-03.
UPS: I found shipping Long Guns so easy and inexpensive via USPS I have not researched UPS.
HAND GUNS:
USPS: This is a very inexpensive way for most FFL's to ship other FFL's Handguns. Form 1508 must be completed - it is simple and short: http://about.usps.com/forms/ps1508.pdf Unfortunately, Form 1508 makes it clear that C&R FFL-03's cannot utilize it to either ship or receive Handguns via USPS, even 50+ year-old C&R Handguns. Many well-known Mail Order Shops do ship C&R Handguns to C&R FFL-03 holders using Form 1508. I don't know how they do it. I would not. BTW, it is perfectly ok for a C&R holder to receive a Handgun mailed by USPS. The onus of legality is on the shipper.
And now the trickest part of all....
UPS: Potentially very easy, and reasonably priced - if you know how. The UPS requires no special forms. If you are the shipper, please, please get a copy of the recipient's FFL License before you ship. Legally, as long as the recipient is an FFL, and the shipper the legal owner, all is ok. I'm pretty sure the UPS is not asking for proof. BUT only C&R Handguns can go to a C&R FFL-03. No one can ship a modern handgun to a C&R FFL-03. Now, pay attention. You must have UPS come to you to pick it up, or you can drop it off at a real UPS Customer Center. That means no Mail Boxes Etc., no Staples, no Office Depot. And you must NOT mark the box ! It cannot disclose there is a Handgun inside. But you have got to TELL the Clerk you are shipping a Handgun !!. At which point the Clerk should inform you this package must (grab your wallet), ship OVERNIGHT ! $60 or more. Total Deal Killer. But wait... Sign up beforehand on UPS for an account. An account is free. You don't have to be a business. And no dues or ongoing fees. And print your label online, before you head to UPS - use Next Day Air Saver. Suddenly it's not $60+. Your price is often cut in HALF. Or more. Problem - Solved.
Ok, I've done my best. But help us ALL out here. Suggestions are welcome.
First of all I'm not a Lawyer. This is not Legal advice.
I welcome suggestions, and when I receive information that I feel advances the thread, I will update it as best I can. This advice is current as of January 2016.
And as this a Guide for Dummies, I will refrain from quoting laws and sub-chapters, lest both our heads explode.
Also, laws vary widely from State to State, even City to City. This Guide will address no local variations, but will focus exclusively on laws and regulations that affect all US Citizens.
This Guide applies to the Continental USA only.
I have investigated USPS and UPS. I've been told Fedex is similar to UPS, but have not verified this.
Note that shipping Firearms and Ammunition in the same box is never allowed.
I have gathered this information after combing many Web Sites, and speaking to fellow gun owners, collectors, FFL's, the USPS, UPS, and ATF. All were helpful, yet I received a great deal of information that was simply wrong. Gun Laws suck.
AMMUNITION:
Shipping Ammo to adults 21 or over who are legally able to own ammo is simple and inexpensive, if you know the tricks. Protect yourself: Get proof of age and a statement from them that they can legally own it.
USPS: No, never. The U S Postal Service will ship no ammo of any sort. No one can do it legally. Yet people do it all the time. Don't you do it.
UPS: UPS will ship common small arms cartridges, by Ground, and does not even charge a premium to do so ! You must have UPS come to you to pick it up, or you can drop it off at a real UPS Customer Center. That means no Mail Boxes Etc., no Staples, no Office Depot. And you must mark the box, clearly, ORM-D. You can print out a label from the UPS Web Site, or hand-mark the package per the guidelines:
https://www.ups.com/content/us/en/r...ging/guidelines/ammunition.html?WT.svl=SubNav I mark each box on all sides, but one side may be ok.
A Tip: Don't ask the Clerk for ORM-D labels. Most likely they will have no idea what you are talking about. If you insist, twenty minutes later a manager will appear with the labels in hand - just enough for today - never enough for next time. Just save everyone aggravation and mark the box yourself beforehand.
Another Tip: Citizens of Massachusetts are forbidden to ship each other ammo. Even a MA FFL-01 can't ship another MA FFL-01 Ammunition. Why ? It's the law - it does not have to make sense.
LONG-GUNS:
USPS: Shipping Long Guns is so inexpensive and easy by this method I stopped my research right there. The USPS Web Site explains it fairly well. Any legal owner of a Long Gun can ship their item via USPS to most FFL's - and only FFL's. I say "most" because there is a version of FFL called C&R FFL-03. You can ship a special subset of Long Guns to them - generally these Long Guns are over 50 years old. You cannot ship modern Long Guns to a C&R FFL-03.
UPS: I found shipping Long Guns so easy and inexpensive via USPS I have not researched UPS.
HAND GUNS:
USPS: This is a very inexpensive way for most FFL's to ship other FFL's Handguns. Form 1508 must be completed - it is simple and short: http://about.usps.com/forms/ps1508.pdf Unfortunately, Form 1508 makes it clear that C&R FFL-03's cannot utilize it to either ship or receive Handguns via USPS, even 50+ year-old C&R Handguns. Many well-known Mail Order Shops do ship C&R Handguns to C&R FFL-03 holders using Form 1508. I don't know how they do it. I would not. BTW, it is perfectly ok for a C&R holder to receive a Handgun mailed by USPS. The onus of legality is on the shipper.
And now the trickest part of all....
UPS: Potentially very easy, and reasonably priced - if you know how. The UPS requires no special forms. If you are the shipper, please, please get a copy of the recipient's FFL License before you ship. Legally, as long as the recipient is an FFL, and the shipper the legal owner, all is ok. I'm pretty sure the UPS is not asking for proof. BUT only C&R Handguns can go to a C&R FFL-03. No one can ship a modern handgun to a C&R FFL-03. Now, pay attention. You must have UPS come to you to pick it up, or you can drop it off at a real UPS Customer Center. That means no Mail Boxes Etc., no Staples, no Office Depot. And you must NOT mark the box ! It cannot disclose there is a Handgun inside. But you have got to TELL the Clerk you are shipping a Handgun !!. At which point the Clerk should inform you this package must (grab your wallet), ship OVERNIGHT ! $60 or more. Total Deal Killer. But wait... Sign up beforehand on UPS for an account. An account is free. You don't have to be a business. And no dues or ongoing fees. And print your label online, before you head to UPS - use Next Day Air Saver. Suddenly it's not $60+. Your price is often cut in HALF. Or more. Problem - Solved.
Ok, I've done my best. But help us ALL out here. Suggestions are welcome.
Last edited:
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
