Shipping Antique, pre-98, handgun

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I have an old top-break S&W made in 1891, it is considered an antique in that no paperwork is required to buy or own it.

I know with the Post Office you cannot ship handguns unless you are a dealer. The question is does that apply to antiques as well

and with Fedex UPS what is there take on antique handguns?

 

[BTSDOG]

I believe with UPS, a firearm is a firearm. They dont have a policy for antiques. Go to ups.com and type " firearms" in the search bar. It will bring up their policies on shipping firearms. I dont know what fedx policies are.......

 

[Len-2A Training]

Another collector shipped a black powder pistol to me some years ago in a USPS Priority Mail box. I'm not 100% on this with postal regs or UPS/FedEx but if it isn't defined as a gun perhaps their shipping policies aren't relevant unless they specifically mention replicas or black powder guns in their policies? The individual who shipped me the BP pistol believed that he was legal doing so (and I never researched the legality as it is the only BP gun I own).

 

[greencobra]

i'm thinking you're gonna have to talk to them instead of getting sketchy advice on a gun forum where no one is 100% sure what's going on with antique firearm shipping.

 

[browncoat]

See 431.3 http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_008.htm#ep344370

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[browncoat]

I would recommend looking at the USPS regs online rather than asking a local postmaster who is very unlikely to know

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[Len-2A Training]

See 431.3 http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_008.htm#ep344370

Hmm, reading that I'd say that an antique pistol can't be shipped by commoners via USPS either. Oh well!

Agreed about not asking a Postmaster. Just like asking a LEO, most won't know the answer so they will make something up which isn't useful.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

431.3 Antique Firearm

Antique firearm means any muzzle loading rifle/shotgun/pistol, which is designed to use black powder or a black powder substitute, and which cannot use fixed ammunition (except those that incorporate a firearm frame or receiver, any firearm which is converted into a muzzle loading weapon, or any muzzle loading weapon which can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition by replacing the barrel, bolt, breechblock, or any combination thereof); or any firearm (including those with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured on or before 1898, or any replica thereof, if such replica:

Is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition.
Uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition that is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.

I am trying to find the actual form that tells the rules. The fact that Antique Firearms are listed under the restricted items is interesting. Does this mean they are exempted or can you not even mail a Brown Bess?

Do the rules exempt Antique weapons or restrict them? From just reading the restrictions I cannot tell are they exempted or not? A top break made before 1898 that uses Black Powder .38 S&W cartridges would be an antique as I don't know of any manufaturer still making them and if you put a smokeless .38 S&W in it, it would blow up.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Oh one other thing, if only a dealer 01FFL could ship a antique firearm by USPS then they shouldn't be charging to do it, if you box it etc, because as an antique they don't have to log it in their bound book and they usually say the reason they charge a transfer fee is having to log it, and with an antique there is no paperwork, right?

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Found it!

Section 432.2 Handguns, what I read in subsection A is that if you are shipping a handgun that meets the definition of Antique can be shipped between C&R holders (I didn't know that), but it also says in subsection B if the handgun meets the criteria for Curio and Relic it may be shipped without restriction.
THAT GIVES ME PAUSE, as any gun that is over 50 years old is a C&R. the part I am wondering about is which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum that exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest,
I read that that you have to have a "certification" on a specific gun, maybe?

432.2 Handguns

Handguns and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable unless mailed between the parties listed in this section, after the filing of an affidavit or statement described in 432.22 or 432.24, and are subject to the following:

Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2 and the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 may be mailed between curio and relic collectors only when those firearms also meet the definition of an antique firearm under 431.3.
Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2, which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum that exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest, may be accepted for mailing without regard to the restrictions provided for handguns in Exhibit 432.25 and in 432.21 through 432.24.
Air guns that do not fall within the definition of firearms under 431.1 that are capable of being concealed on a person are mailable, but must include adult signature service under DMM 503.9.0. Mailers must comply with all applicable state and local regulations.
Parts of handguns are mailable, except for handgun frames, receivers or other parts or components regulated under Chapter 44, Title 18, U.S.C.
Mailers are also subject to applicable restrictions by governments of a state, territory, or district.