shipping rifle through USPS

jollystriker · Post by **jollystriker** » Sun Jun 27, 2021 12:00 pm

For any of you who have shipped a rifle through the USPS. I stopped by and question the postmaster at my local USPS on the necessary procedure. I do not have an FFL so I wanted to know what documentation I needed to mail a rifle out of state to a licensed FFL in another state. I have the licensed FFL's certificate to include. The postmaster gave me a form and said it needs to be filled out by a dealer who will state the firearm is unloaded when it was packed for shipment. How have others on this site sent firearms to an FFL through the USPS?

thank you

dammitgriff · Post by **dammitgriff** » Sun Jun 27, 2021 2:30 pm

Long guns can be mailed in an unmarked box appropriately sized and packed. You can mail long guns to another private individual within you own state. All firearms shipping outside your state must go through a FFL in the recipient’s state. No pistols permitted to be shipped via USPS. You do not have to verbally notify the USPS you’re shipping a firearm, which can and does trigger false statements from the personnel behind the counter attempting to convince you it’s illegal. Firearms are not considered hazardous material. I will try to dig up the ATF regulation concerning this and post it later.
***Not a lawyer, you must verify rules haven’t changed since I last mailed a long gun via USPS.***

R/Griff

dammitgriff · Post by **dammitgriff** » Sun Jun 27, 2021 2:47 pm

Here it is.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-non ... al-service

Be sure to browse the “Unlicensed Persons” Q&A list here:

https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/unlicensed-persons

for more or additional info.

R/Griff

Wulfmann · Post by **Wulfmann** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 10:26 am

I have shipped maybe 100 rifles using USPS. Sign up for "Click and Ship" USPS online account, easy.
You need a plain box, a scale to weigh it and a tape measure to measure it.
Ship it Priority Mail/insured unloaded with no ammunition inside the same shipping box
Once you put in the address on Click and Ship then the measurements and weight you will get a price to pay using your CC and a PDF to print the shipping label (Cover the shipping label with clear tape to prevent it getting wet)
Then click "Schedule a pick up" and enter the day you want them to pick it up and where it will be (Front door)

This way you do not deal with ignorance, morons, idiots and assorted anti-gun wackos. Remember this. Nothing a postal employee tells you is his responsibility to be correct and rarely is
Before I started shipping myself (never once a problem with click and ship) and I took long guns to the PO I was told "It is illegal to ship guns thru the mail", "it is a felony to bring it into the PO". Once a woman told me USPS does not ship firearms. I asked her as I pointed to the large wall on postal regulations why there were instructions on the wall on how to properly ship firearms???
When I started shipping Click and Ship I printed out an extra copy of the FFL it was going to so the carrier could verify the address. I stopped doing that. They could care less and never looked at it.

dammitgriff · Post by **dammitgriff** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 1:21 pm

Wulfmann - like a boss.
One tip I can add that may be obvious is you can remove the butt stock and/or otherwise disassemble to fit the long gun into a smaller box, if okay with the recipient.
R/Griff

ADulay · Post by **ADulay** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 2:45 pm

What Wulfmann said.

Click and Ship works very well for things like this.

AD

Villafuego · Post by **Villafuego** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 3:35 pm

I've shipped dozens of longarms via USPS..... and have never heard of any such form that required a dealer state the firearm was "unloaded"....

Can you scan it/take a pic of it? or post the form # ???

Wizard78 · Post by **Wizard78** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:20 pm

I've shipped my fair share and can only add to what has been offered already, that I recommend a hard case with Styrofoam to stop shifting and wrapped by cardboard. I have had 3 stocks broken when shipped in cardboard boxes and one of them looked as if put against the wall and kicked in center, breaking at the pistol grip section. Two were expensive stocks for Sako rifles and I was lucky find used and to get reimbursed after going through HELL. 1 was for a broken shotgun butt stock that I was able to buy new and have shipped to new owner who agreed to fit himself while I had to deal with USPS hell for that one too. They will give you every BS and false excuse and have to appeal untill you get lucky. I had another that was shipped to me broken and since it was an inexpensive 22 never filed a claim.

jollystriker · Post by **jollystriker** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:40 pm

this is the form they gave me at the post office
https://about.usps.com/forms/ps1508.pdf

thank you for the comments and advice

Tenzing_Norgay · Post by **Tenzing_Norgay** » Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:12 pm

jollystriker wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:40 pm this is the form they gave me at the post office
https://about.usps.com/forms/ps1508.pdf

thank you for the comments and advice

That form is for dealers or manufacturers shipping handguns in their course of business, not "civilians" (who are forbidden from mailing handguns). Tell the mo-mo who handed it to you he shoulda stayed in law school (or rocket-surgeon school)...

As an FFL you can ship handguns USPS as long as you fill out form 1508 for each shipment. Only certain shipping methods can be used. I forget which ones those are. I usually use priority mail. Much cheaper than UPS or FedEx. It might be a bit of a hassle the first time you try it if your post office has never done such a thing before, but if you persist you will get it done.

Florida Shooters Network