Ok, so i been here for years and i don't know how to do this.
It's just something that never happened before.  No, i don't have any sales pending- just need info before i proceed.
Thanks you guys.

absolute easiest way is to just find a gun shop that will do it for you. Some in your area will have a good business going doing exactly this and I found for all the hassle etc. my gun shop did it for a few dollars more than if I tried to make it happen all on my own.

A rifle can go USPS insured priority registered mail from you to an FFL in another state, or from you to yourself in another state if you are going somewhere and don't want your rifle to fly in your checked baggage on a passenger plane.

I shipped quite a few rifles this past year.

Get the ffl license from the shop they want it shipped to. Make sure they accept from an individual.

Example:
Attached File



Pack up rifle in box with copy of your dl for their records.

Bring to UPS distribution.

Pay

Done


Very simple

I've usually found USPS Priority Mail to be cheaper than UPS. Just Make sure it's packaged well. And of course, it has to go to an FFL.

>>absolute easiest way is to just find a gun shop that will do it for you<<

This......

If to yourself, as stated you can mail without a FFL.

CD

No, not to myself.  I plan on thinning the herd so i'm getting my ducks in a row.
I had thought about getting a local FFL to do it for me.  I guess i will pursue that avenue.

Now, does the buyer usually pay for the Xfer/shipping? (I don't know the etiquette involved)

Yes, the buyer eats those charges.

CD

The price of shipped ffl to ffl is usually included in the price u put on the firearm. So call whatever ffl u plan on using and ask how much they would charge you to handle a private party sale and transfer to another ffl, then add that to your asking price. Easy.

It's a sellers market so ultimately you wield the power if you want to eat the shipping/transfer or if you don't.....

If a long gun I echo that USPS from you to an FFL is the cheapest route. Now something USPS doesn't request that your receiving FFL may is a copy of your drivers license. I know that happened to me recently. Guess the new 4473's may require this. Or that was what was explained to me at least.

I ship guns out quite often since I am a stupid impulse buyer, get something, realize I don't like it and sell it for something else or sell it just because I want to try another gun and not eat the cost of the new one.

As others have said you can ship it yourself to a FFL in another state through either UPS, USPS, or FedEx.  It must require adult signature upon delivery, have no markings on the box indicating it's a firearm, and you must tell them it is a firearm in the box.  People don't like that last part but it's the rules and it's not worth it to not follow them and risk it, IMO.

Rifles can go ground via UPS and USPS.  FedEx they can I think, but I am not positive.  They used to only accept rifle shipments from non-FFLs only if they were overnight, but I think that rule changed.  You would need to double-check if you wanted to use them.  I usually just use UPS.

Just FYI for the future in case you decide to sell some: you CANNOT ship handguns through USPS at all.  Only FFL dealers can.  They must go Next Day Air via FedEx or UPS only.

...and as others have said always check with the FFL you're sending it to and make sure they accept firearms from unlicensed individuals before you ship it.  Don't just take the buyer's word.  I had an incident where I shipped one after the guy told me his FFL accepted from unlicensed persons and the FFL called me and bitched me about because they actually did not and he told me he was going to call the ATF and I was going to jail for illegally shipping a firearm across state lines.  I tried to explain him it is legal to ship a firearm out of state to another FFL but he assured me it was not.  I got the head start and called his local ATF field office and explained the situation which they called him and said what I did was actually well within legality.

They told him to just let the buyer pick their gun up and be done with it.  After the buyer picked the rifle up I told him he was a moron and to actually check with the FFL next time and not bullshit me, then I told him to use another FFL next time to save the seller some trouble.  Afterwards I called the FFL and basically told him it's sad that a person whose actual job is to own an FFL and sell guns knows less about the shipping laws regarding firearms than a person without an FFL.  Before hanging up I said he should read up on them because it's possible he has probably shipped something illegally in the past since he doesn't seem to know the actual laws himself.

As other's have said, no issues shipping riles and shotguns via Post office.  Two tips:

Insist on getting an FFL copy, keeping one, and putting another in the box.  I had one dealer who argued with me that I didn't need it, and claimed some rubbish about how he was worried someone would get it and use it elsewhere.  

Also, go onto the USPS web site, and print out their rules for shipping firearms, and have them with you at the PO. I've run the gaument from wonderful service to a lady who said it could not be done, until I showed her the actual USPS rules, then she still had to talk to the Postmaster about it.

Well, it's not rubbish. No ATF regulation requires a licensed dealer send his FFL to a nonlicensee. It IS required when a licensee ships to another licensee.
<----FFL who has no problem emailing his, but many will not.

For a nonlicensee, the only requirement is you ship interstate only TO a licensee.

           

before i shipped anything i would also go online and verify his info on the ATF sight. there are too many shady folks out there.

Ok. talked to the guy today.
Not too bad, $50 bucks plus shipping.
So, the PTR goes up on sale in the EE. (is this permissible?) (I mean to make my own link? If not, Mods, kill the thread)

you can also ship thru USPS if you have all the above; they also require a form PS 1508 to be submitted & will
charge $5.00 for signature (upon receipt at FFL); i shipped several rifles this year & for the first ones the gal
didn't charge the extra sig. fee or require the form, but I'd have it & be ready so you don't have to return.

i went to a local gun shop that sells alot of guns & they had some shotgun boxes they were throwing out; get
those, especially better gunz (Browning, etc) since these will have a foam cutout inside the box you can tailor
to fit whatever your shipping; saves alot of time; i had to "make" several boxes & it's a PITA

i only go to UPS center to ship ammo, since they're not everywhere. YMMV

ETA; go talk to yer local PO guy/gal & ask them for the form PS 1508 & make sure they know their
own rules about shipping rifles

USPS is cheaper & moar convenient than UPS; i actually taped two boxes together with 2 rifles & they
had no problem with that; UPS proaly wont do that

Perjury is a crime. If you aren't a licensed dealer or manufacturer and sign a PS Form 1508 you commit perjury. It's only required for licensed dealers and manufacturers and only when shipping firearms other than rifles or shotguns via USPS. Any nonlicensee filling that form out is a dumbass.




YOU don't know the rules, why would you expect someone else to?
FFs read whats written on the damn 1508.
Until then stop giving advice on shipping firearms.







Never a problem.

the lady at local PO required that form: she can go to jail

top right says statement by shipper of firearm;
also says "to the best of my knowledge and belief",,not ur going to jail if you falsify this form

everyone interprets rulz differently & PO lady wanted this, that's what i did;
again, she can go to jail for making this a requirement when u say it's illegal.

For rifles, pack it up in a discreet well packed box, bring to USPS, declare it as machine parts/car parts ship priority insured to new owners ffl. Done.

For pistols, much cheaper to have a ffl do it. As a mom ffl you have to ship priority overnight fedex/ups. Ffls can ship pistols through regular priority mail, or slower fedex/ups. Much cheaper.

Well, SHE didn't violate federal law.....YOU did.




Horseshit, read it again.
Here I'll help:
1. See that top line? "This form can only be used by dealers or manufacturers of firearms"......you ain't one. Thats a clue as to whether you need to read further.
2. See that paragraph "The undersigned is a manufacturer of firearms or a bona fide dealer therein...."? Clue #2 that this form isn't for you.






"But, but, but SHE told me to!" is an excellent defense. Works all the time.

Why on earth would you do that?
For one, its perfectly legal for anyone to mail rifles or shotguns via USPS. "Declaring it "machine parts/car parts" is stupid. Especially because no Federal law requires you to tell or "declare" anything. If a USPS clerk asks you what is in the box, you must be honest. They can require you to either show the firearm is unloaded or certify in writing it is unloaded. If you rifle or shotgun is lost/damaged/stolen, good luck on collecting insurance on those machine parts.



True.



Nope. No FedEx or UPS tariff allows a gun dealer to ship handguns via Ground.

OP,

I had a bunch more written, but after seeing everyone else having different experiences, and with our political climate....work with a FFL.

Nope, it was rubbish.  If I need to defend myself against the charge that I sent the rifle to someone who doesn't have a license, I need something to hang my hat on. And saying that I looked up his FFL number on a web site isn't the same as having a copy of an FFL in my possession.

Any licensee who asks you to send you a firearm without being willing to send you a copy of his license isn't worth dealing with.

No, it wasn't. When you wrote "...I had one dealer who argued with me that I didn't need it, and claimed some rubbish about how he was worried someone would get it and use it elsewhere..." That implies that you do need it to lawfully send that dealer a firearm. You don't.   Instead of getting sand in your panties, try and learn what the law requires a dealer to do and what is not required of a nonlicensee.




What you feel the need for is no concern of the receiving FFL. No Federal law or ATF regulation requires him to give a nonlicensee a copy of his FFL.
Further, having a copy of an FFL? WTF do you think that proves? It proves nothing. Proof that you shipped a firearm to a licensee is your receipt from USPS/UPS/FedEx.



So, you make it clear in any EE listing or GB auction that you will only ship to a dealer who will send you a copy of his FFL.

Personal attacks and curse words are the hallmarks of fools. "Panties, WTF", smiley faces, you sound like a child.  

By having a copy of his FFL, I can show that I followed the law and sent the firearm to someone with a FFL, which as you state, is the law.

How would you propose that a non-FFL dealer prove this?  Take his word for it?  Go through the time and hassle of going onto a ATF web site and looking him up?  By what name, address, FFL number?   So now I need to ask him for all that, then find the ATF site to look him up? The receipt just shows I sent it to a name and address, not that he has a FFL number.  

All this compared to the FFL dealer just getting off his lazy, paranoid ass, and sending me a copy of his FFL.  

And yes, having a copy of his FFL proves that he has an FFL, and that I sent it to an FFL, along with the receipt of shipping, which by itself proves nothing.  

Only used when dealing with derp. And this is derp.




No, by having a copy of the recieving dealers FFL you can show you only have a copy of the receiving dealers FFL. It is not proof of anything but having a copy of an FFL. Again, your proof that you shipped TO a licensed dealer is your receipt from USPS/UPS/FedEx.


 
No Federal law requires you to "prove" jack squat.
All a nonlicensee is required to do is ship to a licensed dealer. You do this by getting the first three and last five digits of his FFl#. If the thirty seconds you spend on ATF's FFL EzCheck is too much time and hassle then you might want to skip shipping a gun, because the time it takes to print out a shipping label requires weighing and measurement.
Further, that you have no idea how to verify the validity of an FFL via EzCheck tells us a lot. ANYONE can photoshop the address on ANY FFL. Simply shipping to the address on an FFL isn't complying with federal law. You verify the address and validity, then ship. It will be an ugly surprise when you ship to the address on your FFL copy and discover its faked. Yes, it does happen and is happening more often.


 
His business, his rules.




Only the shipping receipt is proof of anything.
If you need step by step help on how to verify if an FFL copy is in fact valid, I'll be happy to help.

When Dogtown Tom posts, people should listen.

The law requires you ship to an FFL. That's it. Whether you have an actual copy or use EZ Check makes no difference. Ridiculous assertions could be made that you PhotoShopped up a fake FFL as a paper copy just as easily.

This whole line of thinking is just as dumb as people who won't do a private in-state sale unless it's through an FFL when no law exists.

I haven’t used them but I have heard good experiences.

Ship My Gun

Literally any gun dealer in America can do it cheaper.
I ship handguns every week for $10-$30 less than than Shipmygun.

I always use UPS, they have upped there rates the last year or so but it’s no hassle, the one time I took a gun to the PO they looked at me like I was nuts at the counter.

Pro tip: NEVER just walk up to the counter and tell the clerk "I'm mailing a gun". That's the surest way to get the
1. Box, weigh, measure and pack your rifle or shotgun.
2. Go to www.usps.com, pay for and print your shipping label at home. Tape label to box.
3. Drop off box at any post office. You don't have to notify anyone at the USPS that you are mailing a gun, but if asked you can't lie.
4. Profit.

@DogtownTom,  

Thanks for your informed responses to the many questions regarding shipping or otherwise transfers of firearms.

I had an FFL for about 5 years and Tom has been correct on every one of his comments.  As I am reading, I am thinking this is the answer to that question and then poof, Tom posts his answer.

I used to ship a lot of guns for people, at the time I charged $20 plus actual shipping.  That was always cheaper than an Non-FFL could ship handguns and much easier for people shipping rifles.  I would even provide packing services for those that needed it.