I believe USPS is the only shipping service that allows it, but can a non-dealer send a MG through USPS or do you still have to declare it as something else? Or have a dealer ship it?

USPS registered priority insured is in a locked cage I believe and signed over at every stop, USPS has plenty of issues, but I have yet to hear of a registered mail one

I shipped mine via USPS registered mail. Think I just declared it a firearm, didn’t say machine gun or anything like they. You can ship it as it’s going to a FFL. I paid for insurance equal to the full value of the RR at the time.

Did you follow the paper tape "rules"? I saw somewhere on reddit you need to tape every seam with paper tape. My warehouse uses those but I cant find any info on it, I think I'll just tape the hell out of it

I am just going to declare it as a rifle lower, that's technically accurate and what would be on my sales receipt

There might be some older posts that have good info on this.

I typically ship FedEx without issues. They have a way better tracking system than USPS. Most of the time USPS is good tracking, but I've seen few of my packages the tracking goes in the limbo or says delivered when it wasn't (post man may have to carry multiple packages and they tend to mark it delivered when it wasn't).

Note that UPS doesn't take MGs.

It has to be the correct reinforced paper tape or they’ll reject it. You need the cardboard-colored paper tape with the fiberglass reinforcement strings inside, and it has water-activated adhesive, so it’s got to be slid over a sponge to become sticky. Once it’s on it doesn’t move; it literally bonds to the cardboard. It is tamper evident, so don’t tear it. Every seam must be covered. It’s about $45 per roll.

There’s also a weight limit for registered mail. I think it’s 50 lbs.

Don’t declare just the lower, since receivers are considered “concealable firearms” by USPS and therefore prohibited from mailing.

Send it as a complete rifle if using registered mail.

The proper paper security tape needs to be used to mail via USPS Registered Mail.  Every seam of the package must be covered and the post office will stamp all of the seams with a red stamp to show its not tampered with.

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/How-do-I-Send-a-Mailpiece-Using-Registered-Mail-Service

The package should be sealed with glue, plain paper tape, or cloth tape. The tape must be able to absorb ink and must visibly damage the envelope or wrapper if removed. In addition, the mailpiece must bear the complete names and addresses of both the sender and recipient.

Regular plastic based packing tape can't absorb the ink stamp and will/should be turned away by the post office employee.

This is the tape you need.

http://www.postalproducts.com/product/N1024700.htm

It has to be wetted with a sponge to activate the glue and then applied to the package and the glue allowed to dry.  I have used it for years and its a bit cumbersome but you get used to it over time.  The key is to make sure you cut the tape to length before you use the wet sponge to activate the glue.

As to "legality" it has been debated endlessly whether machinegun receiver is "concealable" and/or would be legal for a non-licensee to mail via USPS. (There are numerous threads online discussing if a stripped or upper-less M16 or AR15 lowers are legally mailable by a non-licensee with no definitive written guidance  from the post office.)

You can read the USPS regs for yourself here.

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_009.htm
https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_008.htm#ep344365

My personal take is that in most cases you will probably be fine if you ship an M16 receiver via USPS registered mail from the standpoint that  it will get there and back.   Hell technically people ship drugs and all sort of contraband via USPS and a lot of it seems to get through.

That said, if you have a problem and USPS loses your package and/or you have an insurance claim I wouldn't want to have an esoteric legal debate with the postmaster as to whether a stripped or upper less M16 lower was legally mailable and/or eligible for insurance compensation.  You would be safer (legally speaking as the regs are currently written) shipping it with  a stock attached and a rifle length upper. (even if the upper is not attached to the lower but in the same package)

IMHO, the only 100% absolutely clear (not breaking the carriers terms of service) and regulatory/statutory legal way for a non-licensee to ship a stripped or upper less M16 lower receiver is via Fedex Priority Overnight service. The package must also be handed off to a Fedex driver who is scheduled for a pickup or dropped off at the Fedex depot. (i.e. no dropping off at a fedex kinkos)

While I used to use USPS Registered Mail for larger format clearly non concealable machineguns, I now personally ship machineguns (concealable or not) via Fedex Priority overnight AM delivery.

I ship also them early in the week so it will never go over a weekend, I drop them off at the main depot late afternoon to minimize their time hanging out at the depot, and I have them shipped back to the main depot for pickup so to minimize the amount of time spent bouncing around in the last mile truck.

While Fedex insurance is dogshit I still insure them with the hope that if lost it will help spur action on their part to find it.   For real insurance I have secondary insurance that covers shipment.

Fedex Priority Overnight is not cheap but on the plus side you also won't be waiting a week or more as your machinegun bounces around the USPS postal system with terrible or inaccurate tracking leaving you to wonder and worry if it will get there or not.

I also don't let the return shipper create the return Fedex label (that way I 100% control the terms, service, and address) and if lost I am the legal shipper and receiver so there is no ambiguity on a claim.   I am also very clear with them that the machinegun needs to preferable be dropped off at the main Fedex  depot, or I will schedule a driver pickup.  Under no terms should my machinegun be return shipped via dropoff at a Fedex Kinkos type location.

Hope this helps.

My limited experience with USPS concerning firearms is that there are concealable and rifle. Their regulations don't have any other categories. A SBR is considered concealable. FedEx is really the only other option as UPS specifically states that they don't ship machineguns. I think that the posts above give you very clear options.

As a side note, the ATF has changed their policy as to firearm submissions. They now require any submissions, even accessories, to be a complete firearm. I submitted an adapter to allow M16 function using M10 registered receiver. I shipped a transferable M10 with the adapter installed and to avoid "concealable " I shipped it with a 16" upper.

ATF has also changed their return shipping policy for submissions. I supplied the postage and even pre-cut strips of the special paper tape with my submission for return shipping. ATF has used the return postage for two previous submissions. I am finally getting my M10 registered receiver back over a year after receiving the determination. But the last submission must be shipped via FedEx for return shipping. ATF refuses to use the enclosed USPS postage. There was no notice of the change in policy. I had to open a FedEx account.

Scott

They taped it for me at the post office and put dozens of stamps using a red ink pad

This is a great writeup.

Ship a mg

I just posted in another thread that I shipped an M-16 lower through the USPS registered mail. It arrived on time. I use Eastern Insurance and they said "ship it you are covered".

Thanks for all the detailed answers, I totally forgot I'm covered under Eastern as well, way less paranoid now, it should arrive tomorrow, god willing

Alright it was supposed to be delivered yesterday and the shipping never updated after being out for delivery lolol just my luck. I'm guessing he was closed by the time they got there, but what a way to ruin my Sunday

My local USPS carriers never deliver anything on Saturday or Sunday to my office, even though it's open 24/7, they mark everything "Location was closed" and wait until Monday.

As previously posted above, mail stuff early in the week then the package will arrive before the weekend.

Scott

Even Fedex Priority Overnight is not always "Overnight" in my experience.  Sometimes it turns out to be 2 days or on rare cases 3 days.   When I ship machineguns Fedex Priority Overnight, the latest I will ever ship them is on a Tuesday so I have plenty of runway to never hit the weekend.

USPS is a total crap shoot, especially nowadays with "COVID".   Even pe-covid you could ship something registered mail on a Monday and it will still take over a week to get there and go over a weekend depending upon how far its going and some of the highly indirect routes USPS packages take if the tracking information can be believed.

I was so nervous about the issues with shipping my MAC to Sam for an Uzi conversion that I ended up driving it to him and driving back to pick it up.  It ended up two 1,100 mile round trips. On the pick-up trip, I actually drove all the way there, picked it up, and turned around and drove back.  Took 20 hours round trip.

lol I just made a 20 hour trip for vacation so I wasn't planning on doing it again but I was seriously considering what there may be to do in Virginia, couldn't figure out anything that exciting.

That being said, he got the package yesterday, definitely should have shipped a day earlier like people said, even Victor at US Anodizing told me Registered almost always runs 1 day behind to him (and maybe everyone?) for anyone that runs across this down the road

Glad for you it arrived. It will test your resolve depending on the post office. My lower should only be a couple more weeks at the longest. I will post pics of before and after. It has had MAJOR work done but the results will be worth it.

"It has to be wetted with a sponge to activate the glue and then applied to the package and the glue allowed to dry.  I have used it for years and its a bit cumbersome but you get used to it over time.  The key is to make sure you cut the tape to length before you use the wet sponge to activate the glue."

I use this tape all the time shipping. Buuut, I take the piece cut to length and go back and forth under the faucet with warm water and soak the heck out of it than apply to the package and wipe down. Easy pezy...

The only issue I ran into was the tape I got stuck and literally infused into the box GREAT, but since I had some precious cargo I was taping the hell out of it and the tape doesnt really stick on top of another piece of tape very well, so you want those piece touching the box to count

Maybe the tape you have is slightly different than the big roll I have.   On the tape I have if the tape gets too wet, especially on the non-glue side the tape will try and curl up length-wise and you fight it trying to constantly try and smooth it out as it dries without a bunch of wrinkles.

Probably more detail that needed on the nuances of the USPS paper security tape application, but I actually wet sponge the box seam that is going to get the paper tape to get the cardboard slightly damp, then one or two passes of the wet sponge over the glue side of the tape and then apply it to the package.   I have found that if the tape is applied to a super dry and/or dusty box it can suck the moisture out of the glue before it properly bonds.   However, if the tape itself is too wet it will want to curl/wrinkle lengthwise and you have to fight it to keep it flat on the box before the glue can take hold.

On a smaller box its not a huge problem, but on a rifle length box with a long 3ft+ seam it can be a pain  especially if the tape gets too wet and wants to curl and wrinkle.