Any of you use USPS to ship handguns from individual to FFL ? Never used them, just wondering if there's and special procedure or if it's arduous. Thanks for any input

Unless you are a ffl you will need to use fedex or ups


Any person may ship firearms directly to a licensee in any State, with no requirement for another licensee to ship the firearm. However, handguns and other concealable firearms are not mailable through the United States Postal Service and must be shipped via private common or contract carrier (18 U.S.C. § 1715).

I believe that only an FFL can ship a handgun through USPS.  Long guns can be sent by an individual to an FFL.

Handguns can only be mailed (USPS) between FFLs. Given the cost of overnight FedEx or UPS or DHL, it is often cheaper to pay an FFL to ship your handgun for you, paying for priority mail and a modest shipping/handling fee to the FFL.

This.

Expect to pay $75-$100 to ship one via UPS or FedEx.

or find a local dealer sho will ship for you.  We have a nice FFL here that will ship for $25 plus actual cost, which usually comes in under $50 (in total).    He gets my transfer business too.......

Thanks for the input. Didn't realize handgun could only be FFL to FFL.

You can ship to ffl, but you have to use ups or fedex. Some people have a ffl ship for them because it's cheaper. My ffl I use for transfers will ship a pistol for me and he only charges me 15.00 because he can put it in a flat rate box.

The Post Office (USPS) has their own rules and regulations for shipping firearms.6

You MUST be an FFL to ship anything "concealable" by USPS.

It must go to another FFL.

You can ship a rifle by USPS.

The 'common carriers' (UPS and FedEx) have so many theft problems with high value shipments (LIKE FIREARMS) they require  'next day'  to reduce the time in their system.


Expect a heft fee for something as heavy as a gun.

I usually put guns inside a much larger box with a LOT of packed fill.

At east it is not a small box that can be tucked under a jacket and removed.

For handguns something the size of a 'book box' has worked well.

It makes it a little harder to tell what is inside since the weight is in a much larger container.

If they handle it much they likely will detect it is a smaller but heavy object in the box but it is not going to fit inside their jacket unless they open it in the sorting facility.

Most of the sorting facilities have extensive camera systems.

Before the development of 'internet' type cameras I earned decent  money designing the systems to handle hundreds of video signals and allow a few people to view a lot of cameras 'on demand' from a PC.

Interesting info in this thread already...

One of the primary FFL dealers I use when I purchase a firearm online and have it shipped will not accept or receive a firearm from a non-FFL, regardless of shipper. I'm not sure if that is their own rule or some kind of FFL rule, but that is what they told me. They only receive or ship FFL to FFL.

It's their own rule.