Quoted:
USS1943,

You're not highjacking.  If it helps clear up any questions or engages further discussion, go for it. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy my pontification.

The following pertains to interstate shipments (from one state to another). Intrastate is too much of a PITA to get into on this post.

An individual can ship to an FFL.  Before shipping a gun out-of-state, it's good to make sure it's legal to own in that state and the receiving FFL accepts from an individual.  If you want to ship a gun to dealer, you will need to get a copy of that dealer's license (by fax, mail, or e-mail). Now, you should verify it at the FFL eZcheck website (it's the ATF's and it's free).  Once it's verified, you pick a carrier (Post office, FedEX, UPS) and ship legally.  The receiving FFL may want a copy of your gov't issued photo id.  So include that with the shipment.  If you don't want to, then find another dealer.

Now some depots may refuse to ship the item (FedEX and UPS). No point getting pissed. Just inform them that's legal and have them look it up on their website. If they still refuse, talk to the management.  The depots are decent. The stores are franchises and will do what they want to do. They are separate legal entities. Those "stores" won't accept handguns.

The legal part encompasses federal, local, state, and the policies of the carriers. If you violate a carrier's policy, the carrier can take you to court (especially if the firearm gets lost). You do not want to go there.  

The individual has to comply with the shipping carrier's rules. UPS and FedEX will want you to ship handguns overnight. It will cost $$ but it's allowed.  Longguns can be shipped ground.  If you use UPS or FedEX you HAVE to get a signature for the delivery.  It's federal law (Title 27 473.31(d))

It's also law that the item has to be declared. I've received handguns by UPS and FedEX ground because the shippers (dealers and individuals) don't declare them to save a few $.  Idiots and violators. They have signs at the UPS depot that all restricted items have to be declared.  One douchbag dealer from NJ shipped a handgun to me by ground without declaring it and having the wrong address.  Since it wasn't declared as a restricted item, UPS rerouted it to an address that I lived at 15 years ago.  I forced the douchebag dealer to have it rerouted back to him.  Luckily, it wasn't delivered to the wrong address in the other state. It would have been a felony in that state for any individual to have taken possession of that package.  Not all dealers or gun owners are friends of the 2nd Amendment.  There are very good reasons as to why it needs to be declared. If one is too cheap to do so, then one shouldn't ship the gun.

The post office will allow non-dealers and non-manufacturers to ship long guns but not handguns.  The post office recommends registered mail for firearms shipments.  With registered mail, a person has to sign for the delivery and it's the most secure way to ship anything.

The post office does allow LE to ship handguns to other LE.  

For C&R licensees, it gets annoying.  People will get pissed when I say this but the Post Office doesn't allow C&R licensees to ship handguns to other C&R licensees or dealers.  The postal manual doesn't state it's allowed.  PS1508 is the form dealers and manufacturers are supposed to fill out for every shipment containing firearms.  C&R, FFL (dealers and manufacturers) can't use that form to ship handguns to C&R holders.UPS and FedEX have no restrictions on shipping to C&R holders (handguns or longguns).  

PS1508 states "This form can only be used by manufacturers or dealers of firearms" and

"The undersigned is a manufacturer of firearms or bona fide dealer therein, and the parcels presented for mailing
herewith are customary trade shipments or other articles for repair or replacement of parts. To the best of my
knowledge and belief, the addresses are manufacturers of firearms or bona fide dealers therein"

The local UPS Store or Kinkos will probably refuse all shipments containing firearms but the main hubs will accept them. So go to the main UPS or FedEX hub in your area.

One can't ship C&R item to CA C&R. That's not federal law, that's CA law. It's also CA law that FFL have to register and get approval from the CFLC to ship firearms.  Individuals do not. So if you want to ship a gun (longgun or handgun) to dealer in CA, you can provided the dealer agrees to it (and you follow all the rules).

There's a lot of confusion in shipping firearms.  Even at the post office, FedEX, UPS, they don't always know the rules or their companies' policies.  The policies are posted on their websites. So it is constructive to read them.  

The best bet for individuals is to ship firearms through UPS or FedEX.  Going through a dealer to ship is pretty much a wash with handguns (if 100% of USPS guidelines are followed).  Shipping longguns and going through a dealer by UPS, USPS, or FedEX can be more $$. I am a dealer and I tell my customers that they can legally ship to other dealers. I explain to them how to do it so 1) it's legal 2) it's cost effective.  

Now, for those that are too clever, you can disassemble a handgun into the upper and lower and ship them separately. By separately, I mean in different packages. Then you can ship them by ground.  Frames are not federally classified as handguns.  As long as the handgun can't be assembled with the parts that ship in the same package, it's considered a frame.  It's cute, it's allowed, and it's a real PITA when one of the packages gets lost or damaged.  Also, it tends to confuse the daylights out of the clerks when you declare the item.  I don't recommend doing this.  I've received many firearms this way.  As far as I know it's not illegal at the Federal level. As for state and local laws, I do not know.

If I've confused you (don't worry, I tend to confuse myself a lot), you can PM me.

Quoted:


Actually, I do not understand why FedEx and UPS require clerk notification. I noticed that they do not do anything with this information (like entering something in the computer). They just reply "ok" usually and that is it. I think notifying clerk only invites fear and, possibly, theft. Actually, I use FedEx and  I do not notify clerk since Fedex policy does not specifically says that I need "verbally" notify the clerk (UPS policy explicitly says this). I do the following:

1. Purchase FedEx overnight label online with signature required
2. I attach label to package.
3. I go to FeDex stuffed location. Before stepping to the counter I set up outgoing e-mail on my handheld phone. E-mail is addressed to FedEx Customer Service. E-mail contains my shipment tracking number and states that I am  shipping a handgun. Right at the moment I step to the counter, I push "send" button on my hand held device.

This way I fully comply with FedEx requirement to "Upon presenting the package for shipment, the person tendering the shipment to FedEx Express is required to notify FedEx Express that the package contains a firearm". This way I avoided to notify the particular clerk,  avoided fear/confusion on part of the clerk and,  possibly, prevented theft by the clerk or one of his/her associates.