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Preferred vendor for shipping a rifle?

kthomas

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 17, 2009
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Tucson, AZ
I have to ship out a rifle after Christmas, and was curious as to which shipping vendor people have the best success with?

I called UPS, they said that only the central warehouse in my city can ship a firearm. I then called Fedex, and they were absolutely useless. The one local to me wouldn't tell me how to ship a firearm, and instead directed me to their dangerous goods department, and that rep was absolutely clueless and instead of answering my questions about how to ship a firearm through them, preferred to tell me how to print off a shipping label. Thanks Fedex.

Being ran by the government, I don't suspect USPS is a trustworthy place to ship a firearm, if they even do it.

Who do you guys use?
 
May be cheaper to box it up and let your local FFL send it, they will have accounts with both ups and FedEx.

Don't use USPS until they get caught up, most post master's don't know it's legal for them to ship firearms either.
 
May be cheaper to box it up and let your local FFL send it, they will have accounts with both ups and FedEx.

Don't use USPS until they get caught up, most post master's don't know it's legal for them to ship firearms either.

I'm thinking that going through a local FFL may be the most pain free option at this point.
 
The problem sometimes is that the FFL will want to write the item in his book, because he's including his license in the shipment. I'm fortunate to have a local dealer that will let me just include my identification, like it was a normal transfer, without him "booking it". Basically just using his shipping account. Usually charges $25 to strangers.
 
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I have to ship out a rifle after Christmas, and was curious as to which shipping vendor people have the best success with?

I called UPS, they said that only the central warehouse in my city can ship a firearm. I then called Fedex, and they were absolutely useless. The one local to me wouldn't tell me how to ship a firearm, and instead directed me to their dangerous goods department, and that rep was absolutely clueless and instead of answering my questions about how to ship a firearm through them, preferred to tell me how to print off a shipping label. Thanks Fedex.

Being ran by the government, I don't suspect USPS is a trustworthy place to ship a firearm, if they even do it.

Who do you guys use?
I shipped an upper the other day. I tried being honest in case the package was stolen. UPS Store...NOPE....mail stop...GET OUT......UPS hub....fill out the paperwork yourself,you'll have to use the computers and create an account (fuck you then), Fed Ex Hub (keep in mind 70 miles of running across city later), Oh sure...what is it? A barrel. Oh...that's not on our list...what else describes it: "machine parts." Ok, 30 bucks, delivered Monday (this week). I usually hate Fed Ex, but people there were remotely professional and dressed in their Fed Ex uniform (shirt) vs UPS where the guy looked like a drug dealer off the nearby corner.

Basically UPS or Fed Ex you have to go to the main hub for your city. Or, as my FFL laughed at me...just let me ship that shit back. Always a PITFA. I almost drove mine to the builder of the upper....I'd only have lost 3 more hours of my day.
 
If you have a good ffl you can use go through them. All of the ones around me are morons and don't understand the shipping laws so I use UPS. Drop off at the main distribution center in my town. Never have a single issue. Their policy says you have to tell them its a firearm when you hand the box to them. None of the workers blink an eye and look at me like, "why the fuck do I care." :ROFLMAO:
 
If you have a good ffl you can use go through them. All of the ones around me are morons and don't understand the shipping laws so I use UPS. Drop off at the main distribution center in my town. Never have a single issue. Their policy says you have to tell them its a firearm when you hand the box to them. None of the workers blink an eye and look at me like, "why the fuck do I care." :ROFLMAO:


Actually it is a federal law that you must inform the carrier that it is a firearm. I usually record that surreptitiously. Last time I did this at the Post Office here in Wyoming, they were obviously to that legal requirement. Hence my recording.

“Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm”

Source: https://support.gunbroker.com/hc/en-us/articles/222836508-Firearms-Shipping-Guide
 
My UPS hub is only 25 minutes away and the last pistol I shipped was really easy. The person at the counter even lifted the weight off the scale to get the ridiculous price lower. (Pistols require next day which is expensive!) Since I wasn’t sure if they wanted to inspect it, I hadn’t taped it all the way. She taped the box up, was very helpful and professional, and off it went. So for me UPS.
 
My AI was shipped USPS and arrived quickly and safely. But I ship everything UPS as it’s 15min from my house and super easy to do.
 
Most of my locals won’t ship anything firearm related, even a scope. So i need to tell them bird watching equipment or machined parts or car parts. I don’t ship whole guns so no need to tell them anything. Shit drives me insane. Your policy allows shipping of these items, but branches refuse. They refuse completely legal shipping. Normally i would say “good, use the next guy” but when they all do it....
 
Most of my locals won’t ship anything firearm related, even a scope. So i need to tell them bird watching equipment or machined parts or car parts. I don’t ship whole guns so no need to tell them anything. Shit drives me insane. Your policy allows shipping of these items, but branches refuse. They refuse completely legal shipping. Normally i would say “good, use the next guy” but when they all do it....

If you’re referring to the ups stores, I believe those are privately owned and they have separate policies. And yes, those places refuse to ship firearms. You usually always have to go to the distribution centers to drop off
 
If you’re referring to the ups stores, I believe those are privately owned and they have separate policies. And yes, those places refuse to ship firearms. You usually always have to go to the distribution centers to drop off
Ups and fedex have given me the same lines. Not sure if they are all that way, but it infuriates me to have to drive to a hub when i could do the same at a local branch. Its arizona, and not the liberal part, fucking communists weaseling their way into everything. I hate it.