shipping a rifle

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SBR4590
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shipping a rifle

Post by SBR4590 »

Given the new UPS / FedEx rules, is there anyway a private individual can ship a rifle for repair without using an FFL?
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Don McDowell
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by Don McDowell »

If shipping to an individual, no. If shipping to a gunsmith etc, then the USPS maybe.
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pacecars
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by pacecars »

An individual can ship a rifle or shotgun direct to an individual within their state of residence without using an FFL on either end through USPS (also through UPS or FedEx legally except their policies prohibit it). An individual can ship a rifle or shotgun out of state to an FFL holder through USPS (UPS and FedEx same as above.) when shipping through USPS they hit you with an up charge of the package is over a certain length which all long guns are. It is easy at my local USPS since they know me and I showed them where in their regulations it was legal a long, long time ago
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George Babits
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by George Babits »

Well, it looks like you can't even ship a barrel or stock either through UPS. Crazy! Shipping just about anything these days is a very expensive crap shoot. If the USPO is all that is left we are in a world of hurt. I have dismal success even with first class letter mail to some places

George
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desert deuce
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by desert deuce »

Well, the rumor on the street is BATF/DOJ are pressuring UPS/FEDX to track "ALL" firearms shipments and report that information to them. This puts UPS/FEDX in the position of, through rules and regulations, creating a situation where it is difficult to impossible to ship a firearm through them by a private citizen because they don't want to become involved in that activity.

USPS, just take it to the counter, you do not have to tell them what it is even if they ask, I have never been asked. But you better have it packed really, really well. The trick is
insure for full replacement value
, say $5,000.00 which triggers their accountability for the item and each set of hands that touch it have to sign receiving and relinquishing it. So far, so good after 5 round trips. Yes, there is an extra charge if the package is 30" long or more. (They may require you to send and receive at a PO Box and require an adult signature.) I will not specify an electronic signature.

A little suggestion. Send the wood and barreled action separate regardless who the carrier is. You learn this after you receive a shipment with boot prints on the outside and or fork lift tire tracks on the cardboard and find an original Sharps Fruend with a fractured wrist where the fork lift tracks went over the shipping carton. That little trick cost USPO almost $6,000.00 cash but it almost took an act of congress to get them to pay up. So yes, insure for replacement value. I think $5,000.00 insurance USPO is around $51.00, cheap peace of mind.

I also understand that if you send it to an FFL for repair as the owner of the firearm they can ship it directly back to you without going through another FFL. But check everything out. This information is up to date as of last week but change may occur.
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marlinman93
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by marlinman93 »

You don't have to pay $5k in insurance to get this service. Simply pay whatever it's worth, and ship it registered mail. Registered mail will require it be signed for at every place it stops, and can never change hands without a signature.
Over insuring an item can cause USPS to deny a claim IF the item does get lost or stolen. It could also get criminal charges filed against you if USPS wants to charge you with claiming a false value on your rifle.
But regardless, expect USPS to deny your claim at least once, and possibly deny your appeal also! They will do whatever it takes to avoid paying insurance, even when you insure the item for less than it's true value! I just went through this when USPS lost or stole a nice Ballard #3 .22 rimfire, and it took almost two months, plus finally getting my congressman's office involved to get USPS to pay my claim. Oh, and when they finally paid me, they deducted the charge for oversized package! I too removed the buttstock to avoid damage, and it was still oversized and cost an extra $21 for that. But they don't refund this charge, even when they've stolen or lost your package!
So expect to be irritated, frustrated, and maybe not even paid if USPS wants to avoid payment.
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desert deuce
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by desert deuce »

Marlinman, Interesting, now tell me: Is there a difference between what you thought the rifle was worth and what it cost to replace it? After all if they damage it, as in the Fruend Sharps, they paid the repair cost not replacement. If they loose the whole rifle then it comes down to replacement cost because no matter how you cut it you are out a specific rifle and they then become responsible to replace it, especially when it is new.

So if you insure for replacement, $5,000.00, and claim costs to repair $2,700.00, on the $5,000.00 insurance how is that fraud? Or you replace the rifle for $4,977.00 on the $5,000.00 insurance how is that fraud if you only claim the $4,977.00? AND, if the replacement exceeds $5,000.00 then at least the additional outlay should be minimal. Of course, if you pay $8,000.00 for the rifle why would you not insure it for $8,000.00? My neighbor regularly ships gold coins and insures them for way over $10,000.00

What was the difference between what you thought your #3 Ballard was worth and what it cost you to replace it with another #3 Ballard?

How much did you insure that #3 Ballard for? Or did you insure it at all?

I hear USPS denying the claim once or twice is standard operating procedure.
Sometimes you get the chicken, and sometimes you get the feathers!
marlinman93
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by marlinman93 »

If it's damage of less than the insured amount as you described, then it's not fraud of course. But if the whole gun goes away, it could be.
In the case of my Ballard I was selling it to a friend, so I sold it for a bit over half of it's value, and insured it for the selling price. Had I insured it for full value they would have refused payment, as they required either a sales receipt for what I paid, or a cancelled check for what he paid. So in the end I lost money since they refused to pay more than what the cancelled check was for. I lost postage, and extra length, plus the insurance cost. I understand the insurance part as can't pay for insurance and expect to be reimbursed for it too.
And why would you ask if I insured it at all? Are you saying I'm making this all up? How could they pay my claim if I didn't even buy insurance? How much I insured it for was the same as what he paid me for the Ballard, and much less than it's true value. I'm not posting prices.
marlinman93
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by marlinman93 »

USPS also has a limit on how many appeals you make. And a time limit to complete appeals. So they wont let you file a claim until 15 days, and then you have 45 days to complete the appeal. They told me they'd send a letter of explanation why my claim was denied, but that letter took 3 weeks to arrive. And when I went to the site after 14 days to ask where the letter was, they considered my submission of a question as another appeal, and denied it without answering my question!
As time began to run out I contacted my congressman's office to let them know what USPS was doing, so if time ran out a 3rd party would be able to maybe help. They contacted USPS and got detailed response of exactly what USPS would accept from me to actually pay off my claim. Once I submitted the info they sent me a denial letter a week later, but then a few days afterwards they posted at my claim it had been approved? A couple weeks later I finally got the check, minus mailing costs.
Woody
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by Woody »

You can take them to your small claims court. My understanding is, they will not fight the claim in a court of law. Personally, I no longer insure my boxes when I ship them. After pulling most of my remaining hair out, I decided take the loss and ship another box. Of course my loss is a lot less that the loss of long gun. For me, USPS is still the most cost effective way for me to ship. The result of me no longer insuring, is that I no longer have lost or damaged shipments. Imagine that.

Woody
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desert deuce
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Re: shipping a rifle

Post by desert deuce »

Sometimes you get the chicken, and sometimes you get the feathers!
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