shipping guns?

My understanding is that they have changed the laws to allow interstate shipping, but I had difficulty getting the right paperwork to get my newly acquired .357 to me.

The best and safest way is just to get someone with an FFL to handle it for you. It must be shipped from an FFL holder, to another FFL holder.

Check with gun or pawn shops in your area. They'll usually handle the paperwork for about $20 or so.

You may ship your guns to yourself in care of someone else, but YOU must be there to accept them and it must be something legal for you to possess when you get them. You can not ship a pistol to yourself in New York without a valid New York permit to possess it, as an example.

You may take up to three firearms with you and fill out a form listing them at the point of exit from the U.S. If you are taking (exporting) more than three, you must have an export license for them. WARNING! Be sure these are legal firearms on the other end. Many countries do not allow autoloading anythings, so most of my skeet guns would become illegal weapons.

Intrastate firearms transfers need to be sent TO an FFL holder to complete the transactions. Over seas you need to check the "laws" of the land in which you intend to ship.

from the "big" shippers including USPS..

"This information is not a legal opinion and the reader is strongly urged to visit the appropriate sites and read the information themselves. Local restrictions may impact, how, when, and where firearms can be delivered. Shipper beware! "

you will need to go to site for details .. .too much to copy / paste

Here's the first part of the answer http://armchairgunshow.com/shipping_guns.htm

http://www.thegunzone.com/ship-guns.html

and here's the second part

http://www.triplebreakproducts.com/exporting.htm

short version: it ain't easy! and the penalties are very stiff if you get caught not following these very complicated rules.

when you want to ship a gun in the u.s. just put it in a bag and ship it normal but to ship overseas idk if it can be do well im sure it can but it would be lost of trouble

you need a license to hold a gun you need a license to have a gun and you need £400.200.000and a lot of paper work and hassle

you can buy them from your local kwikimart from your helpful helper, Apu Nahasapenapthaliks

FedEx firearms policy:

Restrictions specific to FedEx SameDay (Excerpted):

2 (a): The following items are prohibited and will not be acceptable for shipment by FedEx SameDay service: Firearms.

Firearms. FedEx will only accept shipments of firearms when either the shipper or recipient is a licensed manufacturer, licensed importer, licensed dealer or licensed collector and is not prohibited from making such shipments by federal, state or local regulations when these conditions are met. FedEx will accept and deliver firearms between all areas served in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Firearms must be shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight and may not be sent C.O.D. Upon presenting the package for shipment, the shipper is required to inform FedEx that the package contains a firearm. Firearms may not be shipped in one complete piece. When tendered for shipment, the firearm must be rendered inoperable, either by removing the firing pin in the gun and disconnecting the barrel, or by some other means so the package does not contain a completely assembled, usable weapon. The outside of the package should bear no label, marking, or other written notice that a firearm is contained within. This includes the abbreviation of the name of the shipper or recipient if the name would clearly indicate that the package could contain a firearm. Firearms and ammunition may not be shipped in the same package. Ammunition is always an explosive and must be shipped as Dangerous Goods. Signature release is not available for shipments containing firearms.

The shipper and recipient are required to comply with all applicable government regulations and laws including those pertaining to labeling. The local division office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) can provide assistance with the packaging and shipment of firearms.

United Parcel Service firearms policy:

Customers must observe the following procedures to ship firearms, including handguns, via UPS:

UPS accepts firearm shipments from UPS daily pickup accounts and through UPS Customer Counters. UPS daily pickup accounts can also ship firearms, not including handguns, through UPS Internet Shipping, On Call Air Pickup®, and One-Time Pickup. Firearms are not accepted for shipment via UPS Letter Centers, UPS SonicAir BestFlightSM service, or international service. Firearms will not be accepted when presented for shipment at a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet or a UPS Commercial Counter.

UPS accepts handgun shipments from UPS daily pickup accounts and through UPS Customer Counters. Handguns are not accepted for shipment via UPS Letter Centers, UPS SonicAir BestFlight service, UPS Internet Shipping, UPS On Call Air Pickup, UPS One-Time Pickup, or international service. Handguns will not be accepted when presented for shipment at a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet or a UPS Commercial Counter.

Firearm shippers shipping through a UPS Customer Counter must have a letter on record with UPS stating their status as an authorized firearm shipper.

The shipper must affix a UPS label, requesting an adult signature upon delivery, to each package containing a firearm.

Packages containing handguns must be shipped via UPS Next Day Air Early A.M.®, UPS Next Day Air®, or UPS Next Day Air Saver®¹ service.

Packages containing handguns must be segregated from other packages being tendered to UPS. Handgun shippers must verbally notify the UPS driver or UPS Customer Counter clerk of any package containing a handgun.

UPS prohibits the inclusion of ammunition in packages containing firearms, including handguns.

In locations where a UPS Next Day Air service is not offered, packages containing handguns must be shipped via the most premium domestic air service available.

See also Page 5 (Item 425) of the UPS Tariff, "Firearms and Ammunition," which, new for 2003, states:

Firearms will be transported only between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers and licensed collectors... to a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer for the sole purpose of repair or customizing, and the repaired firearm or a replacement firearm of the same kind or type on return from the licensed importer, licensed manufacturer or licensed dealer to that person.²

United States Postal Service

And then there's always the good ol' Post Office... there's one in every town, doncha know?! And just as there's a whole lot of mis-information circulating about whether someone can legally carry a concealed weapon on U.S.P.S. property, so too are too many confused about who can mail a firearm, and what kind of firearm can be mailed. For the best information on this, we have U.S.P.S. itself! Note carefully, however under 4.0 Legal Opinions on Mailing Firearms where it states:

The United States Postal Inspection Service has released Handbook HBK IS-135, Firearms, approximately 94 pages in length.

The manual covers firearms policy, training and qualification standards, safety rules and range procedures, the Service Revolver, the Service Pistol, Fundamentals of Precision Shooting, Shotgun, Stun Weapon, Judgmental Firearms Training.

A copy may be obtained by sending a written Freedom of Information Act request, to:

United States Postal Inspection Service

Office of the Counsel - Information Disclosure

475 L'Enfant Plaza SW Room 3411

Washington, DC 20260-2181

phone: 202-268-4420

fax: 202-268-7741Postmasters are not authorized to give opinions on the legality of any shipment of rifles or shotguns. Contact the nearest office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for further advice.

This brings us ultimately back to ATF, and a FAQ of their own:

May a nonlicensee ship a firearm through the U. S. Postal Service?

A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. A nonlicensee may not transfer any firearm to a nonlicensed resident of another state. The Postal Service recommends that longguns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms.

May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by carrier to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm. [18 U. S. C. 922(a)( 2)( A) and 922( e), 27 CFR 178.31]

So, if you are not a licensee (an FFL-holder), you can send a handgun via common carrier, not the U.S. mail, and the recipient must be an FFL holder. If you are an FFL-holder, you can, with the filing of a Form 1508 ("Statement by Shipper of Firearms") with your local post office, send a handgun through the mails. This Form must be filed for each individual shipment.

Finally, there's one additional issue which is invariably asked about:

May a nonlicensee ship firearms interstate for his or her use in hunting or other lawful activity?

Yes. A person may ship a firearm to himself or herself in care of another person in the state where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. The package should be addressed to the owner. Persons other than the owner should not open the package and take possession of the firearm.

For more information about mailing, go to the U.S.P.S.' Postal Explorer and type in "firearms" in the search box.

Shipping Firearms Strategy:

If there is one lesson to be learned from our collective experiences with common carriers and firearms, it is that those who submit to the shipping process of whichever common carrier and who take the trouble to bone up on the "Rules 'n' Regs" of that particular common carrier, and then are met with resistance from the "counter person" or even a supervisor, must force them to challenge their own instructions by finding the supporting cite within their own company's policy.

Because TGZ maintain this FAQ, we have on more than one occasion been contacted by cellular by a frustrated friend being given a hard time at the intake point, and it is but a simple task to direct the employee to Chapter and Verse of the governing language.

Too many others so confronted are quick to rush to Rec.Guns newsgroup or a Forum with outraged assertions of a particular common carrier being "anti-gun" simply due to one staffer's ignorance of their company's policies.

In general, it is exponentially less frustrating, and much more efficacious to know what you are talking about, and then politely but firmly guide the counter encounter to the desired conclusion.