Driving to Alaska with guns
- Thread starter 1tfl
- Start date
Have you shipped a firearm to yourself via FedEx? That's what I was referring to with my statement. The published FedEx tariff doesn't seem to allow one to ship a firearm to himself:Don P said:
http://www.fedex.com/us/national/rulestariff/prohibited_articles.html
sigcurious
New member
@2500ak, the MV Kennicott runs from Bellingham to Whittier, just doesn't run in the winter. Not that I'd want to be in those waters during winter anyway 
Sig is correct .And this is the only way I know of to bypass Canada without flying. I have had many guns shipped to a local FFL. but that costs.And you have to go through the background check. I have heard that you can ship to yourself but that has never been an option for me.I would never attempt to cross the border with a gun that didn't have proper paperwork.
Lower/Tiny 48 to Alaska with guns....
Assuming the guns are not prohibited in Canada.
Option 1. Fly with the guns in checked baggage. If you're flying Alaska Air, you'll have zero problems as they are just as used to guns in checked baggage as you or I. I've had problems with other air transit services. I won't name any names, but it starts with "D" and rhymes with "Pelta".
You'll incur excess baggage fees, the price depends on carrier and how manyguns you take.
Option 2. Ship them to yourself in their care or to an FFL in Willow. Good idea, but shipping to yourself typically doesn't go over well with most commercial shipping providers. Shipping to an FFL can be very expensive when you add in transfer fees + shipping fare. Depends on how many you ship. I got a bulk discount from my local FFL when I left Kodiak. I shipped about 18 guns from the FFL in Kodiak to my FFL in Mississippi (state of my legal residency and where I spent my leave en route PCS). I paid the FFL $100 for their troubles. It probably helped that I was a regular customer and about 14 of those 18 guns were bought in that store. The FFL fees on the other side were free because it is my father's store, so that helped.
Option 3. Catch the Kennicott and bypass Canada. Great idea, except there are no commercial passenger services in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter. I have spendt a considerable amount of my career thus far in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter. You don't want to be there unless you're a special breed of crazy like me. That means that all Alaska-bound ferries stop in Haines or somewhere south of Haines, either of which will require a trip through Canada to get back to Alaska. The only exceptions to this are ferries that operate within protected (from the weather) waters. If you've spent much time in Alaska, you know which ones they are. And you also know that none of them connect to the Lower/Tiny 48
Option 4. Drive and take them with you. If you do this, make sure all the guns are pre-registered with RCMP. It will make your headaches at the border much less so, and it will speed up the process. I did this with a Ruger .357Mag and a Marlin .45/70. Easy process, I showed the lady my registration papers and my passport, she said "Ok, have fun in Canada! Travel safe!"
You can find the forms to mail in/fax in to RCMP online, Google is your friend.
Option 5. Try to shirk the system and sneak them across the border. Not only is this illegal in Canada, it could also lead to legal problems in the U.S., not to mention employment complications. And don't even think about what could happen to your RKBA in the U.S. And you'll lose the guns and several thousands of dollars, American and Canadian. <--- Not recommended.
EDIT: I'm wondering why you're wanting to take the guns... Most Alaska folk have a decent compliment of weaponry in their closets. So either the people you're visiting are the rare Alaskans that don't have guns, or you want to take your guns along for protection on the journey.
Big issue with the latter.
Illegal for you to carry a gun, any gun, in any form, in Canada. Your registration is only good to let you travel with the guns. You may not load them, use them, unlock them, look at them, heck, don't even think about guns in Canada. You might have the urge to randomly kill someone. :barfsmileywhereareyou:
Stinks, but them's the rules...
Assuming the guns are not prohibited in Canada.
Option 1. Fly with the guns in checked baggage. If you're flying Alaska Air, you'll have zero problems as they are just as used to guns in checked baggage as you or I. I've had problems with other air transit services. I won't name any names, but it starts with "D" and rhymes with "Pelta".
You'll incur excess baggage fees, the price depends on carrier and how manyguns you take.
Option 2. Ship them to yourself in their care or to an FFL in Willow. Good idea, but shipping to yourself typically doesn't go over well with most commercial shipping providers. Shipping to an FFL can be very expensive when you add in transfer fees + shipping fare. Depends on how many you ship. I got a bulk discount from my local FFL when I left Kodiak. I shipped about 18 guns from the FFL in Kodiak to my FFL in Mississippi (state of my legal residency and where I spent my leave en route PCS). I paid the FFL $100 for their troubles. It probably helped that I was a regular customer and about 14 of those 18 guns were bought in that store. The FFL fees on the other side were free because it is my father's store, so that helped.
Option 3. Catch the Kennicott and bypass Canada. Great idea, except there are no commercial passenger services in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter. I have spendt a considerable amount of my career thus far in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter. You don't want to be there unless you're a special breed of crazy like me. That means that all Alaska-bound ferries stop in Haines or somewhere south of Haines, either of which will require a trip through Canada to get back to Alaska. The only exceptions to this are ferries that operate within protected (from the weather) waters. If you've spent much time in Alaska, you know which ones they are. And you also know that none of them connect to the Lower/Tiny 48
Option 4. Drive and take them with you. If you do this, make sure all the guns are pre-registered with RCMP. It will make your headaches at the border much less so, and it will speed up the process. I did this with a Ruger .357Mag and a Marlin .45/70. Easy process, I showed the lady my registration papers and my passport, she said "Ok, have fun in Canada! Travel safe!"
You can find the forms to mail in/fax in to RCMP online, Google is your friend.
Option 5. Try to shirk the system and sneak them across the border. Not only is this illegal in Canada, it could also lead to legal problems in the U.S., not to mention employment complications. And don't even think about what could happen to your RKBA in the U.S. And you'll lose the guns and several thousands of dollars, American and Canadian. <--- Not recommended.
EDIT: I'm wondering why you're wanting to take the guns... Most Alaska folk have a decent compliment of weaponry in their closets. So either the people you're visiting are the rare Alaskans that don't have guns, or you want to take your guns along for protection on the journey.
Big issue with the latter.
Illegal for you to carry a gun, any gun, in any form, in Canada. Your registration is only good to let you travel with the guns. You may not load them, use them, unlock them, look at them, heck, don't even think about guns in Canada. You might have the urge to randomly kill someone. :barfsmileywhereareyou:
Stinks, but them's the rules...
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If you really want to take firearms with you, to Alaska, through Canada, here is a good guide. http://www.panda.com/canadaguns/#att
It can be done, but remember the "prohibited" catagory of pistol. things like .25 cal and 32 cal pistols are banned. Anything with a barrel length of less than 4" (actually the real number is a bit over 4" as it is in mm) are banned...no matter what you do, these types of weapons cannot be taken into Canada, so be careful.
IMHO: Leave the pistols at home and borrow or buy there if you must. Long guns are not so much a problem, and will even be less of a problem when the current legislation being worked on now, finally becomes law. In Feb I think my cousin said. (They are repealing their long gun registration law.)
It can be done, but remember the "prohibited" catagory of pistol. things like .25 cal and 32 cal pistols are banned. Anything with a barrel length of less than 4" (actually the real number is a bit over 4" as it is in mm) are banned...no matter what you do, these types of weapons cannot be taken into Canada, so be careful.
IMHO: Leave the pistols at home and borrow or buy there if you must. Long guns are not so much a problem, and will even be less of a problem when the current legislation being worked on now, finally becomes law. In Feb I think my cousin said. (They are repealing their long gun registration law.)