rangermonroe
New member
Is it ok to mail a box and a half of loaded ammo?
Does it matter that they are tracers?
Does it matter that they are tracers?
Mailing ammo
- Thread starter rangermonroe
- Start date
I just went through this mess mailing ammo.
Correct, the USPS will NOT mail live ammo.
FedEx and UPS do. I shipped with FedEx.
I took the ammo already packed to the FedEx hub 25 miles from my home. They would NOT accept it over the counter. Said I had to ship from a FedEx account holder and have a courier pick it up. I ask where does the courier bring the package? They replied "here", meaning back to the hub. I said, "I'm already here, so why do I have to drive 25 miles back to my home, find a FedEx account holder, have them call a driver to pick it up there and drive 25 miles back HERE when I'm already HERE!". Said that was the rules.
So... I drive 25 miles BACK home, get with my gun shop buddy who has a FedEx account. FedEx requires that boxes containing ammo must be marked clearly, "ORM-D" with "AMMUNITION: SMALL ARMS" under it. After doing so, he calls FedEx, the driver happily picks it up oblivious to the markings on the package and goes down the road back to the hub.
So, make sure you follow the directions to the T because that's the way FedEx wants it done!
Correct, the USPS will NOT mail live ammo.
FedEx and UPS do. I shipped with FedEx.
I took the ammo already packed to the FedEx hub 25 miles from my home. They would NOT accept it over the counter. Said I had to ship from a FedEx account holder and have a courier pick it up. I ask where does the courier bring the package? They replied "here", meaning back to the hub. I said, "I'm already here, so why do I have to drive 25 miles back to my home, find a FedEx account holder, have them call a driver to pick it up there and drive 25 miles back HERE when I'm already HERE!". Said that was the rules.
So... I drive 25 miles BACK home, get with my gun shop buddy who has a FedEx account. FedEx requires that boxes containing ammo must be marked clearly, "ORM-D" with "AMMUNITION: SMALL ARMS" under it. After doing so, he calls FedEx, the driver happily picks it up oblivious to the markings on the package and goes down the road back to the hub.
So, make sure you follow the directions to the T because that's the way FedEx wants it done!
rangermonroe
New member
Well, I went to UPS.
Grabbed an envelope stuffed them in. Girl at the counter noticed that this little box weighs 2#, and asked the contents.
Oh, my! I don't think that I can do that here!
"Yes you can, they are ORM-d."
"Well, I'll just put that they are cartrige casings."
"Naw, machine parts."
"oK"
Done and gone
Grabbed an envelope stuffed them in. Girl at the counter noticed that this little box weighs 2#, and asked the contents.
Oh, my! I don't think that I can do that here!
"Yes you can, they are ORM-d."
"Well, I'll just put that they are cartrige casings."
"Naw, machine parts."
"oK"
Done and gone
Sorry to bump this thread, but I'm having problems figuring out how to ship live ammo to my man Bennnn. KC in post #3 made it sound somewhat easy, but when I called our local hub (I have a business account with them), they gave me a complete run around. The rep said that they do ship dangerous goods, including live ammo, but that it had to be packed by a professional who specializes in dangerous goods. She then went on to ask me if I was a professional. I asked if she was serious, and she then went on an incoherent rambling about NSA regulations and federal fines.
Did I just get ahold of the wrong rep on the wrong day? I've never heard of a professional dangerous goods packager. If the Soviets packed this 7.62 ammo 20 years ago and it still hasn't spontaniously exploded, I figure I'd be competent enough to do so. It's got to be easier than this.
Did I just get ahold of the wrong rep on the wrong day? I've never heard of a professional dangerous goods packager. If the Soviets packed this 7.62 ammo 20 years ago and it still hasn't spontaniously exploded, I figure I'd be competent enough to do so. It's got to be easier than this.
rangermonroe
New member
Package them before you go,
If they ask what is in there, Tell them, machine parts.
Not lieing, a machine gun is a boat anchor w/o these parts.
Or say that it is metal samples, capped extrusions, jihad stoppers, "death messengers" (yeah, I read Mac Bolan).
"Metallic Samples for friend of mine doing research" (in terminal ballistics/ bullet drop).
If they ask what is in there, Tell them, machine parts.
Not lieing, a machine gun is a boat anchor w/o these parts.
Or say that it is metal samples, capped extrusions, jihad stoppers, "death messengers" (yeah, I read Mac Bolan).
"Metallic Samples for friend of mine doing research" (in terminal ballistics/ bullet drop).
rangermonroe said:
You just admitted to a felony violation of the Federal hazardous material transportation laws.
You shipped what the Department of Transportation calls an "undeclared hazardous material shipment. The minimum civil fine for such an act is $20,000 a DAY for each day the shipment is in transportation. That doesn't include any criminal charges.
DOT can be very proactive in prosecuting these shipments. An undeclared
HAZMAT shipment is what caused the Value Jet crash in Florida several years ago. Several people involved with that shipment went to jail. Admitedly, the material (oxygen generators) was a lot more hazardous that a few cartridges.
And yes, ORM-D materials are hazardous materials under the law.
You violate the DOT HAZMAT regulations at your peril.
Arfcom has an ammunition forum in the EE section. In that forum is a sticky about shipping ammo. In that sitcky is a phone number you can make the guy at the ups hub call to learn about his job. That only applies to the shipping hub though.
I only deal with UPS. You have to go to their shipping hub and that hub is open to the public from 3:30pm to 6:30 pm on weekdays only. At least around here at the 2 hubs I checked.
For those who don't know the shipping hub is where all the little brown trucks get their load from the big ups semi-trucks.
The little brown trucks can't take anything marked ormd. The little ups outlet stores can't take anything marked ormd. The united states postal service can't take anything marked ormd. I don't mess with fedex since lots of folks get the run around and it sucks. UPS works for me so I don't bother with fedex.
With ups you can ship up to 65lbs, I think that is thier limit, per package of ormd without extra hazmat costs. This is shipping ground.
You can get on the ups websight and do an estimate of shipping costs. There is no where to mark you are shipping ormd stuff on the website and my shipping costs come in right with the website estimate.
Go over 65 lbs or ship by air and you will find some serious cost increases in your shipping.
I mark everything ormd and when I ship it they enter it as ammunition because I am not about to have something get torn open accidently and have a problem because I wanted to call it machine parts or anything else "cute".
Ammo is not that cheap to ship but I have found ups to be efficient and easy to deal with if I can deal with their short hours of operation for the shipping hub.
Go read the sticky at arfcom since it has links and more information for you to read.
It is a big problem to ship ammo wrong. I am told by many they do it wrong and others ship to them improperly as well.
I really don't want any problems so I do the above and it works just fine.
Biggest problem is dealing with some of the heavy boxes and me making sure the box will survive the trip.
I only deal with UPS. You have to go to their shipping hub and that hub is open to the public from 3:30pm to 6:30 pm on weekdays only. At least around here at the 2 hubs I checked.
For those who don't know the shipping hub is where all the little brown trucks get their load from the big ups semi-trucks.
The little brown trucks can't take anything marked ormd. The little ups outlet stores can't take anything marked ormd. The united states postal service can't take anything marked ormd. I don't mess with fedex since lots of folks get the run around and it sucks. UPS works for me so I don't bother with fedex.
With ups you can ship up to 65lbs, I think that is thier limit, per package of ormd without extra hazmat costs. This is shipping ground.
You can get on the ups websight and do an estimate of shipping costs. There is no where to mark you are shipping ormd stuff on the website and my shipping costs come in right with the website estimate.
Go over 65 lbs or ship by air and you will find some serious cost increases in your shipping.
I mark everything ormd and when I ship it they enter it as ammunition because I am not about to have something get torn open accidently and have a problem because I wanted to call it machine parts or anything else "cute".
Ammo is not that cheap to ship but I have found ups to be efficient and easy to deal with if I can deal with their short hours of operation for the shipping hub.
Go read the sticky at arfcom since it has links and more information for you to read.
It is a big problem to ship ammo wrong. I am told by many they do it wrong and others ship to them improperly as well.
I really don't want any problems so I do the above and it works just fine.
Biggest problem is dealing with some of the heavy boxes and me making sure the box will survive the trip.
I tried to do an edit but the edit button is giving me fits.
Anyway, I am by no means a professional anything and I don't even try to imitate professionals these days.
I would cruise over to arfcom and get that number for the ups main help line or whatever it is and call it from home. See what they say. If you get an answer you like I would go to the hub and have them call that line and talk to the person you talked to.
I like ups boxes but have shipped in all sorts of boxes. I use silly amounts of tape but I also have worked freight jobs so I know the abuse boxes take, don't be stingy on the tape. I use wadded news paper to fill up any air space in the box but I don't make a big production about getting things perfect.
If you want to ship something by air and use ups you do need to be certified or something and prove you can pack and ship stuff by air that is ormd.
If you are shipping by ground anyone can do that with no extra credentials or anything else.
My hub guy is nice and easy going and a gun guy. He has zero internet ability but he reads quality books and is fun to deal with and easy to deal with.
Anyway, I am by no means a professional anything and I don't even try to imitate professionals these days.
I would cruise over to arfcom and get that number for the ups main help line or whatever it is and call it from home. See what they say. If you get an answer you like I would go to the hub and have them call that line and talk to the person you talked to.
I like ups boxes but have shipped in all sorts of boxes. I use silly amounts of tape but I also have worked freight jobs so I know the abuse boxes take, don't be stingy on the tape. I use wadded news paper to fill up any air space in the box but I don't make a big production about getting things perfect.
If you want to ship something by air and use ups you do need to be certified or something and prove you can pack and ship stuff by air that is ormd.
If you are shipping by ground anyone can do that with no extra credentials or anything else.
My hub guy is nice and easy going and a gun guy. He has zero internet ability but he reads quality books and is fun to deal with and easy to deal with.
AZGunLover
New member
What if I order ammo and leave it in its package and foward the whole unopended box to another address. (I'm going to Alaska in July and I want to take some Double Tap 10mm with me)
karlsgunbunker
New member
You guys are over thinking this.
Package the ammo well good box peanuts etc.
Print on a label or piece of paper in Large print "ORM-D".
Place labels on 1 or 2 sides of the box.
Send box by Fed-Ex or UPS "Ground".
If asked by the counter person, tell them it is ammo and it is permitted by both UPS and Fed-Ex regulations.
It might help if you go to the UPS/Fed-Ex website and print the regulations so you can show them to the uneducated clerk.
I've done it many times using this simple procedure with no problems.
Package the ammo well good box peanuts etc.
Print on a label or piece of paper in Large print "ORM-D".
Place labels on 1 or 2 sides of the box.
Send box by Fed-Ex or UPS "Ground".
If asked by the counter person, tell them it is ammo and it is permitted by both UPS and Fed-Ex regulations.
It might help if you go to the UPS/Fed-Ex website and print the regulations so you can show them to the uneducated clerk.
I've done it many times using this simple procedure with no problems.
karlsgunbunker said:
You've never dealt with an overzealous DOT inspector, have you? I've seen people cited for improper punctuation.
The ORM-D designation also needs to be surrounded by a rectangle approximately 1/4 inch larger that the ORM-D on each side. The proper shipping name of the material (ammunition, small arms) also needs to be printed next to the ORM-D marking.
Generally, UPS depots will accept ORM-D packages from uncertified customers if they are marked correctly and appear to be packaged properly. There are many exemptions to the regulations for ORM-D materials and UPS, in effect, becomes the certifying party for the shipment.
One important thing to remember is that packages containing ORM-D materials are limited to a gross weight of 30 Kg (66 pounds).