New (to me) USPS form

J

jag2

New member
Received a pistol (C&R) shipped via USPS. There was a form, 1508, that basically said there is a firearm inside and that they were licensed to ship it and I was allowed to receive it. The form was taped to the back of one of their standard flat rate boxes. I have received quite a few pistols over the years and never seen that before. The form had a date of April 1994. Anyone else seen this before?
 
Yes. A while back I sent my Walther pellet gun to the only North American shop in Canada. They said to mail it, not common carrier like fedup.
I had to submit a customs form identifying the content so a hysterical postal clerk focused on GUN. After a consultation with the postmaster, I got my FFL to provide a 1508.
 
jag2 Received a pistol (C&R) shipped via USPS. There was a form, 1508, that basically said there is a firearm inside and that they were licensed to ship it and I was allowed to receive it. The form was taped to the back of one of their standard flat rate boxes. I have received quite a few pistols over the years and never seen that before. The form had a date of April 1994. Anyone else seen this before?
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I see them every week because I fill out one every time I mail a handgun.
Are you a licensed dealer or 03 Collector?

If you aren't a licensed dealer or manufacturer, its illegal for you to mail or receive by mail any firearm other than a rifle or shotgun.....unless that handgun is an antique.

The USPS Form 1508 is supposed to be retained by the post office where it was mailed from.
 
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Jim Watson Yes. A while back I sent my Walther pellet gun to the only North American shop in Canada. They said to mail it, not common carrier like fedup.
I had to submit a customs form identifying the content so a hysterical postal clerk focused on GUN. After a consultation with the postmaster, I got my FFL to provide a 1508.
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Pellet guns aren't firearms and clearly do not require a 1508.
432.2 Handguns
Handguns and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable unless mailed between the parties listed in this section, after the filing of an affidavit or statement described in 432.22 or 432.24, and are subject to the following:

Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2 and the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 may be mailed between curio and relic collectors only when those firearms also meet the definition of an antique firearm under 431.3.
Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2, which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum that exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest, may be accepted for mailing between governmental museums without regard to the restrictions provided for handguns in 432.21 through 432.24 and Exhibit 432.25.

Air guns (see 431.6) that do not fall within the definition of firearms under 431.1 and are capable of being concealed on a person are mailable, but must include Adult Signature service under DMM 503.8. Mailers must comply with all applicable state and local regulations.
Parts of handguns are mailable, except for handgun frames, receivers or other parts or components regulated under Chapter 44, Title 18, U.S.C.
Mailers are also subject to applicable restrictions by governments of a state, territory, or district.
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Your FFL filled out and submitted the 1508 or did you?:confused:
If you did you violated federal law.
If your dealer did, he violated federal law.
If your dealer filled it out and you mailed it you both violated federal law.
432.24 Certificate of Manufacturers, Dealers, and Importers
A federal firearms licensee manufacturer, dealer, or importer need not file the affidavit under 432.22, but must file with the Postmaster a statement on PS Form 1508, Statement by Shipper of Firearms, signed by the mailer that he or she is a licensed manufacturer, dealer, or importer of firearms. The mailer must also state that the parcels containing handguns, or parts and components of handguns under 432.2d, are being mailed in customary trade shipments or contain such articles for repairing or replacing parts, and that to the best of their knowledge the addressees are licensed manufacturers, dealers, or importers of firearms. Registered Mail service is recommended.

Postmasters may forward an unsatisfactory mailer statement to the PCSC for a ruling.
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Your postmaster should know how to find USPS regs on firearms.
https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_008.htm

He should also read the one about postmasters not being authorized to give legal opinions.
 
As a private individual (not FFL), I have shipped a number of long guns via USPS (legally, to a FFL). Every once in awhile, the clerk wants me to sign one of these. I refuse, and they ship it anyway. The very first time I shipped a rifle, they flat out refused it. I Googled the regs and called the Post Office quoting them. They took the shipment.

I did have occasion to ship a handgun, and in that case, I paid my FFL his transfer fee and walked down to the Post Office with him (1 block). He, properly, filled out the form. Still cheaper than Fed Ex or UPS.

They always want to see the FFL for the receiving party, as does my local UPS store. No problem, unless the fire arm is a bona fide antique. I have only shipped one of those, an old double barrel shotgun. In that case, I broke it down, and the resulting package was shorter than a typical long gun. Just submitted it without saying anything about what it was, and all was good.
 
I guess the answer is the PO was supposed to keep the form, that's why I've never seen one. As the rules say, I can only receive handguns via USPS, not ship, which I already knew, so I'll never have to deal with that form.
 
jag2 .... As the rules say, I can only receive handguns via USPS, not ship, which I already knew, so I'll never have to deal with that form.
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"As the rules say"? What rules are you reading?

If you aren't a licensed dealer or manufacturer or LE on official business.....you cannot legally mail or receive by mail, any firearm via USPS.

If you think your 03FFL Collector of Curios & Relics allows you to receive handguns via USPS you need to reread those regs.
432.2 Handguns
Handguns and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable unless mailed between the parties listed in this section, after the filing of an affidavit or statement described in 432.22 or 432.24, and are subject to the following:

Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2 and the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 may be mailed between curio and relic collectors only when those firearms also meet the definition of an antique firearm under 431.3.

Firearms meeting the definition of a handgun under 431.2, which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum that exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest, may be accepted for mailing between governmental museums without regard to the restrictions provided for handguns in 432.21 through 432.24 and Exhibit 432.25.

Air guns (see 431.6) that do not fall within the definition of firearms under 431.1 and are capable of being concealed on a person are mailable, but must include Adult Signature service under DMM 503.8. Mailers must comply with all applicable state and local regulations.

Parts of handguns are mailable, except for handgun frames, receivers or other parts or components regulated under Chapter 44, Title 18, U.S.C.
Mailers are also subject to applicable restrictions by governments of a state, territory, or district
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In short, if its not an antique.....you can't even receive it.
 
Interesting. I don't keep track of how pistols are shipped to me, two out of three this month via USPS. I've also dealt in the past with a site that has monthly auctions and has always shipped USPS. Maybe as long as they've got their form filled out they don't care.
Okay, I double checked, only one this month. I think, like bureaucracies, as long as they have their form filled out they don't care.
 
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