Shipping Costs

S

ShootingNut

New member
I have no idea, what does it cost to ship UPS a handgun to a FFL in the USA?
I read it has to be an "Overnight" air shipment?
SN
 
With UPS or FEDEX, the quotes have generally been $90-$140, for me.

But... letting an FFL ship the handgun through USPS is substantially cheaper. (Generally $20, or less, even if they demand a handling fee.)
 
FrankenMauser,
Thanks, I had recently read something about being better to ship through
a FFL.
I have an email in to my FFL to check what he might do for me.
Thanks again!
SN
 
Last February I bought a gun on gunbroker; it shipped from a dealer in MS to a LGS here in NV. They charged $30 shipping, I thought that seemed fair.
 
This comes up a lot.

NON-FFL people like most of us are not allowed to ship handguns via USPS, but FFL's are allowed to do this. With USPS Flat-Rate Priority, shipping a handgun is like a $12 affair (not including insurance) for an FFL to do.

Regular joe? Only options are UPS or FedEx, both of which require air service for shipping handguns. This makes it a $50-ish minimum, and upwards depending on the destination and service level, and where you go to ship it.

It's not illegal to ship thru UPS or FedEx at their cheapest ground rate, but they won't accept it -IF- they know what it is, and if you lose it or it gets damaged, you'll never get them to pay a claim if you broke their rules when shipping it.

Best option for regular joe to ship a handgun to is visit an FFL who offers this service. My FFL (awesome folks, PM me if you are in Central Ohio) provides this service for ~ $35, IIRC. That includes the FFL handling all the packaging of the item and the insurance.
 
Just received word from my local FFL (small shop), said he would ship
for $35 . Appreciate everyone's input on this issue.
SN
 
My only reservation shipping a handgun via my local FFL is that he ships USPS. He does not insure the item being shipped. That's just the way he does business.

He charges $35 for everything. He boxes it up himself, etc.
 
FoghornLeghorn My only reservation shipping a handgun via my local FFL is that he ships USPS. He does not insure the item being shipped.
Click to expand...
I do not purchase insurance through USPS when i ship through them......I use a third party insurer.
 
I do not purchase insurance through USPS when i ship through them......I use a third party insurer.
Click to expand...

dogtown tom, would care to elaborate on that a little more?

I do most of my shipping of everything through the USPS, always used their insurance.
However if there's a better way on insurance I'm interested.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Hunter Customs
Quote:
I do not purchase insurance through USPS when i ship through them......I use a third party insurer.
Click to expand...

dogtown tom, would care to elaborate on that a little more?
Click to expand...
There are several companies that offer third party insurance coverage that is cheaper/better than that offered by UPS/FedEx/USPS.

PIP
U-PIC
Shipsurance
Shipsaver

and dozens more........
 
It seems my Thread not only provided me what I was looking for, it
may have helped others with another issue. That's what I love about
Forums. :-)
 
Years ago now the Mainstream Media broadcast that UPS was going to require handguns to be shipped by expensive Air service because they realized how dangerous guns were and wanted to do their part to control guns and violence. ABC was the genisis of this slant. FedEx followed suit. The BBC reported the truth...

UPS EMPLOYEES were stealing SO MANY HANDGUNS that the only way to protect themselves was to require Air service where the package is constantly being scanned and rushed over and over -- they'd know who had what where at almost any moment unlike Ground. The media lied, if you can believe it. And here's more important news...

YOU, the sucker, walking into a "Brown" or "Purple" (UPS or FedEx, respectively) storefront off the street ship at what is referred to as 1st Tariff -- let's call it "List Price." Everyone else, including little gun shops, etc., have a contract and get a discount from 1st Tariff dependent primarily on their related volumes of business. I won't say how much but those discounts can be really, REALLY, high. COST-per-delivery of a parcel to the carrier, even "Air" (which may still go on the ground), is measured in single-digit dollars. In any case it may be cheaper to let some business ship for you rather than to do it yourself.

Check it out...
 
MattShlock ....Everyone else, including little gun shops, etc., have a contract and get a discount from 1st Tariff dependent primarily on their related volumes of business.
Click to expand...
Absolutely, wholly and 100% pure nonsense.
Discounts are due to VOLUME of shipments, not just because they have a business account. I shipped packages via UPS for four years before I started doing enough volume to qualify for a small discount.




I won't say how much but those discounts can be really, REALLY, high.
Click to expand...
To call the discount "really, REALLY, high" is absolute malarky.
 
UPS has a shipping calculator on their website.
Here is their firearms policy:http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/res...ch_phr=handgun
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for that link.

I'm going to have to walk a lawyer in another state through shipping my son's handgun to my FFL.

The piece was at a police evidence department for a while. Whoever they were talking to about doing a shipment was feeding them a wild line about how "the handgun needs to be disassembled, the trigger needs to be removed."

Pfaah! Utter nonsense. "I'll have the lawyer send someone by to pick it up."
 
Question:
If i ship a firearm insured, list it as machine parts, and it gets stolen/lost/etc. how will they know it was a firearm when I make my claim....?????
 
Smilin Jack Question:
If i ship a firearm insured, list it as machine parts, and it gets stolen/lost/etc. how will they know it was a firearm when I make my claim....?????
Click to expand...
1. They'll often ask for proof of value......ie a receipt.
2. Almost every state has a law requiring you to report a stolen firearm.
3. It's fraud to lie on an insurance claim......get caught and you'll likely never be able to possess a firearm again.
 
From dogtown:
"2. Almost every state has a law requiring you to report a stolen firearm.
"

I'm not so sure about the 'almost' part. At least not here in the 2nd most gun grabbin' state.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top