Are Shippers Targeting Guns?

[mushka]

Lack of work ethic and no accountability is a big problem in the American work place. Poor management doesn't help either. Poor upbringing was, is, the beginning of it.

 

[Reno]

This is a sign of the times. Years ago, maybe 15? I purchased a Ruger Redhawk in 357M from a dealer in Alabama. For some reason his helped put the gun in the factory box, slapped a label on it and took it to the Post office and shipped it. No insurance which I had paid for , etc. It came in but was a few days late. But it came in, everything in good order.
My wife works in retail now after her retirement. She gets tired of looking at me and enjoys the social part of working plus they have fantastic insurance which we have both used.
Every week, new hires start and quit, some come to work and literally say, My head is not in this today, turn around and go home. Others just go to lunch and some don't come back,,, Some work a couple of weeks and quit then go back on unemployment.
It seems to be a younger generation that simply cares less about anything. Boxes in the shipping process simply keep them from enjoying their wok even though that is their work.

I still have a wooden box I purchased from Track of the Wolf years ago. They were ahead of the game and built these plywood boxes wth good reinforcement. I know not every shipper can build that and most might not pay for that type of service today.

 

[Mr. Flintlock]

Is as much they even carried powder very few carriers in NZ will handle guns at all & the post office won't touch them despite the Police saying its ok by them. The Post office workers Union heads refuse to sully their employees with such evil ? items .' Brave New World' ? P on it I say . Rudyard

Ya get what you vote for!

 

[1BadDart]

I ordered a Virgina kit (sans barrel) earlier this year. When it arrived, there was a good sized chip out of the toe of the stock, the chip was loose in the box. Luckily the stock wasn't cut to LOP and there was plenty of wood left to clear the chip.

I don't know that I'd say they are targeting firearms, but in todays society it wouldn't surprise me. I think it's more of a result of "ship faster and more packages daily" business models. For the most part we are a "I want it now society", so the faster the better, until it isn't.

A couple weeks ago I ordered some #32 drill bits off Amazon, three days later UPS delivered the package. I walked out and met the driver in the driveway and noticed he was fooling with the bag as he approached me. He said "I don't have much just this one (plastic padded) envelope" . He handed it to me and I was examining it as he was walking back to the truck, the package appeared to have never been sealed and was empty. I got his attention and showed him the envelope was empty. Judging from his reaction and the fact he was fooling with it when he got out of the truck he knew it was empty. I am at the end of his route, he drives by every morning then works his route back my direction. If he has a package for me but runs out of time he'll just drive by on his way back to the terminal. Sometime he delivers the next day, unless he runs out of time again. At times my packages have been on his truck for three days before they are delivered.

 

[SOLANCO]

Katherine told me that this concern is what prompted Jim Kibler to change his mailing sticker to not say “Kibler Longrifles” but just Kibler.
I have thought of making mailing stickers or a fake Company sticker saying “Fragile- Grandfather Clock” to put on my gun crates!

Not that I ship much at all. But when I do it is labelled garden ornament.

 

[Skeggs]

These do not protect, per se, but often times they get the persons attention who is handling stuff.
There are many variations of these things, many inexpensive, many high dollar.
The overnight/air requirement from ups came about years ago to reduce theft within their facilities, which was a very high percentage of firearms they shipped.
The problem is not unique to any of them.
Thieves are plentiful.

 

[OhioHawkeye]

I just receive an email from a Gun Broker Customer. On his first purchase, the rifle showed up damaged. I've worked for companies that ship goods all over the country. My items are OVERLY packaged to ensure they arrive safely. I. .

Walt, you might think you are over packaging, but if what I see in the photo is your packaging, you are not doing it right. That's not a boxing suited to what you sent. You may ask for some guidance from a professional, on how to package future shipments. If you see a sorting facility, you'd understand why. Tha machinery and conveyors alone are hard on packages, then the larger gorillas throwing them around. They are a larger, stronger version of the ones you see on the tarmac handling your suitcase from the aircraft.

 

[springfield art]

I just receive an email from a Gun Broker Customer. On his first purchase, the rifle showed up damaged. I've worked for companies that ship goods all over the country. My items are OVERLY packaged to ensure they arrive safely. I have been selling since around 2008. This was the first gun I've shipped that this has happened to.

This was USPS. Unlike UPS and FedEx, it's the buyer's responsibility to file the claim. This was a Parker Hale Enfield, so somewhat collectible.

I spoke with another seller who told me he is dealing with more damaged goods than normal. A couple of months back, I received a Jack Garner Rifle from him that had a cracked stock. He told me about a Kibler wooden box that was broken in two!

It almost makes me wonder whether anti-gun employees of these companies are going out of their way to make sure the contents don't arrive intact. The box is 4"x8"x48" or 52". It's not like they don't know what it is.

Walt

Interesting question. The people staffing shippers are, after all, just 'joe blows', and it's hard, demanding work heaving packages all day. I believe that there may be an unspoken movement to purposely bang up packages believed to be guns, just my opinion. I would be very reluctant to ship any thing right now. I have no knowledge other that just a suspicion.

 

[vintovka]

Zip tying a sturdy piece of wood as long (or a bit longer) as the item may help protect weak areas on stocks like wrists and such. Zip ties (and/or tape) should be in several areas and the wood reinforcement chosen to resist bending/shear. Tightly bubble wrapping the item before and adding such re-enforcement after has worked for us. Also taking pics of the item helps with claims. One or two pics before wrapping. more when wrapped showing re enforcement and some of item in the box. While this may help it still doesn't make up for shippers who cannot find their derrières with both hands or those with purchase remorse issues.

 

[springfield art]

Yes, this also just happened to me and another member. The box was sturdy, well packed, and marked Fragile all over it. I even added Please Do Not Drop or Throw. The box arrived beat up and the rifle had a cracked stock. A claim has been filed and I'm glad I paid extra and declared the value. Hopefully it will be resolved favorably but it is still unacceptable.

A few weeks ago, I had an unmentionable shipped to me after a restoration. It was shipped Adult Signature Required. I received an email from UPS saying it was out for delivery between 1-5 pm. At 9 am I ran up to the supermarket since it wouldn't arrive until the afternoon. When I came home around 10 it was sitting at the end of my driveway. Anyone could have walked off with it. I checked my Ring camera and sure enough, the guy stopped and just tossed it onto my driveway and drove off.

Thankfully no damage and I called and complained but they don't care. Always excuses but never a reason.

I'm almost wondering if we should just break-down the item and ship the barrel separately and then the stock in a different box? The boxes will be smaller and more discreet, and we won't have to say what it is when we ship it. We can legally just say parts rather than declaring it a muzzleloader. But then there is the risk of one of the two being lost. I don't know. The decline of this country and lack of work effort is stunning. I'm p@$$ed. The left has really done a number on this country.

And it's going to get worse.

Yep, it will. There's a nascent "get 'em back" anti-anything gun related feeling in the country.

 

[Okie Hog]

Duh.

If you put the gun, especially a long muzzleloader, in an unreinforced card board box it could be damaged.

 

[pajeepman]

Some delivery drivers suck. Had a package arrive with 15 delicate items delivered last week(USPS) My wife new it arrived when she heard the sound of the items breaking as she saw the driver through the window after she heard it. The package was obviously thrown. She filed a complaint and the local postmaster called us around 8pm a few nights later.

 

[rickystl]

I've learned their are two styles of packages shippers don't like. Long ones and round tubes.
For barrels: Wrap the barrel in foam insulation used for A/C lines. Then slide the barrel inside a 1-1.5" piece of white, schedule-40 pvc tubing. Works great and barrel can be returned in the same manner.
For our long muzzle loaders, no matter how well packed, the standard, single-wall boxes just won't cut it. When I ship a long gun out to be worked on, I wrap the muzzle and butt stock ends with thick foam rubber, wrap the rest of the gun in bubble wrap, then enclose in a double-wall box. Fortunately, never had an issue. That also allows the gunsmith to send it back using the same box and packing material.

It seems there is just no convenient, low cost way of packing and shipping our long guns today. Wish someone would come out with an inexpensive, two-piece, telescoping, hard plastic case that could be used over and over again.

Rick

 

[Tenring]

I had substitute Mail career Throw my Custom Robertson Take Down Bow on the front Deck Three steps up as I was coming out the door, after I chewed the punk a new one he told me he was going to report me to his supervisor for speaking I’ll of him. Can you believe such non sense.

 

[vintovka]

Was/still tasked to liquidate two friends estates of MLs/Early Unmentionables. Finding/begging boxes was a pita. Ultimately had to have big order of nice HD custom cardboard boxes made (52x8x4). I can " stretch" them to fit most anything by adding what i need from one to another. Leaves enough room for added lumber reinforcement. Still not bulletproof but ok so far. Having boxes made means placing large order and might add some extras to trader if allowed.

 

[deerstalkert]

this is the finest packaging i have ever received! it really made me smile, and yearn for the old days!

 

[Kansas Jake]

We blame the guys and gals working in the warehouse/shipping facilities but we need to keep in mind there is always a push to move more faster and cheaper. Add to that the ongoing shortage of workers in many industries.

 

[Columbus]

Just want to tack this on here because I still see people doing it. If you're shipping a bp handgun of any kind, USPS regulations (not FED) prohibit it unless it's by a licensee. Of course they'll never know what's in the box but if lost, even if insured, you won't get reimbursed.

 

[JeffG]

We get all manner and description of packages from all three major shippers here at the house. At regular intervals, they have all trashed packages recently. Sometimes it looks deliberate... My guess is new help, overworked help and disgruntled help. It's a "since COVID" problem it seems.

 

[smoothshooter]

I bought an unmentionable Rifle a little wile back and I am pretty good friends with the Delivery Driver and before he handed me the box he said that the warehouse employees were caught on camera Deliberately opening the box and handling and playing with the item and then through it on the warehouse floor and then put back in the box half ass , he said they were fired and that’s why the item and box looks the way it does and wanted to know if I wanted to open a claim and to call the main office. Because it was marked with a firearm address and logo and they new what was in the box.How is that for a hello and here you go..

There are a lot of young products of the public education system Social Justice Warriors out there that have been taught to hate guns and the law-abiding people who own them.