Are Shippers Targeting Guns?

[zimmerstutzen]

got a Pedersoli Mortimer in a Kibler shipping crate. USPS.
stock was broken through at the wrist. tire track across the crate. so sorry charlie is all they said.

I represented a gun shop in a suit against Fed ex for the same problem. A fancy collector double barrel shotgun shipped to the gun shop arrived with dually truck tire tracks over it and broken stock at the wrist. The driver that delivered even apologized, saying he took a picture of the box when it was put on his truck for delivery. When contacted Fed Ex said "not our problem" , must have been damaged after delivery. When told about the picture from the driver, their response, he no longer works here and we can't verify that. (he was just switched to a different route) . We sued Fed EX under the Pennsylvania Unfair Consumer Practices Act and got triple damages plus attorney's fees. Four months after Fed Ex paid the judgment, their insurance claims division sent him a check for the amount of insurance on the shipment. We offered the mangled gun to them twice in writing. A year later, an original factory stock for that model came up on line and was purchased by the gun shop and the gun was finally sold for a few hundred more than the gun shop paid initially. Cost them nearly 4 grand when it could have been far less.

I have run into one incident at the nearby post office about muzzle loader pistols shipped in the mail. One clerk was pretty nasty when I presented the package notice that was in my PO box. She insisted shipping guns to a non-FFL holder was illegal. I called her supervisor and had him explain the law to her. Never a problem with her after that. But similar incidents with other new counter clerks.

 

[FlinterNick]

I dont think so.

I’ve had many packages go missing over the years from the Rifle Shoppe, some post offices are just poorly run.

Its not just guns or gun parts.

My daughters passports came to my mail in an opened even-lope sitting in the mail box I had to file a fraud report with the post office, that way if any red flags came up i could trace it back to the post office workers that handled the passports.

I had a bayonet go missing recently, marked as damaged by the post office, they apparently auctioned it off without my consent, they paid the claim.

Overall, crime and fraud is just in general very and right now in the USA.

 

[Howard Pippin]

While searching for muzzleloader accessories, I found this statement. I posted this on the hazmat question posts, But I think I should put it here. I don't know if this is actual fact all over but it does raise a certain amount of suspicion.


OLD SOUTH FIREARMS & TRADING POST

Nationwide Distributer of Black Powder Muzzleloaders
Historical, Military, Cowboy and Contemporary Firearms, Umarex Air Guns,
Leather Goods, Ammo and a Large Selection of Shooting Supplies

No FFL Required For Muzzle-loader & Cylinder Purchases* (See exceptions at bottom of page)
FFL Required Firearms Are Located In The "FFL Categories" On The Left Side

NOTE: 1. WHEN COMPARING PRICES - ALSO COMPARE MODEL NUMBERS
2. CLICK ON THE "MORE INFO" BUTTONS TO SEE THE QUANTITY IN STOCK
3. RATE ITEMS BY GOING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ITEM'S PAGE
4. YOUR SECURITY IS PROTECTED, CLICK "NS SECURE" BUTTON UPPER LEFT


Attention Customers:


ATTENTION: UPS is currently seizing and destroying firearms related packages. We HIGHLY recommend USPS at this time. We are waiting for clarification from UPS on how that affects muzzleloaders and parts. Accessories should be OK, but please order accordingly.

Also, We are constantly getting new shipments of products, but due to high demand certain items, such as revolvers, kits, rifles and some accessories are selling out within hours of arrival. If there is a specific item you are looking for, please e-mail us and we will be happy to put you on our contact list. Customers who do this will be informed the moment a certain item arrives.
For similar reasons, we are not taking backorders at this time.

 

[jim bowie]

I've used "pool noodles" to ship barrels and pad boxes. Basically pipe insulation. Most are hollow but I've seen different shapes now days. Ram rods ship well in a piece of pvc pipe. What ever you think is enough double it. Really disappointing receiving damaged merchandise.

 

[GrandLakeHunter]

I have been thinking about selling 3 muzzleloading long guns and advertising them here or somewhere on the Internet.
But with all the horror stories of thefts and damage by carriers, increased shipping costs and insurance, and setting up some Pay Pal type account, I am beginning to think it would be smarter and cheaper to put the guns in my car and drive the 14 or so hours one way to the Log Cabin Shop in Ohio and hand deliver them myself to be sold on consignment.
Building wood shipping boxes alone would cost $25 each in materials.
Sad state of affairs watching our society unravel.

Packaging costs are passed on to the buyer. Only your time to package properly is invested.

 

[docmel]

FedEx and UPS require the shipper to file the claim. For USPS it's the recipient, which gives the buyer more control over the process. I received a damaged gun years ago and shipped USPS. I could have filed a claim for the whole amount and let them have the gun. Instead, I found a gunsmith and obtained a repair estimate. I asked for that amount and kept it. I made the repair myself and pocketed the money!

I received a gun with a cracked stock shipped via FedEx. The only way I could file a claim (which they denied) is if the shipper signed a waiver to allow me to work with their claim department.

While the BATFE considers Muzzleloaders antiques or relics, FedEx Policy is that they must be shipped from an FFL holder to another FFL holder.

The seller was nice enough to refund my purchase price but I had to pay the shipping to send it back.

So, to answer your question, if someone uses FedEx with their BS policies and they deny the claim, it's up to them to make it right. He said he'd had problems with them before, which took 6 months of phone calls to finally get remuneration. He now uses another shipper.

Walt

Hmmmmm Thru fedex I got two BP pistols straight from the dealer to my door No FFL, No BATF form here in Co

 

[smoothshooter]

I doubt it. Unless we have proof we're just blowing smoke and contributing to the, what was it, unraveling of our society?

Unravelling of our society. You got it right.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I spent a year working for a courier company when I was laid off back in the early two thousands. Different time slightly. However, I don't think it's the employees knowing what's inside the package that's prompting the damage today It's definitely lack of care that's causing it. I would witness all manner of consideration and lack thereof when guys would be loading and unloading trucks. Couple that with the "deliver as much as you can in the shortest amount of time possible" , and this is the result. Surely, I couldve ratted people out for what I saw, but Im no rat fink, and wanted to keep my job.

I actually delivered a rifle to someone one day. It must've gone in for work or something. I made sure it rode up front in the passenger seat. I knew how the owner probably felt about his treasure, and I made sure it arrived undamaged, at least from the part of its journey when I was responsible for it. But sadly many people just don't care. Their sole purpose was a paycheck, and that's all that mattered.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Almost as bad are the porch pirates that follow the delivery trucks.

We have had packages inappropriately delivered. not guns, but just left out on the curb at the end of a 980ft driveway.. Had a leather office chair left on a snow bank even though the driveway was cleared 15 ft wide all the way to the house with a 40 ft turn around at the house. My neighbor shares a part of the driveway and one of the companies just dumps the packages in the intersection of the driveways. For a while, we had a plastic deck box out near where the driveways met and the drivers could put the packages in the box, but of course a furniture truck delivering to our house backed over it because he turned up the wrong driveway..

 

[FlinterNick]

UPS delivered a shipment of blackpowder to me a few weeks ago. Not a problem.

 

[SlidePicker]

got a Pedersoli Mortimer in a Kibler shipping crate. USPS.
stock was broken through at the wrist. tire track across the crate. so sorry charlie is all they said.

The same happened to me (United Parcel Service) with an unmentionable antique military rifle. It was irreplaceable and I would have had to surrender it to file a claim. I glued it together successfully, and it takes close inspection to notice the fracture.

 

[SlidePicker]

This is what happened to a long package shipped from Middlesex Village Trading Company, not labeled as a firearm but conspicuously likely to be one. It was well padded with bubblewrap and peanuts in sturdy double boxes. It had to have been "spiked" hard on the butt end. I was able to find most of the fragment, glue them in, fill the gaps with filler, touch up the color, and shellac it. It's good for shooting, but I'm going to touch it up better when I have time.

 

[FlinterNick]

I reviewed UPS’s website, they say nothing about seizing arms shipments or being able to seize and destroy packages at their discretion.

This policy would open up the company to an unlimited amount of liability….. I can’t possibly see them doing this.

Brownells is sending me a package this week UPS too.

 

[Tn poor boy]

My local post office didn't want to ship a kibler empty box box because it look like a firearm tell it sat her straight. She keep say you can't ship it if you ffl or if it had a fireing pin what a dummy

 

[FlinterNick]

My local post office didn't want to ship a kibler empty box box because it look like a firearm tell it sat her straight. She keep say you can't ship it if you ffl or if it had a fireing pin what a dummy

That’s not a USPS policy, that’s just someone being an idiot.

The world isn’t short on fools.

 

[FlinterNick]

This is what happened to a long package shipped from Middlesex Village Trading Company, not labeled as a firearm but conspicuously likely to be one. It was well padded with bubblewrap and peanuts in sturdy double boxes. It had to have been "spiked" hard on the butt end. I was able to find most of the fragment, glue them in, fill the gaps with filler, touch up the color, and shellac it. It's good for shooting, but I'm going to touch it up better when I have time. View attachment 150454View attachment 150455View attachment 150456

That’s not a USPS Issue

If you purchased from Middlesex this i the quality of their product.

They use TEAK stocks, TEAK is a very brittle tight grained wood that is subject to splitting.

The split is just below the drilled area too, this is not a surprise.

 

[SlidePicker]

That’s not a USPS Issue

If you purchased from Middlesex this i the quality of their product.

They use TEAK stocks, TEAK is a very brittle tight grained wood that is subject to splitting.

The split is just below the drilled area too, this is not a surprise.

I disagree, Nick. This could not have happened without a severe blow that would damage any stock. The gun was well packed. The boxes had suffered major crushing on the end where the butt was. The shipper was UPS, not USPS in this case. There are other threads for opinions on Middlesex and Indian made guns.

 

[FlinterNick]

I disagree, Nick. This could not have happened without a severe blow that would damage any stock. The gun was well packed. The boxes had suffered major crushing on the end where the butt was. The shipper was UPS, not USPS in this case. There are other threads for opinions on Middlesex and Indian made guns.

I’ve seen these from veteran arms and middlesex guns break in all odd places, the comb, wrist, lock mortise etc. bad wood.

 

[SlidePicker]

Maybe so. This one was broken by landing very hard on its butt in the box.

 

[user 53891]

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

Make sure to file a claim and keep on them. take before and after pics. When they start losing more money to damage, that should hurt them badly!! I's already sick of USPS, FEDEX, and UPS!