Shipping any gun is a hassle, but if you want the large market with the correspondingly large prices, you must ship. Local markets do not command the same prices you can get if you expose the merchandise to places where people make six figure salaries.
Last week I got estimates for shipping a longrifle from AL to CA. With insurance the price from USPS and UPS were almost identical.
In the $140 range.
In truth I have had better luck shipping with USPS. I have had to use the insurance too many times with UPS.
For the last few years I have been writing "FRAGILE" on the box. Supposedly, they do not use "short shot airmail" when so marked.
Barry