Shipping muzzleloading rifles and pistols.

[necchi]

Our postmistress here won't except any kind of information I present to her.

I've seen this kind of manure several times.
She is wrong, but she's placeing her personal feelings/agenda into the job.
You can argue till the sun come up with these people and all they have to do is say that you have offended them and they don't have to serve you.

Best bet if possible is just go over to the next town and mail it there.
As has been said here already just don't tell them what's in the box.

If you continue to have problems let me know, I'll go over to a local PO here and get the exact postal rule you need to stuff in this Lady's face.

Problem is if she takes it, it might just sit under a table someplace until the very last day it needs to be delivered before an insurance claim can be made,
There are some very nasty people with power trip heads working at post offices all across this country.

 

[outbackzack]

Civil servants, often are neither civil, nor able to give good service...


I have an opinion on why, but I will keep the politics to myself. :grin:

 

[Vaino]

The USPS is in financial trouble and some might think it should be replaced by a private company....like FedEx or UPS. Really? Have had more trouble shipping MLers w/ the private cos than w/ USPS which is a quasi-private company. My local FedEX refuses to ship my MLers and UPS will sometimes ship, but at a much higher cost....LRs are really penalized. I'd rue the day when the USPS is no longer there.....Fred

 

[necchi]

Like I was meaning to say, it really is a variable with each post office and the people that work at each one.

There is a sporting goods wholesale distributor in the near by town Sauk Rapids, they are constantly shipping and receiving guns of all manner and those postal workers are fully aware of the rules. ML guns are shipped without a hitch.

One time I had to ship a CF barrel back to the maker for modification, the postal worker at the main offce in St. Cloud saw the mailing address had the name "Blah-blah Firearms"asked what is was and I told him as barrel only, the guy freaked out!! I argued with him for a few minutes before he took off with my package to the back rooms for a full 20 minutes. He finally came back and the item was shipped, but it was my lesson about postal workers.
Their book of rules is a full 2"s thick,, and if it's anything they don't see daily they don't know their own rules,,

 

[RedFeather]

I've bought and sold airguns using the various shippers. We in that community get the same runaround. With the private shippers, it's up to the individual franchise owner/manager. Have had to go to the main depot once or twice because the storefront refused. We usually say we are mailing "sporting goods" and leave it at that. With USPS I suppose the best bet is to print off the pertinent regs from their website and take it with you.

 

[Billnpatti]

When you go to mail a muzzleloading gun, first of all do not tell them what you are mailing. Just answer their standard questions about whether it is fragile, liquid, etc. In the event they know what is in the box, for whatever reason, all you have to do is tell them that you are allowed to mail it according to USPS regulation 11.2 which allows antique muzzleloading firearms and reproductions to be mailed without regard to the restrictions set forth in regulations 11.1.3 through 11.1.6.

BATF regulations [18 U.S.C 921(a) (3)] defines the term "firearm" and states that a muzzleloading firearm does not fall under that definition and is therefore not under any of the restrictions applying to any firearm falling under their definition of a firearm.

What all that means is that you can mail a muzzleloading firearm without any kind of license or restriction applying to either you or the recipient.

If they refuse to accept your package because it is a muzzleloader and you have explained the regulations to them, then contact the Postmaster General's office in Washington and report that your local postmaster is refusing to follow USPS regulations.

One thing you ought to do is to get a printout of these regulations and keep them handy for when you are going to mail a muzzleloader. I've been down this road and showing them the regulations in print usually gets their attention.

 

[asbrown]

You do what you want but if I'm asked I list the contents as "machine parts" which if you look at the definition of a machine it fits perfectly. So, no lie, no legal issue, and they never ask questions.

 

[matt denison]

"What's in the long skinny box?"

"Custom ironing board"

"How much insurance ya' want on it?"

"$1,200.00"

"For an ironing board?!!"

"Yup. I told you, it is custom."

:grin:

 

[Bow Creek Bob]

I have shipped muzzleloading firearms before but never insured them.I may send a firearm or two that requires insurance. I inquired about insurance and thats when the BS started. I live in a small town and know the lady very well. Sure didn't expect this stuff. Always snow blowed and shoveled the walks at the post office free of charge(Doing my civic duty)Thats the last of that for me. Thanks for the input fellas.

 

[jdkerstetter]

"What's in the long skinny box?"

The question to which Lee Harvey Oswald answered while going to work on his last day, "Curtain rods". :wink: ....Enjoy, J.D.

 

[matt denison]

Don't forget shovel handles, pool ques, exhaust pipes.

:grin:

 

[Vaino]

Once my local Postmaster rec'd and included the BATFE regs pertaining to MLERs into their regs, I've had no problems shipping my LRs. The clerks all know what I'm shipping, but only ask the standard question...hazardous, etc?....no need to lie about the contents.

At one point in the arguement w/ my local Postmaster and seeing I wasn't convincing her, I called the Postmaster General's office and was told that only my local Postmaster could solve my problem and she did....along w/ the BATFE regs.

The local FedEX store won't ship MLERs and the manager has a very "closed mind" and won't even discuss it.

Have shipped LRs through UPS paying w/ a Visa card and later on rec'd an addt'l charge for excessive length....a sneaky way of charging more. UPS will ship MLers w/o questions, but they're far more expensive than USPS.

I for one don't want to see USPS converted to a totally private entity....could be another FedEx or UPS.....Fred

 

[Eric Krewson]

I had a USPS lady postal clerk freak out when I passed a stock blank across the counter on it's way to Fred Miller. "IS THAT A GUN?", she shouted. I assured her is was only a block of wood and she accepted it begrudgingly.

 

[Vaino]

I don't know if the USPS management has scared the beejeebers out of the postal clerks since 911 w/ threats of grave consequences if they're resposible for shipping weapons used in terrorist activities, but your experience is not an exceptional one....Fred

 

[Prairieofthedog]

laffindog,that's funny.That's when the old eyebrow goes up when you tell the how much insurance you want LOL!

 

[54ball]

Even centerfire guns are mailable. It's in the BATF regs. For instance you can box up a centerfire and mail it to the manufacturer for warranty repair.
They can mail it back to you, the owner.

As discussed muzzleloaders are mailable.

I have read where some gunmakers refuse to ship UPS as it appears that vandalism of known firearms in shipment is common with UPS.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've often wondered where the police would weigh in on when a gun is a gun. I mean, with our builds, none of the parts individually are a gun (unlike a cartridge gun where the receiver is). If you have the parts all disassembled it isn't. But, if you have it assembled but no touch hole drilled it's not yet a functional gun.

If you're just carrying a fully finished full length long rifle (no lock or barrel) it really looks like a gun, but is clearly just a part.

I suppose the answer is; if you pointed what ever you had in your hand at someone, and they felt that it WAS a gun, then it MIGHT be considered one.

 

[tom deinek]

I use several post offices. None of them will accept a parcel unless you tell them what's in it. If you lie about rifle being machine parts, you void the insurance you buy.

 

[Hawgeye]

By postal service regulations all long guns are fully transportable by the USPS as long as they are unloaded and not accompanied by ammunition. Strangely, some post offices are less informed of their own regulations than others. Frenquency of use, I suppose. The shipping of handguns is only allowed between licensed entities, IE, dealer to dealer, distributor or manufacturer, with a accompanying form 1508 attesting that the firearm is being shipped to a licensed dealer or manufacturer. It's been my experience that postal employees in general and inspectors specifically are not certain of the requirements or definitions of their own regulations. That having been said, I've had more success using USPS than UPS, DHL or FedEx. USPS, in my experience, is more economical, more dependable and delivers with less damage than the other major shippers and is easier to recoupe losses via claims.