USPS Shipping.

[Mad Irish Jack]

I put an extra 0 on the figure, Should be $2500.00 Almost any custom gun is worth that. You can get an estimate, based on your photos of said custom, that will be $3K or more, if it warrents that. Mine do. Just because I built it years back and in 1978, it was insurance appraised at $1800. Now I've had an appraiser say $3- $3.5k to replace. The 0 was my fault. The other instructions were given to me by my uncle, aunt and HS classmate, all were USPS postmasters in their cities. Just what I do. If you have or had one appraised, documentation in hand is factual information with the photo. Any weapons owner that has no photos and ID info of their weapons is a true fool. I also have telling marks and ID detail making them detectable to recover. I have a log and photos of everything I own or have owned. And, the name and info of whom I've sold anything to.

 

[azmntman]

good counsel :thumbsup:

 

[Mad Irish Jack]

What is a flintlock documented as being built by YOUR 8th Gen grandfather worth to you. Irreplaceable for me. Almost worth killing someone over. I had an Uncle Dayton, in NJ, 8th generation farmer just north of Camden. He had a gun collection that included Documented originals (2 Br. Bess; 1 Charleville; a.40 cal Lehigh Valley 2 large cal. Jeagers and three other long guns in flint and a dozen colonial type flint pistols; and about 5 percussion long guns and 0ver 40 more modern rifles,pistols and revolvers. My Aunt passed in 1964, they had no children. Just my brother and sisters were their for several summers. When he passed in 1965, his brother sold off the collection to the Auctioner that sold off the farm and all. My brother and I were each to get a flintlock of our choice. But, at that time, we were teenagers with a mother that was anti guns in the home. No guns, just bad feelings.

 

[rickystl]

I have shipped and received back many muzzle loaders over the years and have never had a problem with USPS. A couple of times the box was put on the wrong truck and had to be re-routed, but that's it. One advantage of USPS is that their trucks move 7 days a week, including holidays (versus 5) so my shipments usually arrive 1-2 days sooner than UPS or FedX ground. But the guns with the really long barrels may have to go UPS.
Something else I have recently noticed: It use to be less expensive to ship USPS versus the others. But it seems in the last year or so that their rates have gone up more equal to the others. Anyone else notice this ?
I recently had a problem with a shipment from FedX. A pistol I bought at auction arrived damaged. I took photos and filed a claim. About a month and a half later (I knew it would be a while) I received a call from an adjuster to bring everything down to the local FedX location. I saved everything. Box, packing, auction invoice, packing/shipping invoice, etc. While the box itself could have been a bit better, the adjuster agreed it was packed well enough that it should have arrived without incident. It was obvious to both of us that at some point in it's travel the box was sitting on one end and something much heavier was dropped on it. My claim was for less than $1,000.00 and the conversation appeared to be heading for approval. But then the adjuster asked me something I was not expecting: He asked me if the pistol could be repaired and how much it would cost. So I said it probably could be but would cost at least half the amount of my claim. So he makes me an offer of 2/3rds my cost AND!! I keep the pistol. Of course I agreed. Was not expecting this at all. I was just prepared to take the money and run. But I really wanted this pistol for my collection and was sure the clean break could be fixed. This is the only real incident I've incurred over the many years.
Since then, the pistol has been repaired. You can't even tell any work was done.

One thing I've learned: If you have access to double-wall boxes, it helps a bunch. Sorry for my ranting here.

Rick

 

[Gene L]

I shipped a Martini .22 rifle to Alaska via USPS. Took a long time to get there, and I enclosed a copy of the guy's C&R. So it's not only MLs you can ship. You can't ship a pistol USPS, as I understand it.

 

[FishDFly]

Some time in the past Claude did a sticky on shipping that was a worth while read.

Myself and UPS are not friends, I like USPS.

 

[Nyckname]

Do it smart ship as registered mail at the real amount. You will pay a little more but it is worth it.

As I understand it, registered mail gets signed for every time it changes hand from one postal employee to the next. It isn't very expensive; probably less than an inflated dollar value for insurance.

 

[Baxter]

Many years ago, when I was younger and dumber, I was using a local UPS shipping point in a hardware store to ship C&R firearms. The store owner had me take the boxes down the street to a sporting goods store with an FFL to get a "number" written on the box and then the UPS agent would ship the firearm for me. Of course, this "number" on the box cost me $15, IIRC (I still grind my teeth when I recall this bit of chicanery. The UPS store/hardware store owner is now a state senator). Later, and wiser, I obtained an 03 C&R license. I also got some education from a fellow C&R fan and attorney whom I bought several C&R firearms from and I then had 03FFL qualified and black-powder arms shipped to my door and some shipped out via USPS with never a problem. My USPS agent has never asked me any questions about those "long boxes" other than the usual "liquid, perishable, flammable..." questions. No handguns of any kind can ship via USPS. I insure for the firearm's value.

 

[SamTex1949]

Having been a carrier 14 years for USPS I can sadly say the way to many people packaged items thinking they did a "good" job but in long run didnt. You cant OVER package / wrap an item, PAY to have it done and done Well !

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

My experience over the years is that USPS is best for the shipments I have made with muzzleloaders and related items. Our local UPS Store will not accept any firearms, including "non-firearms" like muzzleloaders. The local UPS shipping station will. I will never use FedEx for any firearms-related shipments. They misplaced a high end "other type gun part" (unmentionable here) and were entirely nonchalant about finding it. It took intervention by FedEx corporate in Nashville for the local manager to do anything to help other than to say "it will show up somewhere, sooner later." He was terminated by Corporate after the item was found and delivered.

My experience resembles others here. USPS has the best services with the best prices for my needs.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Mark Herman]

I use USPS to ship and have not had any problems. Always declare exactly what it is, antique firearm, and insure for $500 over the fair market value to compensate for adjusters determination. Have never had a problem, delivery is usually prompt and it is a lot less hassle and cheaper than FedEx or UPS.
Mark

 

[chuck-ia]

I use USPS to ship and have not had any problems. Always declare exactly what it is, antique firearm, and insure for $500 over the fair market value to compensate for adjusters determination. Have never had a problem, delivery is usually prompt and it is a lot less hassle and cheaper than FedEx or UPS.
Mark

 

[chuck-ia]

In my town it is hit or miss if they will even accept it. Depends who is at the counter at the time. One of the questions, is it potential dangerous? I shipped a trade gun to a guy in texas a few weeks ago, had no problem, but have had problems with a gal at the counter, where she would not accept it.

 

[Pork Chop]

If you look up the USPS regulations and have them with you when you go to ship, they tend to sing a different tune chuck-ia

 

[OldRust]

The USPS retail counter issues are usually due to the training or lack of training. The result of our do more, do it faster with less world that we live in. My wife retired from retail in the post office and she had several local FFl's who would wait for her to be working before they would ship.
No doubt from her ability to interpret the current postal rules forward, backwards and accurately. Memory like a steel trap. Don't ask me how I know ! <G>

 

[arcticap]

Fedex Ground, and with a signature required being preferable especially if the receiver doesn't have a secure location for drop off.
I think that Fedex is better at paying off claims.
And my local Fedex never asks what's in the package.

 

[SDSmlf]

My bride drop off a ‘heavy tube’ as she called it to the local USPS yesterday. They confirmed the address for ‘Rice Muzzle Loading Barrel Company’ with no further questions. Second Day Delivery, $15. Included insurance for full retail price. USPS is my first choice. FedEx, for example, has left bLack powder shipments on the front porch with no one home. Can’t see the front porch from the road...... But still had to pay for Hazmat shipping, adult signature required and all that other stuff...

 

[arcticap]

A couple of weeks ago my son ordered an engine bolt to be delivered by USPS and was watching the tracking number.
He came home from work and said where's my package, the Tracking # said it was delivered.
I was on the front porch when the letter carrier handed me all of the mail in person that day and there wasn't any package/bubble envelope with the bolt delivered.
My wife said to wait a day and see if it comes tomorrow.
It didn't come and the 2nd day after that I saw the letter carrier across the street and went and talked to her and explained the problem.
She's said maybe it went to another house with the same number as yours which it happened in reverse once before, and I delivered it to the correct address nearby when it was left on my porch by mistake.
She gave me a phone number and said have your son call the supervisor to see who scanned it as delivered and they'll try to recover it.
A couple of hours later she rings my doorbell and has the bubble envelope in her hand and said the supervisor had it waiting for her to deliver and that it went out on the wrong route.
But how did it get scanned as being delivered?
She assured me that it was given to another route and I believe her.
But don't think that just because they're civil servants that they don't make mistakes.
Everyone human being does.
Some letter carriers are always jabbering on their cell phone while they're working and can get distracted.
I love the USPS and have used them often enough.
But I know that they can be difficult when it comes to filing a claim.
One person who did, it took a long time when the stock of a ML got cracked.
They ended up paying but insisted on keeping the gun.
Whereas Fedex would give you a choice of accepting the repair value and let you keep the gun, and without nearly as much hassle and time wasted.
That happened to a package that I shipped one time, and Fedex not only paid a fair amount for the repair, but they refunded the fees for an extra package that I had sent along with it plus the cost to ship the original package.
UPS requires much more documentation to pay off the full value of a package even if it was their fault that it was never delivered.
But that's another story.