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Shipping ammunition

diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
edited July 2002 in General Discussion
I have some great ammo that others could use. Before I posted anything, I checked with UPS, FedEx, Post Office and all said "no". They will not ship my ammo. Is it a station manager thing? DOT thing? What gives. Oh yeah, I am in California. I sure would appreciate any info, guidance, ect.

Comments

  • diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have several boxes of store bought ammunition left over before
    I statred reloading. I will never shoot it all,can I sell it on the net and then ship it to the buyer? thanks Vince
  • diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have some vintage ammo that I am thinking about auctioning and can't find much info on shipping it. What method would you recommend for shipping ammunition?
  • diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would like to post 500 rounds of S&B, .380 ammo for sale on GunBroker. I know shipping ammo is common, but as I research the process it seems complicated. Can anyone give me the short and sweet answer to the shipping process through UPS? Thank you, Plasmatic
  • diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wanted to see if anyone else has run into the problems I have. I recently went to ship a batch of ammo I sold here. After being turned away from more than one local UPS and FedEx shipping locations, I contacted both companies. In both cases I was referred to the department which handles hazardous material. Both told me the same thing. They will ship ammunition ONLY if I have undergone DOT training in handling of hazardous material and have a DOT hazmat number, and then only if I have an active contract with them for shipping hazardous material.

    After talking with several different levels of management at both companies, it appears that this is not so much a concern with actual hazard as it is simply the expression of an anti-gun stance on the part of the companies. I had one gentleman tell me he would not accept firearms or ammunition under any circumstances. He said that he wouldn't even ship gun parts. Another told me that ammunition shipments would be accepted only from "licensed" dealers, although he was unable to tell me exactly what kind of license he was referring to.

    In any case, I decided to go to the source. I contacted the DOT. They tell me that there are absolutely no laws or regulations that put such restrictions on the shipping of small arms ammunition. However, they told me that each individual carrier has the right to impose whatever restrictions they deem appropriate. In other words, they can restrict the shipment of whatever they choose, above and beyond any laws on the subject.

    Now, I had more than one person advise me to just ship the ammo without telling them what it is. Bad idea. While the DOT does not restrict shipping of ammo, they do have requirements that it must be identified and properly labelled. Failing to do so is called an "undeclared hazard". I'm told that the penalty for doing so is very harsh. At the minimum, a very large fine (four figures), and if there is an accident involving the hazardous material, the penalty can include jail time. Not to mention civil prosecution. Not worth the risk.

    So, basically, I'm screwed. If the shipper refuses my package, there's nothing I can do. I've had to back out of two ammo sales here and refund the buyer's money because I simply had no way of getting the stuff to them. What a wonderfully screwed up world we live in.
  • joeaf1911a1joeaf1911a1 Member Posts: 2,962 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes. It can be advertised on G.B. under ammo. Yes. It can be
    shipped via UPS. ground (no hazmat fee) when properly packaged and
    labeled. Up to .50 cal ammo. If UPS hassles you, call Christina Jacobs (UPS hazmat) 800 554 9964 during working hours for complete
    instructions which she will E mail to you. I dont know the Fed X
    regs on ammo as I use UPS. For USPS its a no no.
    If UPS refuses at the counter, (would call them first) bring the
    UPS hazmat letter with you. I had to do this the first time.
    Box must have a label which you can print out (ORM-D) and one
    (small arms ammunition). Package cannot weigh over 66 lbs.
    Advertise with "need age proof of over 21 years for handgun ammo
    or over age 18 yrs for rifle ammo. And must be legal to purchase
    in your residing area".
  • diver1diver1 Member Posts: 502 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the help. How do you verify age? thanks Vince
  • GreenLanternGreenLantern Member Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Have them send you a photo copy of their drivers license. Also, I don't think you can ship to a PO box.
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