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Guns through the mail?

Drewski20Drewski20 Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
edited September 2001 in Ask the Experts
Ok, so I am going to go to the states (driving) and I live in alaska. I cannot take an SAR with me because the barrel is 2 and a half inches too short and the mags are too big, so how do I ship it? Is there a way that I can fedex the gun or even usps the gun if I break it down or something? I dont want to have another dealer ship and recieve the damn thing, hell, its be another hundred bucks before I am done. I was just wondering if I own the gun, there should be no problem shipping it to myself via postal services. Has anyone done this before?
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Comments

  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't see why you can't take it with you, were are you transporting it to that the barrel is 2inches to short? As long as its over the federally regulated length of 16" , and you transport it unloaded with the ammo in a seperate compartment, you shouldn't have any problem. If you can own it in alaska, you can transport it in the states, as far as I know alaska is a part of the US.[This message has been edited by leeblackman (edited 09-04-2001).]
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  • M.OpaliskiM.Opaliski Member Posts: 244 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would also question the legality of the configuration of your rifle. If it is legal to own it in Alaska, it is legal to own it, federally. State laws may vary. Now, I am almost assuming that you will be traveling through Canada to get to the states, so, to answer the question, yes, you can mail the firearm to yourself in another state, addressed to yourself, care of another person. As long as the other person does not open the package and take possession of the firearm this is considered to be legal. The owner of the firearm must open the package.You will also need to know in advance if the firearm is legal to own in the state in which you are relocating it to. As a side note, long guns are mailable via USPS for nonlicensees, while handgunsmust be shipped via carrier.
    Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast
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  • hackerhacker Member Posts: 162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    he may be talking about taking it through canada. they have stricter laws than most parts of the us and it may be illegal to transport this gun through that country. if that is the case, you may have no choice but to send it to an ffl in the lower 48 and pick it up when you arrive. i think that you could ship or mail the rifle to the dealer yourself and only pay the fee he charges to transfer it to you when you get there. that might be 20 to 30 bucks and it may be the only way.
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  • M.OpaliskiM.Opaliski Member Posts: 244 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    hacker - Did I not make it clear enough?
    Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast
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  • hackerhacker Member Posts: 162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    yes you did. i only read the first sentence of your response and didnt see that you went on to talk about the canadian situation. my fault. you were right. wasnt that enough? did you really need to give me a jab?
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    So long as you aren't mailing the reciever, anything you got can go through the U.S. mail, I believe. If you are mailing the whole gun, better go through an FFL. Others here will know more, but there may be a clause that if your gun is being mailed to you (like after repairs) it can be sent direct, with no FFL.
    Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt 'was nicht. -Nena (When everything is going right, something is bound to be wrong.)
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  • M.OpaliskiM.Opaliski Member Posts: 244 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jonk -There is no need to for a non licensee to solicit the services of an FFL in order to ship a firearm to him or herself as described above. It is a clearly defined Federal Law that allows for such a shipment.hacker -It was not a jab, it was a question. If I was making myself unclear I would have tried to reiterate so that it was more clear.
    Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast
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  • hackerhacker Member Posts: 162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    nope, not unclear at all. i have noticed that you have a gift for clearly and concisely explaining complicated things. i wouldnt have said anything if i had read the whole post rather than jumping ahead. got the impression you were giving me a poke for repeating (but not as well) what you had already said. no harm no foul.hi karate and old spice
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  • HerschelHerschel Member Posts: 2,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Matthew, I am a ffl holder and frequently mail guns. The postal clerk requires me to complete a form 1508 each time. I believe I have to certify on the form that the addressee is a federal firearms license holder. That may be a problem for an individual mailing the gun to himself. While it is legal to mail the gun as you suggested the postal regs may prohibit it.
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  • Drewski20Drewski20 Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah guys, sorry for not being clear, I mean that is the whole problem or I would take it with me. I was reffering to the problem of taking the gun through canada. Canada requires that any long gun must have a barrel lenght of 18 and a half and overall be 26 inches long. Some guns that they feel are "assault weapons" you need to call ahead and check with them to make sure, but since the gun does not meet size requirements, I did not even bother. Another juicy little canadian tidbit: You may not transport a magazine for a rifle that fires centerfire rounds if it has a capacity bigger than 5. So even if I could take the gun, SAR's come with 10 and 30 round mags and I would always have to have a round chambered cause I couldnt have a magazine with me. And also, they charge you 50 dollars canadian to register the firearm in canada, this is required for travel into the country with any rifle. I am sure I do not have to continue on with pistol regulations. But anyway, I was just wondering. I had to go to court today, so I did not get a chance to get ahold of the post office or fedex, and if I did not just recieve a year of probation and 20 days suspended, I might try to take my baby with me, but I have learned my lesson. thanks guys.
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  • M.OpaliskiM.Opaliski Member Posts: 244 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Herschel -I am not an FFL, and, I too ship and or mail firearms. As per Postal Regs, you are correct, USPS Publication 52 last revised in July 1999 states in Section 432.2 that Form 1508, Statement by Shipper of Firearms, must be completed by each firearm manufacturer or dealer who deposits firearms for mailing. This form is for licensed individuals only.What I described in the above post was the procedure for a nonlicensee to mail a long gun to him or herself via USPS. Again, to reference USPS Publication 52, Section 432.1(d) states that unloaded rifles and shotguns may be mailed if the mailer fully complies with the Gun Control Act of 1968 (aka) USC Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 44 and with the state and local laws. The mailer may be required to establish, by opening the parcel or by written certification, that the gun is unloaded and not excluded from mailing because of the restrictions placed on short-barreled shotguns and short-barreled rifles, which by USPS regs are defined as hand guns due to concealability. Registered mail service is recommended.
    Support your RKBA ... MatthewNRA Life MemberTalk Radio Junkie opaliski@hotmail.com TheFirearmsEnthusiast
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