How do you ship your firearms ?

Kinglion4751

I just started thinning out my collection because of arthritic hands. The other day I shipped a rifle to a buyer through UPS , cost me $45.00 and today I shipped a  handgun  that cost me $44 ( next day delivery ).  I'm just wondering how do you guys ship your firearms, I've seen some postings charging $20-35. I've even seen one for $15. I charge $35.00 but even then I'm subsidizing.  Which is cheaper in shipping rifles UPS or USPS ? Any advice is highly appreciated.

mark christian

Handguns can only be mailed by dealers and manufacturers, so the Post Office is off limits for pistols. Dealers who make large numbers of shipments usually get a price break from UPS or FedEx, so they can (sometimes) pass that savings along to buyers. I am a dealer, so I can mail handguns for around $20, otherwise all of us are in the same boat with pricing for long guns. Keep in mind that weight plays less of  factor in cost than people think. Over all length is the big issue. If you can break (say) a shotgun into two pieces and fit it into a shorter box you'll save some money. 

Kinglion4751

I thought weight plays a big factor, turns out it's the length. Thank you for the information and quick response.

mark christian

Weight plays a part in shipping, but if you can reduce the over all length of the box by 6 or more inches, you start saving money. I sell mostly M1 rifles and when I began breaking the rifle down into the action and the stock, the reduced OAL saw a saving of $4 to $5 verses using the full length box. 

May say that compared to the newbies I've been dealing with for the last two weeks, you are a pleasure.

Ricci.Wright

Check out Pirate Ship. That's what I use.

mmppres

I ship USPS because its the closest to me UPS is an hour plus away an Fedx longer. All of my firearms have adult signature added to the package. That increases cost. The smaller you make the package lenght it decrease the cost.  Most times you get priority rates if package is with in lenght an width range.  Weight is not much of a factor with priority mail. My charges are 25 for pistols an 40 for long firearms.  I also refund any money that an over charge.

Ricci.Wright

Pirate Ship is USPS but I find it to usually be cheaper than the post office. And it is very to use.

mark christian

us55840 said:

I always ship them in a sturdy cardboard box, well wrapped & padded.
  

The best insurance you can get is your own packing. Back when I worked in a gun store (while dreaming of owning my own store), Sam, the owner, felt that if packed correctly, the contents could survive anything but fire or theft. 

A rifle was shipped to a collector in Reno and despite the UPS truck rolling over and its contents scattered, the box, though battered and bruised, survived. The package was delivered, and the rifle was still in perfect condition.  

CaptFun

Mark is (as usual) correct but only one third correct in this case.   Calculate the dimensional Weight of your package. Length x Width x Height  (in inches) and divide by 166  compare that to your actual weight.  The freight will be calculated at the higher of the two numbers.   A 12# rifle in a case that is in a 12x4x48  box has a  14# dimensional weight and gets charged as 14#.  If you can get it into a 10x4 x48 box then the dimensional weight is only 11.5 and you would get charged at the actual 12# rate.    This is apparently light years beyond the scope of my shipping persons math skills.  No really,  stop using the most convenient box available and stop wasting money.  Thankfully they now report to accounting and they will either do it differently or we will have another new shipping person...       

And to his correct packaging story he is 100% spot on.  We got in a VERY nice $3500 Weatherby (as a transfer only) and the seller had removed the Bolt, but not properly secured it in the box.    It got loose in transit and smashed into the really really really nice collector grade wood effectively rendering it a field grade gun.  .   FedEx of course refused to cover it and the seller and shipper were never heard from again.....  

Grasshopper

Long guns I go through here on GB checkout, a nice paper trail via Transguardian which uses USPS. Handguns same way except through my dealer, via USPS Transguardian checkout here also which I have a gentleman's agreement on transfer fees. Leaves everything with a trail on Gunbroker in case snags come up which they do recently more than they should with NP "buyers."
I find the rates  reasonable and inline plus I just pay one bill when due..

NeoBlackdog

I used to ship mine by canoe (a really BIG canoe) but there was a terrible accident...   

Don McManus

I put them in an igloo cooler and label them ‘perishable, human organs’.

Always next day service, package always treated gently, and you don’t have to go through an FFL.

toad67

Don McManus said:

I put them in an igloo cooler and label them ‘perishable, human organs’.

Always next day service, package always treated gently, and you don’t have to go through an FFL.

Did you put the sender/return address as John Holmes???

bambihunter

I will never, for as long as I live, understand the rule that FFL to FFL can ship normally on handguns, but us commoners have to ship next day through a carrier. I can get a pistol, let's say a Desert Eagle, shipped from an FFL to my FFL for $35 bucks. But, for me, a private party to ship to an FFL, it costs $85-$125. The FFL I always use to receive doesn't do outbound shipments. Most of the FFL's that I have tried here charge too much, nearly breaking even versus just shipping it myself. So, my new rule is buy anywhere, sell long guns online. Handguns get sold locally FTF.

Ricci.Wright

I believe the folks making the rules are the shipping companies concerning the overnight shipping. ATF may prevent you from mailing handguns. 

Smitty500mag

They'll get there faster these days if you send them by river barge or mule train. I could have walked the 741 miles from Chicago, IL to Hampton, GA in 33 days which is how long it took to get a recent delivery from there. And that would only require walking 22.5 miles per day.