Shipping a pellet gun? USPS...Help.

SuperSeal110

New member
Went to the USPS to drop a couple packages off today. I had a pellet gun ready to get shipped. Guy asked if it was a fire arm and I told him no, it's a pellet gun. He denied me from shipping it cuz it's considered a fire arm? I walked out in disbelief... Went to the USPS site and got this.

So wouldn't I be able to send to the pellet gun?

Any help,

Mike

11.0 Other Restricted and Nonmailable Matter
11.1 Pistols, Revolvers, and Other Concealable Firearms
11.1.1 Definitions

The terms used in this standard are defined as follows:

a. Handgun means any pistol, revolver, or other firearm or device the mailing of which is regulated by this standard.

b. Pistol or revolver means a handgun styled to be fired by the use of a single hand and to fire or otherwise expel a projectile by the action of an explosion, spring, or other mechanical action, or air or gas pressure with enough force to be used as a weapon.

c. Firearm means any device, including a starter gun, designed to, or that may readily be converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosion, spring, or other mechanical action, or air or gas pressure with enough force to be used as a weapon.

d. Other firearms capable of being concealed on the person include, but are not limited to, short-barreled shotguns and short-barreled rifles.

e. Short-barreled shotgun means a shotgun that has one or more barrels less than 18 inches long. The term short-barreled rifle means a rifle that has one or more barrels less than 16 inches long. These definitions include any weapon made from a shotgun or rifle, whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise, if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches. A short-barreled shotgun or rifle of greater dimension may be regarded as nonmailable when it has characteristics to allow concealment on the person.

f. Licensed manufacturer and licensed dealer mean, respectively, a manufacturer of firearms or a bona fide dealer of firearms, duly licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury, under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-618), 18 USC 921, et seq.

g. Antique firearm means any firearm (including those with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured in or before 1898, or any replica thereof, if such replica:

1. Is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition.

2. Uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition that is no longer manufactured in the United States and that is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.
11.1.2 Handguns

Pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person (referred to as handguns) are nonmailable unless mailed between the parties listed in 11.1.3 and 11.1.5 after the filing of an affidavit or statement required by 11.1.4 and 11.1.6.
11.1.3 Authorized Persons

Subject to 11.1.4, handguns may be mailed by a licensed manufacturer of firearms, a licensed dealer of firearms, or an authorized agent of the federal government or the government of a state, territory, or district, only when addressed to a person in one of the following categories for use in the person's official duties:

a. Officers of the Army, Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Organized Reserve Corps.

b. Officers of the National Guard or militia of a state, territory, or district.

c. Officers of the United States or of a state, territory, or district, whose official duty is to serve warrants of arrest or commitment.

d. USPS employees authorized by the Chief Postal Inspector.

e. Officers and employees of enforcement agencies of the United States.

f. Watchmen engaged in guarding the property of the United States, a state, territory, or district.

g. Purchasing agent or other designated member of agencies employing officers and employees included in 11.1.3c. through 11.1.3e.
11.1.4 Affidavit of Addressee

Any person proposing to mail a handgun under 11.1.3 must file with the postmaster, at the time of mailing, an affidavit signed by the addressee setting forth that the addressee is qualified to receive the firearm under a particular category of 11.1.3a. through 11.1.3g, and that the firearm is intended for the addressee's official use. The affidavit must also bear a certificate stating that the firearm is for the official duty use of the addressee, signed by one of the following, as appropriate:

a. For officers of Armed Forces, by the commanding officer.

b. For officers and employees of enforcement agencies, by the head of the agency employing the addressee to perform the official duty with which the firearm is to be used.

c. For watchmen, by the chief clerk of the department, bureau, or independent branch of the government of the United States, the state, the territory, or the district by which the watchman is employed.

d. For the purchasing agent or other designated member of enforcement agencies, by the head of such agency, that the firearm is to be used by an officer or employee included in 11.1.3c. through 11.1.3e, Authorized Persons.
11.1.5 Manufacturers and Dealers

Handguns may also be mailed between licensed manufacturers of firearms and licensed dealers of firearms in customary trade shipments, or for repairing or replacing parts.
11.1.6 Certificate of Manufacturers and Dealers

A licensed manufacturer or dealer need not file the affidavit under 11.1.4, but must file with the postmaster a statement on Form 1508 signed by the mailer that he or she is a licensed manufacturer or dealer of firearms, that the parcels containing handguns (or major component parts thereof) are customary trade shipments or contain such articles for repairing or replacing parts, and that to the best of his or her knowledge or belief the addressees are licensed manufacturers or dealers of firearms.
11.1.7 FBI Crime Detection Bureaus

Handguns may be mailed without regard to 11.1.3 through 11.1.6 if:

a. Addressed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or its director, or to the scientific laboratory or crime detection bureau of any agency whose members are federal law enforcement officers or officers of a state, territory, or district authorized to serve warrants of arrest or commitment; or

b. Offered by an authorized agent of the federal government as an official shipment to any qualified addressee in categories 11.1.3a. through 11.1.3g, or to a licensed manufacturer or dealer of firearms or to a federal agency.
11.2 Antique Firearms

Antique firearms sent as curios or museum pieces may be accepted for mailing without regard to 11.1.3 through 11.1.6.
11.3 Rifles and Shotguns

Although unloaded rifles and shotguns not precluded by 11.1.1e and 11.1.2 are mailable, mailers must comply with the Gun Control Act of 1968, Public Law 90-618, 18 USC 921, et seq., and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, 27 CFR 178, as well as state and local laws. The mailer may be required by the USPS to establish, by opening the parcel or by written certification, that the gun is unloaded and not precluded by 11.1.1e.
 
c. Firearm means any device, including a starter gun, designed to, or that may readily be converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosion, spring, or other mechanical action, or air or gas pressure with enough force to be used as a weapon.



Thats your answer right there.
 
It is perfectly legal to ship an unloaded rifle or shotgun. The USPS employee you talked to does not know the correct rules.

Gunnut-that is from the definitions, jus because it is a firearm, doesn't mean it is illegal to ship.

As long as it is not considered concealable, ie. pistol or barrel length shorter than 18" for shotguns or 16" for rifles, it is perfectly legal to ship. All they can legally do is inspect the box to make sure the weapon is unloaded and that there are no marks on the outside of the box indicating a firearm is in the box.
 
I had the same problem with the USPS. I wasted over an hour one day with the regs printed out showing that they could ship a gun that I was trying to send back to Remington. Finally left and drove to the UPS that was about 15 mins away. I was out of there in less than 5 mins.

I may never try to ship through the post office again.
 
Thanks for the helps guys.

I was thinking about heading to the UPS.


Should I ask for a manager when I go back if they still refuse to ship and also, should I print out what I got off the USPS?

Mike
 
I was responding to the question of whether or not it was considered a firearm. I have never used USPS, I always use ups or fed ex. I do know that the packaging cannot be marked as containing a firearm.
 
Quote:
Thanks for the helps guys.

I was thinking about heading to the UPS.


Should I ask for a manager when I go back if they still refuse to ship and also, should I print out what I got off the USPS?

Mike



Yeah do that and also mention that your constitutional rights are being violated AND you are being discriminated against as a gun owner....that ought to get their attention.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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I don't think the USPS or UPS are gun shy, they just have too many people working for them that are ignorant of their own and ATF rules, I've seen just as many posts here, at RFC, GBO and AR about clerks at both of em refusing firearms shipments because it's easier to say no than to check with someone else or the regs to see if it's Ok. Been there done it myself at UPS, but I also worked for the USPS for 32yrs before retiring, seen it there too from behind the counter and had to educate many clerks.

The ATF and USPS links governing shipping of firearms are in my posts at the RFC link above if anyone has a question.

Tim
 
I once tried to ship a Rem M1100 Trap Shotgun to a FFL dealer in FLA from here in Everett, WA.

I had a signed in ink copy of the FFL dealer's license in FLA receiving the shotgun included with all of the shipping paperwork.

The UPS clerk asked me the same questions asked of you. I told her that I was wanting to ship a shotgun to a FFL dealer in FLA. She said just a minute I need to make a phone call.

Little did I know that the UPS bit*h was calling the cops.

About 4 minutes later two Everett PD B&W's pull in and the officers come into the UPS office and approach the counter. The bit*h behind the counter says, "that's the gentleman in question," while pointing me out.

So I got to go outside and have a chat with the two officers and explain to them what I am doing, I showed them all of my paperwork, including the copy of the licensee I was attempting to ship the shotgun to.

About then one of the sergeants arrives and thankfully he is a trap shooter who happened to know me on a first name basis. He explains to the upstart young buckaroo's that I am not a meth maggit trying to peddle a stolen shotgun cross country and that I am an e-board member of a major gun club in the area.

I told the officers that I "get the message" from these adam-henry's at UPS and that I was going to take the shotgun up to another local FFL dealer and have him ship it for me instead. I had enough of this BS with UPS.

The other dealer shipped it and only charged me $20 including shipping. He said he would be shipping via USPS.

I have NEVER used UPS since and I include that in my professional life too.

Bottom line - UPS sucks.
 
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