Comments on: Helpful Hints for Shipping Your Guns and Gear Safely

By: ELR Researcher

ELR Researcher — Fri, 15 May 2015 18:46:36 +0000

If your firearm is very expensive (in the thousands) consider sending it Registered Mail. The insurance is substantially lower. The downside is that the shipment will be delayed 2-4 days for the extra handling involved (logging at every change in custody) – basically ignore the dates shown in the postal system. If you use Registered Mail, note that all the seams need to be covered in PAPER tape. The normal clear “plastic” tape will not accept the red ink that the PO uses to stamp seams.

By: Herman Harke

Herman Harke — Fri, 15 May 2015 18:39:58 +0000

Liability of shippers/carriers is controlled by the Carmack Amendment of 1906 to the Interstate Commerce Act which “makes carriers liable for the full actual loss, damage, or injury*** caused by them to property they transport and declares unlawful and void any contract, regulation or tariff, or other means of limiting liability. ”

The statute codifies that a carrier is liable for damage to goods transported UNLESS it can show the damage was cause by one of the following exceptions allowed by law:

a. the act of God,
b. public enemy
c. the act of the shipper himself
d. Public Authority
e. the inherent vice or nature of the goods.

Those are the ONLY exceptions for the carrier. Since they cannot show any of those they are on the hook.

By the way, this was specifically upheld the US Supreme Court ruling in Missouri Pacific Railroad vs. Elmore & Stahl, (1964).. The above comments were taken from the Supreme Court decision.

Take a copy of the supreme court decision with you to small claims court to give the judge.

I am in a case right now with FEDEX and they refused to go look at the broken stock and said I did not prove they damaged it because ‘they did not have to go inspect the damage’. They are also trying to state the only claim is with the Mail Box I used and not me. The Supreme Court contradicts that bogus arguement.

They are going to end up in court

By: tenring

tenring — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:24:17 +0000

I am selling my collection of Sako rifles. Last year, sent a pair of L57 .243’s; one to Maine, the other to VA by USPS insured. Both arrived with broken stocks. The USPS initially denied the claims because I am not a “licensee”. They reversed direction when I quoted the BATF regulation. But then they wanted: The original Postal receipts; photos of the guns; statements from the receipients; appraisal for each and I had to bring the firearms with packing to a Post Office for inspection. The postmaster completed a form and sent it to the claims office in St. Louis. I sent the guns in cardboard rifle boxes (painted the outsides) with rolled newspaper for packing. It took four months to settle as they asked for some items multiple times. They paid full insured value and kept the guns. Be sure to read their regs before you do anything.

By: blake

blake — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:37:31 +0000

if you use the USPS and the gun is lost your in trouble only FFLs are allowed to ship through the USPS its on their site you also cant ship anything through the USPS thats NFA

EDITOR: Only part of the above is correct. With some exceptions, non-FFL holders MAY ship (non-NFA) long-guns via USPS. Registered mail is recommended. However, to ship a HANDGUN, the shipper must be a manufacturer or FFL-holder. A non-licensee should NEVER take a handgun in a box to a Post Office — you may end up in trouble.

Here are the rules on the USPS website: http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_009.htm

432.1 General

The following conditions apply:

Pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person (referred to as “handguns”) are nonmailable in the domestic mail, except as permitted in Exhibit 432.1 and DMM 601.11.1.

The disassembled parts of a handgun or other type of nonmailable firearm that can be readily reassembled as a weapon are nonmailable, except as permitted in Exhibit 432.1 and DMM 601.11.1 or 601.11.2.

Unloaded antique firearms sent as curios or museum pieces are generally permitted, as specified in Exhibit 432.1 and DMM 601.11.2.

Unloaded rifles and shotguns may be mailed if the mailer fully complies with the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Public Law 90—618) and
18 U.S.C. 921. 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 in 432.1b and c.

By: Gary Vander Meulen

Gary Vander Meulen — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:29:34 +0000

Great tips.
Thanks