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May 9th, 2019
 Gun guys are always shipping stuff around the country — whether it’s a barrel to be chambered, or a scope that needs to go back for warranty repair. Or maybe you’ve sold some bullets or reloading dies you no longer need. To ensure your precious packages get to their destination in one piece, it’s important to take precautions when boxing up your items. And by all means insure packages for full value — even if your packaging is perfect, there is always the possibility that your shipment might be lost altogether. Sadly, that can happen, no matter which carrier you choose: Fedex, UPS, or the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Here are some tips for shipping gun stuff — we explain how to pack items properly and how to minimize the risk of loss.
Tips for Shippers
Dennis Haffner from McGowen Precision Barrels offers some advice on how to avoid damage when shipping gun parts or other valuable or heavy items. Dennis explains:
 “First, I started double-packing the contents and in many cases double-boxing. I spend a fortune on heavy-reinforced shipping tape. If the contents are loosely packed, the package is going to get crushed. On real important items or delicate items, wrap the content in plastic and spray the inside void areas with non-expanding foam. They make shipping foam just for this. This method really works. Since I started paying more attention to packaging, I have just about wiped out my issues with all three companies (Fedex, UPS, USPS). Yes, I hate doing it, but in the long run for us, it’s cheaper.
Bullet shipments are the worst — a shipment of 500+ bullets can destroy a cardboard box. I have ordered bullets from individuals who put them in baggies and filled the remainder of the box with foam peanuts. That is not going to work. Any piece of metal, including a die, will puncture a cardboard box, or destroy a padded envelope. Just look at the tracking information and imagine your package bouncing around in the back of the shipping truck, probably under many other packages. My advice is to NEVER use padded envelopes. Barrel nuts or recoil lugs will most likely never make it.
ORM-D items are required to be shipped in heavily-reinforced, double-walled containers. The packages still get a little damage, but the contents usually survive.
 How do shipments get damaged? Consider this — one of the shipping companies this year flipped (overturned) one of our new CNC machines (which rendered it useless). Maybe your small packages were in the same delivery truck as my CNC machine. I wonder how many little boxes were crushed underneath it.
As for USPS flat rate boxes — you would not believe what people try to stuff in these boxes. USPS finally put a weight limit on the boxes — they had to. I sometimes take my delicate items packed in an envelope or small box. I spray foam in a larger flat rate box and insert the smaller package, then fill the remainder of the void with foam. It works, and part usually arrives undamaged.”
Shipping Rifle Barrels (PVC Tube and Tennis Ball Method)
A new match-grade barrel can cost $350 or more, and it might take six months (or more) to replace it, given the current wait time with top barrel-makers. So, you don’t want your nice new tube to get damaged in transit. Forum Member Chuck L. (aka “M-61″) offers these tips for shipping rifle barrels:
 “Packing a barrel can be a problem. Here’s a shipping method that won’t stop lost shipments but so far has stopped damage. Get a PVC pipe (of size appropriate to your barrel) with fitted caps for each end. Attach a cap to one end. Tape the barrel threads and tape over the muzzle. Then drop one standard tennis ball into the pipe. Place barrel in pipe. Next add whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in to support the barrel on the sides. Then place a second tennis ball into the opposite end of the PVC pipe. (So now you have a tennis ball on either end of your barrel.) With everything secure inside, attach the upper cap and tape it down securely. With this packing procedure, when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin, at least the barrel will not come through like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe with very large address labels so no one suspects it’s just garbage laying around. This procedure may seem ridiculous but it has worked for me. Oh and definitely get insurance. If your item is insured, the shippers will look harder to find it.”
Editor’s Note: Fedex also makes a triangular-profile cardboard shipping box. This 38″ x 6″ x 6″ x 6″ Fedex Tube (designed for blueprints and posters) is free for the asking. For most barrels, there should be enough clearance to hold your PVC tube (with barrel packed inside tube). However, don’t ship the barrel inside the cardboard box by itself. Cap and pad the ends and bubble wrap it heavily, or better yet, use the PVC tube method described above, with the PVC tube inside the box.
For More Packing and Shipping Advice, Read this Forum Thread.
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April 28th, 2018
The administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared war on the firearms industry with a campaign that some believe amounts to State-supported blackmail. Major New York State government agencies have pressured financial and insurance companies who do business with producers of firearms, ammunition, and related products. Both the N.Y. Department of Financial Services and the N.Y. State Controller’s office have tried to compel banks and insurers to abandon the gun/firearms industry. The messages sent to banks and insurers were not subtle.
According to the New York Daily News, “Gov. Cuomo’s administration is urging banks and insurance companies in New York to reconsider any ties they have to the gun industry”. Two powerful New York State agencies have been involved so far…
First State Controller Thomas DiNapoli, director of New York’s State Pension Fund, issued letters to credit card companies “urging them to crack down on gun purchases” according to the N.Y. Daily News. “If gun violence continues unabated in society, public outcry and calls for action may grow and create significant financial risk for the company,” DiNapoli wrote.
This was followed by threatening letters from N.Y. Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo. In her official capacity, Vullo wrote that her agency “urges all insurance companies and banks doing business in New York to join the companies that have already discontinued their arrangements with the NRA, the gun industry, or other promoters of guns, and to take prompt actions to manage these risks and promote public health and safety”.
 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association President Tom King stated that Superintendent Vullo’s communication was a “veiled threat” that could be viewed as “extortion”.
Thankfully, some gun industry leaders have taken notice of New York’s actions and are standing firm in opposition to New York’s attempt to threaten banks and insurers. This message was posted by Hornady yesterday on its Facebook page:
Who does Gov. Andrew Cuomo think he is, telling New York banks and insurers to blackball the gun and ammo industry?
Steve Hornady, President of Hornady Manufacturing, responded:
The State of New York did one of the most despicable acts ever perpetrated by any state by asking New York banks, financial institutions and insurance companies to stop doing business with the gun and ammo industry. While it may not make a difference to New York, Hornady will not knowingly allow our ammunition to be sold to the Government of the State of New York or any N.Y. agencies. Their actions are a blatant and disgusting abuse of office and we won’t be associated with a government that acts like that. They should be ashamed.
COMMENT: These New York officials seem to forget that the firearms industry provides essential products for law enforcement and the military, as well as civilians. Who will arm our police if the firearms industry is shut down or bankrupted? And these New York officials forget how firearms are used for self-defense by tens of millions of Americans. This is yet another example of an extreme, radical anti-gun agenda that now infects even the highest levels of government in New York State.
What Do YOU Think of New York’s Attack on the Gun Industry
What’s your view of these actions by New York state agencies? Ask yourself, how would the mainstream media react if New York’s state officials attacked other key industries? What is the best response to this anti-gun activism by Gov. Cuomo’s administration in New York?
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April 1st, 2017
After you’ve become an NRA Life member what’s next? Well now you can extend your NRA membership into the afterlife, the great beyond. For just five thousand bucks, you can now show your commitment to the Second Amendment for all eternity. The NRA has announced that it will, for the first time ever, offer Perpetual Memberships so you can enjoy being an NRA member from your grave. The new “After-Life” Perpetual Membership confers many benefits, including continuing insurance on firearms in ones estate, NRA-branded headstones (see above), and perpetual magazine subscriptions to a surviving spouse or designated beneficiary. In addition, upon the passing of an After-Life Member, the NRA will donate $100.00 to the NRA program of his/her choice.
How to Become an NRA Member Forever
The NRA After-Life Perpetual Membership has been introduced by the NRA as the request of many current NRA Life members who want a permanent, perpetual affiliation with the NRA. A step-up from the $1500 Life Membership, the new After-Life Membership normally costs $7500.00, but this month the After-Life Membership costs just $5000.00. As a special Promotion in connection with the 146th Annual NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Atlanta, Georgia (April 27-30), the new After-Life Membership will discounted 33% for the entire month of April, 2017. For a mere $5000.00 (after discount) the NRA After-Life Membership secures an individual’s support for the Second Amendment throughout eternity.
Help Defend the Second Amendment in the Future
Many celebrities, business leaders, and avid shooters have NRA Life Memberships. Until today, that was longest-duration NRA membership available. Now, with the introduction of the After-Life Perpetual Membership, current Life Members can secure their affiliation with the nation’s leading gun rights organization for all time, in perpetuity. When you think about it, $5000.00 is a small price to pay for the assurance that you will continue to support freedom and the Second Amendment long after you’re gone.
All NRA After-Life Perpetual Members will receive a handsome yet somber yellow-on-black sweatshirt.
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October 15th, 2015
Gun guys are always shipping stuff around the country — whether it’s a barrel to be chambered, or a scope that needs to go back for warranty repair. Or maybe you’ve sold some bullets or reloading dies you no longer need. To ensure your precious packages get to their destination in one piece, it’s important to take precautions when boxing up your items. And by all means insure packages for full value — even if your packaging is perfect, there is always the possibility that your shipment might be lost altogether. Sadly, that can happen, no matter which carrier you choose: Fedex, UPS, or the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Here are some tips for shipping gun stuff — we explain how to pack items properly and how to minimize the risk of loss.
Tips for Shippers
Dennis Haffner from McGowen Precision Barrels offers some advice on how to avoid damage when shipping gun parts or other valuable or heavy items. Dennis explains:
“First, I started double-packing the contents and in many cases double-boxing. I spend a fortune on heavy-reinforced shipping tape. If the contents are loosely packed, the package is going to get crushed. On real important items or delicate items, wrap the content in plastic and spray the inside void areas with non-expanding foam. They make shipping foam just for this. This method really works. Since I started paying more attention to packaging, I have just about wiped out my issues with all three companies (Fedex, UPS, USPS). Yes, I hate doing it, but in the long run for us, it’s cheaper.
Bullet shipments are the worst — a shipment of 500+ bullets can destroy a cardboard box. I have ordered bullets from individuals who put them in baggies and filled the remainder of the box with foam peanuts. That is not going to work. Any piece of metal, including a die, will puncture a cardboard box, or destroy a padded envelope. Just look at the tracking information and imagine your package bouncing around in the back of the shipping truck, probably under many other packages. My advice is to NEVER use padded envelopes. Barrel nuts or recoil lugs will most likely never make it.
ORM-D items are required to be shipped in heavily-reinforced, double-walled containers. The packages still get a little damage, but the contents usually survive.
How do shipments get damaged? Consider this — one of the shipping companies this year flipped (overturned) one of our new CNC machines (which rendered it useless). Maybe your small packages were in the same delivery truck as my CNC machine. I wonder how many little boxes were crushed underneath it.
As for USPS flat rate boxes — you would not believe what people try to stuff in these boxes. USPS finally put a weight limit on the boxes — they had to. I sometimes take my delicate items packed in an envelope or small box. I spray foam in a larger flat rate box and insert the smaller package, then fill the remainder of the void with foam. It works, and part usually arrives undamaged.”
Shipping Rifle Barrels (PVC Tube and Tennis Ball Method)
A new match-grade barrel can cost $350 or more, and it might take six months (or more) to replace it, given the current wait time with top barrel-makers. So, you don’t want your nice new tube to get damaged in transit. Forum Member Chuck L. (aka “M-61″) offers these tips for shipping rifle barrels:
“Packing a barrel can be a problem. Here’s a shipping method that won’t stop lost shipments but so far has stopped damage. Get a PVC pipe (of size appropriate to your barrel) with fitted caps for each end. Attach a cap to one end. Tape the barrel threads and tape over the muzzle. Then drop one standard tennis ball into the pipe. Place barrel in pipe. Next add whatever peanuts or foam you can jam in to support the barrel on the sides. Then place a second tennis ball into the opposite end of the PVC pipe. (So now you have a tennis ball on either end of your barrel.) With everything secure inside, attach the upper cap and tape it down securely. With this packing procedure, when the carrier launches the pipe like a javelin, at least the barrel will not come through like a spear and be gone. Label the pipe with very large address labels so no one suspects it’s just garbage laying around. This procedure may seem ridiculous but it has worked for me. Oh and definitely get insurance. If your item is insured, the shippers will look harder to find it.”
Editor’s Note: Fedex also makes a triangular-profile cardboard shipping box. This 38″ x 6″ x 6″ x 6″ Fedex Tube (designed for blueprints and posters) is free for the asking. For most barrels, there should be enough clearance to hold your PVC tube (with barrel packed inside tube). However, don’t ship the barrel inside the cardboard box by itself. Cap and pad the ends and bubble wrap it heavily, or better yet, use the PVC tube method described above, with the PVC tube inside the box.
For More Packing and Shipping Advice, Read this Forum Thread.
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June 13th, 2013
Are you an NRA member? Think you have $2500 ArmsCare insurance coverage for your firearms, as a benefit of membership? Well there’s a catch. If you fail to ACTIVATE your NRA insurance, your claim will almost certainly be rejected if you suffer a loss. The NRA insurance webpage states:
“As a benefit provided by the National Rifle Association, [members] are automatically eligible for $2,500 ArmsCare Firearm Insurance. This firearms coverage … must be activated to take effect.”
 Many NRA members are not aware of the activation requirement. That’s not surprising, as there’s no mention of this in many NRA membership solicitations. While the activation clause is disclosed in printed materials mailed to members, we bet that a large percentage of NRA members are not aware that their NRA insurance is essentially useless until “activated”. Just signing up for an NRA membership (and paying the dues) is not enough. You must activate the insurance or your claims can be rejected. Even if you have been a dues-paying NRA member for decades, you need to activate your insurance.
NRA Members CLICK HERE to Activate Your Insurance
This is the real deal. Forum members (with current, active NRA memberships) have had 2013 gun loss claims rejected because they had not “activated” their NRA insurance. Don’t suffer the same fate. If you are an NRA member, you should activate your ArmsCare insurance right now. Don’t delay. Your NRA ArmsCare insurance won’t become effective until you activate it!
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March 29th, 2012
 If you have a firearms collection, you need an inventory of the guns, with serial numbers, photos, and detailed descriptions. This is important for insurance and law enforcement purposes. If your firearms are ever stolen or destroyed in a fire or other natural disaster you need a complete inventory if you expect to get a proper insurance payout. There is nothing wrong with writing down descriptions of your guns in a “hard-copy” notebook or ledger. However, many gun owners don’t bother to take photos of their firearms, making it difficult to claim full value during loss. Additionally, ledgers are easy to misplace, and, in the event of a fire, your “hard copy” gun inventory may go up in smoke.
JHSTech.com has created Gun Inventory, a handy $0.99 smart-phone App that makes it easy to create a detailed inventory of all your firearms, complete with photos. Gun Inventory works with iPhones, iPods, iPads and all iOS devices (no Android version yet). Using this App, in a few minutes you can inventory all your guns, complete with photos taken with your iPhone’s camera. The app allows you to fill in details such as Make, Model, Serial Number, Finish, Barrel Length, and any other info that can help identify your firearms. After the info is saved, your guns are organized into a easily-navigated list, that you’ll have with you when you leave home. Need an inventory print-out? Just email the list from your iPhone or iPad to any web-mail address.
How Secure Is Your List on a Phone?
In reviewing this product, we initially thought: “It’s a really BAD IDEA to carry around a list of your guns on a cell phone”. If a bad guy accesses your iPhone gun list, he learns you are a prime target for theft, and, unfortunately, your home address can be easily traced from your cell number. But the creators of the Gun Inventory App have given some thought to security. First, the App has an optional password protected login screen. By all means, if you use this App, use the password protection! (We wish the log-in screen did not say “Gun Inventory” — that’s enough to tell thieves that you’re a gun owner. The App developers should create a “stealth” entry screen with a title such as “Baby Pictures”.) Second, if you lose your phone, you can delete your gun list using the remote wiping features that come on iOS devices. The Gun Inventory App can be purchased for just $0.99 through the iTunes App Store.
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March 27th, 2010
No matter how you feel about the new Health Care Reform Act, there is at least ONE aspect of the legislation that should please you, thanks to the Gun Owners of America (GOA). Here’s the deal — at the insistent request of the GOA, a special provision was added to the health care reform bill that expressly FORBIDs any “wellness program” (public or private) from collecting (or distributing) any information about gun ownership. Why is this important? If such information was collected, health care providers could pass on the information to insurers who might then charge gun-owners higher rates based on perceived “unhealthy lifestyles” or higher risk factors.
In addition to the ban on information collection, the GOA, through the efforts of Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, added a second critical protection to the new legislation. According to the Slate Blog, the GOA “won another provision forbidding private insurers participating in the bill’s exchanges from charging higher premiums, or denying coverage, or denying wellness discounts on the basis of gun ownership.” The “exchanges” mean the state-level insurance pools from which citizens may purchase health insurance if they are not currently covered.
Will this make a difference? You bet. One web reader, commenting on the Slate story, explained: “I’ve worked as a consultant to insurance companies and I can promise you they [the insurance companies] will not only use that data to charge you and your family more for insurance (dangerous activities), but then also pool their data and sell their data to any company or government agency that has the cash to pay the price. Is that what you wanted from health care?”
Obviously there are many other controversial issues associated with the new Health Care Reform Act. However, thanks to the GOA and Nevada Senator Harry Reid, at least firearm owners can take some comfort that health care providers and insurers will NOT be asking questions about our guns, and using the answers to raise our rates… or worse.
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September 5th, 2009
Brownell’s offers a financial and insurance services package designed expressly for gunsmiths, gunshops, and small-to-medium-sized firearms businesses. The program, “Brownells Business Advantage” (BBA), offers reduced-rate credit card processing, property/liability insurance, and discounted UPS shipping. With card processing rates as low as 1.38%, the BBA program could save a gunsmith hundreds of dollars a year. For example, we’ve found that most other credit card processsing services charge 2.2-2.5% per transaction. A 1% card processing fee reduction will save you $10 on every $1000.00 of customer spending.
Brownell’s business partner for credit card processing and Visa business cards is the First National Bank of Omaha. The Joseph Chiarello Company and AIG will provide property & liability insurance created specifically for companies in firearms-related businesses.
Initial membership in the Brownells Business Advantage is $50 with a $25 annual renewal fee.
CLICK HERE for VIDEO Explaining BBA Benefits
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June 23rd, 2009
 The NRA has released the latest edition of the Club Connection, a publication aimed at helping shooting club managers run their programs more effectively. This issue of the Club Connection, available as a free, downloadable .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) file, has many useful articles. Highlights include:
– Answers to Common Club Range Liability Insurance Questions.
– An NRA-endorsed Credit Card program that can reduce processing fees by 30%.
– Guide to the NRA/Winchester Marksmanship Qualification Program.
– Explanation of how to apply for the NRA Range Grant Program which offers qualifying clubs up to $5000.00 per year in direct funding.
– NRA Business Alliance programs (Fedex shipping etc.).
If you are involved in running a shooting club or gun range, you should definitely download the Club Connection. The information in this issue could save your clubs hundreds of dollars annually, and improve your insurance coverage for club members and guest.
This report courtesy the NRA Blog. Forum member Tim B. notes that: “I just wanted to brag a little. That fine-looking young man on the cover of the Club Connection online magazine is my son Carl. PHoto taken last year at the Camp Perry Junior Pistol Camp.”
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March 21st, 2009
Brownell’s offers a financial and insurance services package designed expressly for gunsmiths, gunshops, and small-to-medium-sized firearms businesses. The program leverages Brownell’s business relationships to provide more affordable services for smaller companies. Brownells Business Advantage (BBA), provides reduced-rate credit card processing, property/liability insurance, and discounted UPS 2-day and Next day shipping. With card processing rates as low as 1.38%, the BBA program could save a gunsmith hundreds of dollars a year. Most other credit card processsing services charge 2.2-2.8% per transaction. A 1% card processing fee reduction will save you $10 on every $1000.00 of customer spending. Brownell’s business partner for credit card processing and Visa business cards is the First National Bank of Omaha.
$50.00 to Join, Plus $25.00 per year
Initial membership in the Brownells Business Advantage costs $50 with a $25 annual renewal fee. Questions? Send email to BBA [at] brownells.com or call Jo Ann at 641-623-5401 Ext. 5447.
CLICK HERE for VIDEO Explaining BBA Benefits
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