Interesting observation. Cabela's and bullets.com both charge $20.00 hazmat fees. Most of the other vendors are charging $28.50. Guess they are skimming us for an additional $8.50, or is there an explanation for the difference I don't know about?

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Lost in Penn's Woods

I think they are just trying to make extra.

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John

They may have NEGOTIATED a reduced rate with their shipper.

e.g. Amazon.com seems to pay a lower rate than I would have to pay.

Bekeart

I believe that if the vendor has an employee who has attended and been certified in a Hazmat handling approved class, they can charge the lower $20 rate. Assuming the cost of the certification is why most vendors don't do this.

Added profit (period). The question is how much more will the buying public pay? Long, long ago in a distant galaxy the hazmat fee was $5.00 per order whether it came in one shipping box or five.

Got a tax refund and blew it on powder and primers, $14 powder per # and $65 primers per 5 M. Those were the days.

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S&WHF 366

What are the restrictions for an individual to ship powder? I found some powder in my BIL's city that will let me pay over the phone. I would like to have him pick up a bunch over the next month and then send it to me.

Last I heard, only FedEx ground will take a declared shipment of powder and you have to take some sort of expensive online class with them first and also pay hazmat fees on each shipment. UPS won't take it and neither will the USPS. This may not be completely accurate.

Realistically individual can't ship powder.

Just do not tell anyone and ship it. How will they know what is in the box? Is there something I should know or am I just dishonest?

If for some reason the package got damaged, you'd be caught.
Not sure what they could do to you, but it's probably not worth it.

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John

That's probably worst advice on this board. USPS lists powder as "Prohibited" for shipping; and from USPS general guideline:
The knowing deposit of such matter in the mail is a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment, and/or other penalty.

USPS is not UPS, Federal government vs. private for profit corporation.

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S&WHF 366

Does anyone know where the Hazmat fees goes? I always assumed it was some sort of "tax" that the vendor did not keep.

I expect the day will come when UPS and other shippers start installing "sniffers" in their depots. When that happens if what you noted to be in the contents turns out to be something completely different you'll probably get a visit from either the ATF, FBI, or DEA. I would also expect there would be some Federal Felony charges to deal with.

As for why I think this will happen, it's pretty simple. Criminals are currently shipping all kinds of nastiness and in the interest of National Security I expect we will see some Laws passed requiring "sniffers" and Felony charges for content violations.

As for what kinds of nastiness is probably being shipped right now. First, just about any legal or illegal drug you can think of. Second, chemicals and compounds that can be used to make bombs or explosives. Third, chemicals and compounds that can be used to make poison's from Sarin to Mustard Gas. One thing about the Net is that it disseminates information to a wide audience and that information can be either good or bad.

I apologize if I misled someone and I agree that was a poor statement to make.I was not saying I would do it. I was just saying you might not get caught. I have not ever been in trouble with the law. Actually I have only had 1 speeding ticket that's all. I myself would not take the chance. All I am saying is I bet it has been done.

That makes a big difference. I might have to look into it.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Haz-Mat fees are not a tax. The government gets no part of them. They are a fee that is charged by the shipping company (NOT the shipper) to cover the extra paperwork and handling precautions. The shipping company is free to charge whatever they want or nothing at all. They are extra profit but for the trucking company and no one else.

A little off topic but useful info. If you order powder from Bass Pro they will deliver to the store of your choice for you to pick up in person. No shipping charge (maybe a $50 or $75 min purchase) or Hazmet fee. I happened to catch some Bullseye on their website and ordered 3 pounds, paid for powder only. In about 3 days they emailed me it had arrived. Needless to say I was quite pleased.

If you don't declare hazmat, it might get shipped by air. They sometimes do that when there is extra room on the plane or if the ground system is backed up for weather or a hundred other reasons.
If it gets discovered, whether or not it caused an incident or accident, you will certainly be arrested, and have to spend a lot more on a lawyer than the hazmat fees.
By the way, all the carriers have some methods of screening packages that they do not disclose to the public.
Don't do it. Don't even think about it. Don't suggest it in print.

Yes, I am a retired UPS pilot.

A somewhat local dealer told me yesterday the fee is set to increase to $32.50 in May.

The first time I ever had primers shipped to me was in the early 1980's. The hazmat fee was $5. Talk about inflation.

The same as everything else, except the value of money!

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

I'd be interested in why the fee even exists. It comes on the same truck, with the same driver as all my other orders. I don't see him exercising any particular degree of care in delivery vs a pack of underwear from Amazon.

Can anyone document where powder or primers were involved in a hazmat incident? Probably never, but we get charged for it anyway.

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Lost in Penn's Woods

Of couse they can't because they paid a Haz Mat Fee the the product was treated with great care

The Haz Mat fee is a EPA thing, The Companies selling the powder or primers do not make anything on it, It is imposed on the shipping companies. In theory the materials are supposed to be packed better but most of it is paper work.

Ever wonder whay Federal Primers are in bigger boxes with more space sperating each primer (no you haven't) but it is because they are more sensitive and can go bang easy and set of a chain reaction.

The whole EPA thing is here for your reading enjoyment,

Laws and Regulations | US Environmental Protection Agency

This is the fine print.

U.S.C. Title 49 - TRANSPORTATION

There are many many items that fall under this act. My favorite is frozen Bull Semen. Yes you read that right!

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Still Running Against the Wind

Do you have actual documentation of that? I really doubt that the sensitivity differences we see in primers would extend to the shipping containers. More likely, the machinery that produces Federal primers lays them out a pattern requiring a certain size box for efficient packaging.

UPS has SEVERAL different price lists depending on how much volume you ship. You would be SURPRISED how they charge consumers or small vendors to make up their discounted rates to the big boys.

All you have to do is look things up rather than criticizing or doubting things.

From Federal.

"Federal uses only basic lead styphnate. All other manufacturers use normal lead styphnate. The difference between the two forms is the pH (basic vs. neutral) at which the crystals are formed, the molecular makeup, and final crystal morph".

"It is true that the Federal packaging is for DOT compliance. Specifically it is for the DOT-6C burn test compliance. All primer manufacturers use package spacing to comply with DOT sympathetic detonation requirements. Federal primers are known for being the best igniters in the industry. This is because they produce the highest level of hot particulate with the lowest gaseous overpressure, at the slowest rate.

Sincerely,
Federal Communications Team "

Just like a case of CCI primers in APS strips can be packaged in a box proabably 1/3 the size of a case of Winchesters. Each primer is contained in a seperate holding "cell" on the APS strip. Much safer when actually loading on a RCBS progressive than putting primers tuching each other in a long tube. Heck even the LEE safety prime and Rhichard Lee warned about Federal primers. The safety prime only lets primers touch side to side not the anvils touching.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Much like S&W gets a corporate rate on shipping. I doubt if they'd be so eager to pay shipping both ways if it were to cost them the 75-100+ that we would be charged. They also are apparently exempt from the overnight shipping requirement.

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Sure you did

I have been recently hired at the new Bass Pro in
Atlantic City and saw the customer pickup dept
in the rear of the store. I always wanted to order and
pickup at one but the closest to me then was in Harrisburg PA
I believe free shipping is on orders totaling at least 50.00
could never see paying 28.00 shipping on a pound that cost
25.00 some stores charged an additional shipping charge on top of that
now I can get mine before I leave work .