So, I have to ship a gun back to the manufacturer for warranty work. They said send it UPS or FedEx. Which one is LEAST likely to steal or loose my gun, and LEAST likely to have incompetent employess who are going to hassle me about shipping a gun to the manufacturer without going thru an FFL? Also, are they going to mandate the outrageously priced Next Day service, or will I be able to use something like 2 day air saver type.

Is it a long gun or pistol?

If a long gun you can ship USPS as priority mail and insured.

If a pistol I would go with FedEx, you will have to go to the nearest hub and ship from there. The local box store won't touch it.

If using FedEx all you can do is ask for the cheapest way, which will depend on the employee you talk to. I think I was able to use 2 day using FedEx once. The rest of the time was FedEx standard overnight.

It has been a while since I shipped a handgun though.

YMMV

bob

Yes, pistol, going back to OEM.

I much prefer Fed Ex I feel overall they are better, quicker, more professional.
Heck in my area here, they just arrested a UPS driver for stealing stuff. Not one or two things but 100"s, worth thousands of dollars. Guns, Rolexs etc. Then they arrested his wife for sell it on e bay and places. My question is, how many missed deliveries does it take before they say Hmmmm something wrong in this guys route?? I would think two maybe three before they nailed him. The packages are tracked every step??

If the gun is under warranty you can't whine and demand they pickup the cost of shipping?

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Still Running Against the Wind

Fedex has 2(3?) options for overnight delivery. One is before noon, I believe, the other just same day. Big diff in price. I'd go with the cheaper of the two.

Ooops..warranty work they should send a shipping label to you.

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Sure you did

They're not calling it a warranty or recall issue, it's an "upgrade". There is only supposedly a +/- 1% chance my gun could have the possible manufacturing defect, but being OCD about my guns I want to get it done. It's also a 7 year old gun, with an unknown (I don't keep track) round count. I may call CS back and tell them I'm getting the run around from shippers and request (insist) a call tag anyways.

The cheapest I could find on fedex shipping a handgun was about $55 one way. This cuts out all handgun shipping for me for any factory work, just not worth it.

stay away from fedex they toss it down an run , least ups have u sign for it , i dont trust fedex on home delivery

Have shipped several handguns ups and have had no problems, the clerks at the hub seem to know what they are doing also.

UPS does the very same thing. Have had it happen multiple times.

I've used both w/o major crises, but the VERY high-end pistol mfr. I deal with uses FedEx. That's recommendation enough for me.

I have used Second Day Air w/o difficulty.

Not always.
I had a Reg Mag set down on my deck by UPS, and he left!
ALWAYS require a signature.

I have had one gun stolen by UPS, and one by FedEx.

Generally speaking, they both are good/bad.

Hope this helps.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I heard a rumor that UPS and Fed Ex were merging...they will be called Fed Up! (o;

Both are a rip off when it comes to shipping handguns, but in this area, UPS is the safest and most reliable of the two. I know the drivers and they have yet to leave anything unattended on the porch that required a signature. Fedex has done that to me twice and their delivery times are very erratic. I can almost set my watch by the UPS truck. USPS is the hands down best, and the cheapest, but requires both shipper and recipient to be FFLs to legally mail a handgun. Non FFLs may ship a long gun via USPS but still requires the recipient to be an FFL if it is being shipped out of state. I've shipped only via USPS ever since UPS and Fedex went to the overnight ripoff and never had a single problem.

I had Fed Ex break the stock on a 1976 vintage Ruger 77 rifle in .250 Savage. It was a gorgeous piece of wood, and the buyer was none too happy! It was well packaged, and of course Fed Ex said it wasn't packaged properly, their standard answer to get out of paying a claim!

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ken
SWCA #1959

I do not agree with that at all. If it is know it is a firearm, both require a adult signature.

S&W has switched from UPS to Fed EX. In the last month or so, I have had 3 guns shipped to my home by S&W via Fed EX and each time required my signature. Even has a label on the box stating such.

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Still Running Against the Wind

UPS has changed the rules. You can now save a few bucks with 2nd day air.
I don't know about Fed Ex.

I had UPS do the same thing with a Model 96 Swedish Mauser. Thankfully it only cracked it at the wrist.

The sorting machines they use at the hubs sometimes have a sharp turn and the long gun box gets stuck in the turn, then along comes all the other boxes and they pile up behind it. Eventually something has to give and it is usually the stock of the rifle causing the jam.

bob

I shipped my kel-tec via UPS and the lady didn't even know her on rules. She let me ship it using normal 7 day shipping and insured it for $350. It got there safe and sound and hopefully wasn't used in a UPS hijacking crime.

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Don't look, reload and shoot!

Actually, it's more like they are changing the name from UPS (United Parcel Service) to something more fitting:

UPS, which stands for "Ur Parcel's Smashed"

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The Last Standing Knight

Well, I was going to try UPS, just because their hub is closer to my house than FedEX. I went in to get boxes and asked the desk clerk how much it would cost to ship a handgun. He says I have to bring the gun in UNBOXED with a "hard case" (which I'll have to buy, since all I have is the old tupperware style box) because they have to "check it" and then box it up. I don't like that idea at all! I was going to triple box and super tape it to keep the thieving employees out of it. I guess I'll try FedEx. I'm also none to pleased with the cost ($45), and will have to get them to send out a warranty call tag.

Can't you just take it to your local FFL gunshop guy? They can mail it USPS priority mail.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I tried, he said it would "cheaper" for me to send it myself, since it was going to a manufacturer. I'm thinking not.

If your dealer told you it would be cheaper for you to do it then he either ships by UPS/FedEx or he's just too lazy to ship it for you through USPS.
I have a great dealer that takes care of most of my shipping needs.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

This would be my guess, 50/50 combo of shiping service and general laziness. I see the UPS and FedEx trucks at his place regularly. I doubt he (or one of his employees) wants to stand in line at the Post Office when he has someone who comes to his door. It is peculiar in that I had this shop ship a gun to another dealer about 9-10 months ago and it was only like $20. I may have to go back and talk with another one of the owners. I'm going to call the manufacturer back tommorrow and ask for a LE service rep to hopefully get some better customer service and a call tag.

Go to the post office get a box, or you can even have them sent to your home online(free) and get a flat rate shipping box, probably medium costs $10 to ship. Bring it to the shop and hand him the box and $10. How tough can that be?( for the gun shop, not you)

Got to be more than one dealer in town. Did you buy guns and stuff there??

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Still Running Against the Wind

I have shipped and received well over 1500 guns. USPS Priority Mail is the cheapest; but their insurance rates are out-of-whack, about 1.5% of the stated value. Having never had a loss, I started a year ago only insuring for about 60% of the value. By now, I am ahead of the game and doing better each time. The Delivery Confirmation they now have for 75 cents (I think) is quite a bargain. It is not true daily tracking, but proves to the Buyer that I shipped it and proves to me that he received it...both on the Internet.

On the subject of tracking, why are some people obsessed with having the Tracking Number? If it gets there on the stated date, as mine always do, what difference does it make where it is each night along the way?

My primary wholesaler ships handguns by UPS with two-day delivery and it costs me $4.86 everytime...hard to beat.

Have never had a loss by UPS or FedEx. Once, a week before Christmas, I ordered a S&W 1911Sc from a wholesaler in Connecticut. I received it 23 hours later in rural Colorado with 6" of snow on the ground and more falling...with the UPS driver 20 miles from his depot. It's hard to imagine how many "handoffs" had to be crisply made for that to happen. But it did cost me $53.

What a sickening feeling, having to hand your gun to some hood rat working the counter at FedEx and HAVING to tell them its a gun in the box. I only went with FedEx because UPS wanted me to bring the gun in UNBOXED so they could "inspect" it. Yeah, right. NOT!! I will not rest easy until I call tommorrow and get assurance it has safely arrived. Oh, yeah $52 bucks shipping, and I'll bet a get major hassle with the insurance claim if one of their employees does boost it.

Shipping isn't a happy experience anymore. My dealer ships for me through the USPS but if I can't do it that way then my next choice is FedX and last choice is UPS. UPS has been gracious enough to all but destroy a couple things I shipped and the USPS has tried a time or so themselves. On guns that can't be easily replaced or that have sentimental value, I just won't ship them. If possible I deliver them myself and pick them up when finished. (usually not possible though)

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Not really wanting to do this, I finally said to myself, it's just a nothing special "G Perfection"???. If it's lost/stolen, no biggy, I can run down to the local pusher and get another just like it tommorrow. It would just morally bother me to no end that one of MY guns ended up in the hands of some street gremlin or goblin. That and I'm sure it will be no end of hassle to get them to pay off an insurance claim.

I cringe at the thought of any of my guns in the hands of someone that is going to use it in a crime. Bad enough if stolen but even worse to find out what was done with it.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I have shipped and received hundreds of guns by USPS, FedEx, UPS, and a few by DHL...have never had a loss other than once when the deliveryman left the package with a neighbor when I was gone and they failed to tell me it arrived...and I got it, albeit a month later.