USPS long gun shipping discretion

smith17

smith17

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I approached my postmistress today about what hoops I had to jump through, paperwork-wise, if I decide to ship a legal rifle or shotgun to an individual. I even printed out their regs outlining what was allowed by USPS and highlighted the pertinent sections.
I was the only one in the place. She just looked at me and handed the regs back to me without looking at them and said she had 35 years on the job and wasn't going to jeopardize them by shipping a gun for me. I politely said it was perfectly allowable per their regs as well as ATF regs. " Not in my post office."


Just wondering if the person in charge at these offices has the discretion to make such a decision. Anyone had this situation?
She also told me I couldn't ship knives but that is another story.
 
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Sounds like a nut to me. I'd report her. If no satisfaction from the USPS, try your congressperson. (They have staff to help constituents.)

Local post office managers have no business making up their own postal regulations.

(I shipped a rifle to myself from Ohio to Colorado some years ago via USPS. Nobody batted an eye.)
 
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smith17 said:
Just wondering if the person in charge at these offices has the discretion to make such a decision.
Click to expand...


The regs you printed are from "The Domestic Mail Manual". That's just what it is- a MANUAL of how to mail the mail. She is BOUND by it. Period.


smith17 said:
said she had 35 years on the job and wasn't going to jeopardize them by shipping a gun for me.
Click to expand...
IMO, she is jeopardizing her job by refusing to perform by The DMM.
 
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Your question has been answered - no, she can't. I would press the issue with her superiors, BUT...

With that said, if it were me, I would probably use another post office. Force her to do her job, and she sounds like the type that might take it personal. You know, packages get "lost" or damaged all the time. Maybe she will want to make sure it's unloaded after you leave, and not reseal the box properly, stuff like that. Just thinking out loud.....

Larry
 
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If it crosses state lines a FFL is necessary on the receiving end. Contact USPS Customer Service, also ask for her boss, the Manager of Postal Operations. She is costing the USPS revenue. There is no telling what else she is doing wrong.
 
Two at my PO freaked out when I was shipping a rifle stock, one even stating that he did not understand gun terminology. Finally, the postmaster came out, and quickly agreed with me, that it was just a piece of wood.
Surprised that your postal worker didn't point at the "gun with a slash across it" sign that all post offices have.
 
Maybe 15 years ago I sold an AR15 to a cop up North. I mailed it to his FFL. Cost him just short of $100 extra. If’n you aren’t an 01 FFL use another shipper. Joe
 
If you are mailing a long gun to yourself out of state, no FFL is needed.

432 Mailability | Postal Explorer See 432.3(b)

432.3 Rifles and Shotguns

Except under 431.2, unloaded rifles and shotguns are mailable. Mailers must comply with the rules and regulations under 27 CFR, Part 478, 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 rifle or shotgun is unloaded and not ineligible for mailing. The following conditions also apply:
Subject to state, territory, or district regulations, rifles and shotguns may be mailed without restriction when intended for delivery within the same state of mailing. These items must:

Bear a “Return Service Requested” endorsement.
Be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

A rifle or shotgun owned by a non-FFL may be mailed outside the owner‘s state of residence by the owner to himself or herself, in care of another person in the other state where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. These mailpieces must:

Be addressed to the owner.
Include the “in the care of” endorsement immediately preceding the name of the applicable temporary custodian.
Be opened by the rifle or shotgun owner only.
Be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.
Mailing of rifles and shotguns between licensed FFL dealers, manufacturers, or importers are not restricted. The Postal Service recommends that these items be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

Rifles and shotguns may be mailed by a non-FFL owner domestically to a FFL dealer, manufacturer, or importer in any state. These items must be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

Except as described in 432.3a, licensed curio and relic collectors may mail firearms meeting the definition of curios or relics under 27 CFR 478.11 domestically to licensed FFL curio and relic collectors in any state. These items must be mailed using a class of mail, product, or Extra Service that provides tracking and signature capture at delivery.

Firearms meeting the definition of a rifle or shotgun under 431.4 which are certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum, which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest, may be accepted for mailing without restriction when mailed between governmental museums.

Air guns (see 431.6) that do not fall within the definition of firearms under 431.1a are mailable. A shipment containing an air gun with a muzzle velocity of 400 or more feet per second (fps) must include an adult signature service under DMM 503.8. Mailers must additionally comply with all applicable state and local regulations.
 
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I had a Postal clerk refuse to ship a rifle for me one time. I told her I was well within the laws and I wanted to see the Postmaster. Of course he was on lunch, but I was making a point, so I waited.

Once he got in front of me, he started agreeing with the lady! I told him to go look it up, while I wait here. He came back and was carrying a form for me to fill out! I told him to go look again, and where to look, because I had googled it while I was waiting.

It took me over an hour, but they did ship it, and agreed that they were in the wrong. He was the Postmaster! They don't all know their jobs, or the regs. Help 'em out. Save the next guy some trouble.

Best of luck. Dealing with stubborn "know it alls" is hard work.
 
crstrode said:
This statement is completely false and equally irresponsible.
Click to expand...

No it is not. He inquired about about shipping to an individual.

“ if I decide to ship a legal rifle or shotgun to an individual.”


Read the DMM yourself and interpret it correctly and thoroughly read a post before you call someone out.
 
ColbyBruce said:
No it is not. He inquired about about shipping to an individual.

“ if I decide to ship a legal rifle or shotgun to an individual.”


Read the DMM yourself and interpret it correctly and thoroughly read a post before you call someone out.
Click to expand...

Perhaps some of you can easily send out a firearm as an individual via all shipping means, but some states require that all gun transactions, including rifles and shotguns, must be handled by a FFL, including intrastate transactions. No way that anyone can legally send a firearm to an individual here in NY. Neither can I sell any gun to a fellow NYer without going through my local FFL.
 
Camster you are correct regarding state laws but the discussion is about USPS regulations and the ignorance of certain employees.
 
I wonder why the OP even told the mail clerk that there was a rifle in the box. Was he obliged to tell her by some reg??

When shipping by UPS (and maybe FedEx) you have to be specific about what's in the box. If you fudge and say "sporting equipment" and the box gets lost, you might have a problem recovering.
 
Back in the 1950s there was a sporting goods co. in Chicago (Klien's) that advertised Remington rolling block single shot rifles, battlefield pick ups from Mexico, for $7.95 and for an extra dollar you could get two rifles. My buddy and I scraped up the funds and sent off for two rifles. Sure enought , in about 2 weeks here comes my postal carrier with two rifles. They were unwrapped and the postage was pasted on the stocks and both rifle were COCKED AND LOADED ! I kid you not !! The ammo was long ago correded in the chambers so probably would not have fired if the triggers were pulled, but the USPO had no problems with them !! I think times have changed ! Ed
 
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