doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com UPS Shipping of a Shotgun

I went into my local UPS store this afternoon to ship a Shotgun
to a dealer. The young lady tells me"We cant ship Shotguns".Just as I had feared they all seem to not know the rules. I explained to her that wasn't true and to call her supervisor. He came out
and looked at me like I was a terrorist and questioned me as to why ,where etc and I again explained sending long guns thru UPS was legal and I had done it many times. Finally he said he didnt know but OK.
I have looked on the UPS site for some clarification and couldnt find it. Can someone give me a link etc to tell me and them what the UPS policy is??

here is the link from the UPS site
http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/firearms.html

you can also use the USPS and its usually a bit cheaper (and better chances it will arrive in one piece)

If you ever use UPS again, take a cell phone with you and if they give your grief, call the UPS customer service center while you're at UPS and put your phone on loud speaker and let the operator recite UPS's policies for them all to hear that UPS does allow the shipment of shotguns!

Also ship by next day service and get insurance, don't use ground.

The information I have from UPS(3/1/2001) states that UPS accepts firearms from Daily Pickup Accounts and through UPS Customer Counters. Firearms are not accepted for shipment via UPS Letter Centers, UPS Sonic Air Best Flight service or international service. Firearms will not be accepted when presented at a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet or a UPS Commercial Counter. If your "local UPS store" is one of the latter, she was correct. JL

Just now:
Shipping Firearms

Special Procedures for Shipping Firearms

Use These UPS Services for Your Firearm Shipment
Firearms will be transported only between licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, and licensed collectors, as defined in the United States Gun Control Act of 1968, law enforcement agencies of the United States or of any department or agency thereof and law enforcement agencies of any state or department agency, or political subdivision thereof, and between persons not otherwise prohibited from shipping firearms by federal, state or local law and when such shipment complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws.


You must ship your packages that contain handguns with UPS Next Day Air Early A.M.®, UPS Next Day Air®, or UPS Next Day Air Saver® services
Your packages that contain firearms will not be accepted for shipment at UPS Drop Boxes, with UPS SonicAir® service, at locations of The UPS Store or any third-party retailer, or with international services.





Follow These Packing Requirements
Your packages that contain handguns must be separated from other packages being delivered to UPS
Ammunition cannot be included in your packages that contain firearms (including handguns)





About Documentation and Labeling
When you are shipping your package that contains a firearm with UPS, you must affix a UPS label requesting an adult signature upon delivery





Getting Your Firearm Shipment to UPS
You can only ship your package that contains a firearm from UPS daily pickup accounts and through UPS Customer Centers
When you are shipping a package that contains a handgun, you must verbally notify the UPS driver or UPS Customer Center clerk
You can use UPS daily pickup accounts to ship firearms, not including handguns, through UPS Internet Shipping, UPS On-Call PickupSM, and One-Time Pickup
Your packages that contain firearms will not be accepted for shipment at UPS Drop Boxes, with UPS SonicAir® service, at locations of The UPS Store or any third-party retailer, or with international services
See the terms and conditions in the UPS Tariff for shipping firearms





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The answers were not hard to find. I went to UPS Home page, typed "shipping firearms" into the search box and found the above. JL

Stallones,

As you can see from the link about the lady at the counter was absolutely correct. You cannot ship from a UPS Store.

You either have to have a daily pickup account or go to one of their central distribution places "Customer Centers" Usually one per region in a very out of the way place... You cannot go to one of the convenient "UPS Stores" with a gun...

Thats the rules. USPS is always best IMHO.

If the gun gets damaged you will have a very hard time collecting seeing as how your shipment violated UPS's stated policy. (Ask Steve A...)

I still don't understand why people still ship via UPS or FedEx. After these guys got their tails up on their shoulds, I started using USPS and have never had a problem with damaged packages either shipping or receiving which is more than I can say for the other two !! I no longer accept packages sent by them and tell my clients so. I have received to many damaged packages and a few losses due to their "Care ?" During an average mo. , I ship quite a few firearms and feel over the past 8 years or so there should have been at least one damaged/missing shipment ----- not so. Furthermore, even shipping via reg. mail, it is still cheaper & arrives in about the same amount of time. FWIW, Ken

" Your packages that contain firearms will not be accepted for shipment at UPS Drop Boxes, with UPS SonicAir® service, at locations of The UPS Store or any third-party retailer, or with international services."

The lady was correct as per their web site information that I copied above off their website. One more PC problem to deal with. It may be the high loss rate they assume will be incurred, the lack of knowledge of correct delivery for FFL items, or just a natural dislike of all things gun related by an ever increasing number of people, especially the younger, more liberal crowd.

Try to file a claim with UPS and you will find out that their insurance is a joke also. Always comes back as poor packaging or shippers fault. Even if it looks like King Kong crushed the package it is always shippers fault. Kind of like the certain pilots fault in all air crashes. Ship USPS and advoid the hassles. JMO

Thanks a lot guys. Now I think I know what to do. I will go USPS next time.

Galazan uses UPS!I guess companies get a discount and UPS picks up the packages! Bobby