[Jake Salyards]

I have a question about this. I openly admit that I ask this question out of ignorance, I am not advocating an answer of any kind. I am asking because I don't know. As I understand it pistols and revolvers need to be shipped overnight to help avoid their theft. I don't like this too much as we all have to pay for the extra fees. I think a better solution would be for the pistol to just be shipped in a rifle box that can't be easily tucked under a jacket. Here is my question - Everyone is telling me that this is the law. I was under the impression that these are internal policies of shipping companies. Is there a LAW that says we have to do this? Is it illegal to ship a gun in any way other than overnight? I do ship next day air for pistols because if one gets stolen I want to be on the up and up so I can get compensated for it. I don't want to call the police and have to explain that first of all I lied on a form and then the gun got stolen. Bad place for my credibility to start. Anyway, can someone more knowledgeable than me, and that list should be long indeed, answer this question for me? Thank you. Jake Salyards

 

[John Lawson]

It is not the law; it is individual company policy. If you ship UPS or FedEx you will ship by air, with no options at UPS and a couple at FedEx.
You can still ship your handgun by Greyhound bus, however. If it ever does get to you, the dents, dings, smashes and beating from flopping around loose in the cargo area will probably remind you that shipping by air is the best we have available to us.
If you have an FFl and the person you are shipping to has an FFL, and you both go to your local postmaster and fill out the required form, wait for approval and enclose the form in your package, you can send it via US mail...however, some local postmasters may decide to confiscate your "illegal shipment." You will have to go to the postal inspectors, convince them the transaction was legal, then go to the postmaster and convince him. Perhaps you will someday get your pistol back, but probably not shipped. Even quoting the Postal Manual will not convince some of these adamant dunderheads. Then, on the other hand, your shipment may go directly through without a hitch. I've had it happen both ways. My, it's terrible to be "trafficking in HANDGUNS", isn't it?