Question on shipping a handgun

Welcome to ArizonaShooting.org!

Join today!

Register Log in
B

Buggydave

Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Messages
52
Location
Chandler
I am selling a handgun to a friend of mine who lives in North Carolina. Now I have always thought that I need to ship it through a FFL here in Az, to an FFL in N.C. But, a good friend of mine told me that I don't necessarily have to do that since it is a used gun from a friend to a friend, that I can just put the case in a box and send it UPS. Is he right? Neither of us care either way, except less fees just going through UPS but want to make sure. Thanks
 
You can send it directly using UPS or FedEx overnight/next day providing the receiving dealer will accept from a non-licensee. However, it may be cheaper to use a dealer to send it even with a transfer fee, because they can send it through the US Postal Service.
 
Bad news and good news.

Bad news: you can't ship it directly to your friend.
Good news: you don't have to ship it FFL to FFL. You just need to send it to FFL in North Carolina.

From the ATF website:

May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm or ammunition, prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm and requires obtaining written acknowledgement of receipt.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a)(5), 922(e) and (f); 27 CFR 478.30 and 478.31]
Click to expand...
 
Your friend is wrong. You cannot ship a firearm to another individual; it must go through a licensed FFL dealer. However, you can ship it to the FFL.

Go to www.shipmygun.com

Super easy, great prices. Just find an FFL near your friend to ship it to, and include a copy of your DL with the handgun, so the FFL knows who it came from for his record keeping.
 
[highlight=yellow]"But, a good friend of mine told me that I don't necessarily have to do that since it is a used gun from a friend to a friend, that I can just put the case in a box and send it UPS."[/highlight]


Your "good friend",... ain't,... unless you like being a felon.
 
Can anyone clarify - As I understand it, the above is correct. It must be received by a FFL if you are not the owner. However if you are the owner, it may be shipped directly to you.

i.e. If a friend/family member borrows a firearm from me here in AZ, travels to another state, then can ship it directly back to me, correct?
 
Matwell said:
Can anyone clarify - As I understand it, the above is correct. It must be received by a FFL if you are not the owner. However if you are the owner, it may be shipped directly to you.

i.e. If a friend/family member borrows a firearm from me here in AZ, travels to another state, then can ship it directly back to me, correct?
Click to expand...
Alas, that would make too much sense.
In that case, your friend/family member could send it to an FFL near you, or your friend/family member could have an FFL send it to you.
When going to/from a different state, an FFL will be involved.
 
The only time I've heard shipping a firearm direct to an individual is in the case of a manufacturer sending a long gun back after repairing or modifying. Not sure on pistols.
 
No one has addressed the possibility that the gun to be shipped is one that is legal to own in the state where it is being shipped to. I suspect North Carolina isn't like California but it might be a good idea to have your friend find out if the model is legal there before shipping it to an FFL. The FFL will likely know the answer and if it is a prohibited gun there and he receives is, he will likely be forced to at least ship it back. Of course, there could be a goofy law that says otherwise. Such as the gun being turned over to law enforcement. In any case, it is simple to ask the question unless you already know the answer.
 
TangoDown said:
The only time I've heard shipping a firearm direct to an individual is in the case of a manufacturer sending a long gun back after repairing or modifying. Not sure on pistols.
Click to expand...

If the gun has been sent to a licensed FFL for work they can send it directly back to you.
This goes with pistols also.
I have had a few pistols sent back to me after being worked on by a licensed FFL.
 
Ballistic Therapy said:
TangoDown said:
The only time I've heard shipping a firearm direct to an individual is in the case of a manufacturer sending a long gun back after repairing or modifying. Not sure on pistols.
Click to expand...

If the gun has been sent to a licensed FFL for work they can send it directly back to you.
This goes with pistols also.
I have had a few pistols sent back to me after being worked on by a licensed FFL.
Click to expand...

Or the manufacture.
 
FFL is involved in interstate sale/transfer of ownership of firearms. This means that within the state of AZ, I can sell and directly ship a gun to the buyer(ie we both live in AZ, both AZ residents, ships from and to an AZ address). If I sell out of state I must ship to an FFL. If no transfer is taking place, such as shipping a gun to yourself, or a repair that returns the firearm to the owner, etc no FFL is required.
 
OK, I have called a couple gun shops in the Chandler area, and only found one that will ship it for me and they want $100 to ship it! Any ideas?
 
Buggydave said:
OK, I have called a couple gun shops in the Chandler area, and only found one that will ship it for me and they want $100 to ship it! Any ideas?
Click to expand...

$100 is insane. As I stated before, go to www.shipmygun.com. It should be around $50-$60. Be sure the FFL you are shipping it to will accept a transfer from a private individual (they shouldn't have an issue with it, but you will need to include a copy of your drivers license in the box).

I have used shipmygun.com several times, it is incredibly easy.
 
Tim McBride said:
FFL is involved in interstate sale/transfer of ownership of firearms. This means that within the state of AZ, I can sell and directly ship a gun to the buyer(ie we both live in AZ, both AZ residents, ships from and to an AZ address). If I sell out of state I must ship to an FFL. If no transfer is taking place, such as shipping a gun to yourself, or a repair that returns the firearm to the owner, etc no FFL is required.
Click to expand...

That was my understanding, thanks.
 
Are you shipping a gun to a friend or receiving? If sending to an out of state friend, you can send to their FFL directly. Just give them a call ahead of time. If receiving, that's really expensive.
 
The FFL dealer he uses in his town only accepts from other FFL's. I called around local to me and only found 2 that are willing to ship for me and one said like $40 + $50 2 day air shipping, and other one said $35 + $50-60 2 day air!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top