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What is the official word on mailing a pistol in state?

letusbuyyourcar

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Soi finally found e a deal on a Jimenez 9 mm . Stop laughing! But it's back up in Perry and I don't feel like driving back up there any time soon to get it. So my question here is can one gun owner mail a pistol to another individual without shipping town FFL? Down here the shops charge $30.00 and up for a transfer. And there ain't many that will do it at all. So can I just have it mailed to me and avoid all that? Or do I have to drive another 170 miles each way to claim my ghetto gun?
 
According to the ATF, instate transfers can be shipped without an FFL.

18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]


A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his 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 and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]
Fed EX will ship. Cannot use USPS
 
Soi finally found e a deal on a Jimenez 9 mm . Stop laughing! But it's back up in Perry and I don't feel like driving back up there any time soon to get it. So my question here is can one gun owner mail a pistol to another individual without shipping town FFL? Down here the shops charge $30.00 and up for a transfer. And there ain't many that will do it at all. So can I just have it mailed to me and avoid all that? Or do I have to drive another 170 miles each way to claim my ghetto gun?

Legal in GA. However, not legal for the individual to mail USPS. Common Carriers have strict policies on shipping firearms, especially handguns.

According to the ATF, instate transfers can be shipped without an FFL.

18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]


A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his 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 and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]
Fed EX will ship. Cannot use USPS

FedEx and UPS CAN ship, but they likely won't. Generally speaking they will only mail to FFL holders only. It might not be "against the law" but the person at the counter or the manager on duty has the ultimate say. IIRC, I think both require Next Day or 2-Day shipping for pistols, so you're talking a minimum of $25-40 even in-state.

I researched into this last year when I had a pistol for sale on here. In the long run, it was cheaper for me to drop it off at my FFL and have it mailed to the guy's FFL, which was his preference anyway. Same with rifles; usually my preferred FFL can keep the price just about right or low enough to not fool with having to do it myself. I shipped an pre-98 antique Mosin Nagant to a C&R holder last year. Pain in the ass to pack that thing.

So, yes, it can be done in this State, but for handguns it's generally not worth the effort unless you did it on the "down low", and I don't recommend that.
 
I'll add: pre-1898 is treated differently, because legally, those aren't firearms. Even a pre-1898 pistol can be mailed USPS because legally speaking, it is not a pistol. Same category as mailing black powder firearms and pellet guns, at least in most states.

Of course, if we lived in New Jersey, we'd have to fill out a 4473 to purchase a Daisy Red Ryder. Generally, NJ residents wanting air rifles end up driving to PA from what I've read.
 
I deal with this regularly and the answers above are correct. You may legally ship a handgun to a non licensee within the same state. You must use a common carrier, not the USPS. You will have to go to a hub, not a UPS Store etc and, as mentioned, regardless of the law, their policies will take precedent. And their policies mean whatever the schlub at the counter thinks at the moment.
 
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