Shipping a frame and slide to be coated

[Zmego]

I am thinking about having my frame and slide sent out to be coated. I have done extensive research on the best way to go about shipping these items and most answers seem more like educated opinions rather than actual fact.

Please keep in mind I will be shipping parts of my pistol like the frame, slide and barrel to be coated. However, I will not be including the grip and trigger components so the parts would not be able to be "readily assembled" into a working gun.

Is there a way to ship a pistol frame to and FFL for coating that doesn't involve UPS/FedEx one or two day air?

Thanks and sorry if this has been asked 1000's times already

[kmca]

Yes. Have your FFL ship it for you.

[Loves2Shoot]

Anytime you ship the frame, the ATF considers it a pistol, and you need to use a common carrier next day or a FFL to ship it USPS to obey the law. They care not if it is working or not, only if the package includes a frame.

[djcantr]

I have seen no regulations that require next day, or one or two day air when shipping handguns through a common carrier. I suspect it may be the policy of some of the common carriers to require that.

You can read about the regulations in the link below. It's title 18 chapter 44 section 922 and various sections within 922. The text below the link is copy and pasted from the ATF FAQ.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title18/pdf/USCODE-2011-title18-partI-chap44.pdf

Q: 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 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]

EDIT: I can't copy and paste from the section 922 document but below is the 27 CFR 478.30 and 478.31 referenced.

§478.30 Out-of-State disposition of firearms by nonlicensees.

No nonlicensee shall transfer, sell, trade, give, transport, or deliver any firearm to any other nonlicensee, who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not reside in (or if the person is a corporation or other business entity, does not maintain a place of business in) the State in which the transferor resides: Provided, That the provisions of this section:

(a) shall not apply to the transfer, transportation, or delivery of a firearm made to carry out a bequest of a firearm to, or any acquisition by intestate succession of a firearm by, a person who is permitted to acquire or possess a firearm under the laws of the State of his residence; and

(b ) shall not apply to the loan or rental of a firearm to any person for temporary use for lawful sporting purposes.

[T.D. ATF-313, 56 FR 32508, July 17, 1991; 57 FR 1205, Jan. 10, 1992]

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§478.31 Delivery by common or contract carrier.

(a) No person shall knowingly deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce to any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped: Provided, That any passenger who owns or legally possesses a firearm or ammunition being transported aboard any common or contract carrier for movement with the passenger in interstate or foreign commerce may deliver said firearm or ammunition into the custody of the pilot, captain, conductor or operator of such common or contract carrier for the duration of that trip without violating any provision of this part.

(b ) No common or contract carrier shall require or cause any label, tag, or other written notice to be placed on the outside of any package, luggage, or other container indicating that such package, luggage, or other container contains a firearm.

© No common or contract carrier shall transport or deliver in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm or ammunition with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that the shipment, transportation, or receipt thereof would be in violation of any provision of this part: Provided, however, That the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply in respect to the transportation of firearms or ammunition in in-bond shipment under Customs laws and regulations.

(d) No common or contract carrier shall knowingly deliver in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm without obtaining written acknowledgement of receipt from the recipient of the package or other container in which there is a firearm: Provided, That this paragraph shall not apply with respect to the return of a firearm to a passenger who places firearms in the carrier's custody for the duration of the trip.

[33 FR 18555, Dec. 14, 1968. Redesignated at 40 FR 16385, Apr. 15, 1975, and amended by T.D. ATF-354, 59 FR 7112, Feb. 14, 1994; T.D. ATF-361, 60 FR 10786, Feb. 27, 1995]

Edited March 25, 2014 by djcantr

[Loves2Shoot]

djcanter, both UPS and FedEx require next day shipping unless you have an agreement with them (ie. you do a ton of shipping with them.)

[Fireant]

It is not the ATF that requires it to go next day, it is the carrier that does. I see Loves2Shoot beat me to it.

[djcantr]

djcanter, both UPS and FedEx require next day shipping unless you have an agreement with them (ie. you do a ton of shipping with them.)

It makes sense for them to require it as it cuts down on the amount of time they have it in their possession and steps they may have to take to comply with the regulations. I shipped a pistol recently to a licensee. I didn't go to a common carrier hub but a local contract shipper. I asked if they accepted firearms shipments, disclosed I was shipping one and they let me ship it and didn't require next day. Due to the distance it was going it did get there the next day, but I didn't have to pay extra for that. Now I'm wondering if the contractor was uneducated on the common carrier's policies and had it been lost or damaged if I would have trouble using the insurance I paid extra for.

[Loves2Shoot]

They can't treat it differently than any other package by law as far as marking the package. I've been told it has more to do with the security of how they process next day versus ground shipments. If you have a local common carrier that will make a shipment, they can make their own rules.

[bountyhunter]

Anytime you ship the frame, the ATF considers it a pistol, and you need to use a common carrier next day or a FFL to ship it USPS to obey the law.

+1

The "need" to use overnight air or next day air with Fed Ex or UPS is strictly their own policy, not law, but that's what they require. Some people lie about the contents and ship via UPS/Fed Ex using a cheaper grade but the problem is that if it's lost or stolen, you won't collect the insured cost if you lied about the contents.

Only a holder of an FFL can ship via USPS, so it's often cheaper to use one because it saves a lot of $$$ on shipping cost compred to UPS/Fed Ex which are like $80 out here.

[bountyhunter]

I have seen no regulations that require next day, or one or two day air when shipping handguns through a common carrier. I suspect it may be the policy of some of the common carriers to require that.

That's exactly right. I went up the food chain here and asked the UPS guy why they require overnight and he told me very honestly: they don't trust the min wage monkeys who work there and want to reduce the time in their possession so they have less chance to steal it.