# Mailing Firearms



## benfish909 (Aug 22, 2013)

Hello everyone. I am trying to ship my shotgun back to Mossberg after the barrel blew up on me last year. Their customer service is no help, post office didnt know the forms I need to fill out, and FedEx wants $150 to send it. Does anyone have experience with mailing a firearm back to the manufacturer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

There's no "special paperwork". I sent an over/under back to Winchester with a cracked forearm. I used UPS and just flat out shipped it. Your not shipping gun powder...


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Minnowhead said:


> There's no "special paperwork". I sent an over/under back to Winchester with a cracked forearm. I used UPS and just flat out shipped it. Your not shipping gun powder...


And you aren't selling the gun so...


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## nate44 (Jan 9, 2012)

Best to send it through an ffl dealer if it's the complete gun. Barrel only ok for mail


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## chrisrf815 (Jul 6, 2014)

Just go buy a Remington 870 and problem solved!


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## beaver (Sep 28, 2010)

Take the bolt out and send it separately, or not at all if they don't need it.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

FFL??? Guys, if you don't know, please don't advise. You can inadvertently make the matter worse.

FedEx wants $150 because their policy is to overnight it. Thats just their rule.

Pack it well. Make sure its unloaded. Make sure you are sending it to the right address.

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-nonlicensee-ship-firearm-through-us-postal-service

A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.

Heres another link with a bunch of info:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Support/SupportFAQView.aspx?FAQID=1118&NoCount=1


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

ahh, when I buy a gun from an auction service... they always send it 2nd day fed x. paid as little as 20 bucks and the most I think was 40 or 50 bucks for three rifles. I sent a PPK/S back to Walther, they paid the shipping, but, I just put it in a box and dropped it off at the local Fed X service. (which I think was Office Max) Neither the pistol I sent in, nor the handguns and rifles I got from the auction service, there was no label identifying that there was a firearm inside the box.


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## pintail13 (Jul 1, 2012)

As long as the shipper or receiver has a FFL no special paperwork is needed. As stated above ship in a unmarked box and packed securely and you won't have a problem.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Ya just ship it unmarked, unloaded, and well packaged. Fed ex will ship it two day for probably around 30 dollars. Some good info above except going through FFL. You have no reason to involve an FFL on a warranty issue. If it is new the manufacturer should email you a postage paid slip you attach to the package.


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## nate44 (Jan 9, 2012)

What I meant by ffl
The gun dealer/store I deal with is more than happy to send/mail handguns for me
Sorry for misleading someone
Hate to see someone do something and get busted trying to just mail a gun etccc...


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

You can mail handguns without a magazine to the manufacturer for repairs via federal express without dealing with an FFL


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

make sure it's unloaded!


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

That's ridiculous 150 to ship a gun. Aren't they around 250-275 new? I would call a gun shop and ask what they recommend.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Why did the barrel blow up? Can a reputable gunsmith do the job or is it under warranty. Sounds kind of iffy to even want to use that dang shotgun again


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## OrangeMilk (Oct 13, 2012)

IF it is under warranty I would not ship anything without a shipping label from Mossberg.

You need to hassle the hell out of them for the label and to get your service ticket into their system. If you just ship them a gun with no other information and no record in their system you may never see it again, they may just pitch it.

If it IS UNDER WARANTY they WILL send a Shipping label.


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## lastv8 (Oct 11, 2004)

you can send USPS, make sure you tell them its not a transfer., but you must have a FFL to ship handguns.
https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2011/pb22321/html/updt_001.htm


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## lastv8 (Oct 11, 2004)

read 12.2 C. best to print that page out before you go to the post office. trust me on that, most of them there don't know what they are talking about. asking for a supervisor helps also.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I tried shipping a M1 Carbine through the mail at the buyers request(had a copy of his receiving FFL in hand) and the guy at the counter looked at me like I was nuts, he went back and talked to his Supervisor who came back and said the gun would have to be completely disassembled, I told them Thanks but No Thanks and took it 5 minutes down the road to UPS and shipped it without issue, shipping a long gun should be roughly $25 because even UPS requires a signature and all that now, I agree if the gun is still under warranty then Mossberg should be helping you, I sent a Remington 700VLS back to Remington maybe 15yrs ago for some work then needed done on the crown and they sent me a label, didn't require a FFL since the gun was mine and going back to Remington for warranty, maybe its changed since then.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

The only thing that has changed is how you can acquire the shipping label. The label can now be emailed to you and that saves a ton of time.


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## jamesbalog (Jul 6, 2011)

Go to good ole usps and ship it priority mail.

and unless fedex's policies have changed the gun should not need to be sent over night. 

Last gun i shipped via fedex was a high end trap gun in a very heavy Americase with 10k in insurance attached to it... The gun was sent to the west coast and the cost was right around $70


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