FYI - Westfield Post Office Will Not Ship

[kludge]

So I dropped by the Westfield PO to ship my rifle out for rebarreling, I mention that I am shipping a firearm and it took her about five seconds to register and recover from what I an saying... obviously this has never happened to her before... then after the clerk looks up the rules in the big book and asks me all her questions, are you a licenced dealer?, - no that is only required to ship a handgun, this is not a handgun - is it unloaded?, etc., then she asked me if I have a certificate... what for? I ask - she wanted a form stating that is unloaded and what not. No, I say. She goes back to her book, and then she tell me to hold on for a minute...

Comes back and says her Postmaster will not allow me to ship a rifle without being a licensed dealer.

So, I went to Carmel. Didn't bat an eye, asked me if it was unloaded, I paid my bill and left.

So I guess I get to write a letter to my local Postmaster.

 

[JohnP82]

They just have to make everything so hard! Thanks for sharing and hope you do write that letter

 

[451_Detonics]

You need to file an official complaint. The post office does not have the ability to interpret the law but instead they have to follow it. Period.

 

[indybrad]

I've shipped plenty of guns through my PO with out a problem. They don't ask, and I don't tell.

 

[jwglock]

You need to file an official complaint. The post office does not have the ability to interpret the law but instead they have to follow it. Period.

Exactly!!! They work for us! Just a small case of how we must hold the government accountable.

 

[muncie1]

Govt like any bureaucracy -- If you keep asking the question you will eventually get the answer you want!

 

[Que]

It's amazing how people try to play super-citizen. The rifle was unloaded and being shipped, so what was the issue?

 

[mrw]

I shipped a shotgun to myself in Texas for a hunting trip from Westfideld PO. I did bring a copy of the regs with me though.

 

[dave29]

My local post office told me that they won't ship a firearm regardless if you are a dealer or not.

 

[Scarnucci]

I've shipped plenty of guns through my PO with out a problem. They don't ask, and I don't tell.

While this echos my initial reaction to the OP, I wonder how the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would come into play if you wanted the package insured.

If your firearm went missing and you didnt follow all the Post Office's rules regarding shipping a firearm, are you just S.O.L.?

Not that I have any distrust for the fine employees at the PO, but I tend to insure anything of value I send into their system.

 

[Hiram2005]

I lived in the Westfield area since 1974 , now live in Sheridan. I always felt the PM at Westfield was anti-gun. I have always had several magazine subscriptions. A lot of gun magazines and truck magazines(4WOR, OFF ROAD, 4 Wheeler etc). My gun mags would usually never show up or if they did, they were pretty much destroyed,torn dirty. My copy of Gun Digest and Shotgun News, several times would be almost torn in half. Guess what? All the truck mags showed up in fine shape. I complained several times and was always told that mags were bulk rate and being destroyed was to be expected. I finally went to Cicero and got a PO box just for my magazines, problem solved. Stil have the Cicero Post Office box today.

 

[MrsGungho]

While this echos my initial reaction to the OP, I wonder how the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would come into play if you wanted the package insured.

If your firearm went missing and you didnt follow all the Post Office's rules regarding shipping a firearm, are you just S.O.L.?

Not that I have any distrust for the fine employees at the PO, but I tend to insure anything of value I send into their system.

I print all my postage online. Saves having to talk to them at the counter.
Garfield Park PO is cool about it though. The Postal Service has a new policy for FFL's shipping handguns, they gave me the letter sent to them along with a couple of the forms and asked me to read it and next time I come in explain it to them.

 

[Scarnucci]

I just read the USPS Firearm Shipping regs...wow, what a PITA.

It gets to be depressing when you think of how big, bloated, bureaucratic and out of touch our government has become.

I'm so ready for someone to hit the ******* reset button on this thing.

 

[Hiram2005]

I just read the USPS Firearm Shipping regs...wow, what a PITA.

It gets to be depressing when you think of how big, bloated, bureaucratic and out of touch our government has become.

I'm so ready for someone to hit the ******* reset button on this thing.

Hopefully that will begin in November!

 

[kludge]

I wrote my letter, and I'm including a copy of the regs - highlighted - from the USPS website itself.

This postmaster apparently is very new. The USPS website shows that he was installed in 01/2010.

Oh, and evey single magazine and catalog I get is folded in half and creased down the middle. It's my current pet peeve.

 

[zoglog]

I work at the postal hub at the airport. Some of the forklift drivers should never ever have been allowed on them. When they go to unstack the pallets of the magazines any on top get completely destroyed.

We usually dont get any for the Indy area and their answers for destroying the magazines are along the lines of I dont live in blah blah blah. Too bad they shouldnt try to take pride in their work!!

 

[Michiana]

Fishers PO does a good job with handgun shippments

My local post office told me that they won't ship a firearm regardless if you are a dealer or not.

When I first starting going to the Fishers PO with handgun shipments I got a lot of heat, especially from a couple female clerks telling me "YOU can't ship a gun." I gave them the correct form filled out which they never saw before and asked me what they should do with it, but I was nice. Once I showed them the postal regulations it started getting smoother but I had one clerk who kept asking me if the gun was "taken apart" which I replied no and it is not required. Unless I happen to get a "newbe" shipments sail thru, zero problems. As everyone knows only FFL's can ship a handgun throught the PO and it has to go to another FFL so the folks in the PO do not run across this very often. Just have to educate them. On occasion I try to use UPS but they are at least twice as much as Priority Mail. Funny thing is I get handguns shipped to me from Sports South in LA for less than $5; something is wrong when an individual gets quoted up to $80 to ship one themselves.

 

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

I quit using the PO for shipping anything. A few years ago I refinished a 10/22 for a guy in Ohio. Insured it and everything. The USPS lost it. However after a few weeks they did make good on the insurance. The USPS will/should ship rifles and shotguns from unlicensed people. They must be a dealer to ship handguns. I know a lot of guys do it but what happend when the gun comes up lost. They will not make good on the insurance because it will be considered an "undeliverable item". FYI.

 

[Michiana]

I think this is a universal problem

I quit using the PO for shipping anything. A few years ago I refinished a 10/22 for a guy in Ohio. Insured it and everything. The USPS lost it. However after a few weeks they did make good on the insurance. The USPS will/should ship rifles and shotguns from unlicensed people. They must be a dealer to ship handguns. I know a lot of guys do it but what happend when the gun comes up lost. They will not make good on the insurance because it will be considered an "undeliverable item". FYI.

I receive handguns thru UPS that shake in the box and extra mags have been banging against the gun surface for several days. I've had rifles delivered with the bolt handle sticking thru the box. It comes down to pixx pour packing by a few of the senders. I don't believe what some people call packing. The problems I see are coming from individuals with no common sense and also trying to save a buck after they collect the shipping cost from the buyers.

 

[sur+rifle]

S is it unloaded?, etc., then she asked me if I have a certificate... what for? I ask - she wanted a form stating that is unloaded and what not. No, I say. She goes back to her book, and then she tell me to hold on for a minute...

Comes back and says her Postmaster will not allow me to ship a rifle without being a licensed dealer.

The law allows for the post office to ask for a signed written statement that the firearm is unloaded. That is what was meant by a "certificate". I have been asked to do this before. They can also ask for you to open the package to show it is unloaded. These rules are exactly the same that you follow when transporting firearms on airplanes, etc.

However, the local postmaster is by law restricted from commenting on the legality of mailing the firearm. Once a statement that it is unloaded is provided, then they must ship it.

A couple weeks ago I visited one of the local gun shops to pick up a transferred handgun. After opening the box, she took out the handgun, dropped the mag and checked the chamber. I complimented her on her safe handling skills. She said that she had learned her lesson. Previously she had ordered a few police trade-in handguns for her shop. She had taken them out of their packages and placed them openly on the counter preparing to record the serial numbers for the paperwork. A customer asked to see one and in the conversation she racked the slide to demonstrate the action. You guessed it, a live round got ejected. So she was literally seconds away from handing a loaded gun to a customer who was inexperienced with firearms.

Net, I don't think it is unreasonable for a courier to either verify a firearm is empty before it is sent or, given that many clerks don't understand how firearms work, have a sender provide a statement that it unloaded thus prompting them to make sure it truly is.