If I sell a handgun

[R.H. Lee]

can I ship it directly to an FFL for transfer to the buyer or do I have to have an FFL ship it to another FFL? I'm gonna sell my BHP.

 

[cuervo]

You can Fed-Ex or UPS directly to the FFL. You can't use US Mail.

The above two will require overnight.

The FFL will want a photocopy of your driver's license enclosed with the pistol.

 

[Preacherman]

Some states require that out-of-state shipments be made from an FFL to an FFL. You might want to check this out with your local DA or gun shop.

 

[carebear]

How much ya selling it for?

 

[R.H. Lee]

OK thanks. I'll research it on the CA DOJ website and post pics and a price in the Buy Sell Trade Handguns section over the weekend.

 

[Cortland]

The FFL will want a photocopy of your driver's license enclosed with the pistol.

Never heard that one before.

Note that if you actually tell the UPS/FedEx shipping clerk it's a handgun (which you're required to do by law) they'll generally make you ship it in the most expensive manner possible. I find that it's often cheaper to pay an FFL to ship the handgun for you since they can use USPS Priority Mail.

 

[Fumbler]

I find that it's often cheaper to pay an FFL to ship the handgun for you since they can use USPS Priority Mail.

I didn't know this.
I thought USPS wouldn't ship ANY firearm from ANYBODY.
I thought the only reason it was cheap for an FFL to do it (excluding their fees to you) was because they get better rates for being a frequent user/business.

 

[ExMachina]

Cortland's right about the USPS and FFL to FFL transfers.

Preacherman's point about state-to-state variability in the regualtions is unfortunately also true--I learned *that* one the hard way

 

[Cortland]

I thought USPS wouldn't ship ANY firearm from ANYBODY.

USPS will ship long guns from anybody, but only handguns from FFLs.

 

[cuervo]

The FFL will want a photocopy of your driver's license enclosed with the pistol.

Never heard that one before.

In the past few purchases and sales I've done, the receiving FFL wanted the sender to enclose information about himself. Doesn't the FFL have to record from whom he received a firearm in his bound book? If nothing was included, he wouldn't be able to comply with this requirement.

The last pistol I sold and shipped, the FFL also wanted a written and signed statement saying I was the seller and it was okay for him to transfer the pistol. I'm sure the dealers are just doing things to cover themselves from the increasing number of interpretations of the rules they have to follow.

I didn't notice the original question was from Ca. It's not surprising that they allow only dealer-to-dealer sales even the the feds don't require it.

 

[R.H. Lee]

OK, I couldn't find the rule on the CA DOJ website, so I sent them a question:
"If I wish to sell a handgun to an out of state buyer, can I ship the handgun FedEx or UPS directly to the out of state FFL, or must I have the handgun shipped by a CA FFL to the out of state FFL?"

We'll see what they say.

 

[wasrjoe]

USPS will ship long guns from anybody, but only handguns from FFLs.

Just to reinforce this, I have shipped two rifles via USPS. I was 19 at the time and did not (obviously) have an FFL.

 

[R.H. Lee]

OK I just got a call from CA DOJ, and I can send directly to an FFL in another state without having to go thru an FFL in CA. All I need to do is call the receiving FFL to ensure the handgun is legal in the receiving state.

 

[sharpie613]

I imagine you bit your tongue and said thanks rather than saying "If it's legal here, it's legal almost everywhere else, you moron!"


In January, I walked into a UPS Dist. center with a handgun in a sealed box, packed ready to go and found a nice looking lady and said "In this box, I have an unloaded handgun for shipment to an out-of-state dealer. Can you help me complete this process?" The nice lady didn't bat an eye and I was out of there in five minutes. It did cost me about 50 bucks to send it, but it was in VA the next morning before I woke up.

I was VERY careful about how I phrased my request.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I imagine you bit your tongue and said thanks rather than saying "If it's legal here, it's legal almost everywhere else, you moron!"

heh. Yeah, I did. What's funnier is in the example he gave he used Montana, saying that if it weren't legal there, the FFL couldn't return it to me.

 

[RCL]

You may also want to check with the receiving state. I don't believe a dealer in New York State can except a handgun from a private party, it has to come from an FFL.

 

[MoeMentum]

Its legal to come from a private party, but...some FFL dealers will only except transfers from other FFL dealers, check with your buyer first, make sure his FFL will do it from a private party, if not, he will have to find an FFL that will .

 

[CB900F]

Riley;

I don't know about where you are, but in many states, if it's an in-state sale, all you have to do is collect the money & hand over the gun.

900F

 

[5Wire]

Here's what UPS has on its website:

Transportation of Handguns

Shipping Handguns

Terms and Conditions of Service

I've done it several times but it is cheaper through your favorite FFL.