dogtown tom
Member
You are in good company, I did the same thing fifteen years ago.
You broke no law, your UPS Store broke no law. But if lost, damaged or stolen UPS is not liable because you violated their tariff (terms of service). That clerk can't alter UPS tariffs.
It's not difficult to commit a federal crime. Simply choosing USPS over FedEx or UPS may result in a felony. The TV commercials by USPS.... "If it fits, it ships"... don't help.
Not a month goes by that I don't get at least one handgun stuffed in a USPS Priority Mail box mailed to me by a nonlicensee.......that's a violation of federal law. If caught, that seller will never possess a firearm again. Shipping ammunition with a firearm? Not through USPS, you have to use UPS Ground or FedEx Ground. Forgot to slap the appropriate DOT label on the box? You violate federal law.
Firearms are a serious business, with serious consequences. Because your father/neighbor/coworker or some counter monkey said its fine is not going to be a defense for violating the law. A well known manufacturer used to recommend returning handguns to them via USPS.....causing the sender to commit a felony.
A couple of months ago a customer contacted me about gifting a handgun to his daughter who lives in another state and was back in Texas visiting. After explaining there is no family exemption, that the pistol must be shipped to an FFL in her state he decided not to give it to her. Fast forward to this Tuesday.....he mentions that he retrieved an AR from a cousin that lives in another state. At some point in the past he loaned/gave/gifted/sold an AR to his out of state cousin. Handed it straight to him.
Since I had told him the legalities of an interstate transfer he GOES AND TAKES IT BACK from the out of state relative. He committed two federal felonies. First by transferring a gun to a resident of another state, the second when he reacquired that gun from a resident of another state. Whether he "owned" the gun is immaterial.
While not perfect, the FAQ's at https://www.atf.gov/questions-and-answers/firearms-qas are a must read for every gun owner. Note that there are mistakes (ATF knows), but 99% of the answers are correct.
So, which FAQ answer is flat out wrong? The one on "May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier?"https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-nonlicensee-ship-firearm-common-or-contract-carrier . It says that notification to the carrier is required. It's not. Only when shipping interstate to another nonlicensee is notification required....and thats because such a shipment is illegal in the first place.
