What the heck?? USPS refused to ship rifle parts?

[m0par]

I just got back from the local post office (Kearney, NE) after having them refuse to ship a rifle barrel+stripped receiver since I wasn't a licensee.

The clerk told me (after discussing it with someone else in the back) that they have a new form that must be filled out in order to ship a firearm (http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps1508.pdf), and the form states it can only be used by a manufacturer or dealer, and that this change had just occurred within the last month.

A "new" form? The one on usps.com is dated 1994!

The postmaster wasn't there at the time, so all I could do was politely say that I think there is a misunderstanding, and leave.

Has USPS changed their policy, or was I just experiencing typical gov't bureaucracy along with poor training (I hadn't seen this lady at the customer service window before.)?

I certainly didn't see any new regs at usps.com.

 

[hso]

A receiver is considered a gun (stripped or not) and not gun "parts" so that may be why they refused to mail the gun.

Who were you mailing the gun to? Individual or Gunsmith or Manufacturer?

 

[m0par]

A receiver is considered a gun (stripped or not) and not gun "parts" so that may be why they refused to mail the gun.

I am fully aware that a stripped receiver is a "firearm" per the gov't. I had to explain that to the clerk. Sorry if my post wasn't clear.

Who were you mailing the gun to? Individual or Gunsmith or Manufacturer

It was being mailed to a licensee (FFL/SOT). I've done it before with no problems.

Heck, if I didn't explain to her that the receiver was legally considered a firearm, the package would already be on its way.

 

[Bubbles]

1) The USPS 1508 is only supposed to be filled out by dealers when they ship a handgun, not a rifle. And you're right, this form has been around forever, not just the last month.

2) Non-FFL's can ship long guns USPS.

Don't feel bad. It took us about three months of training 1-2 times a week for us to teach our local USPS employees in how to legally mail a firearm.

 

[TexasRifleman]

This happens all the time unfortunately, with USPS, UPS, and FedEx. You basically just have to keep banging your head against the wall until you find a human that will actually listen to what you have to say.

I have to ship a shotgun to a friends FFL tomorrow in another state and I'm dreading it

 

[m0par]

WTH? I call 800-ASK-USPS, and they say yes I can mail a rifle from non-licensee to FFL. They then transfer me to the Kearney post office.

Once again, a different lady at the Kearney post office says all firearms can only be mailed by a licensee.

I asked her when that policy changed, and she said it has been that way for a long time. When I told her I've done it before, she was shocked. "Oh reeeaaally," she said.

Still no postmaster available. She said she'd do some research and call me back.

I guess I should avoid using USPS even if they do decide they will follow the regs and allow me to mail it. They'll probably bin it, and then I'll have the hassle of making an insurance claim and reporting a lost firearm.

The lady at UPS here is really nice, knows her job/regs, and she's sent handguns for me before without batting an eye. Too bad UPS will charge me $$$$$$$$$ to do it.

 

[waterhouse]

As mentioned, PS1508 is for dealers. Since the receiver isn't a "handgun" you should be fine to ship it, but it may take them a while to figure it out.

A "new" form? The one on usps.com is dated 1994!

The form is old, but at my last inspection they explained that the ATF is checking up on the 1508s. Right after they finished my inspection they apparently went over to the post office and asked to see all of the 1508s. I guess they never did this in the past, and the post office (at least my post office) had been throwing them away.

That's probably why it is a "new form." The ATF has probably started checking USPS, and now USPS has to learn how to file another document.

Don't feel bad. It took us about three months of training 1-2 times a week for us to teach our local USPS employees in how to legally mail a firearm.

Same here. They now just smile when I come in, but for several months none of them had a clue what to do. I'd hand over the 1508, they'd tell me I couldn't ship. I finally won with "Why would there be a required form 1508 if it wasn't allowed?" This logic seems to work pretty well.

 

[m0par]

Thanks for all the info.

The form issue makes more sense if the ATF all of the sudden decided to start inspecting them. What they plan on getting out of the forms is a bit of a mystery though. Just bureaucratic BS I assume. Why else would only dealers be required to fill it out, especially since they already have a paper trail for disposition. Just trying to catch someone for not dotting their "i"s, I imagine.

At least I'm not alone in my frustration/misery.

The lady at the post office did call me back. She said that I could mail it after all. It would need to be open for inspection before accepting it though (which is an option in the regs, even if it too doesn't make any sense -- if I was trying to sneak something by them, I wouldn't be telling them that I want to mail a firearm).

All contact between the post office and myself was civil and even friendly, but I can't help imagining that they're all talking about it, and should I decide to use USPS this time, some proverbial disgruntled employee in the back will have their way with the package

I'm thinking I'll just spend the extra $$ for UPS this time, and hope I did someone else a favor by encouraging the clerks to educate themselves if another person tries to mail one from here. Maybe they'll forget me by the next time I need to mail a rifle.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Then insure it and laugh all the way to the bank.

"All contact between the post office and myself was civil and even friendly, but I can't help imagining that they're all talking about it, and should I decide to use USPS this time, some proverbial disgruntled employee in the back will have their way with the package "

 

[hso]

(which is an option in the regs, even if it too doesn't make any sense -- if I was trying to sneak something by them, I wouldn't be telling them that I want to mail a firearm).

I think that's to verify it is an unloaded firearm for obvious safety reasons. UPS folks have to deal with people trying to mail all sorts of things we'd all say, "Well, DUH, of course that's not safe to send in the mail.".

Did you have the service folks email the information to you as well so you can present it next time the problem comes up (or that it could be posted here for use)?

Glad you got it worked out.