Isn't it legal to ship a long gun from person to person (sans FFL) withing the state? How can I ship a rifle across the state? I went to the UPS faq and found this:
Absolutely not true. I shipped a rifle to a gunsmith in WA from OR via UPS several times. I also shipped an AR from OR to the Remington factory in NY via UPS.
Yes, but that was to a licensed (FFL) person. UPS is misreading the law. INTER state shipping is different than INTRA state shipping
Take it to USPS. You do not need to declare that there is a rifle in the box, and the postal clerks are not allowed to ask. (I have shipped three rifles recently, all out of state, from two separate Portland area post offices. One rifle was an antique requiring no FFL, two went to C&R holders. I am not an FFL.) As long as you are complying with the requirements of your state regarding intra-state transactions, and as far as I know intra-state personal sales of firearms in WA state do not require FFLs, you are good to go. Ammunition cannot be in the same box as the rifle, and for good measure I remove the bolt but ship it in the same package. Recently, a friend of mine took an RPD parts kit to a local UPS store and just about got bum-rushed out when the owner found out what was in the box, even though it was going to a licensed FFL. I've heard too many of these stories for me to consider taking my firearms anywhere else but USPS. Keith
I would use USPS too. Make sure it is packaged really well, but USPS is legal and much less expensive than UPS or FedEx.
And once more, do NOT tell the clerk what is inside the box. Some of them are absolute clowns. One guy who was near retirement told me "You can't even mail a gun screw".. and I had been shipping all sorts of gun parts and accessories past he and his associates for near 10 years :bluelaugh:
Just because someone works behind a counter at UPS or USPS it does not make them an expert in anything other than counting out the correct change.