Shipping rifles

svg4 · Dec 16, 2013

I am shipping a target rifle to California. The new owner said in California that you have to use and FFL on both ends. Is that true? Also, I was wondering what a fair FFL charge is. I called one place and they quoted $50 plus shipping.

jbett98 · Dec 16, 2013

I have shipped to California and didn't use an FFL from my end. I use UPS as a carrier.
Just include a photo copy of your DL and the contact info of the buyer for the receiving FFL's records, and have a copy of the FFL's license to show UPS that it's a legitimate business address.
Don't mark the outside of the box that it contains a firearm.
Ship from a main hub, not a satellite store.

Darknight · Dec 17, 2013

Or you could just make the guy receiving it find an FFL in CA that will take shipment from a nonlicensee. Then ship it USPS and not have to deal with copies of anything to show them because you don't have to tell them what you are shipping. If and when they ask what is in the box you can tell them precision machined parts. You can use any post office you want to ship from. There is a lot of threads on here about shipping long guns. The issue you should always check is the state law in the state that you are shipping from and to. You can be legal with the feds, but not the state in some cases. Laws change all the time too, so even if someone on this forum has shipped to CA before, the laws may have changed since they did so, so read up.

jbett98 · Dec 17, 2013

I use UPS because their tracking #'s actually work, unlike USPS's, and the buyer pays the shipping cost.

AMT · Dec 17, 2013

I tried shipping a firearm to an FFL. I called the FFL prior to set everything up and was told that they do NOT accept from private party. Upon further discussion, they told me that they knew what the laws were, they just didn't accept from private "because we don't know the history of the gun. We accepted a stolen gun shipped from a private-party and we got burned for it. We no longer accept from private party because of that."

So.... technically they can accept from private. They just may choose not to. The FFL in CA. must be dictating that they won't accept from private party.

TOVO · Dec 17, 2013

It is my understanding that an FFL most go into the CA system to fill out paperwork that must be sent along with any firearm to a CA FFL. There are also issues with mag catches, flash hiders and some rifles and mags need to be separated. It's a real nightmare. Good luck.

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