Why so expensive to ship a gun?

[Paolung]

I called my three most commonly used FFLs.

One said they don't ship outbound, and the other two wanted $40 plus shipping costs.

This is less than they charge for transfers in person.

Why? Is there a reason the transfer fees are higher if it's going outbound?

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[ilikegunspdx]

Is "ship my gun" still active?

I don't know but doesn't ffl have to do a lot of paperwork for shipping? Maybe that's why it's expensive?

 

[Starslinger]

If we are talking about a handgun then $40 is cheap. If you ship a handgun without using an FFL you will have to pay for Next Day Air Freight at about $150 shipping cost. If we are talking about a long gun, then you don't need to ship through an FFL and you can ship it through the US Mail (insured of course).

 

[TTSX]

Because liability

 

[aasbra]

Check this out, if it works for your situation/what you are trying to ship. Used it once or twice in the past to get a shipping label to ship to a FFL for guns I sold.

Gun Shipping - Fast, Legal, Affordable

www.shipmygun.com

 

[Paolung]

Check this out, if it works for your situation/what you are trying to ship. Used it once or twice in the past to get a shipping label to ship to a FFL for guns I sold.

Gun Shipping - Fast, Legal, Affordable

www.shipmygun.com

Yeah, I looked at them - looks like they can cover the shipping portion.

I was just wondering why it's more expensive on the transfer fee side to ship than to do it in person, independent of the actual shipping cost.

 

[Paolung]

If we are talking about a handgun then $40 is cheap. If you ship a handgun without using an FFL you will have to pay for Next Day Air Freight at about $150 shipping cost. If we are talking about a long gun, then you don't need to ship through an FFL and you can ship it through the US Mail (insured of course).

$40 is cheap to charge for some paperwork? When that same paperwork is less if it's done with a buyer and seller present?

Why? What's different about it when it's going outbound, aside from the actual shipping costs?

 

[aasbra]

Yeah, I looked at them - looks like they can cover the shipping portion.

I was just wondering why it's more expensive on the transfer fee side to ship than to do it in person, independent of the actual shipping cost.

I guess that I would ask your three commonly used FFLs? I suspect it is due to the hassle of shipping, or it is something they really aren't interested in doing (thus charge more than some would pay to discourage such business).

To clarify...when you say more expensive on the transfer fee side to ship, what exactly are you meaning? I typically think of the "transfer fee" as a cost to the new owner of the firearm you are shipping, for any transfer in the state they are receiving the firearm, per any local and federal laws. Your FFL may be charging you a service fee or some other fee to facilitate shipping a firearm... is this what you are meaning in this instance as a "transfer fee"? Dealer in your state is handling shipping the firearm to a local FFL where the receiving individual/purchaser resides. That local FFL is handling the legal transfer to the new owner. Some FFLs will receive a firearm from an individual with a copy of the firearm owner's drivers license. Some will not receive from an individual (only from another FFL).

 

[Starslinger]

$40 is cheap to charge for some paperwork? When that same paperwork is less if it's done with a buyer and seller present?

Why? What's different about it when it's going outbound, aside from the actual shipping costs?

Well, they take on some liability by holding the firearm for you until the shipper picks up the firearm. When the shipping worker arrives the shop worker will have to take a break from talking to customers, go to the back of the shop, find your firearm and bring it out, then verify information with the shipping worker. I believe they print out their FFL information to include with the shipment. They probably verify that the firearm is shipping to a real FFL on the other end. Time spent dealing with shipping your firearm is less time talking to customers who might be making a purchase in the gun shop. Shipping firearms and transferring firearms is just a pain in the butt to most gun shops and they'd rather not even bother with it. Maybe it does cost a little more than it should, but keep in mind that they are running a business and need to make money to stay in business.

 

[arakboss]

I called my three most commonly used FFLs.

One said they don't ship outbound, and the other two wanted $40 plus shipping costs.

This is less than they charge for transfers in person.

Why? Is there a reason the transfer fees are higher if it's going outbound?

The whole process is more labor intensive. At TP4M it also includes the FFL having to make a trip to the post office. It often involves babysitting to get FFL info, customers making two trips, numerous phone calls and even typing up the receipt is more tedious. On long guns we have to measure & weigh box, look up shipping cost.

I suggested to my boss that he raise the ship out rate to $50, given how much more work there is compared to person to person transfers for which we charge $35 for. I would much rather do a person to person transfer than a ship out.

 

[joken]

Handguns can ship in a flat rate box at the USPS, FFL's only. It seems that many are unaware of this or don't want to be bothered. Tick Licker in Corvallis quoted me $50 for a handgun and $75 for a rifle. I have to package them. I took a handgun in recently and they found that it fit in a flat-rate box and charged me less. The last rifle I mailed was heavy and cost me around $75 to the east coast.

 

[RX-79G]

It doesn't sound like UPS allows private citizens to ship anything:

"Firearm" will have the same definition as set forth in Title 18, Chapter 44, and Title 26, Chapter 53, of the United States Code.

"Firearm Part" is any part or component of a Firearm that does not by itself meet the definition of a "Firearm." By way of example only, Firearm Parts include, but are not limited to, barrels, stocks, grips, firing pins, sights, and magazines/clips.

"Firearm Products" means Firearms and Firearm Parts. The term Firearm Product does not include scopes.

UPS accepts packages containing Firearm Products for shipment only as a contractual service and only from Shippers who are licensed importers, licensed manufacturers, licensed dealers, or licensed collectors (as defined in Title 18, Chapter 44 of the United States Code) to authorized recipients, as outlined in the approved UPS agreement for the transportation of Firearm Products.

 

[L84Cabo]

I'm not sure you can blame the FFL's here. They are not in the business...nor do they want to be...of being a middle man for shipping people's guns. It takes time and as others have pointed out, there is likely a liability issue. It's got to be worth their while. It's also not their fault that FedEx and UPS are A-Holes.

I also suspect most FFL's only handle transfers because they are legally required to. And isn't there a cap on what they can charge? They don't make much money on those things either and most probably wouldn't do it if they could.

 

[po18guy]

I have a very strong opinion about all of this.

 

[solv3nt]

I also suspect most FFL's only handle transfers because they are legally required to. And isn't there a cap on what they can charge? They don't make much money on those things either and most probably wouldn't do it if they could.

Out of curiosity, why don't you think they make money on an FFL transfer?

It literally takes them five minutes to input someone's 4473 information and approximately one minute to write the gun into the book with a driver's license. Let's round to ten minutes.

The lowest transfer fee I've seen is $10 in Oregon. At ten minutes, that's $60/hr. A gun counter guy likely isn't making more than $15/hr. Playing the game of 3x to make a profit, it costs $45/hr to employ said counter guy with overhead costs.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Out of curiosity, why don't you think they make money on an FFL transfer?

It literally takes them five minutes to input someone's 4473 information and approximately one minute to write the gun into the book with a driver's license. Let's round to ten minutes.

The lowest transfer fee I've seen is $10 in Oregon. At ten minutes, that's $60/hr. A gun counter guy likely isn't making more than $15/hr. Playing the game of 3x to make a profit, it costs $45/hr to employ said counter guy with overhead costs.

Add in x calls from customers saying why is it taking so long. Customers denied them arguing. Guns that come back stolen and they need to report. ATF bookkeeping they need to keep for 20 years. Time from some people chattering endlessly when doing a transfer. Off chance they have to report a gun to atf. Taking guns onto inventory while waiting for approval. Seem like very little money for lots of time to me unless they do lots of volume.

 

[solv3nt]

Add in x calls from customers saying why is it taking so long. Customers denied them arguing. Guns that come back stolen and they need to report. ATF bookkeeping they need to keep for 20 years. Time from some people chattering endlessly when doing a transfer. Off chance they have to report a gun to atf. Seem like very little money for lots of time to me unless they do lots of volume.

How is that any different than the window shopper that doesn't buy anything? They keep the bound notebook already, so I still don't see how it adds anything to a shop cost. $10 is on the absolute low side, and at $10, that provides a pretty healthy profit.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

How is that any different than the window shopper that doesn't buy anything? They keep the bound notebook already, so I still don't see how it adds anything to a shop cost. $10 is on the absolute low side, and at $10, that provides a pretty healthy profit.

No way in hades I would do it for $10 and would only do it for $40 if I had significant volume or use it as a way to bring customers in the door like some pawn shops do.

 

[solv3nt]

No way in hades I would do it for $10 and would only do it for $40 if I had significant volume or use it as a way to bring customers in the door like some pawn shops do.

At $40, even rounding to 20 minutes of total time, equates to $120/hr to the shop. A $15/hr employee costs approximately $30/hr to include all overhead. That's $90/hr straight profit.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

At $40, even rounding to 20 minutes of total time, equates to $120/hr to the shop. A $15/hr employee costs approximately $30/hr to include all overhead. That's $90/hr straight profit.

Disagree that it's 20 minutes of time. On average and with everything involved it's more than that imo.