shipping come on guys the post office opens at 9

[b44mag]

hey guys im going to ship a flintlock later today
my ? is what do i tell the clerk at the counter
machined parts or what first time shipping a whole gun just checking
thanks b44mag

[hillbill]

i just shipped a ruger old army pistol. had a heck of a time getting them to take it even tho i knew what the rules were. one post office just flat turned me down.finally got one guy to look in his rulebook and sure enuf i was right.they shipped it no prob and didnt have to open the box to show them or anything. they did all mention they did not have a prob shipping black powder long guns.i would just tell them what it was just incase anything happened and it got lost. be sure to get the proper insurace, its pretty cheap.

[b44mag]

thanks ill tell them
flintlock long gun i guess
hope they ship it with no issues
thanks hillbill
b44mag

[b44mag]

just got back from post office
they shipped it no problem
told the guy blackpowder flint lock
he said no problem just said that no pistols but blackpowder pistols are ok also
only 20 bucks with 200 insurance
thanks hillbill thought it was going to be a issue
the guy at post office was very nice guy and said he did not understand why some clerks give poeple hard times with black powder guns
        thanks b44mag

[coyotejoe]

I once received a barrel from Dixie Gunworks which was not what I had ordered. I repacked it in the same mailing tube and asked my lady friend to take it to the post office. They gave her no end of crap until a local cop who happened to be in line behind her said "hey, a barrel not attached to a gun is just a piece of pipe". They accepted his opinion and finally took it. Where I now live the postal people are quite accustomed to me shipping and receiving guns. It's hard for us to understand but just the word "gun" makes lots of people nervous.

[quickdtoo]

just got back from post office
they shipped it no problem
told the guy blackpowder flint lock
he said no problem just said that no pistols but blackpowder pistols are ok also
only 20 bucks with 200 insurance
thanks hillbill thought it was going to be a issue
the guy at post office was very nice guy and said he did not understand why some clerks give poeple hard times with black powder guns
        thanks b44mag

The biggest problem with shipping any firearm or muzzleloader item with the USPS, UPS or Fedex is ignorant acceptance employees, sometimes you just need to educate them and show them their own regs!!  Glad you dealt with a knowledgeable clerk.

Tim
(USPS retired  )

[Ron/Pa.]

  I`ve had a couple rounds with the local Lard Bottomed PostMaster Bag. She always asks if there is anything hazardouse in the package. I`ll tell Her I forget what`s in there . I bet that after I leave She opens it up.  She is very anti-gun. I`ve had Her spitin` fire a couple times.

[Longknife 76]

You  do NOT have to tell the clerk what is in the package, and they should NOT ask. You just answer "NO" to the standard question they always ask about hazardous materials. I went a round with one of those FAT A$$ clerks once about shipping an antique Blunderbus. I had received it 2 days before and I made the mistake of mentioning what was and  WHOA!!!!! YOU CAN"T SHIP THAT. I showed her it was in the SAME box I had just received it in, she looked up the rules which said pre 1898 firearms are exempt and she STILL would not ship it??? Now this clerk had been at her position for over 25 years and she still had no clue! I went to the main post office and asked to see the head postmaster and explained my problem. He said, "sure you can ship that, no problem". I said well you need to call the other office and tell that clerk the rules, I will wait here till you do. I watched while he called her and told her the rules. He also said I only had to answer the hazardous question and NOT disclose what is in the package, and they should not ask. I had no problem after that, just stand your ground, tell them to look it up in THEIR book---Its there----!!! 

[hillbill]

its amazeing to me how many people can do their job for ever and still not know how to do it?and they really dont care either, some of them.the regs are very clear. a weapon made before a certain date or a replica of one.glad to know yu dont have to tell them whats in the package. next time i wont.

[torpedoman]

I went to ups to ship a 22 rifle the clerk was rather stupid and said that they could not ship it , After i said fine i'll go to the post office and ship it, it was suddenly no problem at all.

[Rangr44]

IMO, it's a darn shame that society has made gun owner SO self-consious that they feel they MUST explain themselves at each/every turn.
Many honest people fell so ashamed that they might be doing something wrong, that they act shaky/spooky FTF with a clerk, sending up terrorist red flags.

longknife76 is 100% correct - As long as the shipper/mailer is acting legally, there is NO obligation to declare contents, except to answer truthfully the PO Clerk's 5 hazmat/fragile questions, and about insurance wants.

It is against Federal Law to label the exterior of any package as containing a firearm, BTW.

Unlike the common carriers (UPS/FEDEX/etc), USPS does not require package content descriptions when insuring or shipping - ANOTHER good reaon to use USPS.

FWIW, I usually break down all firearms, flintlocks included, into a smaller/shorter & differently-shaped package like a round or delta shipping tube - anything that doesn't look like it might be a firearm. (Out of sight/out of mind)

.