Shipping Costs for Handguns

[Mr. Waverly]

What would realistic - or rather, accurate - shipping charges be for handguns? I only ask because of the variances I see on sites such as Gunbroker. What factors are used to determine these charges?

[shadowthrone]

To the best of my knowledge, the auction site does not take a cut of the shipping... so it's generally however much the seller wants to pad the price. That's how you get a ton of $0.99 items with $10-30 shipping!

Edit: to actually make this useful, however much it takes to ship a 4lb box, assuming its a handgun. $15-25 if I am not mistaken.

[jmoser]

For YOU to ship: walk in retail price at a FedEx depot will be $50 or so on overnight avg handgun NIB size and weight.

FFLs can use USPS Priority Mail and save $$$

[JohnS624]

It's a combination of size and weight of the package, along with the distance shipped. That being said, the biggest cut of the cost is the handling required. That's why there would be very little difference between a 1lb and 7lb package of close to the same size being shipped to the same place.

[balrog006]

To the best of my knowledge, the auction site does not take a cut of the shipping... so it's generally however much the seller wants to pad the price. That's how you get a ton of $0.99 items with $10-30 shipping!

Edit: to actually make this useful, however much it takes to ship a 4lb box, assuming its a handgun. $15-25 if I am not mistaken.

If it were not a handgun I might agree. However all contract carriers (UPS and FedEx) have in house rules that require overnight shipping to help avoid theft and loss by their own people so the rates are $35-60 depending on destination and insurance that I would not ship without.

For YOU to ship: walk in retail price at a FedEx depot will be $50 or so on overnight avg handgun NIB size and weight.

FFLs can use USPS Priority Mail and save $$$

Ditto for UPS, and you must take them to a district hub or shipping center-NOT a retail store that is a private company that contracts with the carrier. They can and will refuse ammo and guns.

IMHO, pay a friendly FFL to do your shipping-if anything happens to the gun in transit they are much more effective at talking to the shipper, the ATF, etc and resolving any issues.

[dwcopple]

bear in mind, are you buying from individual seller or FFL shop? FFL's should ship for actual USPS Priority mail price + Signature confirmation as it is now required by law. If an individual, how I handle my auctions is I charge the FFL fee my guy charges me ($15+the actual USPS Priority medium flat rate box (pistol) and signature fee) insurance is extra on their own dime if they want it. The places that charge $30-40 that are a licensed FFL are just nut cases trying to make extra $$$ on the back end. I had one auction that I sold a pistol that was approved on the CA roster and had to ship to Cali, they denied my FFL guy because he does not have a fax # (Cali gun rules are so stupid) so I had to use "shipmygun.com" for that auction. The buyer was okay paying their actual cost when I provided a screenshot of the shipping quote to him. I think it was $37 or $38 and all I had to do was get a free Fedex box, put the gun in, and hand it to the fedex clerk with the printed label attached.

Also, if the seller is a big retailer, they probably have a FedEx or UPS account that allows them to ship 2-day for peanuts. I won an auction once on gunbroker from a huge police retailer and actual UPS 2-day air was $12 for them. It sealed the deal on why I bid on it.

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I just had to do this to get a pistol back to glock. Next day rates for both UPS and FedEx ere $75, and overnight was $105. Im not sure if I looked at sending it out too late in the day or what, but those prices shocked me.

Those rates were pulled from the respective company's rate calculators.

[castrotikon]

Shipping as an FFL is pretty cheap actually, my guy usually quotes me $25-30 depending on the gun and distance via USPS. Shipping as an individual is nuts with overnight shipping via UPS and Fedex only. I tend to go with Fedex since they're a little cheaper. I've also noticed it goes up exponentially as the size and weight goes up even slightly. Case in point: shipped a buyer out in California (C&R license) a Walther P38, overnight cost me somewhere between $60-75. Shipped a guy up here in the UP a Kimber 1911, cost me about $90 for a slightly larger box and an extra couple pounds.

[shadowthrone]

If it were not a handgun I might agree. However all contract carriers (UPS and FedEx) have in house rules that require overnight shipping to help avoid theft and loss by their own people so the rates are $35-60 depending on destination and insurance that I would not ship without.



Ditto for UPS, and you must take them to a district hub or shipping center-NOT a retail store that is a private company that contracts with the carrier. They can and will refuse ammo and guns.

IMHO, pay a friendly FFL to do your shipping-if anything happens to the gun in transit they are much more effective at talking to the shipper, the ATF, etc and resolving any issues.

Didn't realize that, but are you sure overnight is required? I just shipped off my P320 for the voluntary upgrade, and that going out two day shipping with FedEx. Two day is usually heaps cheaper than overnight.

[castrotikon]

Didn't realize that, but are you sure overnight is required? I just shipped off my P320 for the voluntary upgrade, and that going out two day shipping with FedEx. Two day is usually heaps cheaper than overnight.

Overnight is absolutely required for a handgun (again, unless you're an FFL shipping via USPS) and must go UPS or Fedex/"common or contract carrier". If it didn't go out overnight, either you messed up by not disclosing you were mailing a handgun, or the employee screwed up by not mailing it overnight. Straight from their terms of services:

"Firearms must be shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight service" and UPS: "Handguns, as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921, will be accepted for transportation only via UPS Next Day Air Services, specifically, UPS Next Day Air® Early, UPS Next Day Air®, and UPS Next Day Air Saver®"

Chances are, no one will notice. You're not violating any federal law or anything, just a company policy. If the package is lost or damaged, you may have some trouble getting your money back if it's insured...if you're just mailing a firearm "part" (i.e. a slide or something), then you're in the clear because it's not technically a firearm (I'm not familiar with the details of the P320 upgrade).