Only ship FFL to FFL! Shipping a gun through pirateship or just making a label at your own risk

[Unbend]

Hmm, looks like it could still be okay for home pickup, not just staffed shipping location dropoff.
An excerpt from the same UPS policy linked previously:

Getting Your Firearm Products Shipment to UPS​

Firearm Products may be tendered to UPS only as follows:

• Through a UPS Scheduled Pickup service
• Through a UPS On-Call Pickup® request; or
• Shippers with an approved Firearm Products agreement may provide a shipping label to customers who need to return Firearm Products to the shipper (or to another address as agreed upon between UPS and the shipper). Customers may drop off pre-labeled and packed packages at UPS Customer Centers or The UPS Store locations or schedule a pickup with UPS. Shippers are responsible for ensuring that such packages comply with UPS’s requirements and all applicable laws.

Firearm Products are not eligible for Delivery Change Requests (including, but not limited to, requests to reroute) or UPS My Choice® requests, and should not be addressed for delivery at any third party retailer or UPS Access Point location.

For approved Firearm Products shippers, refer to your UPS agreement for the shipment of Firearm Products, the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service - United States and the UPS Rate and Service Guide in effect at the time of shipping for more information regarding Firearm Products and ammunition shipments.

 

[p--and--p]

Interesting.
Since you said "UPS driver", was this a home package pickup?
That potentially could have triggered their internal handling proccess.

Refer to my other post mentioning at #6 "UPS will only accept firearms shipments from a UPS Customer Center."

U

Post in thread 'Only ship FFL to FFL! Shipping a gun through pirateship or just making a label at your own risk'

Jul 9, 2026

Here's a screenshot of the email I was sent from Ruger when I shipped my pistol to them for servicing via FedEx.

• Unbend

Gunsmith told me I can't take it a UPS store and to just hand it off to a driver and it will go that way.. Yes I know now they also want it to go from a hub but giving it to a driver worked before.

Crazy thing is, same gunsmith had me do this 2 years ago and it worked just fine. I also sent my glocks to TTI from handing it to a driver. All was the same, but this time somehow it got flagged.. Maybe they are doing more checks? I dunno. I just assumed the gunsmith knew it 100% but thats where I went wrong

 

[p--and--p]

Hmm, looks like it could still be okay for home pickup, not just staffed shipping location dropoff.
An excerpt from the same UPS policy linked previously:

Yes, I think going to a driver would work.


That being said I declared it a firearm on the paperwork and thats how they knew. Federal law says you need to declare it.. Turns out the hundreds of people I spoke to say that no one declares it and thats how they go through, so yea... stupid

 

[Unbend]

I haven't had to generate a shipping label for a firearm.
Would you mind posting a screenshot of how you indicated it was a firearm?

 

[p--and--p]

I haven't had to generate a shipping label for a firearm.
Would you mind posting a screenshot of how you indicated it was a firearm?

In the box that says contents, I was told I needed to write firearm in there. That was the problem that gave it away, but federal law says I'm supposed to write it there, but no one else does and UPS just ships the packages..

 

[Unbend]

I attempted to recreate the process with PirateShip, it would not let me even choose UPS.

 

[Unbend]

In the box that says contents, I was told I needed to write firearm in there. That was the problem that gave it away, but federal law says I'm supposed to write it there, but no one else does and UPS just ships the packages..

It sounds like you used the "Rubber Stamp" option and wrote "firearm" in the box.
That actually puts whatever you typed onto the label.
The semantics of "declaring" a firearm in a package is not the same as "labeling" a package containing a firearm.

Please double check the label if it has that printed on it...

 

[Gawernator]

Yeah ironically if you just made a pirate ship label with no description and mailed it overnight, nothing would have happened

 

[Unbend]

Yeah ironically if you just made a pirate ship label with no description and mailed it overnight, nothing would have happened

Potentially, but not guaranteed or recommended. The best course would be just declaring it.

A properly declared firearm discovered firearm inside a package should not be disposed of.

 

[Gawernator]

Potentially, but not guaranteed or recommended. The best course would be just declaring it.

A properly declared firearm discovered firearm inside a package should not be disposed of.

Yeah but isn't it impossible to ship without being a FFL? I mailed a whole AR-15 before with UPS, those dang farming implements

 

[Unbend]

Yeah but isn't it impossible to ship without being a FFL? I mailed a whole AR-15 before with UPS, those dang farming implements

Long rifles and shotguns are generally not treated the same as handguns.
For example from (USPS 432.3 Rifles and Shotguns): https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_010.htm#ep290143
"...rifles and shotguns intended for delivery within the same state of mailing may be shipped within a state..."
"Non-FFL owners may mail rifles or shotguns domestically to FFL dealers, manufacturers, or importers in any state".
"Non-FFL owners may mail rifles or shotguns to themselves in another state for lawful activities..."

 

[inspectorzinn2]

I am actually going through something similar, a firearm package lost after delivery to a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) also known as a private mailbox. I had Lockton Firearm insurance so I am fighting the insurance company who denied the claim, the police department who refuses to classify as theft (conversion) and the CMRA owner in Civil Court. First, I highly recommend using AI. I used Gemini to craft legal arguments to send via email and it was a huge game changer. Insurance manager went from denying the claim no matter what I said to "let me talk to my manager and reconsider" after I sent the legal argument crafted by AI. Second, you can sign up for legal shield $40/month (even better if you get the supplemental firearm coverage). It will let you consult with attorneys for free, and draft demand letter for free, even if the incident occurred before you signed up. And last I would pursue in small claims court. Legal Shield attorney are supposed to help guide you through the process. Legally, I don't think you have a case but maybe UPS won't show up to court and you win a default judgment. Filing fees are less than $100 so it's a small price to pay for the gamble.

 

[Unbend]

I am actually going through something similar, a firearm package lost after delivery to a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) also known as a private mailbox. I had Lockton Firearm insurance so I am fighting the insurance company who denied the claim, the police department who refuses to classify as theft (conversion) and the CMRA owner in Civil Court. First, I highly recommend using AI. I used Gemini to craft legal arguments to send via email and it was a huge game changer. Insurance manager went from denying the claim no matter what I said to "let me talk to my manager and reconsider" after I sent the legal argument crafted by AI. Second, you can sign up for legal shield $40/month (even better if you get the supplemental firearm coverage). It will let you consult with attorneys for free, and draft demand letter for free, even if the incident occurred before you signed up. And last I would pursue in small claims court. Legal Shield attorney are supposed to help guide you through the process. Legally, I don't think you have a case but maybe UPS won't show up to court and you win a default judgment. Filing fees are less than $100 so it's a small price to pay for the gamble.

tl;dr they're getting the 1911 back

Also, that's absolutely wild.
If the CMRA mentions "waiver" or "disclaimer", those generally don't exempt them from negligence on their part; such as careless handling, improper storage, etc.

Sounds reasonable that at least one of 2 scenarios happened:
- they lost the package (negligence not accidental)
- it was stolen (possible even if they don't negligently not have it)

Of course, there's the secret 3rd option; the gun grew legs and walked away.
Personally, I would press them on #1 negligence. #2 would likely require evidence of theft, which I can see why the police are hesitant to classify as theft. My understanding is that it legally comes down to intent. Even if that negligence led to a theft, such as not locking a door and someone gained access to the item.

I am not a lawyer & this is not legal advice.

 

[Gawernator]

Long rifles and shotguns are generally not treated the same as handguns.
For example from (USPS 432.3 Rifles and Shotguns): https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c4_010.htm#ep290143
"...rifles and shotguns intended for delivery within the same state of mailing may be shipped within a state..."
"Non-FFL owners may mail rifles or shotguns domestically to FFL dealers, manufacturers, or importers in any state".
"Non-FFL owners may mail rifles or shotguns to themselves in another state for lawful activities..."

Yeah that's not UPS though

 

[Unbend]

I'm gonna have to call up a human at UPS tomorrow about this.
FFL01 is specifically for gunsmithing and not importing, manufacturing, dealing, or collecting.

Given their other documentation around "UPS allows contracted FFL holders to provide shipping labels to customers".
Excluding FFL01 is wild if true. Hopefully they just have poorly written public documentation.

 

[Gawernator]

I'm gonna have to call up a human at UPS tomorrow about this.
FFL01 is specifically for gunsmithing and not importing, manufacturing, dealing, or collecting.

Given their other documentation around "UPS allows contracted FFL holders to provide shipping labels to customers".
Excluding FFL01 is wild if true. Hopefully they just have poorly written public documentation.


View attachment 219472

Enjoy talking to the Indians lol

 

[Unbend]

Enjoy talking to the Indians lol

Pretty sure the guy I just talked to in their hazardous materials department was from the state Indiana.
According to him (and a 220 page chemical list) only ammunition is considered "hazardous materials".
Unloaded firearms are just "regulated goods".

Kinda goofy their automated system selecting firearms/hazardous materials dumps you off to "customer service", then they say they don't deal with those, then refer to firearms as hazardous materials, but when you get redirected to the hazardous materials team they say it's not.

I should have referred to the specific verbiage with the ATF.
Gunsmiths with FFL01 are considered "dealers". So gunsmiths with FFL01 (dealer) and/or FFL07 (manufacturer) have no issues.
Still, trying to get UPS to say in writing which specific FFL number types would be allowed to ship firearms and firearm components.
Especially since their UPS chatbot says "FFL01 are not allowed"
FFL02 is the only one that doesn't mention any of the words: collector, manufacturer, importer, or dealer.



Also, I figured I might as well sign up for a firearm/hazardous materials account since I have FFL03 (collector).
I'll probably make a separate thread later on this experience.

 

[Gawernator]

 

[pancakes]

I had to create a firearms account with UPS to ship with my 03 FFL. Easy process.

Were you shipping a slide or a whole firearm

 

[Unbend]

According to UPS policy only full serialized firearms are allowed to be shipped:

"UPS only accepts Firearms that have been identified and bear a serial number in a manner that complies with federal law and regulations.
UPS does not accept packages that contain such Firearm Parts that can be assembled to form a full Firearm."

Which is odd, since I've definitely had parts shipped to me via UPS before.