UPS costs for express shipping?

**omnibus** · April 24th, 2007, 08:33 PM

i'm going to be putting up a "loaded" SA 1911 for sale soon. could someone tell me how much UPS charges for overnight shipping if i stay in state.....say like Harrisburg to Philly as an example.

this will help me price the 45 more accurately.

also, is there anything i need to know about shipping besides it has to go to a FFL holder?

thanks in advance.........Bill

**GRoPA** · April 24th, 2007, 09:00 PM

Bill,

UPS will be a little cheaper than FedEx. It will probably still run around $40 or so to ship from a hub. I never ship from a UPS Store. I always drive the guns to the main hub in New Stanton, PA when I ship for someone. It cuts my customers cost almost in half from the UPS Stores.

A dealer can ship to another dealer through the USPS and use a "Flat Rate" box for around $10 w/o insurance. Typically if you use USPS and a "Flat Rate" box insured for $400 it will run between $14 & $15. Plus your FFL's fee for shipping it for you.

Also before you ship, get a copy of the receiving FFL's FFL and verify it on the ATF website: https://www.atfonline.gov/FFLeZCheck Be sure every word is readible and it is signed in ink. Fax copies are also acceptable now.

I hope that helps ya. Good luck on the sale. Have a good one...................Todd

**JasonB** · April 24th, 2007, 09:36 PM

If you are shipping a handgun, it must go overnight with fedex. I don't believe UPS will take handgun shipments from non FFL dealers. You MUST tell them its a firearm, you cant just drop it in a flat rate box and send it off.

Heres gunbroker's guide to shipping firearms.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Support/Sup...1118&NoCount=1

**bloomautomatic** · April 25th, 2007, 09:30 AM

www.ups.com and www.fedex.com have rate calculators, and you should be able to determine what you can and can't ship with them as an individual.

for standard shipping, I get better rates throught fedex ground and home delivery than with UPS. for overnight or next-day air, not sure who would have the better rate.

Vince

**Xringshooter** · April 25th, 2007, 12:13 PM

A non-FFL CANNOT ship a handgun through the USPS. An FFL CAN ship to another FFL via USPS (costs are a lot less with the flat rate package). A non-FFL can ship anything to a FFL using UPS or FEDEX but it is more expensive, figure $35 to $45 depending on insurance. Actually, a non-FFL can ship to a FFL via ANY contract carrier (if the carrier will ship firearms), it is just that UPS and FEDEX are the biggest contract carriers (other than large truck lines).

If you have an FFL friend have them send it for you to the receiving FFL. Many people don't believe that the USPS is very safe, but they actually are safer than UPS or FEDEX if you use the Priority Mail with return receipts and insurance. I have sent and received several handguns this way with not problems at all and actually less hassle than with UPS or FEDEX.

**Average Baer** · April 25th, 2007, 02:03 PM

UPS is not cheaper than FedEx. It's the other way around. You can ship the gun, "Next Day Saver", which is the cheapest option UPS offers. It will run you around $29. FedEX has the same thing (forget what they call it) for a couple bucks less. The difference from "Next Day Air", is that Saver is merely guaranteed "next business day". As Next Day Air is guaranteed for the AM.
Distance, assuming within the lower 48, has nothing to do with cost.
Unless you can find an FFL who wont charge you to mail, Next Day Sever is your best route. Either way, you will have to send to buyer's FFL.

**Xringshooter** · April 25th, 2007, 03:08 PM

Just to clarify my post - What I meant (I guess I wasn't clear) is that BOTH UPS and FEDEX are more expensive than USPS - If:

You are a FFL and are going to ship a handgun to another FFL (due to the requirement of having to send it overnight).

The other thing to take into account is how fast you want it to get to its intended destination. UPS and FEDEX can get it there overnight, USPS can't.

As a non-FFL shipping a long arm, you can use use a contract carrier (ie, UPS, FEDEX) or the USPS.

In this case (long arm shipment), even as an FFL, I found that shipping a long arm, with appropriate insurance, was more expensive shipping it via USPS than UPS or FEDEX. The cost for USPS shipment was about $17 more than UPS (for equal delivery times of 3-5 days). If I overnighted it UPS, the costs were about the same except the USPS was still 3-5 day delivery. So shipment of a long arm is typically cheaper going UPS or FEDEX if you're not in a rush.

Handguns though, if you're not in a rush, USPS (FFL to FFL) is cheapest by using the flat rate priority mail package (even with insurance and return receipt). UPS and FEDEX regs state that a handgun must go overnight (next day, or similiar). USPS does not have that stipulation. I have shipped and received handguns through USPS, they normally took 2 to 3 days to get to me.

I have actually had less hassles shipping and receiving handguns with USPS that with UPS or FEDEX. This is mainly because I am typically at my other job when UPS and FEDEX deliver in my neighborhood and they cannot leave the package because you must sign for it. They leave a note on the door and then I either have to find out when the truck gets back to the distribution point so I can go and pick it up in person or try to get them to stop back when I am available. Neither option is easily done. With USPS a note is left in my PO box that I have a package that requires a signature and I stop into the PO and pick it up at my leisure (normally lunchtime).

This is not to say that what I do is the best way, it's just the easiest way for me.