Shipping firearms

General Firearm Discussions
1

Not sure where to put this, so I’ll try it here. Mods, please feel free to move to appropriate location.

I recently purchased a new handgun for EDC (Glock 48) and would like to bring it to Florida with me when I go there to spend some extended time. I know how to travel with it on a plane or in a car, but we will be taking the Amtrak Auto Train. Checking with Amtrak confirmed that firearms can only be transported on their trains in checked baggage, and as that is not available on the AT (even though the car is inaccessible, in a different part of the train) firearms are not permitted.

My next thought was to ship it to my location in Florida, and then I guess, ship it back to NJ. Has anyone here ever done this? Is an FFL required at either or both ends?

Any help with this would be most appreciated.

2

I believe that there are no longer any shipping options for handguns that don’t require an FFL at each end.

I’m uncertain if using an FFL to ship on your behalf requires a NICS check to pick up the handgun at the receiving FFL. Probably not a big deal aside from the cost for NICS in Florida, but would it require a “Purchase Permit” to pick up from a NJ FFL on the way back to NJ from FL?

Do you have a relationship with an FFL in NJ and FL? I’d suggest calling them both and talking it through to make sure you’re “good” both ways.

Hopeful someone else here knows with more certainty than me.

1 Like
3

I was searching some more and came across this site:

https://www.shipmygun.com/go/

Supposedly it works like this:

You essentially buy a label from Buds Guns, so you’re shipping it under their license. You pack the gun yourself and take it to UPS. The recipient’s FFL has to submit their license to them before you can get the label.

Still have the issue of having to do NICS/transfers at each pick up point.

4

Federal law says that you can ship a handgun to yourself via UPS or FedEx, however, their rules say you can’t. I know what I would do. Wink, wink.

5

DD, thanks so much for your detailed reply. That’s about what turned up on a brief search that I did, but I did not know about the www.shipmygun.com option. The double NICS check is daunting and excessive.

PK90, yes I have considered that. It would appear to be a low risk option.

6

I can’t recommend this because you’d be mostly cut off from any civil recourse with UPS/Fedex if the package went missing or contents were damaged.

HOWEVER - I’ve heard that in cases where UPS/FedEx loses a firearm shipment and aren’t moving swiftly to investigate or resolve it that telling them you’re going to report a firearm theft to the ATF can light an afterburner on the UPS/FedEx investigation.