Felony averted

[DAL357]

Since this cautionary tale involves a S&W Model 19-7, I figured it should go here, although the idiocy involved could apply to bottom feeders as well.

After saving enough money to send of my 19 off to Robar for NP3 plating/coating, I took the gun this morning to a shop so they could ship it FFL to FFL. The clerk said I didn't need to go through them. I said I knew that, but UPS charges too much for overnight shipping. He said just send it through the USPS by Priority Mail and just not tell them what the box contains. I told him I thought a non-FFL couldn't take a handgun onto USPS property, much less ship one. He said no, you just couldn't carry one (CCW) into a Post Office. Then he gave me a USPS Priority Mail shipping box and bade me good day.

I knew this wasn't right, so I confirmed my suspicions online. Sure enough, if I had done as he suggested I would have committed a felony. It would have been just my luck to have had the box break open or some postal inspector randomly pick my box for a closer look. I then went to a gunsmith I've dealt with in the past, where I should have gone first, and he said he'd ship it after Robar faxed him a copy of their FFL.

The moral of the story is be careful of what gun shop employees tell you. Most of us here already knew that, but I feel sorry for some newb who might take advice like that verbatim.

[Baldanders]

This is a widespread problem and even folks who move plenty of guns seem to be unclear that you can't ship guns legally this way.

[Lon]

I'd have a sled with the gun store commando's boss. Who knows how many times he's told people that.

[Poconnor]

I bought a gun on gunbroker and the seller sent it to my FFL via USPS. I tried to pay him extra to use an FFL to but he insisted it was ok. I think part of the confusion is that FFLs and LE can use USPS.