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Mailing BP revolvers

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UPS will ship them but you have to take them to a Customer Service Center at a HUB and declare them. Pro Tip: If its assembled it’s a ‘BP pistol’ and has to go Overnight, if it’s disassembled, its ‘BP pistol parts’ and can go ground.
 
Unless you live in a State that treats BP C&B revolvers as a modern firearm, or are shipping to a state that does so (which will require an FFL on both ends), send it USPS Priority Mail. Add insurance if you think it proper. UPS/FedEx are extremely expensive. I have used USPS for years, uninsured, with no problems. Just make sure you get the tracking number.

Regards,

Jim
 
You asked if UPS has any issues mailing pistols/revolvers. Below is a link to their issues with it. Declare it as a Pre1898/BP replica and theyll ship directly to you. As far as USPS goes, read (18 U.S.C. § 1715) before ‘not declaring a bp revolver’ via USPS. You may even need a ‘Curio/Relic License’ to ship an antique revolver with them. The BATF has a hotline if you're at all wobbly about breaking federal law. Or as above, just don't worry about it.

UPS - Firearms
 
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You do not have to have any form of licences to send or receive a blackpowder revolver/pistol via USPS. You do not have to tell them what is in the box and they cannot ask even if it's insured. It is not illegal and yes there is no problem mailing yourself a package. USPS Priority Mail is the cheapest way to ship and in my opinion the best. I regularly send and receive blackpowder revolvers through the post office and the sellers and smiths I deal with do also. Put them in a Priority Mail box, buy insurance for a fair market value, and ship. You can even buy the shipping label and insurance online. Mike at Goon's Gun Works sent me back my 3 revolvers Priority Mail last summer. I bought a 58 Remington a month ago, USPS and I shipped a long rifle Priority Mail 3 months ago. Cabella's used to ship by USPS before they stopped shipping, so did Dixie and I'm sure others do too.
 
I am finding that the big hurdle is not shipping the revolvers to me but, I am not registered to ship it such as Dixie, Old South, EMF, Midway. So, I broke down the pistols and will pack them in a locked hard sided case and check them at the airport as revolver parts. And I don't have to use a TSA lock. Let you know what happens.
 
UPS has company policies, but the local managers sometimes make their own. My closest UPS shipping/receiving center is in Gainesville, Florida, "the Berkeley of the South." The local manager will not accept firearms of any type for shipping. They wouldn't even ship empty brass for my cartridge revolvers last time I tried. They will deliver blackpowder firearms and ammunition, though, if it was ordered, and the driver on our route is great. I attempted to discuss UPS company policy with them a while back, but was advised that the local manager established his own rules and that was the end of it. FedEx will ship black powder guns from the local office. I haven't used USPS for guns... Yet... The post office in the small, rural town where I actually live would likely have no issues.

Notchy Bob
 
Y
I am finding that the big hurdle is not shipping the revolvers to me but, I am not registered to ship it such as Dixie, Old South, EMF, Midway. So, I broke down the pistols and will pack them in a locked hard sided case and check them at the airport as revolver parts. And I don't have to use a TSA lock. Let you know what happens.

You don't have to be "registered" to ship them via the Post Office. They are just another package period.
 
Firearms are different than replica revolvers. BATF doesn’t care about them at all. None of the shipping companies should either and I’ll be damned if I’ll tell anyone what’s in a parcel I’m shipping. What I will tell them is, “It’s not hazardous, fragile, doesn’t contain liquid and it’s not perishable. Ship the damn box...“
Way too many small minded people with a little bit of authority in some of these positions. Fortunately none of them work in my local post office or the fedex and ups facilities. Of course, being Colorado, maybe they think I’m shipping pot....
 
I am finding that the big hurdle is not shipping the revolvers to me but, I am not registered to ship it such as Dixie, Old South, EMF, Midway. So, I broke down the pistols and will pack them in a locked hard sided case and check them at the airport as revolver parts. And I don't have to use a TSA lock. Let you know what happens.
Why would you need to be registered?

I bid on an Old Army a while back then noticed that the seller wanted to ship it to an ffl. Why? Because parts exist to easily convert it to a cartridge firearm. Seriously, I’m not sure who’s a worse threat to our free exercise of the second amendment, gun grabbing Democrats or misinformed people making up laws and regulations out of an hyperbolic overabundance of caution... common sense is indeed no longer common.
 
You asked if UPS has any issues mailing pistols/revolvers. Below is a link to their issues with it. Declare it as a Pre1898/BP replica and theyll ship directly to you. As far as USPS goes, read (18 U.S.C. § 1715) before ‘not declaring a pistol’ via USPS. You even need a ‘Curio/Relic License’ to ship an antique pistol with them as I understand it (per my local postmaster). The BATF has a hotline if you're at all wobbly about breaking federal law. Or as above, just don't worry about it.

UPS - Firearms
And no, you don’t need a curio and relic license to ship what the BATF calls antique firearms. Every day of the week there are pre1899 Colts, Remington and hell, you name it being shipped all over the country. They’re antiques and the Federal Government has no interest in them. At all.
 
If you are shipping in the US use USPS. I have shipped numerous muzzleloader rifles, pistols and cap and ball revolvers with no issues. Actually my bride is the one who takes them to the Post Office. And she tells them in no one uncertain terms what is being shipped if they ask. No issues.
 
And no, you don’t need a curio and relic license to ship what the BATF calls antique firearms. Every day of the week there are pre1899 Colts, Remington and hell, you name it being shipped all over the country. They’re antiques and the Federal Government has no interest in them. At all.

Ok. I give. But as I didnt think this up on my own, I’ll make one final contribution. Ask the BATF about replica antique revolvers that can be ‘readily converted’ to fire modern cartridges (via commercially available conversion cylinders available for most replica antique revolvers). These are specifically exempted in Federal Code as antique firearms for shipping purposes via USPS. I do concede they are often shipped that way but if I’m shipping BP revolvers that will take a conversion cylinder (Colt, Uberti, etc.) they’re going UPS.

I’ve talked to the BATF on the specific part of the Code in parenthesis below. It was put there specifically FOR replica antiques that can be converted.


431.3 Antique Firearm
Antique firearm means any muzzle loading rifle/shotgun/pistol, which is designed to use black powder or a black powder substitute, and which cannot use fixed ammunition (except those that incorporate a firearm frame or receiver, any firearm which is converted into a muzzle loading weapon, or any muzzle loading weapon which can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition by replacing the barrel, bolt, breechblock, or any combination thereof); or any firearm (including those with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured on or before 1898, or any replica thereof, if such replica:


  1. Is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition.
  2. Uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition that is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.
 
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Ok. I give. But as I didnt think this up on my own, I’ll make one final contribution. Ask the BATF about replica antique revolvers that can be readily converted to fire modern cartridges (via commercially available conversion cylinders). These are specifically exempted in Federal Code as antique firearms for shipping purposes. All that means is it cant be shipped USPS. I do concede they are often shipped that way. It may not be commonly enforced but I’m shipping BP revolvers that will take a conversion cylinder (Colt, Uberti, etc.) via UPS.

I’ve talked to the BATF on the specific part of the Code in parenthesis below. It was put there specifically FOR replica antique revolvers that can be converted.


US Code 431.3 Antique Firearm
Antique firearm means any muzzle loading rifle/shotgun/pistol, which is designed to use black powder or a black powder substitute, and which cannot use fixed ammunition (except those that incorporate a firearm frame or receiver, any firearm which is converted into a muzzle loading weapon, or any muzzle loading weapon which can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition by replacing the barrel, bolt, breechblock, or any combination thereof); or any firearm (including those with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system) manufactured on or before 1898, or any replica thereof,


  1. Is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition.
  2. Uses rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition that is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.
Interesting. Ignorance has been bliss. Would almost seem to carry over to original revolvers, which at some point in time had commercial replacement parts converting them to something other than cap and ball. Have not heard of any ‘test’ cases on this topic with USPS, but that doesn’t mean they are not out there.

That said, the fact that the originals were not designed for fixed ammunition would mean replicas are not designed for fixed ammunition either, unless redesigned. Comes down to opinion of your friendly BATF agent, not mine or anyone else’s on this forum. Not a topic for this for this forum in my opinion, so I’m also out

if such replica:
  • Is not designed or redesigned for using rimfire or conventional centerfire fixed ammunition.
 
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