Is it illegal to mail gun PARTS in the mail?

[kavity]

USPS? UPS? FedEx?

Is it illegal to mail gun parts in the mail?

It seems to me that you should be allowed to mail parts. If this is the case then what is keeping people from mailing each other guns (in pieces).

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JD]

Certain parts, yes. as long as it's not a lower reciever, or anyhting that would require an FFL.

I order lots of stuff IE mags, small parts, etc from a seller on Ebay and it goes through the mail just fine.

And as long as your not shipping out of the coutry, then it gets a lot different.

[Pete]

Also, be sure what you are sending is legal where you are sending it.

For example, Full capacity mags should not be sent to 10 round mag states.

[kavity]

I guess what I am asking is what is keeping someone from taking apart their gun into a dozen pieces then mailing them to someone in a dozen packages.

I am not going this, but I thought of it when I was having a discussion with a friend who was thinking about ordering a gun online. You get a decent price on a gun but when its all over you spent $$$ on shipping and sending it to someone with a FFL.

[Pete]

You're talking about bending the law until it breaks.

[JD]

I guess what I am asking is what is keeping someone from taking apart their gun into a dozen pieces then mailing them to someone in a dozen packages.

I am not going this, but I thought of it when I was having a discussion with a friend who was thinking about ordering a gun online. You get a decent price on a gun but when its all over you spent $$$ on shipping and sending it to someone with a FFL.

Well the fact that it's a felony for one.

Pending on how it's shipped, buying online isn't all that expensive, a FFL can ship 3day mail to another FFL for around $20.00.

I don't know how the PO catches people, probably by X-Ray.

Pending on state laws, you (a non FFL holder) can mail long guns to a resident of the same state.

There's also a defferent set of rules for C&R items.

[rocky]

I strongly suggest you learn what is legal before attempting to mail gun parts anywhere.

[JD]

You're talking about bending the law until it breaks.

No, he's talking about how to NOT break the law, and what keeps people from breaking the law. Atleast I sincerely hope he's not asking how to circumvent the law, that would be against forum rules regarding illegal activity and that is a big no-no...

[Pete]

No, he's talking about how to NOT break the law, and what keeps people from breaking the law. Atleast I sincerely hope he's not asking how to circumvent the law, that would be against forum rules regarding illegal activity and that is a big no-no...

I see it that way too, but the post was sufficiently ambiguous to warrant my comment (IMO - and that's all I have).

I've seen lot's of threads like this over the years, 'I'm not going to do this, but can I?'

The forum suffers if nobody speaks up.

We agree as usual John, I'm just more skeptical this once.

[firefighter4884]

Although if you send a firearm in for service, the company can send it directly back to you. Ruger does! :)

--Jim

[raysheen]

also depending on who you are sending the gun to it may not be illegal...for example you can ship gun to someone in your same state without breaking any federal laws...once you start crossing state lines is where the trouble can begin and where you need an FFL.

[QKShooter]

The Pistol handgun frame or the firearm receiver counts as a complete firearm.
Usually but, not always it's the main serial numbered part.

For instance you could legally mail all of the parts to a Colt 1911 through the U.S. Mail from one domestic location to another except for the pistol frame.

In other words you could put all of the internal parts into a Priority Mail box along with the magazine - the slide - the barrel - the grip safety - the grips, etc.

The minute to try to U.S. Mail the completely stripped FRAME even MINUS all of the other gun parts you are in violation of Federal U.S. Postal law.

All laws that are applicable to mailing a complete firearm are applicable to mailing the stripped gun frame or receiver.

Concerning a revolver.
If you were to completely take apart a revolver down to the very last screw and pin.
ALL parts to that revolver are legal to mail through the U.S. Mail except the revolver frame.
The revolver "Frame Only" (minus ALL other parts) is treated exactly as if it were a complete firearm.

One some guns...for instance the Kel-Tec P3AT the plastic FRAME is not the serial numbered part.
The Aluminum alloy frame insert that slips into the frame is the serial numbered part.
THAT part would be considered to be the restricted part and it would need to be treated as the complete firearm even minus all of the other parts.

Another example. If you look in the Brownell's catalog you'll see that you can legally buy all of the parts to a 1911 - slide - barrel - in short ALL Parts EXCEPT the frame. The 1911 frame is an FFL part and must be shipped to a Federally licensed person. The frame ONLY is the controlled part.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

[QKShooter]

1911 AUTO FRAME - Available in chrome-moly Steel, in-the- white, or non-galling stainless steel (SS). All these single-stack frames come standard with the extra-high, front strap cut and beveled magazine well. Frame tangs on Standard (Std.) model are in Commander length or, choose the Beavertail Cut (B/T Cut) model with a .250" radius cut that fits the S&A, Les Baer or Brown, beavertail grip safeties. Frames with the Beavertail Cut are also available with the front straps Checkered (Chk.) in flawless, machine cut, 30 lpi checkering. Ramp Cut frames are pre-machined to accept the Baer or Nowlin-style ramped barrels.

SPECS: Steel, in-the-white, stainless steel (SS). Stripped, govt. length receiver only. Rails are .001" oversize to the Les Baer Slides and will require fitting (mfg. suggests light filing only).


FFL required for purchase.


This (below) is treated EXACTLY as a complete firearm.
Brownell's must ship it to a licensed gun dealer and then when you go to pick it up...you register it to you exactly as if you were buying a fully complete handgun. No Difference.

[kavity]

I want to make clear that I am not trying to break the law. I am not nor do I plan on (now or anytime in the future) mailing guns or gun parts.

I was just curious, because if you can mail parts of a gun, then mailing enough parts to piece together a gun seems like a big loophole in the system.

I was just wondering if you guys knew more specific info regarding this.

Again, to clarify, I am not planning on doing this. It just came up in conversation. A conversation that went like this.

"I'd get that gun online but I will have to pay shipping and a fee for FFL. Then the gun is almost as much as the stores around here."

"Yea that sucks man. I was thinking about buying another mag for my XD but with shipping its around the same price as the local shop."

"You can order gun parts without having to go through an FFL?"

"AFAIK"

then we both had a moment where we thought the same thing:
"Why can't you just mail all of the gun parts to someone and have them put it back together?"

Then I came home and made this glorious thread.

[Blackeagle]

For any firearm, there's going to be one part that you can't mail. The ATF legally defines a specific part of the weapon as the "firearm", everything else is just parts. For most pistols, it's the frame. For ARs, it's the lower receiver. Other firearms may differ. So it's perfectly legal to mail around barrels, slides, even complete AR upper receivers, but you can't mail a complete gun (except to an FFL) and you can't mail all the parts to make a complete gun. So there's no loophole.