Shipping a Lower for Smithing

[brando]

Refresh my memory, please. An FFL does not have to be involved when shipping a lower to someone for gunsmith work, right? Only when a transfer is involved.

[bdsmchs]

Not exactly true. You can only ship to an FFL, so the gunsmith must hold one or work at a shop that has one.

Now, if/when that is the case, then an FFL doesn't need to be part of the transaction on your part. You can mail the firearm directly to the gunsmith, and he can mail it directly back to you.

You can even mail a firearm to yourself (for instance, if you're traveling) without any FFL needing to get involved.

[brando]

I'm in a situation where I offered to assemble my friend's lower, who lives a few hours away. Instead of dropping it off I was thinking to just have him send it to me, but then I got to thinking about the FFL issue. Neither of us have a FFL, so I'm starting to think that would be a no go.

[bwiese]

I'm in a situation where I offered to assemble my friend's lower, who lives a few hours away. Instead of dropping it off I was thinking to just have him send it to me, but then I got to thinking about the FFL issue. Neither of us have a FFL, so I'm starting to think that would be a no go.

I'd avoid shipping, that might get shaky - esp if the mail gets lost/redirected and a postal inspector started asking why gun stuff is going btwn two non-FFLs.

But if buddy wanted to drop it off or you were pick it up from him, that'd be covered under the 12078PC "infrequent loan" provision - as long as it was under 30 days, for a legal purpose, y'all are not prohibited persons, etc.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

If it is not being transfered inter-state then the Feds don't care. And you are also covered under California's "infrequent 30 day loan to a personal friend" exemption that Bill mentioned. So there is no reason why he couldn't ship it to you.

The USPS and UPS are the only carriers that allow this kind of transfer though. If the package busts open and Postal Inspectors find it and make a stink, then you can just point to their own regs that say it's perfectly legal.

[drawn]

That is why my shop is on my partners FFL premises, What I do is not infrequent.

[brando]

Thanks for the help, gents.