post office problems?

[metalliman545]

Who's had them? I had a lil run in today, outcome was good.

So I go in, I tell the clerk "maam I'm legally bound to tell you I am shipping 2 antique firearms which are disassembled containing NO ammunition" she stares for a minute tells me to wait while she calls her manager.
The manager immediately raises her voice and starts telling(in front of a lot of customers) that what I'm doing is illegal because I do no have a license to do so and she should have me arrested for bringing a firearm into a federal building. I had the regs up on my phone and started quoting and she interrupted saying "shut up! Shut up! Shut your mouth right now!" And started on again about having the police come to arrest me.
I politely told her any opinion she or the post master has is not legal because I am breaking no law and she should refer to the atf regulations as well as the shipping firearms and antique firearm regulation put out in the usps manual. She left for a minute. Scolded me and said her boss is allowing it but she THINKS its illegal. 120$ later my 1897 and m91 were shipped.
Btw had them shipped to myself from ga to ca which the atf says is ok.
So go in with the regs if you ever deal with this. It will help. Be polite and calm.

TL;DR
Had post office problems about my rifle and shotgun
schooled a rude manager. Weapons shipped. Winning manager forever alone.

[TheExpertish]

Lame that you got *****ed out like that in front of everyone. I'd just rather use my FedEx personal account and not deal with a government agency struggling for business.

[Pthfndr]

If they are antiques they are not firearms in the eyes of the BATF. So there would be no reason for you to declare them as such and cause yourself the grief.

[dctex99]

and the post office is NOT a governmental agency!!

[metalliman545]

In the eyes of the atf. Not the post office. The post office when sending antique firearms just makes them exempt for who is sending them to who. I can ship an ar-15 to myself in another state but not to another person in another state. When shipping an antique I can send it to who ever but I must still let them know what is it so they can inspect it to make sure it is unloaded. My m91 even though is not a 'firearm' still is infact a firearm.

[aghauler]

and the post office is NOT a governmental agency!!

True but don't the license plates on the USPS vehicles say 'US Government"?I often wondered about that.

[Pthfndr]

In the eyes of the atf. Not the post office.

The post office does not have the authority to determine what is, and what is not a firearm. Their regulations only say if it is a firearm you are supposed to declare it as such. Since it legally is not a firearm. You do not have to declare it as a firearm.

BTW, your PO sucks. When I ship a firearm from mine, all they want to know is what kind it is and why am I not keeping it.

[a1c]

and the post office is NOT a governmental agency!!

It IS an independent yet governmental agency. Important distinction. By the way, its role is defined by Congress per the US Constitution.

[dctex99]

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/uspsabout.htm

[a1c]

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consum.../uspsabout.htm

That article - which is, like many About.com articles, rather mediocre and biased (not surprising considering how little About.com contributors are paid) - however doesn't really contradict my previous post, which is ENTIRELY factual.

[EricClay]

File a complaint for her actions. It's the only way to get those people properly trained.

[TheExpertish]

dctex99, I don't know what you are trying to get at or what distinction you are trying to make. a1c and I are right. The US Post Office is a government agency. Postal workers are federal employees.

[Orlando]

Their regulations only say if it is a firearm you are supposed to declare it as such.

Can you show me where it says this in the USPS regulations?
I was told this before but couldnt ever find anything that supports this in their regs.
I have shipped many firearms by USPS and never told the clerk thats what was in the package yet

[Dutch3]

Postmasters sometimes act like little generals with absolute control. It can be unfortunate when they are ignorant.

I once had a local postmaster inform me (with a high degree of sarcasm and ridicule) that I had to fill out a Customs form in order to send a box of satellite dish switches to Puerto Rico. In front of a bunch of other customers, he said, "See if you can understand this. Puerto Rico is across the ocean from America. The only place across the ocean that doesn't need a Customs form is Hawaii, because it is part of America. Now do you understand?"

I asked him if he understood what a "US possession" is. He replied it does not matter, because "IT IS ACROSS THE OCEAN!" He also stated there is no Priority Mail service to Puerto Rico. I thanked him for his time, informed him he was ignorant and suggested he go RTFM.

I then drove another 10 miles to a different post office and sent my package Prioriy Mail to Puerto Rico without a Customs form. 2 Days from Nor Cal to PR, not bad.

[hk91666]

Can you show me where it says this in the USPS regulations?
I was told this before but couldnt ever find anything that supports this in their regs.
I have shipped many firearms by USPS and never told the clerk thats what was in the package yet

I also have shipped many C&R long guns without telling them what it was .I had a copy of the buyers G&R license in case I was questioned.