Shipping a long rifle to yourself

[Ag_Surfer]

Can I ship a long rifle to myself from out of State? I own 50% of a Rifle and my brother wants to ship it to me its an antique and it was our Dads. I know 1200 mile road trip or just fly out there will be the safest. But can it be shipped?

[Flintlock Tom]

If it's an "antique" he can ship it with no problems.
"Antique" = made pre-1899.
You can't "ship it to yourself" if you're 1200 miles away.
If it's not an "antique" it must be shipped to an FFL holder.

[atolax25]

If its an antique, you can ship it to your own doorstep no problem.

[zinfull]

What you asked is not what you want. Yes you can ship any long gun you own to yourself using USPS. You can not have your brother ship it to you personally.
But antique are just metal and wood parts and no one cares how it is shipped.

[Ag_Surfer]

Thanks... looks like a road trip it was made in 1922

[fiddletown]

Thanks... looks like a road trip it was made in 1922

A road trip won't do it (unless perhaps you have and 03 (C&R) FFL). The rifle is in possession of your brother who is a resident of a State other than California. You are a resident of California. Transfer of possession of a gun from a resident of one State to a resident of another must under federal law go through an FFL. Under federal law the transfer will need to comply with both the laws of your brother's State of residence and yours (California). Only a California FFL will work for that.

So your brother needs to ship the rifle to a California FFL to transfer it to you.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Yep. Not an antique. Have your brother ship it to your local FFL to be transfered to you. Or you can pay the $30 to become a C&R FFL As a C&R FFL you could pick it up in person out of state or have him ship it to you in California.

[Ag_Surfer]

[fiddletown]

Actually the worst that could happen would be for you and your brother to flout the law, get caught, each of you spend five years in federal prison and and each of you lose your gun rights for the rest of your life.

[Ag_Surfer]

Actually the worst that could happen would be for you and your brother to flout the law, get caught, each of you spend five years in federal prison and and each of you lose your gun rights for the rest of your life.

[CSACANNONEER]

AFAIK, If you actually own the rifle, yes, you can ship or even mail it to yourself. This is commonly done all the time by hunters and competitive shooters. It does not need to be an antique non firearm to ship it to yourself. If you are transferring ownership of the rifle between residents of different states, you need to follow federal law and go through a FFL.

[fiddletown]

AFAIK, If you actually own the rifle, yes, you can ship or even mail it to yourself. This is commonly done all the time by hunters and competitive shooters. It does not need to be an antique non firearm to ship it to yourself. If you are transferring ownership of the rifle between residents of different states, you need to follow federal law and go through a FFL.

1. He can't ship the rifle to himself because he doesn't have the rifle. Someone else has the rifle in another State.
   
   
2. Federal interstate transfer law deals with possession (not ownership).
   
   
   1. Let's look at the statutes:
      
      
      1. 18 USC 922(a)(3), which provides in pertinent part (emphasis added) as follows:

         transport into or receive in the State where he resides ...any firearm purchased or otherwise obtained by such person outside that State,...

         
         
      2. And 18 USC 922(a)(5), which provides in pertinent part (emphasis added) as follows:

         transfer, sell, trade, give, transport, or deliver any firearm to any person ...who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not reside in ...he State in which the transferor resides...

      
      
      
   2. Possession means:

      1 a : the act of having or taking into control...

      
      
   3. Some definitions of "transfer" (emphasis added):
      
      
      1. http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/transfer:

         ...Transfer encompasses the sale and every other method, direct or indirect, of (1) disposing of property or an interest therein or possession thereof;...

      2. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/transferred:

         2. Law To make over the possession or legal title of; convey.

      3. http://law.yourdictionary.com/transfer:

         Any and every method of removing something from one person or place to another; specifically, the handing over of possession or control of assets or title. ...

   
   
   
3. The OP's brother has possession of the rifle and is a resident of another State. The OP's brother would be transferring possession of the rifle to the OP who is a resident of California.