Author Topic: Transporting a collection across country  (Read 1368 times)

zahc

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Transporting a collection across country
« on: January 12, 2019, 02:34:06 PM »
Anyone ever move a gun collection without driving?  I'm soon relocating from NC to Idaho. I have no plans to drive at any point. The moving company won't transport guns or ammunition. There will be multiple airplane trips back and forth. I have about a dozen guns half of which are handguns, and a half dozen ammo cans of ammo. It seems my options are:

1) case them up and check them as baggage with the airline
2) box them up and ship them via UPS to an FFL

Option 1 is probably cheaper.

As for the ammo, my only option is to ship it via UPS or similar but it's probably better to sell as much as I can locally.
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Fly320s

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2019, 03:30:43 PM »
I’m pretty sure you can ship guns to yourself, instead of to a FFL.

I’ve always driven my guns and ammo, since I was taking my car with me anyway.
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zahc

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2019, 04:18:55 PM »
Shipping to myself sounds interesting.
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BobR

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2019, 04:26:22 PM »
What part of Idaho?

bob

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2019, 04:26:30 PM »
I seem to recall hearing you can ship to yourself (ianal )
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dogmush

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2019, 04:52:39 PM »
While it is legal to ship firearms to yourself (it's on the ATF FAQ page) UPS and FEDEX will not deliver a firearm to a non-licensee, and you may not mail a handgun through the USPS.

So you can either try to FEDEX/UPS your handguns to yourself and hope you get a FFEDEX/UPS employee that doesn't actually know their own policy (IME about a 75% chance of that happening), or ship them to a friendly FFL.
You can priority mail your rifles/shotguns to yourself, and the post office tends to do really well with those.

charby

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2019, 04:56:47 PM »
how are you transporting your vehicles there?
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BobR

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2019, 05:03:53 PM »
If you are moving to Free Idaho (Pacific Time Zone) you can use my address to ship them to yourself. I am about 30 miles from the ID border. If going to Occupied Idaho (Mountain Time Zone) and don't mind the drive to Eastern WA (All of WA is Occupied :(  ) you can still ship them here, at least long guns, I am not too sure about the pistols. For you to ship a handgun via USPS you have to be an FFL. Long guns sent registered mail via USPS is probably the cheapest and most secure way to go.

bob

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2019, 06:37:30 PM »
If you are moving to Free Idaho (Pacific Time Zone) you can use my address to ship them to yourself. I am about 30 miles from the ID border. If going to Occupied Idaho (Mountain Time Zone)

Blah, blah, blah. :P

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zahc

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2019, 07:14:44 PM »
I am going to Boise which is apparently occupied Idaho.

I have a big Plano waterproof rifle case. I'm thinking if I re-carve the foam, I can get 3 or 4 long guns in there and shuttle them all via airplane. United's policy is no more than 5 guns per case.

The company pays to have the cars shipped. But won't ship ammo, guns, coins, or liquids. Anyone want 5 liters of unopened Ilford Rapid fixer?
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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2019, 07:21:33 PM »
...

RoadKingLarry

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2019, 07:42:52 PM »
I am going to Boise which is apparently occupied Idaho.

I have a big Plano waterproof rifle case. I'm thinking if I re-carve the foam, I can get 3 or 4 long guns in there and shuttle them all via airplane. United's policy is no more than 5 guns per case.

The company pays to have the cars shipped. But won't ship ammo, guns, coins, or liquids. Anyone want 5 liters of unopened Ilford Rapid fixer?

You can ship the fixer as ORM-D. Ship to yourself.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2019, 09:39:35 PM »
Hard to believe you're not going to drive one vehicle just to avoid this kind of hassle.  (disclaimer: I like driving cross-country occasionally)  OTOH, your one-way trip is about what I usually do round trip.

See if the company will pay you mileage to drive one vehicle.  Might be cheaper for them.
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zahc

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2019, 10:44:54 PM »
I have zero desire to drive the trip. I can enjoy a road trip if I really am not in a hurry, but generally I hate driving long distances.
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Fly320s

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #14 on: January 13, 2019, 11:38:22 AM »
I have zero desire to drive the trip. I can enjoy a road trip if I really am not in a hurry, but generally I hate driving long distances.

Well then, just drive a short distance, but do it several times.   =D >:D
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Ben

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #15 on: January 13, 2019, 12:02:27 PM »
Well then, just drive a short distance, but do it several times.   =D >:D

I love driving long distances (at least outside of urban areas) and that's how I do it.  :laugh:

Though when  I do my Idaho move, I've got a buddy driving one of my vehicles, I'm driving the other one, and I'll be packing them up with all the guns and other stuff I won't put in a POD or they won't take, and we're gonna cowboy up and do the whole drive in one day.

Zahc - we'll have to try and meet up for a beer sometime this Summer. I'm gonna be on the other side of the valley, but love hanging out at the brew pubs along the river in Garden City.
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charby

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2019, 12:57:35 PM »
I guess if I was moving across country, I would transport my firearms and other valuables via my own vehicle.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #17 on: January 13, 2019, 01:07:24 PM »
I know you said you hate driving long distance but, in this case, the trip seems merited. Get all the materials in question into one vehicle, call it a long weekend, and be done.

I'd prob include valuables, too. Especially stuff with really concentrated value like jewelry. Ditto core financial stuff.

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Kingcreek

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #18 on: January 13, 2019, 02:45:58 PM »
If I was retired I’d offer to drive it all for you. I love road trips.
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p12

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #19 on: January 13, 2019, 03:19:25 PM »
Just put those items in the vehicles to be shipped. Locked cases. No ones business.


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p12

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2019, 03:23:19 PM »
Especially if one of the vehicles is a truck or SUV.


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p12

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2019, 03:25:44 PM »
Buy a travel trunk. Load it up bubble wrapped and padlocked. Put it on the moving truck. They will never know.


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HeroHog

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2019, 04:36:40 PM »
INSURANCE will be an issue if you "hide" them in the moving van. Look into self insuring them and make sure they will be covered in such a case!
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MechAg94

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #23 on: January 13, 2019, 09:08:37 PM »
I would think you could box up the ammo and ship it as heavy freight via UPS ground and it wouldn't be that expensive.  Look at the shipping cost for about 10 cases of ammo (or whatever is a close match) and that should get you in the ball park for weight.  Or figure how many boxes you would break them up into.

I can't imagine shipping them would be more expensive/hassle than transporting them via airline.   

It would be worth your time to ask a local dealer what he would charge to ship long guns and pistols (discount for several?).  Even if you have to eat transfer charges, that might be worth it.

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MechAg94

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Re: Transporting a collection across country
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2019, 09:25:22 PM »
I guess it also occurs to me you could sell a couple guns to a dealer to finance the shipping.  I guess it depends on how attached you are to what you have.
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