Looking for some advice.
I'm planning a trip from Boston to Arizona, then to N.C. and back to Boston. I'm going to do some bird hunting in AZ and would like to bring my own gun along. I'll probably travel with the gun in my checked luggage to AZ, but instead of going through the hassle of bringing the gun through the airports again in AZ and NC (as well as paying the additional baggage fees for it, lugging it around, and risking having it stolen or lost) I was thinking of shipping it back to Boston from AZ, and traveling to NC without worrying about it. But I'm having a tough time navigating the regulations for doing that and figuring out the logistics of it all.
From what I can gather, FedEx and UPS will only ship guns to and from licensed firearms dealers....I am not one. The US Post Office website makes it sound like you can ship a gun to yourself (see below), but when I went to the local Post Office to verify this, they said that I could only ship a gun if I was a licensed dealer.

11.3 Rifles and Shotguns Although unloaded rifles and shotguns not precluded by 11.1.1e (short barreled shotguns) and 11.1.2 (handguns) are mailable, mailers must comply with the Gun Control Act of 1968, Public Law 90-618, 18 USC 921, et seq., and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, 27 CFR 178, as well as state and local laws. The mailer may be required by the USPS to establish, by opening the parcel or by written certification, that the gun is unloaded and not precluded by 11.1.1e.



I have no idea what "the Gun Control Act of 1968, Public Law 90-618, 18 USC 921, et seq., and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, 27 CFR 178" says, and I'm not a lawyer, so I may not even understand it if I did/could look it up.


Then I found this on the ATF website:
(B7) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm through the U.S. Postal Service?

A nonlicensee may not transfer a firearm to a non-licensed resident of another State. A nonlicensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. The Postal Service recommends that long guns be sent by registered mail and that no marking of any kind which would indicate the nature of the contents be placed on the outside of any parcel containing firearms. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun.
[18 U.S.C. 1715, 922(a)(3), 922(a)(5) and 922 (a)(2)(A)]



(B8) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by common or contract carrier?

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm.
[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a) (3), 922(a)(5) and 922(e), 27 CFR 478.31 and 478.30]



(B9) May a nonlicensee ship firearms interstate for his or her use in hunting or other lawful activity?

Yes. A person may ship a firearm to himself or herself in care of another person in the State where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. The package should be addressed to the owner. Persons other than the owner should not open the package and take possession of the firearm.

What is a common carrier? And when B9 says that I can ship my gun to myself "in care of another person". How does this work??


Is there anyone out there who is familiar with the regs regarding this matter? Has anyone shipped a gun to another state for a hunt? Any advice for me? Should I just tote the gun along with me at every stop and pay the extra baggage fees...and risk it being lost or stolen??


A bit of a long post, but I'd prefer not to spend my vacation in jail.
Thanks in advance for any info or recommendations.