Mailing weapons

[campigloo]

We will be going into Canada in the Glacier National Park area. I need to get one pistol transported to either somewhere in Alaska or held and transferred to some currently unknown place in the lower 48. Recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[thomas201]

Sometimes we bring it on ourselves. I routed a long flight through Houston, where with a 12 hour layover, I met friends and got roaring drunk. Late at night I am in Calgary.
Drunk, no sleep for 36 hours, several ****hole countries on the passport and I stank and looked like garbage.
Things were not going well and I had difficulties answering his questions. Then he asked if I had ever been finger printed, and I told the truth: "sure, lotta times, that is how they know I am me". He laughed and asked how I was going to get to my hotel, I pulled out the handy dandy pocket notebook and read the name of the limo service. He said "Welcome to Canada" and laughed again. I wounder why? Dear God I was the ugly American.

[Crowe]

I'm thinking of just going up to Banff and then back out. I was thinking about finding a gun shop in Great Falls to "clean" my gun and pick it up a week or so later on my way back home. Is this a reasonable plan?

Absolutely (as long as you aren't using some sort of euphemism!). Someone on here may be able to recommend a reputable one that will "clean" or store it for the time frame. Better than trying to beat the system.

I've crossed many times with a CCL and no issue. The fact that all of us work for defense contractors was of much more interest to the border agent. I suspect that when someone is "hassled" and they have a permit the vast majority of the time it's coincidence. Either a behavior set them off or they just happened to be the 12th unit when they board every 12th unit.

[TxGearhead]

I'm thinking of just going up to Banff and then back out. I was thinking about finding a gun shop in Great Falls to "clean" my gun and pick it up a week or so later on my way back home. Is this a reasonable plan?

[accsys]

We have crossed into Canada many times with a CCL and never experienced any inspection, enhanced or otherwise. One time the line was long enough that an agent went down the line recording license plates. When we finally got to the entrance, the first question asked was if I had a CCL. When I answered "yes", the second question was whether I had a gun with me to which I answered "no, that I knew the Canadian laws and had left them at home". He asked a few more usual questions about destination, etc. and we were on our way.

Had I answered "no" to the first question, I am sure we would have spent a good while having them go through the coach thoroughly in an enhanced inspection since they knew by running our license tags that I had a CCL.

[Belgique]

Thanks DrewE. Agree. I've crossed and traveled in Mexico a lot and I've traveled a lot all over the globe. Customs folks have a tough job so I treat them with respect. Was just curious if a CCL was a flag. I suspect if this was a true report there was something else like another flag and/or an attitude.

[DrewE]

Concealed carry permits I think can come up on their systems, perhaps depending on which state issued it. The border agents are permitted to "hassle" most anyone (in the sense of searching through vehicles and so forth) for most any reason; sometimes random searches, sometimes a hunch, sometimes perhaps because it's the first time for the person or vehicle to cross the border and they have no history, etc. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the attitude of the person crossing came into play as well.

Many people with concealed carry permits cross the US/Canadian border every day with minimal or no hassle. Some people without such permits cross with more thorough investigation. Usually being polite and accommodating and letting the agents do their job results in little difficulty and fairly quick service, of course assuming you aren't actually trying to do something illegal or sneak something through that's forbidden. I have yet to encounter a Canadian immigration official who has been anything other than professional...maybe dreadfully humorless, but always professional and courteous. (I don't mean having a green pepper in the fridge on a day when green peppers are being confiscated, but rather smuggling drugs or firearms or other things of that ilk.)

[Belgique]

Sort of related question that I'll ask here rather than a separate post that will result in the usual gun hysteria: my bride came across a post somewhere that some folks that had a CCL claimed they were hassled big time by the Canadians at the border even though they had no weapons. Supposedly when the Agents ran their info, the CCL popped up and they tore everything apart over a 2.5 hour period before they let them proceed.

I've never heard of this happening before so I'm of the mind that it is bull or there was something else going on besides just a CCL. What think? (PS: I know not to take weapons, ammo, etc.)

[campigloo]

Lakeside thank you so much. That’s what I’ve been trying to find. A dealer from point a to point b

[accsys]

lakeside013104 wrote:

accsys wrote:

lakeside013104 wrote:
I mailed my pistol to Three Bears TOK Alaska from Great Falls Montana before I crossed the border last spring. The pistol was waiting for me at Three Bears, all safe and sound. $15 later, it was in my possession.

On the return trip home in July I mailed it back to Montana from Three bears. Good service. All safe and sound for a reasonable fee.

Three Bears TOK LINK

Lakeside

And the postal service knew you were shipping a handgun?? According to USPS shipping restrictions "Only licensed manufacturers and dealers may mail or receive handguns. Even though unloaded rifles and shotguns are mailable, mailers must comply with applicable regulations."

I should have used the word 'shipped' rather than mailed. I shipped the weapon from an FFL to 3 Bears, and on the return, did the shipment in reverse.

I don't intentionally break laws, most certainly Federal laws that would cause me to loose my weapon and or end up with a record. Must be the old age that caused me to remit the FFL part of my post. My bad..........

The point I was attempting to make was that using Three Bears was easy and convenient and completed with little cost and effort.

Lakeside

Thanks for the clarification - that makes a lot more sense. Since Tok is the jumping off point when entering or leaving Alaska, that would make Three Bears an excellent choice for accomplishing the firearm shipment - good to know.

[lakeside013104]

accsys wrote:

lakeside013104 wrote:
I mailed my pistol to Three Bears TOK Alaska from Great Falls Montana before I crossed the border last spring. The pistol was waiting for me at Three Bears, all safe and sound. $15 later, it was in my possession.

On the return trip home in July I mailed it back to Montana from Three bears. Good service. All safe and sound for a reasonable fee.

Three Bears TOK LINK

Lakeside

And the postal service knew you were shipping a handgun?? According to USPS shipping restrictions "Only licensed manufacturers and dealers may mail or receive handguns. Even though unloaded rifles and shotguns are mailable, mailers must comply with applicable regulations."

I should have used the word 'shipped' rather than mailed. I shipped the weapon from an FFL to 3 Bears, and on the return, did the shipment in reverse.

I don't intentionally break laws, most certainly Federal laws that would cause me to loose my weapon and or end up with a record. Must be the old age that caused me to remit the FFL part of my post. My bad..........

The point I was attempting to make was that using Three Bears was easy and convenient and completed with little cost and effort.

Lakeside

[accsys]

lakeside013104 wrote:
I mailed my pistol to Three Bears TOK Alaska from Great Falls Montana before I crossed the border last spring. The pistol was waiting for me at Three Bears, all safe and sound. $15 later, it was in my possession.

On the return trip home in July I mailed it back to Montana from Three bears. Good service. All safe and sound for a reasonable fee.

Three Bears TOK LINK

Lakeside

And the postal service knew you were shipping a handgun?? According to USPS shipping restrictions "Only licensed manufacturers and dealers may mail or receive handguns. Even though unloaded rifles and shotguns are mailable, mailers must comply with applicable regulations."

[lakeside013104]

I mailed my pistol to Three Bears TOK Alaska from Great Falls Montana before I crossed the border last spring. The pistol was waiting for me at Three Bears, all safe and sound. $15 later, it was in my possession.

On the return trip home in July I mailed it back to Montana from Three bears. Good service. All safe and sound for a reasonable fee.

Three Bears TOK LINK

Lakeside

[thomas201]

Sorry, I should also add that most gunsmiths will store your firearm for about $1 a day. Maybe some small stores will store it for free for a month or so, if you make a sizable purchase.

Another thing is ammo. Shipping ammo is a problem, hazmat. Transporting ammo for a gun you do not have is a problem in Canada. Buy your ammo in Alaska. I was even thinking of taking components and rolling my own in Alaska. Some say this is easier for Canadian customs.

I gave up, and will take a rifle instead. This will be a practice run for a Canadian moose hunt with my son in 2019.

[thomas201]

The pistol, is more of a problem than a long gun. Do you really want the pistol? Google "shipping firearms to alaska from lower 48" and you will get some help. Read carefully the from you, and to you but in care of the FFL holder parts on their sites. The problem is that an FFL in Alaska cannot transfer a pistol to a non-Alaska resident. They can receive a pistol from you and legally hold it for you. They will not even open the box. You can ship it yourself by Fed Ex or UPS, but an FFL can ship US Post Office and even with their fee you might save you some money. If you have a Fed Ex or UPS account with steep discounts you are golden however.

Now on your return, you can drop the pistol at the same FFL in Alaska and he can then mail it to your home residence after you make it back. On the other hand, you can repeat the process by finding a FFL anywhere in the lower 48. Clear as mud? Be careful and follow the rules. Don't be reluctant to call the FFL you chose and talk it out. They do this all the time.