UPS OR FedEx for Gun People

If you work with firearms enough eventually you will  run into a situation where you need to send a gun via mail. You might break a part or perhaps need to send it to get some custom work done. Whatever the reason, there is always that little bit of "damn it, I have to walk into a crowded room and announce that I have a gun in a box". 

Yesterday I sent a few handguns out to get some custom work on them through Danger Close Armament (frame specialization), Tuebor Precision (slide machining), and Heritage Gun Works (Class III manufacturer). They were kind enough to generate a shipping label for me so all I had to do was drop it off. Right.... Unless you account for the suck at Fedex. 

I walked in and, as per instruction, declared the to the clerk that the box contained a firearm. You would have thought I stuffed it in his face. He then proceeded to consult his coworkers as to whether or not they could do this. 

Once it was ascertained that they could indeed ship a firearm, it was a question of ground or air.  

Meantime... While on hold with corporate...

I told them that I had to policy pulled up on the Fedex website and the lady, moves the phone slightly away from her face and says "that's nice" and continues to wait. 

The one guy calmed down a bit and started to make small talk about the type and caliber. He seemed to have some background knowledge of firearms but was clearly not an owner. When I answered there were two in the box, a 1911 and a Glock, one of the female clerk's eyes rolled and she announced she was going to go get lunch and left.

Time elapsed...

The person from corporate didn't know the policy either and forced them to have to ship Priority Overnight (4X the cost of ground). Heritage Gun Works (HGW), knowing the policy and having shipped hundreds of firearms in the past prepared the label for ground. They then moved me to the side and compelled me to contact HGW to get another label made. Of course, after a brief explanation, HGW got right on it and sent it via the email supplied by FedEx.

This shipping station; however, appears to have 1997 interweb and it took a solid 20 minutes for them to get my label. After that ordeal, the clerk said (yes I was there long enough to go through a shift change at Fedex) they would get it shipped out; I lingered a bit to physically watch them put the label on the box and put it in the outgoing shipment rack.

Today, I had a another firearm that I actually damaged in T&E and needed to return for repair. This shipping label was for UPS ground. I walked into the UPS store. Was immediately met by a clerk and asked how I could be helped. I said "I need to ship this out and it contains a firearm, so whatever your process is for that"

He replied "we just have to tape it up, that's the process"

[handed me the receipt that he had printed simultaneous to my declaration; queue tape gun]

"Have a good one sir, we will get this out today".

So I don't know about you but I am sold. Also, don't say USPS, I have had numerous items stolen out of boxes by that fraudulent, government-run monstrosity. 

Special thanks to Heritage Gun Works for their diligence on this one.

What do you think? Comment below.