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hi guys nephew just sent me this someone put on facebook are you allowed to post air rifles.. thx tony........ Posting is completely forbidden. You can get an unlimited fine and or even inprissionment. Check the air arms law. All transactions MUST be done face to face from seller to buyer. Ammo is allowed to be posted though. Just letting you guys know so u dnt get mo shit :)

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hi davy cheers but it will not let me read it can you copy and paste it to my pm plz..this is what the lad said on facebook when my nephew said he had seen it on here that you can post air rifle if it is a private sale his reply .........looked into that, Under no circumstances is a firearm to be sold or shipped by a 3rd party. face to face only. 2nd hand weapons included.

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Tony, you can ship an air rifle by post, no problem, Mary and I sold my Webley to a man in Brighton. He could not get on with it so sold it back to us, both times the gun was sent via Royal Mail. So as long as the trade is between to private individuals and not a dealer and a customer, the gun can be shipped by Royal Mail....

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To clear up any confusion on this subject, caused by Post Office staff thinking Royal Mail has discretion on whether it can carry airguns, please note that the RM regulator Postcomm ruled clearly in our favour in June 2005.

 

Royal Mail is stuck with this decision like it or not. They must carry legal airguns, properly packaged, as long as they meet the size requirements of Standard Parcels and Special Delivery.

 

A one-page summary of the ruling for you to print out is <1> and the full ruling (PDF format) is <2>.

 

It makes sense that we do our bit to make sure all Postmasters, counter staff and so on are aware of the decision if challenged when trying to post an airgun. Print out the summary if it helps and take it with you.

 

The law on selling airguns - basics

 

The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 requires anyone who deals in airguns (new or second hand) "by way of trade or business" to be registered as a firearms dealer. This does not apply to guns made before 1939. Dealers have to keep a register of buyers of airguns and certain component parts and they must either sell them face to face or send them to another RFD who has to take the details, sell face to face etc.

 

None of the above applies to private individuals. We are free to buy and sell lawful airguns privately without restrictions, so long as we are satisfied the buyer is over 18 years old.

 

To protect yourself when selling to an unknown buyer via the post, you should at minimum demand a declaration from the buyer that they are aged over 18. If you have any doubts then ask for documentary proof.

 

If you sell to someone under 18 you commit a criminal offence. But you have a defence "if you can prove that you believed the young person was over 18 or that you had reasonable grounds for believing so". For more info see the BASC/ACPO guide to the VCR Act <3>

 

Parcelforce

 

NOTE: If you send an air rifle or air pistol by Parcelforce and you don't have an account with them, you are in breach of their terms and conditions and may find it difficult (or impossible) to get compensation if the item is damaged.

 

For more details see below.

 

How to send an airgun by Royal Mail

 

We should also take care to wrap air rifles very securely, in bubble wrap, stout boxes and with lots of parcel tape, to minimise the chances of the contents spilling out when being rough-handled and causing an "incident". The RM bosses would probably like more of these "incidents" since they support their anti-gun stance.

 

Should you describe the contents?

 

The simple answer to this is no, because there is nothing in the Royal Mail rules that says you have to, as long as you abide by its various prohibitions on sending hazardous materials etc. There is no need to write anything on your parcel about the contents when sending within the UK.

 

If challenged about the contents by Post Office counter staff, it might be easiest to say "sports equipment" in the first instance and if they question you further, ask why exactly they want to know?

 

Special Delivery

 

The RM next day <Special Delivery 4> service has barcode tracking and up to max. £2,500 compensation. But it specifies a maximum parcel length of 610mm, which is suitable for pistols and some smaller rifles.* When *** enforce this rule - and some don't - longer parcels can be sent only using standard parcels.

 

Standard Parcels

 

<Standard Parcels 5> takes about three days and has a 1.5m length/ 20kg weight limit.

 

Standard Parcels has no tracking but you can buy optional compensation of up to max. £500. So although the item can be insured, there is no way of independently tracking its progress and arrival.

 

Many BBS members have used this service for years without incident and report it to be reliable. But there remains a danger that an unscrupulous buyer might claim the item has not been received - although they risk a criminal prosecution if when the RM investigated, the local office could show the item was indeed delivered.

 

Unfortunately a recent court decision means 20% VAT is now applied by Royal Mail to certain "premium" postal services, including standard parcels with extra compensation.

 

Standard parcels prices:

Compensation £100

Weight not over: 2kg= £6.49; 4kg= £10.34; 6kg= £13.61

Compensation £250

Weight not over: 2kg= £8.29; 4kg= £12.14; 6kg= £15.41

Compensation £500

Weight not over: 2kg= £9.49; 4kg= £13.34; 6kg= £16.61

 

 

100 year limit

 

One more thing - you can't claim compensation for items over 100 years old sent via RM Standard Parcels, so remember that when you want to sell vintage items made before 1911!

 

Parcelforce ban on carrying airguns - details

 

Although a subsidiary of Royal Mail, for some reason Parcelforce is exempt from the Postcomm ruling. Under Parcelforce's terms, non-account holders are barred from sending airguns and the company states it will not pay out compensation for damaged items sent in breach of its conditions.

 

<GENERAL PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS 6>

 

ARMS AND AMMUNITION

 

"All firearms including: imitations and antiques; paint-ball or toy guns; taser guns; air rifles and all other items similar to, or resembling, the foregoing are prohibited. All ammunition (including components thereof) and airgun pellets are also prohibited.

 

"Section 1 and 2 arms and firearms may be permitted for Zone 1 to Zone 1 collections and deliveries for Account Customers only, subject to prior written agreement being provided by Parcelforce Worldwide to the Customer, such agreement to be given at Parcelforce Worldwide's absolute discretion. Zone 1 to Zone 1 Collections and deliveries of Section 1 and 2 arms and firearms will only be accepted where it can be shown to Parcelforce Worldwide's satisfaction that both the Customer and the addressee are registered firearm dealers. All types of firearms are prohibited from import and export to and from the UK."

--------------------------------------------------------

* Items longer than 610mm can be sent by Special Delivery in tube-shaped parcels as long as the total length plus twice the diameter is no more than 1040mm (ie. 800mm long + 2 x 120mm diameter = 1040mm). This might be useful if you want to send an action without a stock.

 

links for forms can be found below

 

1 http://i165.photobuc...n1/30177671.jpg

 

2 http://www.psc.gov.u...cuments/163.pdf

 

3 http://www.basc.org....DECDB0D3C8BFD82

 

4 http://www2.royalmai...livery-next-day

 

5 http://www2.royalmai...tandard-parcels

 

6 http://www2.parcelfo...nd-restrictions

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