Posting Airsoft kit, guns, and accessories

[1967PF44]

There may  have been a few posts before about this, but a few things have changed recently so I thought I’d have a a bit of a moan and justify it at the same time .

 

Posting Rifles (between 2kg and 20kg) total weight 

Many have got away with posting Airsoft guns using a variety of services and couriers - but please be certain they have “got away” with it 

 

The only Uk mail service that will knowingly ship Airsoft guns for private customers who do not have a special terms account is the Royal Mail Group (this includes Parcel Force). 

As long as the package is less than 150cm long and under 20kg they will ship. Most RIFs can be shipped for under £10 (cue my first moan ….. sellers charging £15- to as much as £30 I’ve seen today) for postage for a RIF). If you don’t want to post say that in the add, it’s fine, but don’t charge £30 for postage that will cost £9.  

 

Enhanced Compensation 

RM groups enhanced comp does not cover Airsoft Guns, BUT it does cover accessories shipped with the RIF, If you want to cover the full cost and pay the high cost of extra insurance,  you have to be a bit smart.  
list accessories separately and make you you keep separate valuations in the unlikely event of a parcel force loss - get retail valuation on extra mags, optics, foregrips, suppressors etc, it soon all adds up?

 

however my experience and it is extensive over 200 RIFs now shipped - 3 damaged in transit, no losses, 1 incoming seized by Rm and destroyed, 1 sent seized and destroyed by RM.

 

DANGEROUS GOODS RULES 

Pistols, GBBRS and HPA- are all potentially caught by the DG in transit rules - with RM group what you have to do is properly vent all pressure vessels (gas mags) and either remove or wedge open the release valve. The easiest way to do this is using a small tight roll of cardboard held in place one the release valve button. Never leave a mag in guns, RM claim they won’t examine a gun with a mag fitted  and it is automatically destroyed.  I always pack mags outside the pistol box.  For ease of examination 

 

for pistol packages under 2kg you can use RM 1st class. 
 

COURIERS

all couriers have different “prohibited” items lists, but all of the Uk couriers specify “firearms” in their list of prohibited items. Please don’t try and be clever with couriers and claim that an Airsoft gun is not a Firearm.  The fact is it’s not a firearm under Uk law, but it is a firearm under most (if not all) courier small print definition - the6 don’t have to recognise the legal definition and some have now amended their prohibited list to actually make it clear that a firearm includes anything that looks like a firearm.

 

KIT AND ACCESSORIES

The best postage option just now for all kit and accessories is by far the RM Tracked 24/48 service. Tracked 48 is currently £2.85 booked online and that’s including £100 comp cover and free collection from home - you can’t beat that, and it’s a service that is prioritised during industrial action.  Cue next moan…..people charging £5-£10 to post a £30 optic…… or a JPC because it’s bulky….lol 

 

PACKAGING

when posting RIFs please beware there are minimum standards of packaging rules.  If you don’t follow them, you lose your right to claim in the event of damage.   Use a minimu of a stiff cardboard box, the original retail box should almost always be sufficient but take extra care when retailers use flimsy boxes. Plea to bubble wrap, vinyl foam wrap (like the stuff new tvs are in) even crushed newspaper helps. Take pictures of your packing layers - you will need them in the event of a claim.  And always wrap external layer with something waterproof. Bin bags are cheap and good enough. If you ship a lot of stuff, pallet wrap Is the way forward cheap and makes external wrapping piece of cake. 
 

finally - always keep your proof of posting ! Without it you have no claim. 
 

Happy to answer any questions, there is not much I haven’t come across in terms of shipping problems, claims, losses, dangerous goods seizures. 
 

long post I know, but it’s important stuff to know - and looking at adverts clearly many have no idea (or they are at it…lol) 

 

happy new year 2023 

 

Paul

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by 1967PF44

[Jez_Armstrong]

This is the sort of post that needs to be copied and pasted everytime someome asks on the Facebook groups 

 

Because I'm absolutely fed up with the prats who say "well I've always used hermes or DHL ect and never had a problem and it only costs me £4 and I tell them its a plant pot"

 

Those people need a swift kick in the dick 

[Cannonfodder]

That's why I left almost all airsoft groups on faceache. Too many stupid people

[Tackle]

 

44 minutes ago, Cannonfodder said:

That's why I left almost all airsoft groups on faceache. Too many stupid people

I did the same, unfortunately I've had to stick with a few site groups just to see what's coming up, but even then I still despair about some of the crap people post up. 

Thank feck for this place??

[Daveoc33]

Thanks for the info OP. 

 

People in the post office often don't know that sending guns is allowed but under some extra conditions since there's a picture of a gun on their prohibited items poster. 

 

This is the parcel force page that explains the rules around it and I've had to show it to the person working at the post office on occasion.

https://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-advice/sending/prohibitions-and-restrictions

 

It currently says:

 

Arms and Ammunition - low powered air weapons Low-powered air weapons (air rifles, air guns and air pistols), together with lead pellets and other airgun and airsoft projectiles, can be sent but are subject to the following conditions:

1. These items must be sent on an express48 service only
2. These items must be sent via the Post Office only, and presented at the counter
3. Enhanced compensation cover is not available

 

[Danno46]

What is never mentioned but probably should be is posting lipo batteries

They are an absolute minefield 

[Herrgh]

On 30/12/2022 at 18:07, 1967PF44 said:

however my experience and it is extensive over 200 RIFs now shipped - 3 damaged in transit, no losses, 1 incoming seized by Rm and destroyed, 1 sent seized and destroyed by RM.

 

Can you tell the story of what happened to these two RIFs? I'd be interested to learn.

[1967PF44]

1 hour ago, Herrgh said:

 

Can you tell the story of what happened to these two RIFs? I'd be interested to learn.

Yup - fairly short story - the incoming one was sent to me with a mag in the gun- sender insisted the mag was empty and not under pressure - however it was detecting in scanning at Edinburgh Airport mail centre, -sent to Belfast -Royal Mail Dangerous Goods and firearms inspection centre, where the examiner would not even examine the gun due to mag in - destroyed - no right of appeal ! 
 

outgoing one is more complex, but again detected during mail

scanning at Edinburgh airport- originally seized as suspect “firearm” incoming one was seized for “compressed gasses” - Again taken to Belfast where it was examined and passed the initial examination for “firearms” and assessed correctly to be an “Airsoft gun”  it was released - but then re seized (not sure where this happens and no one could explain) and found to have “compressed gas” in one of the mags - I guarantee it was empty when sent - however again destroyed and appeal was found in favour of RM

On 01/01/2023 at 08:57, Danno46 said:

What is never mentioned but probably should be is posting lipo batteries

They are an absolute minefield 

And that’s why they are not mentioned - the rules are not clear - because you can send them “connected” to an “electronic device” along with one set of spares as Long as they are new and in original new retail packaging. 
 

the last time I looked it then went on to say that you you can “never”

send “used” lipo 

 

so it gets very confusing- I could not get RM dangerous goods team to even confirm where or not an AEG was an “electronic device”- they allow batteries connected to RC cars, which are far more volatile 

 

I don’t mind being responsible for giving postal advice lol, but I didn’t want to venture into lipo posting advice that even the RM staff can’t agree on lol 

[Danno46]

Yes it’s a minefield I work for an Airline in Logistics and the amount of hassle we have trying to send li~po and Li~ion batteries, if they are connected to the item I.e your iPhone or Laptop we can only despatch them if the battery is under 30% charged, if it’s just the battery on its own it then falls into a whole new category with even more restrictions. 
 

Makes me chuckle when you watch on YT people unboxing Mystery boxes and they start pulling out batteries , smoke grenades ,all in the same box ! 

[1967PF44]

“Makes me chuckle when you watch on YT people unboxing Mystery boxes and they start pulling out batteries , smoke grenades ,all in the same box ! “

 

These are sent by courier - the retailer usually has a special agreed terms account