Mailing weapons to Alaska from the lower 48

[AZSENIOR]

We are travelling from Arizona to the Kenai this summer via the Alaska Highway and are aware that we cannot travel through Canada with a hand gun. Any advice from a fellow RVer on how to get the weapon to Alaska?

[Community Alumni]

Yup and a discussion that will go outside the OP's topic so I will close this one as the OP has received his reply.

[garyhaupt]

"Me personally, I worry more about the two legged creatures then any four legged creature when I venture around."



Well, that should fuel the discussion nicely.


Gary Haupt

[AKsilvereagle]

But again, don't waste your time with a pistol for bears. That is false security and will just get you into trouble.

If one only has a handgun if encountered with a charging bear, you better have a powerful enough one with a hollow point grain that has some kick and you better aim for the shoulder and or heart to have any kind of chance to get away safely....As noted the most effective deterrent is shotgun with slugshot as that is what wildlife troopers arm themselves with around bears.

I ventured enough many times in the woods or remote trails by canoe, ATV, or on foot during my young days in the interior and never had a dangerous encounter with wildlife, it is certainly rare to be in a wildlife encounter situation as such unless you place yourself in a middle of a bear population.....now if camping out in the woods for days on end and living out in the bush for an extended period will certainly increase your chances there.

Keep a clean camp and don't leave anything around to invite or intice bears and you should be fine while keeping a distance (bear aware).

As far as back to the topic goes what the OP asks, everyone else summed up how to send personal handguns to Alaska.

Me personally, I worry more about the two legged creatures then any four legged creature when I venture around.

[flasam]

Here is another suggestion.

https://sites.google.com/site/alaskagunshipping/home/how-to-ship-a-handgun-to-alaska

We're going in 2016 and I think I am going to use Three Bears mail from Butte to Tok.

http://threebearsalaska.com

[tonymull]

But again, don't waste your time with a pistol for bears. That is false security and will just get you into trouble.

[EsoxLucius]

OH48Lt wrote:
Handguns CAN be shipped USPS from one FFL to another FFL. There are other allowances also, such as museums and the like, but they do not apply to the OP's inquiry.

USPS handgun rules

If you use an FFL to FFL transfer, you must undergo a NICS check on the receiving end. Additionally, consider to any transfer fees from shipping and receiving FFL, and of course, the shipping costs.

+1 Three Bears Outpost in Tok, AK will accept the weapon USPS or UPS. You don't need an FFL to send it UPS to an FFL you can send it yourself. You will have to pay a transfer fee on the receiving end. Was $20 when I did it. Three Bears does these all the time. Send it to them from the lower 48 and pick it up when you get to Tok and then ship it from Alaska to your hometown FFL when you return.

[rtz549]

Try this: http://www.shipmygun.com/ It's a service of this place: http://www.budsgunshop.com/

[sue_t]

Don't try to sneak a firearm across either, the consequences aren't worth it. The fellow in the news article below was lucky, his vehicle could have been seized too.

‘You made a bad decision,’ judge tells U.S. soldier

Tyler Breslin, a 23-year-old U.S. soldier, was transferred last summer from Alaska to Georgia. He had two days to make the drive.

So Breslin was in a rush, and, as a result, “skipped a couple steps,” his lawyer, Mike Reynolds, said in territorial court Tuesday afternoon.

Appearing by phone from Georgia, Breslin pleaded guilty to two charges under the Canadian Customs Act, for not declaring a handgun and three over-capacity magazines when he attempted to cross the border.

Judge Donald Luther imposed a $5,500 fine.

Full news story at:
http://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/you-made-a-bad-decision-judge-tells-u-s-soldier

[tonymull]

Or buy a gun at Cableas in Anchorage and sell it back when you leave...they buy used guns.

[tonymull]

If you really want bear protection you need a 12 gauge anyway and with proper paperwork you can bring that through canada.

[camp-n-family]

You can bring weapons through Canada without problems as long as they are not restricted weapons (modified, automatic, large cartridge etc), you have the proper paperwork, security devices, and declare them at the border. No problem. See here

[joe_b_]

A couple of ways to do what the OP wants. Carry the handgun in the RV and ride the Alaska Ferry system from Bellingham Washington to Whittier Alaska, never stopping at a Canadian port. Or ship it dealer to dealer with federal firearms license at both ends. When I moved out of Alaska I shipped my handguns to the lower 48 by barge freight, through Totem Express at the time.

Some very special exceptions to the no handgun rule into Canada by a U.S. citizen. Most common, but still applies to very few is if you have with you a U.S. government issued handgun and are on travel orders. A U.S. Airforce pilot changing duty stations from the lower 48 to a base in Alaska, that has been issued a handgun by the military and assigned to that individual person. Others could be gun carrying officers of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coast Guard pilots, etc. in all cases the actual owner of the firearm has to be the US Government.
While I agree 100% with Bill that they aren't needed, and he has lived in Alaska or close to Alaska(Anchorage) a lot longer than my 25+ years, in my bush plane, the State of Alaska, required a weapon to be on board as part of your required survival gear. In case of a plane accident and the pilot is injured, if a bear approaches the wreck, the pilot can shoot him/her self before the bear can eat you alive. LOL

[Trackrig]

Leave them home, there's no need for them and therefore no need for the hassle or expenses you're going to go through to get them here and back again. If you really need to ship one here to an FFL, use Great Northern Guns in Anchorage.

Bill

[OH48Lt]

Handguns CAN be shipped USPS from one FFL to another FFL. There are other allowances also, such as museums and the like, but they do not apply to the OP's inquiry.

USPS handgun rules

If you use an FFL to FFL transfer, you must undergo a NICS check on the receiving end. Additionally, consider to any transfer fees from shipping and receiving FFL, and of course, the shipping costs.