United Parcel Service UPS driver
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By Lee Williams

Five Democratic Senators recently sent ominous letters to United Parcel Service and 27 other carriers, blaming them for escalating violent crime rates.

“We are concerned that lax shipping security measures are contributing to the epidemic of gun violence in this country by allowing criminals to use stolen firearms to commit crimes,” the letters each state.

They were signed by Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

In their letters, the Senators peppered the shippers with 20 questions and document requests, including:

  • The number of firearms the carriers have shipped during the last five years.
  • Policies the carriers have in place to secure firearm shipments and prevent loss and theft.
  • How the carriers define firearms.
  • Whether imitation firearms, frames, receivers, ammunition, and silencers are included in this definition.
  • Records the firms keep and maintain about lost or stolen shipments.
  • Records the firms keep and maintain regarding packages containing firearms.

The letters were sent May 19 to UPS, FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service and trucking and rail carriers located in the United States and Canada.

UPS targeting parts for homemade guns

In a story published last week, we revealed UPS is terminating the accounts of some dealers, and that packages currently in the UPS system may be “seized and destroyed.”

In a letter sent to one Florida gun dealer, Ghost Firearms, UPS said they were terminating the account because they “may be violating” laws concerning homemade firearm parts.

“We write to inform you that UPS has learned that your company may be violating applicable laws concerning the shipment of “ghost guns” to unauthorized locations,” the letter states. “In light of our concern, UPS has determined that it will cancel your account, effective immediately.

In the letter, UPS told Ghost’s owner Joe Zatar that all scheduled pickups will be cancelled, and that he cannot reopen another UPS account or ship anything from a UPS store or website.

Zatar is most concerned about $30,000 worth of packages already in the UPS system, which he may have already lost.

“Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.

After the story was published, one national retailer who declined to comment publicly for this story, removed UPS as a shipping option from their website.

Other dealers specializing in 80% receivers and other homemade firearm parts also declined to comment.

Multiple gun dealers cancelled

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association of the firearm industry.

Asked which dealers were being cancelled, NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva said Wednesday, “I think it’s everybody – any dealer specializing in parts.”

The NSSF is currently trying to determine the scope of the mass cancellations.

“It’s a blanket ban,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”

 

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This story is part of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and is published here with their permission.

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82 COMMENTS

    • Okay, I’ve seen this story reported almost cut-n-paste verbatim on several platforms since it first broke a few days ago, and I continue to ask if it’s been verified as from UPS Corporate. Each article simply says “a letter”, “the letter”, etc.

      Sites (even TTAG) keeps reporting that UPS is closing accounts of gun dealers via mailed letter notification, but has any of this been verified yet as genuinely from UPS?? It might be true, but shouldn’t there be…you know…confirmation?

      So far, all we have is a report that a gun store out in Florida received a single letter bearing the UPS logo and declaring that UPS will illegally confiscate and destroy property.

      It smells fishy.

      • Haz,

        You’ll never get to be a “journalist” thinking like that. Get it right; narrative above EVERYTHING. Who cares what the facts are, does the story advance the narrative????

      • Brownells posted on their social media accounts that UPS was no longer doing business with them.

        • My son sent a polite but not very nice email to ups stating his company would stop using their service it this is true.
          That was Sunday afternoon. He got a response today saying it is true and they are preparing for the new law to take effect.
          He responded “well then fuck you”
          I agree.

        • “Brownells posted on their social media accounts that UPS was no longer doing business with them.”

          So, the Leftist Scum ™ are all butt-hurt over losing ‘Bruen’, et. al.

          A countering letter needs to be sent threatening a class-acting lawsuit for violating the practice of an enumerated civil right.

          That’s the only way to send a message they will understand… 🙁

        • I’ve looked. I can’t find any post where this is mentioned. I don’t have FB, but I follow them on IG and can’t find a post where they addressed this.

        • So, did they remove them because this isn’t a real story? I find it difficult to believe that since the 2nd, this story can’t be confirmed by TTAG via the UPS or any other gun/parts retailer besides the original Ghost Guns letter, that also has not been confirmed to be legit. In fact, the retailer called their UPS rep who said they didn’t know anything about the letter or canceling the account. Could this just be affecting Ghost Guns account? There is no “news” on this anywhere with the exception of about 30 gun blogs who are just regurgitating the TTAG story. None of the gun action houses that use UPS are saying that their accounts have been canceled. None of the major retailers are saying that either. This is looking like TTAG has created a sensationalized story suggesting that UPS has declared war on all gun/parts retailers by canceling their accounts nationwide and destroying in-transit packages. This story must be confirmed by TTAG as the originators of the two articles.

      • The first two links in the article are to those letters. Sen. Malarky is proud enough to have posted them.

  2. Think there is a law about interfering with interstate commerce as well as transportation. These commie senators broke another federal law.

  4. Foolish move. I just started a -$300 claim where I would have just fixed the wiring harness and moved on because of this policy. I previously thought well of UPS.

  5. I remember back in the 1970’s when senators asked the post office to stop delivering pornography. The response from the Postmaster General was “we service everyone”. Now of course when Senators send letters to a private company, asking them to stop Servicing law-abiding Americans. Most Libertarians Liberals and Leftists are quite satisfied with this. But I remember them screaming like stuck pigs, when the threat of possibly not receiving their pornography through the mail came up.

    Criminals in jail can use private delivery services or the US mail.

      • rt66paul,

        Don’t bother. Apparently some “Libertarian” either stole his girlfriend or p***ed in his cornflakes, and he’s butthurt about it. While there certainly are people who resemble his caricature of a “Libertarian Liberal”, and I ain’t a giant fan of the “Libertarian Party” platform, few of his issues with “Libertarians” resemble the libertarians I know.

        Other than that, he’s a pretty good guy. I tried “redirecting” his “Libertarian” angst, but got nowhere. I just read his comments, and if he starts going off on “Libertarians”, I just scroll on by.

        • I think you should be able to spray cow sh!t on a politician’s office and their home. Just like the Dutch farmers are doing to those politicians wanting to destroy their lives. Just like politicians here wanted to destroy our lives. And the Libertarians liberals in the left did support protesters throwing urine and sh!t on to police officers and police property.

        • @ Chris in KY: If you are a leftist (collectivist authoritarian), you are not a libertarian.

          The American Libertarian Party are not libertarians either, except in the sense that leftists are “liberals,” viz. in the same sense that Philly is the city of brotherly love or LA is the city of angels.

    • The Post Office cannot discrimate it is a Government entity. Private business on the other hand can. Where we have issues with it is Politicians ordering private businesses what to do. You really are confused but of course you are also a hard core statist. Not to mention your love for big Governement, you Republicans love it just as much as Democrats.

  6. The dems will keep pushing their anti gun agenda until Americans stand against them with arms. it’s coming , best be prepared.

    • Many law-abiding American Citizens are not only well prepared but are ready to defend their 2nd Amendment Rights and not put up with any BS from politicians or law enforcement. All of these people took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the USA and their State Constitutions.
      Many of them routinely ignore that oath. If they don’t follow the rules why should the people of this Country, follow their rules with which we disagree. They want your firearms and to violate the laws of the land then let them bring it on and let the chips fall where they will.

      • Why should we follow their rules,,,,well because if you dont its ” off to prison American satans”

      • That oath they’ve taken is to some not all just a formality to get into office. Take for example Justice Brown. That bitch has no interest or intention of upholding the Constitution of the United States. I’m law abiding until I’m not I guess after that point it must be something I’m willing to break the law for. Although that law will most likely be Unconstitutional to begin with. American citizens are under no obligation to abide by Unconstitutional laws. When the SHTF I hope it happens fast enough that enough Patriots realize this is the time. After all we need the strength of numbers.

  7. Instruct the A.G. in Florida to file charges of theft, conversion of property, vandalism against the UPS board of directors, issue warrants for their arrest, and anyone that handled his packages. When a couple of armed State Troopers show up at the CEO’s home, things will change quickly.

    • That, exactly. No carrier may destroy or dispose of goods or any sort, with impunity.

      If UPS were going this route, they should have published a warning, and ensured that all shippers got the warning 30 days or more before the new policy. Not only is the policy stupid, IMO, but the way it was handled is even stupider.

      I hope it costs them a lot when all is said and done.

      • Isn’t it funny how Pr0gressives will scream blue murder at some forms of censorship but not others?

        • Some censorship is more equal than others.

          ““Please note that any package found in the UPS system determined to have been tendered by GHOST FIREARMS may be seized and destroyed,” the letter states.”

          Sue these bastards they have absolutely no right to seize and destroy anything purchased and shipped legally.

    • Agree 100%, if I have a package on a UPS wagon and they destroy it, they are destroying federal property which is a federal crime, which is punishable by them going to federal prison, hell yeah I’m pursuing charges.

  8. The founder of UPS had the last name of Cathy and today there exist a Cathy Foundation established by the sister of the founder and it is an extreme left-wing group that throws money around everywhere but you’ve never heard of them. That Foundation is what convinced UPS to stop delivering packages that they find objectionable.

    • UPS are a “common carrier” and as such are OBLIGATED to treat all customers, and shipments, fairly. They absolutely CANNOT simply decide one sunny afternoon to begin seizing goods consigned to them for delivery .

  9. So I contacted a company that I have purchased items from in the past (AK parts and magazines) and they were shipped UPS and ask for their response to this UPS issue and here is what I got:

    Our UPS representatives have assured us that neither our account, nor our packages are in jeopardy. UPS is not discontinuing shipping firearms or accessories. This was one specific instance with one particular company.

    Thank you
    Susan
    RTG Parts
    931 Frank Street
    Sheridan, WY 82801
    Office: 307-675-1191
    Fax: 307-675-1192
    http://www.rtgparts.com

    I have also contacted MidwayUSA (.com) also and awaiting their response to this.

    AQM

    • I would expect that the UPS legal team warned to take a step back and re-evaluate their stance. The letters they sent contained down right illegal actions on their part. And although UPS is not under any obligation to act ‘constitutionally’ in this respect their actions could be see as collusion or conspiratorial or subversion to undermine the constitution under color of government.

      This pause for re-evaluation of their stance could be the reason other companies are not yet affected.

      • “shall not be infringed”

        Pretty clear talk and would make for a bunch of interesting class action suits.

        • UPS is not a government agency nor does it qualify as a government agency or employee or hire of government and they have no obligation to not infringe the 2nd amendment. USP is simply a ‘conditional special purpose scope contractor’ to government that has no government responsibility to the people. Only the government (e.g federal, state, county, local, a ‘government agency and its personnel’, employees and official agents of such government in an employee or hire relationship with government, including the president which is actually a glorified employee) can ‘infringe’ the second amendment or any other rights in the bill of rights.

        • to add: UPS does have a responsibility to follow the law, and that is, broadly and collectively, the laws concerning protected classes – hiring/firing practices – fiduciary practices – and other laws for their operations and activity.

    • Keep in mind that your local UPS outlet may accept your packages and state a verbal guarantee, but that does not mean that a UPS unit between your location and the destination will not miss handle your package.

    • “Our UPS representatives have assured us that neither our account, nor our packages are in jeopardy. UPS is not discontinuing shipping firearms or accessories. This was one specific instance with one particular company.”

      One particular company?

      Jon Taylor reports Brownell’s got an identical letter.

      Who’s lying?… 🙁

      • This is appears to be a garbage take by TTAG on one retailer getting a form letter with a UPS logo on it. There is no proof to anything in either published TTAG articles other than some Senators sending out letters to US carriers that have not proven to have has any effect upon those carrier’s policies. I, and others posting here, have done the due diligence that TTAG should be doing and have called several large retailers; Brownells, Midway USA, Palmetto State Armory and others, with none confirming that their UPS accounts have been canceled. This is not right and the stories should be updated to reflect that none of the accusations made against UPS have been verified because as of right now, that is the TRUTH.

    • Response from MidwayUSA:

      Thank you for your email. I apologize for the delayed response. We have talked with our UPS Representative and our contact with UPS is in good standing and we follow all their gridlines and our packages will not be destroyed. We will not be using other carriers at this time. Sorry for any frustrations this may have caused.

      If we can be of further assistance, we are available by live chat and phone 7 days a week from 8:05 AM to 4:30 PM CST or you may email us any time. Please note, we answer emails as quickly as possible, usually within 24 hours.

      Thanks for Your Business!
      Donna
      MidwayUSA Customer Service

  10. There is actually some basis for this. A number of years ago, I read about how manufacturers ship firearms. Often, the transport is temporarily housed in a “secure” facility. Many of these get robbed on a regular schedule, but no one seems to be concerned. Insurance covers the loss, so they keep on doing the same thing.

    • Well then if that is true the solution is to hold UPS responsible not the manufacturers and retailers of the disputed items.

      • dprato, that is correct. If a package is not delivered, then file a claim with UPS and file a claim for loss even if the package is not insured. UPS like all others shipping companies are responsible for all packages entrusted to them and that includes loss, damaged and miss delivered to the wrong address.

    • Firearms are usually shipped overnight or 2nd day priority. They do not sit in a warehouse. Packages are not to have any indication as to what is in the box. How does one know if they are stealing a firearm or a box of business cards?

      • This is directly because of the homeless stealing from trains in the East LA corridor. It was all over the news a few months back, Newsom himself made a rare visit to SoCal to check it out for himself. Thieves had been targeting this area for many years, during Covid, they just slowed down enforcement. There were a couple of large shipments of firearms and a bunch were stolen to end up on the black market.
        All the shippers blamed another for the lax security, it should have been blamed on railway security, they contracted out to very low cost security.

      • Brewd Arms, they don’t have any way of knowing for certain the makeup of the contents, but they do recognize certain company names and merely seize/steal all parcels. Of course, if the parcels are sacked, then the bad guys take as many sacks as possible.

  11. Road blocks, Road blocks, Road blocks to the 2nd Amendment. The firearm industry must sue to not let this be allowed another day to common commerce.

  12. Personally, I think this is an effort on the part of Democrats to push law abiding American Citizens into a real insurrection. The level of arrogance of these people is beyond comprehension as they regularly violate their own rules, make laws that have no basis in facts, and clearly don’t care about American Citizens or the wellbeing of the Country. As an example of how bad they have gotten Ilhan Omar was roundly booed for about five minutes by a crowd of Somali’s. They told her to get out of the venue. The quote of many of them was “Get the F out of here. Now when your base of support is fed up with your policies and actions, I think people better wake up. There is an old saying, Be careful what you wish for.
    They better back off before they push everyone over that line in the sand.

  14. Just another pos company to give zero business to because they bow to idiocy!

  16. “Five Democratic Senators recently sent ominous letters to United Parcel Service and 27 other carriers”

    Nice shipping company you have there. I’d hate for something to happen to it…

    • F@ck every one of those bastards. Just five of some of the most disgusting cretins on the planet. I’d have an awesome reply to those a$$holes and I’d make it public.

  18. Sounds like a hefty lawsuit against UPS. They terminated a contract without giving due notice. And then they threaten to destroy packages that are not theirs.

  19. Another quick search found the article I was thinking about…
    It was one of the biggest gun heists in recent memory: A band of thieves broke into several trailers parked at a UPS freight lot in Springfield, Missouri, and hauled away more than 650 firearms.

    • I suspect that this theft, the East LA rail, and the Chicago rail yard theft a few years ago when a container containing Ruger firearms were stolen are probably inside jobs. The thieves know which containers contain high value easily fenced items. This information probably comes from the rent a cop security company or bribed railroad employees.

  20. Effective today, the lab I work for has terminated its account with UPS because it may be violating various state and federal laws involving trafficking in stolen goods.

  21. It is truly sad to see America begin to fail. Socialist Senators who ignore history and have little faith in Americans to do what is best for America. They are petty demagogues who will use any means to “get their way” no matter how ignorant. Are they the same ones who are giving our technology away to China?

    • America isn’t failing. It’s spinning up for another revolutionary war as all races, genders (even those not “bioligically traditional”), and demographics in our country and military and police forces and members of government contain an overwhelming “quiet” majority that is fed up with government usurping the power of the people and imposing their unconstitutional will upon the people and these fed up people are armed. That is what the democrats and their alles fear, and why they want to disarm the people.

      Like the saying goes…the government should fear the people…. and, to add by extension and intent in that saying….the people should have the means to impose and enforce that fear in all aspects from voting to demonstrations to non-compliance and civil disobedience to physically stopping government by removing it if necessary by force.

  22. And every single package that every shipping company handles could have child pornography, black-market human organs, illegal narcotics, or thousands of other illicit, immoral, and/or illegal items.

    Do we expect all shipping companies to open and inspect every package in order to ensure that they are not shipping any illicit, immoral, or illegal items?

    • That is exactly what those senators would like to do. As far as they are concerned piss on the Constitution.

  23. I frequently purchase items (which are not related to firearms or ammunition in any way, shape, nor form) from out-of-state distributors and they always seem to give me the option of choosing U.S. Mail, FedEx, and UPS. Since all of the options have reasonably similar pricing, I will opt for U.S. Mail or FedEx going forward and will no longer choose UPS.

  24. UPS does not accept firearms (including handguns) and firearm parts for shipment domestically unless (1) such shipments are in full compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, including, without limitation, age restrictions; (2) such firearms, including any partially complete, disassembled, or nonfunctional frame or receiver (as defined by 27 CFR § 478.12) have been identified and bear a serial number in a manner that complies with federal law; and (3) such firearm parts within a package cannot be assembled to form a firearm.

    • Yes yes we know…..the items shipped by the affected companies are not firearms nor are they parts for such under federal law until the law goes into effect in a month.

      UPS is acting unlawfully and has literally under law stolen these packages by seizing them thus is trafficking in stolen goods, has wilfully and unlawfully threatened and maligned the reputation of reputable companies engaged in lawful commerce, has wilfully and unlawfully colluded with and aided agents of the government in a conspiracy to interfere with lawful commerce, and has engaged unlawfully with agents of government to deny rightful owners lawful posession or use of their property.

  25. There is zero corroboration to this story. There is nothing from UPS and there is nothing from ANY shipper of gun parts with the exception of the original retailer who received the “letter”. I put that in parentheses because even that has not been proven to be authentic. I can create one of those as well in Paint. So, where is the integrity here of publishing, not one, but two stories about a major shipping company cancelling potentially thousands of accounts, and threatening to destroy property that isn’t legally theirs? The only two things in both stories you have now published that can be verified is the letter that the Senators wrote and that a firearms retailer got an unverified letter that could end up being the equivalent of a telemarketer scam.

    • Jason:
      Just for possible future reference, you put that in “quotation marks”, (not parentheses).

      • That’s your response? That I mislabeled “” for ()? I don’t see any other replies to any of the other posts questioning the validity of the article by the contributor, but lets make sure to address the complete miscarriage of grammatical justice that occurred by wrongfully attributing parentheses for quotation marks “for possible future reference”. Top notch journalistic effort there. Your story has been blasted all over the internet without any meaningful corroborating evidence as of this post. I hope this story isn’t true, but if it is, can you at least back it up instead of just getting everyone to panic? Individual people have made the minimal effort to call gun and gun parts retailers to confirm and have been told that this is not true. Can you make that effort at least?

        • My apologies TTAG Shadow. That was not intended toward you, unless of course you are actually TTAG Contributor, then it’s all yours.

  26. UPS is the same idiotic company that delivered 13 packages to my home in hte last month that contained ammunition and the package was labeled “Adult Signature Required”
    The video from my Ring Camera shows the UPS driver just scribbling something on his paperwork or device, and leaving the packages stcked on my front porch, out in the open with no signature or anyone home.

    Anyone could have picked these packages up and walked away.

  27. There is reason UPS sucks, they have not spine and lose / damage packages ALL THE TIME.

  28. The UPS delivery person (him/her/they/them/?) always just leaves my amm0 and doesn’t even ring the bell. So much for signature required!

  29. When it’s illegal for the government to infringe on your civil rights, don’t worry, Bolshevik democrats will bully private companies to do it for them.

Comments are closed.