Last month USPS proposed a new rule that would allow anyone to mail concealable firearms like pistols and revolvers. USPS currently allows some firearms like long-barreled rifles and shotguns to be mailed, however they must be unloaded and securely packaged. Similar protections would be in place for handguns, which have evolved since 1927. The USPS said in a statement that it is reviewing public comments — which were due Monday — before making final changes.
Under the proposed rules, someone could sell and ship a gun to a person within state lines. The rules are tighter for mailing guns across state lines — people could only mail it to themselves in the care of another person and would be required to open it themselves. That's designed to assist people who are traveling to another state where they might want to use a gun for recreation.
The Department of Justice argues the patchwork of state laws around guns makes it difficult to take them across state lines for lawful purposes like target shooting, hunting and self-defense. It said that in many cases, people have no ability to travel with a firearm, making mail the "only viable method of transportation.”