FedEx Refuses to Ship CNC Mill

[Kirk Freeman]

I don't see the point, but FedEx is choking up over shipping Cody Wilson's "ghost gun" milling machine.

If only we knew what the problem was.

FedEx Refuses to Ship a Digital Mill That Can Make Untraceable Guns | WIRED

 

[Stang51d]

They never had any issue shipping the flat bending die, or other tools from AK-builder. Pretty much the same outcome from using them.

 

[phylodog]

Not really news, I could have told you that Fedex sucks a long time ago.

 

[Mgderf]

Looks like an opportunity to steal some of Fedex's business.
Really, the marketers didn't do themselves any favors by their tactics, but then that was their point I guess.
These sort of machines are out there, and more are going to be hitting the population at large everyday, one way or another.
The machine is legal to manufacture, purchase, own, and operate. Just like any other tool, it's the users responsibility to follow the laws that pertain to them.

When will Fedex stop shipping crowbars? They could be used for burglary purposes. What about files? They could be used to manufacture knives and swords! How many millions of souls have lost their lives to edged weapons over the eons?
Oh, the humanity!

As useful a policy as nipples on a boar.

 

[vitamink]

OMG you mean they don't get the privilege to spend twice as much to ship something with FedEx?!

FedEx just did them a favor.

 

[padawan]

Looks like an opportunity to steal some of Fedex's business.
Really, the marketers didn't do themselves any favors by their tactics, but then that was their point I guess.
These sort of machines are out there, and more are going to be hitting the population at large everyday, one way or another.
The machine is legal to manufacture, purchase, own, and operate. Just like any other tool, it's the users responsibility to follow the laws that pertain to them.

When will Fedex stop shipping crowbars? They could be used for burglary purposes. What about files? They could be used to manufacture knives and swords! How many millions of souls have lost their lives to edged weapons over the eons?
Oh, the humanity!

As useful a policy as nipples on a boar.

I believe my late Grandfather said it was "worthless as t!ts on a boar"...

 

[Bfish]

FedEx has a firearm industry membership to the NRA?? No idea... They will get it shipped somehow, the story even said UPS wouldn't or something either... Cool devices too!

 

[avboiler11]

How will UPS or FedEx know whats in the box?

Hint: they don't, unless you tell them.

"Is this hazardous"? NO

"Is this illegal"? NO

Ship away, friends...its all "machine parts".

 

[halfmileharry]

How will UPS or FedEx know whats in the box?

Hint: they don't, unless you tell them.

"Is this hazardous"? NO

"Is this illegal"? NO

Ship away, friends...its all "machine parts".

Haul em down the street to a book store and ship from there? Sounds like there's a way around prejudiced thinking.

 

[Compatriot G]

Funny, I recently shipped my Ruger Mk.III to the factory via FedEx and received it from Ruger via FedEx.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Sounds like corporate butt covering. Their comments basically boil down to "we don't know if its illegal somewhere, so we aren't shipping it until we know."

My question would be, is there any criminal or civil liability for shipping an item that turns out to be illegal where it is shipped to? For the shipping company, I mean, not the sender or receiver.

 

[88E30M50]

Sounds like corporate butt covering. Their comments basically boil down to "we don't know if its illegal somewhere, so we aren't shipping it until we know."

My question would be, is there any criminal or civil liability for shipping an item that turns out to be illegal where it is shipped to? For the shipping company, I mean, not the sender or receiver.

That's what I'm thinking. If someone were to crank out a few ARs with one of these and hand them out to a local ISIS wanna be group that used them in a mall attack, the lawyers would be scrambling to find the deep pockets to affix blame to. I think FedEx is afraid of being the deep pockets tapped. The existence of a machine that can produce a home built gun will have no impact on whether or not we are attacked by a radical group, but the people in a position to profit from the aftermath will need to find someone that can pay.

 

[level0]

I'm already off my local fedex store for refusing to copy my LTCH (back in the day). Now I'm off them as a corporation for being jackasses.

 

[jwh20]

The folks trying to do the shipping intentionally did this to themselves in order to get publicity. How often does FedEx or UPS ask YOU what you're shipping? They asked the question to draw attention to exactly what they are doing in order to get denied.

 

[rxer]

I'd have to agree with the publicity angle. This is free advertising for them. I can buy a makerbot on amazon right now and it ships without question so there is no issue with shipping something that can make a firearm. Would we even have heard of the company before this?

 

[JStarr]

I'll go get it.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

That's what I'm thinking. If someone were to crank out a few ARs with one of these and hand them out to a local ISIS wanna be group that used them in a mall attack, the lawyers would be scrambling to find the deep pockets to affix blame to. I think FedEx is afraid of being the deep pockets tapped. The existence of a machine that can produce a home built gun will have no impact on whether or not we are attacked by a radical group, but the people in a position to profit from the aftermath will need to find someone that can pay.

Even stripping that out. Say I mail heroin via FedEx. FedEx isn't on the hook for illegal possession, as they didn't know they had it. If someone OD's on the heroin, how could FedEx possibly be liable? I am sure they have their lawyers and other smarties looking at it from some angle I'm not seeing, but I just can't get out if you ship guns you can't ship something that makes guns. You ship guns, so its not some anti-gun statement. Wouldn't you be more directly liable for shipping a gun vs something that is used to make a gun? It is just being afraid of things you don't understand? I'm still puzzled.

 

[Leadeye]

It's just a risk/reward business decision. There's not much money to be made from the mill manufacturer, and the dollars at risk, at least in somebody in FX management's opinion, is too high.

 

[Stickfight]

It's just a risk/reward business decision.

Exactly. And it is their business to do with what they want.

Think your boycott of their services matters? Check the stock price before and after and see. Think you can do better? Let us know the name of your international door to door shipping company.

 

[Faine]

There's more going on than corporate cya here. For FedEx to not ship these someone in a regulatory department would have been consulted. Upon questioning they would contact a government office, in this case likely the ATF who FedEx has a long standing give/take relationship with. Most likely the ATF "advised" FedEx at that point to not ship these mills. I've been in the corporate system long enough now to know how this works and seen it in action. There's a reason even UPS said no and at USPS mums the word. Something is going on behind the scenes at the federal level concerning this company or their product and/or customers. This may be another Ares situation in the making. Given the ATF's recent overstepping of authority and ridiculous opinion letters and ammunition reclassifications this really fits right in line.