Three State AGs Want to Defend Federal Ban on Shipping Guns Through Post Office

March 10, 2026
11:06 am

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Three state attorneys general— from New York, California, and Hawaii, the usual suspects in the gun-grab pantheon—are stepping up to play defense for a dusty federal ban that prohibits shipping firearms through the U.S. Postal Service. With the Department of Justice bowing out of the legal fray after dropping its defense amid challenges to the rule, these AGs are volunteering to carry the torch, filing motions to intervene in cases like the recent lawsuit from the Firearms Policy Coalition. This 1968 prohibition, buried in 18 U.S.C. § 1715, stems from the Gun Control Act era when politicians panicked over mail-order rifles fueling urban unrest, effectively forcing gun owners to rely on pricier private carriers like UPS or FedEx, which have their own patchwork restrictions. It's a relic that screams government overreach, turning a universal public service into an exclusion zone for law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. The implications for the 2A community are as clear as a jammed suppressor: this isn't just about postage stamps; it's a stealthy squeeze on accessibility. By clinging to this ban, these AGs are betting on judicial nostalgia for mid-20th-century hysteria, ignoring how modern background checks and FFL protocols have rendered it obsolete. If they succeed, expect ripple effects—higher shipping costs deter impulse buys from small online sellers, sidelining mom-and-pop gun shops in favor of big-box behemoths, and further entrenching a two-tier system where rural shooters foot the bill for urban sensibilities. The DOJ's retreat signals weakness in Biden's ATF empire post-Bruen, but these blue-state warriors could drag this out, buying time for more restrictions. 2A advocates should rally now: flood dockets with amicus briefs, pressure Congress for repeal via the POSTAGE Act, and remind courts that the Postal Service exists for all Americans, not just Amazon packages. This fight underscores a broader war on convenience as the new battleground for gun rights. Challengers argue the ban violates equal protection and due process by irrationally burdening interstate commerce—spot on, given USPS hauls everything from ammo components to heirloom shotguns without issue under proper regs. Victory here could crack open federal mail for direct-to-consumer sales, turbocharging the post-Bruen renaissance. Stay vigilant, patriots; one lost postage stamp today means a locked arsenal tomorrow.

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The implications for the 2A community are as clear as a jammed suppressor: this isn’t just about postage stamps; it’s a stealthy squeeze on accessibility. By clinging to this ban, these AGs are betting on judicial nostalgia for mid-20th-century hysteria, ignoring how modern background checks and FFL protocols have rendered it obsolete. If they succeed, expect ripple effects—higher shipping costs deter impulse buys from small online sellers, sidelining mom-and-pop gun shops in favor of big-box behemoths, and further entrenching a two-tier system where rural shooters foot the bill for urban sensibilities. The DOJ’s retreat signals weakness in Biden’s ATF empire post-Bruen, but these blue-state warriors could drag this out, buying time for more restrictions. 2A advocates should rally now: flood dockets with amicus briefs, pressure Congress for repeal via the POSTAGE Act, and remind courts that the Postal Service exists for all Americans, not just Amazon packages.

This fight underscores a broader war on convenience as the new battleground for gun rights. Challengers argue the ban violates equal protection and due process by irrationally burdening interstate commerce—spot on, given USPS hauls everything from ammo components to heirloom shotguns without issue under proper regs. Victory here could crack open federal mail for direct-to-consumer sales, turbocharging the post-Bruen renaissance. Stay vigilant, patriots; one lost postage stamp today means a locked arsenal tomorrow.

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