Is it at all possible to legally transport guns, knives, etc over air? Do I have to call ahead and get special permission? If I want to give Grandpa Joe that shiny revolver for Christmas, do I have to buy it in New York if I live in California? Is their some special UPS service just for transporting guns and such that I would have to use?
Last I heard, it was still legal to transport guns and knives on US airplanes in checked baggage. Not carry-ons!
Any such weaponry would have to be secured and rendered safe - i.e. guns unloaded and in a locked case. Also, the airline wants to know about it in advance, so when your luggage goes through the x-ray machines no one freaks out.
But the safest thing to do is to check in advance with your chosen airline and ask them what their policies and procedures are.
Guns and knives are generally OK in checked baggage. Guns must be declared when checking in.
From the FAA’s FAQ
Broomstick covered it as far as the airlines go, but there are other things to consider.
Unless you are a citizen of New York, it is probably illegal for you to buy a gun there. New York City has very stringent gun laws (the Sullivan Law?), so your grandfather might not be allowed to own a handgun. (I don’t know how stringent the laws are in the rest of the state.) In California, individuals may not transfer a gun to another individual unless the transaction is handled through a gun dealer, the DROS fee is paid, there is a background check on the buyer, and the gun is held for 10 days. While California laws probably don’t apply to your grandfather, New York may have similar laws. Also, your grandfather cannot come here to buy a gun.
You can ship guns, but I don’t think you can do it through the post office. UPS (“poo is brown”) may or may not have a policy re: sending guns. They might refuse if it’s against their policy. Same for FedEx et al. Guns that are shipped may only be sent to a gun dealer in the recipients location, where the recipient must pick it up and obey all laws regarding transfer. (There might be an exception for long guns under the 1986 GCA Reform Act.)
Be sure to find out about all applicable laws before you do anything.
The Transportation Security Administration has a list of items that may be carried on or taken in checked baggage. You have to click the linked Word or PDF document to see the chart.
According to FedEX
So guns are right out unless you have some sort of dealer/collector licence.
The ATF says
From what I’ve heard around the ol’ range water cooler, UPS has gotten a very bad reputation for losing guns, ie., stolen in route. And they’ve really raised their rates to make it more expensive, so FedEx seems to be the more reasonably priced alternative.
I’ve had no problems flying with my shotguns to hunt pheasant in Iowa. Flying Delta, I just went to the baggage check-in, they were verified unloaded, a verification slip was place in the case, then closed and I provided my own locks. The airline does recommend you do not use a labelled case, so leave your nice Beretta, Browning labelled case at home, and use a generic looking gun case.
No, you’re supposed to put it in a violin case!
quote:Muad’Dib
“So how do I go about taking my guns, knives, sporks on the plane?”
The knives and guns you can put in checked baggage with proper notification, but them “sporks” you’ve go to leave at home.
No sporks?! How will I eat my ever-present Spam? >:)
Spam, spam, spam, spam, beans, and spam, should only be eaten with a fork… silly, maroon… 
That’s OK - the airline will supply you with your weapons during mealtime. I recently flew United First Class and was handed two full size metal forks, a nice stiff metal spoon and a very substanial, nice and sharp PLASTIC knife …
I still wonder who we think we’re fooling with all this new so-called “security” ??
Oh yeah - but they do block the aisle to the cockpit door with a DRINK CART when they have to open the cockpit door so the pilot can take a leak or get a cup of coffee. Highly effective, I’m sure.