USPS proposal would allow handguns to be sent through the mail

Politics USPS proposal would allow handguns to be sent through the mail for the first time since 1927 May 7, 2026 / 9:50 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google Handguns could be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service for the first time in nearly 100 years if a proposed rule under the Trump administration takes effect. Democratic attorneys general in two dozen states sent a letter this week in opposition.In 1927, Congress passed a law barring the USPS from mailing concealable firearms unless they were from licensed dealers in an effort to curb crime. In January, the Department of Justice revisited the 1927 law, calling it unconstitutional and arguing that it violated the Second Amendment, and urged the postal service to change its regulations.The Justice Department said that as long as Congress chooses to run a parcel service, "the Second Amendment precludes it from refusing to ship constitutionally protected firearms to and from law-abiding citizens, even if they are not licensed manufacturers or dealers."CBS News has reached out to USPS for comment. 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.USPS said it deferred to the "judgment" of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel "as to the lawful scope of this criminal statute and worked in consultation with OLC to develop the proposed revisions to our mailability regulations."Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat who is running for governor, said the rule change would undo the work states like Nevada have done to curb gun violence. Nevada experienced the deadliest mass shoo...