So I bought another Russian PPSH-41. 1944 Amnesty gun, all numbers matching (most of you now know that is my thing), Korean war bring back. 80% gun, very nice with matching mfg drum. Good so far. Confirmed seller was real, used a FFL/SOT to arrange transfer to my local FFL, then the gun was shipped USPS registered mail and insured for the sale value.
Things went just fine for four days or so then.... POOF! Gone. No updates, no tracking, nuttin honey.
Waited a few weeks to see if maybe the USPS person who last signed for the gun was still on break but crickets. Launched a tracking inquiry.... zippo. Forty-one days later we (the FFL shipper and myself) decided that this was total BS. We filed an ATF missing NFA item report, called the FBI (also) and basically raised hell.
Within just a few days, as if by magic, the package was located. Unopened, as shipped. It was then delivered to my FFL where I inspected it today.
The shame would have been the loss of an irreplaceable piece of history.
Moral of the story: USPS registered mail works great.. until it doesn't.