Thread: Legal sale?

You shipped in from an actual "UPS Shipping Center" and not just an "Authorized Outlet" right? And shipped it overnight? If so, I don't see what's wrong with the transaction. Most of what I've heard though, people ship using FedEx. It's a joke what you have to go through to ship handguns if you don't have an FFL license.

-Jeff-

I made sure it was shipped legally. The UPS employee was informed it was a handgun. It was overnight, with a signature required , and to an FFL holder. I think the older gentleman was a little mixed up on the laws regarding this stuff.

Sounds like you followed the law to me.

According to the MI State Police you did also.

http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7...0953--,00.html

3. My father-in-law, who lives in Georgia, has two firearms which he wants to give me. Can I legally go to Georgia and bring the guns back to Michigan?

No. The Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 generally prohibits the transportation into or receipt in the state where a person resides of a firearm obtained outside of that state. The transfer of the firearms would be lawful if your father-in-law sends the firearms via common carrier (such as UPS) to a licensed firearms dealer in Michigan. The Michigan firearms dealer can then transfer the firearms to you providing you meet all statutory requirements. If the firearm is a pistol, a License to Purchase or valid Concealed Pistol License is required.

Sadly, some dealers just don't know the laws that well.

Originally Posted by bruce333

Sounds like you followed the law to me.

I agree.

Thanks guys, that makes me feel a little better.

I was always under the impression that a firearms could only be transferred from one FFL to another FFL i.e. you find a dealer in your state who then ships it to a FFL in the buyer's state. That is how I did it when I sold a gun to someone in a different state several years ago.

Anytime I have shipped a firearm anywhere I had it done by a FFL.

When I was a police officer I seem to remember a brief from the ATF statting that the only way to transfer ownership across state lines was via transfer between FFLs. I could be remembering that wrong.

I hope this all works out for you.

Originally Posted by Ptarmigan

I was always under the impression that a firearms could only be transferred from one FFL to another FFL i.e. you find a dealer in your state who then ships it to a FFL in the buyer's state. That is how I did it when I sold a gun to someone in a different state several years ago.

Anytime I have shipped a firearm anywhere I had it done by a FFL.

When I was a police officer I seem to remember a brief from the ATF statting that the only way to transfer ownership across state lines was via transfer between FFLs. I could be remembering that wrong.

I hope this all works out for you.

I always see people in classifieds on forums saying "make sure your FFL accepts shipment from a non-FFL holder." The way I understand it is, it is legal, but there are some FFLs out there that will not accept shipments from a non-FFL holder.
-Jeff-

I'm really not sure..I've always used an FFL holder to ship from. It just made things air tight.

According to the BATF rule book, a private citizen may ship any gun to any FFL holder.
Further, an FFL holder may ship a private citizen's own weapon, sent in for (for instance) repairs, back to that private citizen; and the FFL holder is allowed to use the US Postal Service, too.
What's even weirder is that a private citizen may ship any gun he already owns, from himself at any address, to himself at any other address, without going through an FFL holder at either end. The only restriction is that the shipment must be made for a legitimate purpose.
The same rule applies to any firearm that is to be received pursuant to a bequest in a will. Any executor may ship any legal firearm to any heir-recipient, without recourse to an FFL holder.

Originally Posted by BeefyBeefo

I always see people in classifieds on forums saying "make sure your FFL accepts shipment from a non-FFL holder." The way I understand it is, it is legal, but there are some FFLs out there that will not accept shipments from a non-FFL holder.
-Jeff-

That's true, and the reason why is the BATFE requirement for the FFL to enter the seller/tranferror's name & address in his "bound book" (or equivalent) as the person or business entity that shipped him the firearm. I've heard that the BATFE has written-up FFLs for making entries in their books that they cannot prove, or do not have documentation to support. If the gun comes from a FFL, they get a copy of the license with the shipment, check it online at the BATFE's website, and all is well. If it comes from an individual, how do they know who really sent it? Even a copy of a drivers license is useless as ID without a face right in front of you to compare it to.

I've never heard of an FFL reporting this as a violation, but I guess I can see them doing that to cover their butt if they have a policy not to accept gun shipments from non-dealers. I'd recommend calling and trying to get a specific reference as to what law they think was broken.

Originally Posted by DevilsJohnson

...I've always used an FFL holder to ship from. It just made things air tight.

As have I. More expensive, yes, but it leaves a better paper trail, reduces the chance of a hot gun moving across state lines, and the FFLs have to deal with anything lost in transit.