FFL requires paperwork to give pistol to a gunsmith

**ideaman** · April 26th, 2013, 02:47 PM

My FFL uses a particular gunsmith for his work and his customers. I wanted to give the FFL my M&P 9mm FS and M&P shield 9mm for the smith to pick up at the FFL's home to install new sights. He wanted the slides only to avoid paperwork of a pistol going from his hands to the gunsmith.

I wasn't aware of that rule so I wanted to put it out there.

**knight0334** · April 26th, 2013, 03:19 PM

When a firearm is left after 1 day's business hours it must be logged. Since a slide isn't a firearm, there is no paperwork.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/gunsmiths.html

Q: Does a gunsmith need to enter in a permanent “bound book” record every firearm received for adjustment or repair?

If a firearm is brought in for repairs and the owner waits while it is being repaired or if the gunsmith is able to return the firearm to the owner during the same business day, it is not necessary to list the firearm in the “bound book” as an “acquisition.” If the gunsmith has possession of the firearm from one business day to another or longer, the firearm must be recorded as an “acquisition” and a “disposition” in the permanent "bound book" record.

**ideaman** · April 26th, 2013, 03:24 PM

Thanks. I bookmarked it.

**ronbo1012** · April 26th, 2013, 03:55 PM

I just had to do all the paperwork on a pistol an FFL shop owner was trying to sell for me on consignment, to have the gun returned to me. I was also told that if you sell a handgun to someone and take it to an FFL to transfer, If the buyer does not pass the background/pics, the owner has to do the paperwork to have it returned to them. I don't know if this is true. Maybe someone has the facts?

**knight0334** · April 26th, 2013, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by ronbo1012

I just had to do all the paperwork on a pistol an FFL shop owner was trying to sell for me on consignment, to have the gun returned to me. I was also told that if you sell a handgun to someone and take it to an FFL to transfer, If the buyer does not pass the background/pics, the owner has to do the paperwork to have it returned to them. I don't know if this is true. Maybe someone has the facts?

That is true.

Once a FFL adds a firearm to his "bound book" he is required to follow federal law to dispose of that acquisition - which requires a background check and filling out of a 4473. Any state laws also apply on top of that.

That is why a person under 21yo, who legally owns a handgun, cannot get the handgun back if he/she:

1. does a consignment
2. leaves the handgun unattended by the <21yo longer than that day's business hours

A legal tip for handgun owners under 21yo - stay with the gun so that the FFL doesn't have to add it to his boundbook. If the work takes longer than that day's business hours - take the gun home and bring it back.

**fttfbass** · April 26th, 2013, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by ronbo1012

I just had to do all the paperwork on a pistol an FFL shop owner was trying to sell for me on consignment, to have the gun returned to me. I was also told that if you sell a handgun to someone and take it to an FFL to transfer, If the buyer does not pass the background/pics, the owner has to do the paperwork to have it returned to them. I don't know if this is true. Maybe someone has the facts?

As far as I know this is all true.

I had a G19 on consignment at my local LGS. They didn't sell it within the timeframe that I had hoped, so I went in to get it back. I didn't realize they were going to charge me to take my own possession back. I had also just moved recently, so the address I wrote down didn't match my address on my license (oops

). I ended up just selling the gun to them. I probably should have ran home and went online to update my address and then went back and picked it up because they did rip me off pretty good. They sold it to me for $550 and bought it back from me for $350. I later saw it being sold for $500. It had less than 50 rounds down the pipe. I wasn't really aware of firearm sites back then, so I ignorantly thought that my only options were to consign it or sell it to the LGS.

I also sold a pistol to a former friend of mine. The FFL (Trop Gun Shop) told me that if he was denied, I'd have to do the paperwork to once again get my own possession back. I was 99.99% sure he wasn't prohibited and he passed PICS, but it's kind of annoying to have to go through the paperwork again for your own possession.

ETA-Knight beat me to the consignment part