Transfer of firearm question

**tazz0001** · August 29th, 2009, 04:23 PM

I recently purchased a pistol off of a online bulletin board community.

The seller is out of state and shipped into a local FFL holder. Seller is NOT an FFL holder.

So...I go to sign for the pistol...FFL holder says I cannot sign for the firearm since he did not recieve an FFL with the pistol but does have sellers name address etc. I call another FFL holder (who I shoot with on occasion) and he says this is nonsense, a transfer should be allowed as we have proper ID of the seller...

Sooo...who is right?? Do we need the pistol shipped via an FFL holder or can it be transfered with copy of sellers ID...or is it up to the FFL holder??

I looked in the statutes listed on here but can't make heads or tails of it...maybe cuz I am braindead as I ended up cooking at the club for about 60 kids doing their hunter safety course today.

Thanks to all in advance

**Guns4Fun** · August 29th, 2009, 04:38 PM

Realistically, it does not need to be sent to your FFL from an FFL. But, some FFL's like it that way. I don't know what to tell you now but you should have talked this over with your receiving FFL before the gun was sent.

I'm not sure that your receiving FFL can just send the gun back to the seller now since the seller is not an FFL. I guess it kinda depends on if your ffl put it in his book.

Maybe a ffl will chime in here to help out better.

**knight0334** · August 31st, 2009, 10:37 AM

FFL's are not needed by any federal or state law to send a handgun, rifle, or shotgun to another FFL.

I can send my handguns to a FFL in Florida via common carrier to transfer to another person and no FFL is needed on my end.

A FFL may require guns be sent from a FFL, but there is NO law requiring it.

**Xringshooter** · August 31st, 2009, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by knight0334

FFL's are not needed by any federal or state law to send a handgun, rifle, or shotgun to another FFL.

I can send my handguns to a FFL in Florida via common carrier to transfer to another person and no FFL is needed on my end.

A FFL may require guns be sent from a FFL, but there is NO law requiring it.

Exactly. All the FFL has to do is to put the name and address of the person sending the gun in the "Received From" block of the bound book, that's it. If there is any question from anyone down the line, the FFL shows them the bound book and says this is where I received this gun to be transferred to this guy (your name, address, etc would be in the disposition section of the bound book). It's really not hard and even if for some reason the gun was stolen nothing would come back on the FFL because he has no way of knowing that and he is not under any obligation to do any kind of check to see if the gun is stolen.

Now for me, when this is done, I keep whatever paperwork might have come with the gun even if it is only the return address label from the box. I have a folder for these types of things just in case the BATFE or PSP has reason to come to my shop and ask about that particular gun.

Some FFL's think that just because they get it from someone with a FFL, that everything will be squeeky clean. This isn't always the case. There are dirty FFL's out there just like in the rest of society.

**tazz0001** · September 1st, 2009, 10:20 AM

Thanks for all the info guys. I even talked to the state Police over this and well kinda forced the issue with the dealer. It is being handled.

I did find out why the FFL on my end is being a butt....they had an issue a few years ago with them selling a stolen weapon. It raised serious issues and therefor they prefer not to deal with incoming weapons from individuals.

Why didn't he just say that the FFL holder wants a bill of sale to purchaser with a photocopy of 2 forms of ID...rather that trash my weekend dealing with an upset husband over a simple (and cheap) 22 pistol transfer.