C&R License Just In Case?

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bogie

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When you get a C&R and the government officially labels you a collector. For everyone else, it's an arsenal.
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Saw this in another thread - You know, this actually may make sense. Say you have some neighbors over, and one of 'em sees the giant safe with the 48 ammo cans stacked next to it, and notices that there's a huge stack of long skinny boxes in the back of the hallway closet, and takes it upon themselves to call the cops and the media...

You meet the cops at the door, and rather than being at a loss for words - "She said what? You wanna do what? They're just my boomsticks..." and ending up on the 6 o'clock news, with your "arsenal," you instead say "Oh, hello Officer Friendly. The gun collection? I'm a licensed collector - I have a federal C&R Firearms License - would you like to see it?. Lemme make some coffee for you guys - but I'm fresh outta donuts. Oh, and if you want me to start dragging stuff out of the safes, my attorney says I should call him."

Now, these guys are gonna be coming in anyway. Regardless. Because your neighbor probably told them that you have a machinegun sitting on your kitchen table, and the NRA truck is backed up to your back door, full of saturday night specials to hand out to the local children on their way to school... So, we're thinking damage control mode - you've gotta proactively defuse the situation.

If you have a C&R, your law enforcement folks may or may not remember about it. Can't hurt to remind 'em about it. But since MOST cops are essentially bureaucrats with badges, that piece of _federal_ paper may go a long way with them.

I'm not "into" old military boomsticks, despite twice-annual Knob Creek trips. But now I'm thinking of getting a C&R.
 
seems reasonable. but your still gunna get the no knock. and the media will still try to screw you.

all that aside

it does provide some legitimatcy to gun owning, and not only that but its says "hey, i passed a federal background check, it should be you we dont trust" wich speaks alot. how ever you are now subject to visits from our friends at the BATFE and strict logging of all gun purchases.

but you get all kinds of discounts, and can orderd large boxes filled with cosmoline, and some where, deep down in the bottem, a rifle! get the CR
 
I actually thought the same thing when I saw that quote in the other thread. I made the trip over to BATFE's website and have the C&R information packet ordered. :D I have a feeling I'll need another safe soon. :scrutiny:
 
Along those lines...when you get your state CCW..is THAT background check strictly state and local, or does it include Federal as well?

Thanks
 
The general answer is yes.

Most state criminal history information systems are linked to the federal system as well. Or the local PD will run an NCIC check as well as a local records check. Some also do a NICS check. It depends on how the statute is written.
 
If the cops ever show up at your door for anything gun related, you need to beleive and understand one thing....they are not there to be your friend. I had to call the cops to my home when I arrived home from work one evening and found my home burglarized. I called the cops and told them my home had been broken into and 3 handguns were taken. Two hours later (?) a deputy sherriff pulls into my driveway with a patrol car full of attitude. I met him in the yard (he was clearly annoyed at having to be there) and proceeded to show where they had kicked in my basement door and where they had taken the FA's from the master bedroom. He proceeds to conduct an illegal search of my home for the next hour. He went from room to room where the BG's never were in (or at least did'nt disturb anything), opened up the closets, went through the closets, searched the rest of my home, opening drawers and looking into little nick nacks on the upper shelves to see if anything was in there. Then he ends up in the basementfamily room and opens the downstairs closet and finds my safe and tells me to open it. At this point I had had enough (don't know what took so long, I just wanted to cooperate to hopefully get my guns back) and asked him why he wanted to look into my safe..."to see if anything is missing". I replied "well, since you don't know what was in there to begin with how will you know? His next reply was "I need to see if there are any pry marks on the inside(?) to see if they attempted entry, my response was "I've already checked the contents and everything is there, and the enamal finish on the safe would be chipped or scratched if they pried on it, I don't think it's nessasary for me to open the safe" (cop is visibly PO'd). Next he's up in my teen daughters bedroom going through her closet and then opens up the top drawer on her dresser (her underwear drawer) at this point i'm standing right next to him, so I lean over and whisper to him "do ya' think he's in there" and our relationship further deterorated from there.
Long story short, I never got any of the guns back and was left with the feeling that I had somehow called the cops on myself. My only point to the cop was that my hope was that he would spend as much time and energy investigating the BG's as much as he was investigating me.
Afterwards I did have his LT. informed of the situation, and my understanding was that he was talked to about his agressive actions towards a crime victim.
MORAL OF THE STORY: When calling the LEO's for anything FA related, take nothing for granted, even who the victim will be, or who the BG will be in their eyes. Just glad he did'nt find last years copy of the Superbowl pool from my workplace (he seemed in a mood to make a case of anything). This post is'nt to flame LEO's, most work hard at their jobs, but you never know if "Officer, I'm above the law" will be the one answering the call.
 
I think it is important to appear to be cooperative, at least to a point. Remember - I'm thinking "defuse and disarm" here... If the cops are there, and have a warrant, fine. If they don't, they'll get coffee while I call the attorney.

I've been a "victim" of the type of cops who go after the person who calls in a crime before, and I'm not gonna do that again.
 
That sounds like a bad experience and a bad deputy, or at least a deputy having a bad day. My experience was different.

Situation: Returned from a weekend at the river to find back door in garage open. Peeked in, saw the smashed window (no alarm, then) went out to workshop, called 911, related experience to duty dispatcher who, turns out, was the neighbor lady three doors up. Heat arrives in two cruisers, I cautiously ID myself to them, stay in shop while they clear the house.

Afterward, sergeant thanks me "for being a responsible gun owner" able to give them make, model and serial numbers of three guns stolen. (Thought to myself: "can't be too responsible if I got three guns stolen") remained silent on that observation. Cops were cool, and even followed up after checking area pawn shops to no avail.

TC

Added thought: C&R is useful to legitimize collection in public's eye.
 
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how ever you are now subject to visits from our friends at the BATFE and strict logging of all gun purchases.
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I believe the BATF will either make an appointment to visit you or you have the option of visiting them at their office with your records. I've gathered from discussion on the various boards, including some surplus boards, that contact with the BATF is a rare thing indeed. Only C&R purchases need to be logged - nothing else.
 
Repeat after me: "Get a Warrant if you want to come in."


-I DO have both a CCW and a C&R, but not for 'fearful' reasons.
 
If they're gonna come in, they're gonna come in.

I am just thinking that it'd be significantly less of a headline...

"Arsenal Raided!"

"Collection of Licensed Collector Examined!"

They just don't have quite the same ring to 'em...
 
Why yes bogie, your headlines do sound quite different. Which do you think will sell more papers?

Oh, you thought the wizards at the local rag would go to great lengths to make sure you were described in the best possible light...
 
how ever you are now subject to visits from our friends at the BATFE and strict logging of all gun purchases.
Click to expand...

You are potentially subject to ONE visit per year for inspection of your bound book dealing with C&R firearms ONLY. It's very unusual for a C&R holder to get inspected. You will have the option to let them come to your home, or you may take the bound book and C&R's to their local field office. They can't just show up and start going through your house - an appointment has to be made in advance because C&R holders do not have regular business hours.

As to strict logging, again this is only for your C&R firearms. It takes a grand total of 30 seconds (if that long) to log a C&R into my book when I get one or dispose of one.

It's well worth it to get a C&R, especially for the discounts offered by places like MidwayUSA and Brownells...and even if you're not 'into' old milsurp firearms...you will be :D
 
The C/R is nice, I have one, however...

Let's not slip down the slope that ANY citizen needs additional credibility to enjoy the full protection of their rights. This is easily where this might go. It will become a defacto need to have a C/R to secure the rights one should already enjoy. We do it to ourselves sometimes (like the C/R fullfilling the live fire req. for the CMP---how did THAT happen? All a C/R is is 30 some bones and a clean record). Yes it's nice to smooth the feathers of the anxious types ("oh--you're a 'curio' collector--like antiques, right?"--sure, Nellie, whatever). The C/R s actually get excused from some local bans, and while that might serve my interests--I don't buy that BS.

If anyone wants to know what is in those boxes, safes, or even leaky fricken glowing green 55 gal. drums oozzing in my crawlspace get a *&^%$ WARRANT, Jack!!

That said, Bogie is right--it serves a purpose and makes many things handy to explain to the simple ones (I have a FEDERAL LICENSE at least shuts them up). I just don't want it to ever hinder someone who doesn't WANT to get one.
 
I've had a C&R license for over 6 years now.

No visits from BATFE, local PD or SO etc.

No requirement to keep records on any purchase or sale [B]EXCEPT[/B]
the guns bought with the C&R License.

I've bought ONE gun on the C&R license, and saved enough money to pay for the license and first renewal. :D
 
Actually, you are required to log all C&R eligible purchases, not just those made with the license.
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Car Knocker is correct. You are required to "log in" all purchases of C&R eligible firearms in your bound book, not *just* those you purchased with your C&R license.

You also need to "log out" any C&R eligible firearms that you dispose of, *even if* you acquired them before you had your C&R license. In that case just put "Firearm acquired before license date" on the "acquisition" spot and then log the firearm out as normal.
 
When you get a C&R license....

you are required to send a copy of the application to your local police chief. So, the cops should know you have a collection already.......Of course, there is always one that did not get the word. I will not let a cop in my house without a warrant no matter what the situation. Every time I have had dealings with the locals, they accuse me of being the guilty party, and I was the one that called them. Now, I don't bother.....chris3
 
So, the cops should know you have a collection already.
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Maybe. My local PD Chief is someone I have a decent relationship with as he's signed many NFA things for me over the years. I asked him once about the C&R things and he had no idea what I was talking about.

He looked into it and told me that the person taking care of those records did not keep them since they required no action.

He seemed OK with not keeping track of them.

Ahhh Texas :D
 
I've had a different experience with LEO's. My house was burglarized back in 1999 and I imediately called the police. They came out and were very professional. They saw my safe and never asked to look inside. Of course the perps had damaged the combo knob so entry was impossible anyway.
They saw I had a lot of ammo and were appreciative of the fact I was obviously a collector. The perps stole no guns because they were all locked in the safe. They tried to get my ammo boxes out but stopped short because they were too heavy , which prooves criminals are lazy. The perps did get all my tv's, vcr's, stereos, computer equipment, etc.
I now have a security systems, and video system as a deterant as well as my safe.
I am also now retired and have had my Texas CHL since the first year they were available. I carry everwhere it is legal, whether home or away.
I now have my C&R license and have had it renewed for the 2nd time.
I find most police officers in our area to be pro gun and pro 2A.
Our LEO's do a good job.
 
re: Ball3006

Every time I have had dealings with the locals, they accuse me of being the guilty party

When we were first married we lived in a 'college town' and called the police one night because we heard gun shots across the street. They began to question me a bit after finding to action across the street (I think it was 'kids' in the alley shooting at a garbage can). When they got to 'and what is your social security number' I got visibly pi$$ed saying "I CALLED you about the gun shots--I didn't fire the gun". Ahhh, the famous corn-cob cops of DeKalb, IL.
 
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