FFl question

[hardknocks!]

hello all
I see many folks on gunbroker selling guns and say if your FFL will not accept firearm from non-FFl then contact me before bidding.
I asked two local FFL dealers and one said he couldnt accept firearm from non-ffl as it was against the law and the other said he dont because he doesnt know who is sending firearm and needs to protect himself and buyer.
Is this against the law?
bad practice?
thanks for some insight.
regards
Mike in FL

 

[kingpin008]

It is absolutely not against the law for a FFL to receive a firearm from a private seller. Many will tell you this because they're either ignorant, or too lazy to follow the law.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Many will tell you this because they're either ignorant, or too lazy to follow the law.

Too lazy to follow what law? There is no law that says an FFL must accept a gun from anyone. Laziness would have nothing to do with it because they must make the same bound book entry whether they get the gun from a private party or from another FFL.

I feel that many FFLs probably falsely claim their company policy is based on a law that does not exist because they do not want to admit it is only their company policy and don't want to lose business to FFLs who will take shipments from private parties.

The only requirement the FFL has in receiving a gun is to log in the bound book the name and address of the person/FFL they received it from. There is not even a legal requirement for them to check ID. They can get all the info they need from a return address label on the package.

 

[hardknocks!]

thanks

looks like i have not found the right FFl
thanks for the info.
Mike

 

[kingpin008]

Too lazy to follow what law?

Forgive my poor phrasing. I understand that there is no law that says they have to. They're simply too lazy (or disinterested or whatever) to acknowledge legal shipments from non-FFL's.

 

[NavyLCDR]

And possibly too lazy to educate themselves on what the law really is.

 

[kingpin008]

Hence my inclusion of ignorance in my original comment.

 

[Bubbles]

FFL's who don't receive firearms shipped from non-licensees have the policy because as some point they were shipped a gun from "J Smith" with a return address of a "Mailboxes, Etc..." or "UPS Store Box #...", and no other info identifying the sender. Not enough info to enter into your bound book and make your IOI happy. At that point we're stuck holding the gun until the buyer can drag the info we need out of the seller, which isn't always easy b/c the seller has his money so he has no incentive to comply.

 

[NavyLCDR]

FFL's who don't receive firearms shipped from non-licensees have the policy because as some point they were shipped a gun from "J Smith" with a return address of a "Mailboxes, Etc..." or "UPS Store Box #...", and no other info identifying the sender. Not enough info to enter into your bound book and make your IOI happy. At that point we're stuck holding the gun until the buyer can drag the info we need out of the seller, which isn't always easy b/c the seller has his money so he has no incentive to comply.

Invalid argument. If the return address label on the package was J. Smith from Mailboxes, Etc. then why did the FFL accept shipment of the package?

 

[Bubbles]

Not everyone ships guns w/ adult signature required. There have been many times we've returned to find a stack of boxes left on the doorstep.

Or the UPS/FedEx/USPS guy is standing there with a stack of papers or the touchpad to sign because he's got a dozen boxes on a hand truck, you're three deep in customers, and ATF's on the phone to let you know the status of the guy whose 4473 was delayed yesterday. If the boxes look intact, you sign and deal with the guns later.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Not everyone ships guns w/ adult signature required. There have been many times we've returned to find a stack of boxes left on the doorstep.

Or the UPS/FedEx/USPS guy is standing there with a stack of papers or the touchpad to sign because he's got a dozen boxes on a hand truck, you're three deep in customers, and ATF's on the phone to let you know the status of the guy whose 4473 was delayed yesterday. If the boxes look intact, you sign and deal with the guns later.

So, basically, as kingpin008 said, it does come down to the inability or willingness of the FFL to screen the packages that are being delivered for a proper return address. BTW, a company policy of not receiving guns from private parties, in a pre-arranged deal with the recipient, is only inconveniencing the recipient and the seller. It won't do anything to stop the anonymous packages from arriving. Kind of like gun laws only affecting law abiding citizens.

 

[dogtown tom]

Bubbles Not everyone ships guns w/ adult signature required. There have been many times we've returned to find a stack of boxes left on the doorstep.

Or the UPS/FedEx/USPS guy is standing there with a stack of papers or the touchpad to sign because he's got a dozen boxes on a hand truck, you're three deep in customers, and ATF's on the phone to let you know the status of the guy whose 4473 was delayed yesterday. If the boxes look intact, you sign and deal with the guns later.

+1

NavyLT needs to actually spend a week dealing in firearms or processing transfers. Sound business practices may not codified in Federal law but are certainly going to keep my small business IN BUSINESS.

In the last year I've had at least three shipments sent to the wrong address with no information as to the identity of the buyer or seller on the outside or inside of the box....only a return label of "Bob's Pak n Ship n Donuts" as the name on the label........clearly not the identification of the seller. As Bubbles said above, not all packages are shipped with signature required, some get left on my doorstep, some on my neighbors doorstep.:banghead:

 

[NavyLCDR]

It all boils down to how far people, on both sides, are willing to go to do business. Personally, I drive 50 miles to an FFL who receives my guns directly from the seller and transfers them to active duty military members for free. I drive right past at least three other FFLs to do so.

 

[MtnCreek]

Hardknocks,
If you're trying to purchase a firearm and can't find a FFL to accept it from a private party, you may be able to get the seller to ship it through his local FFL.

 

[medalguy]

Just a suggestion-- My FFL will accept shipments from individuals. To help him I always ask the seller to include a copy of our correspondence and to include my name on the shipping label (To ABC Firearms FOR JOHN DOE) to insure he knows what he's receiving and from whom.

My FFL signs several copies of his license and gives them to me to use whenever I buy something from out of state. As a courtesy I always call or email him whenever I buy something to let him know what's coming and from whom. It sure makes everything work smoother.