I need to prove citizenship to buy an AR???

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steveracer

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I have had a few different rifles for a while, M-1A, AR-15, etc. All post-ban type guns, because I bought them before 2004.
So, I went to get a new DPMS AR, and they asked me for proff of citizenship! What the hell is that? Mind you, I was born in NY, and am active duty in VA, where I buy guns all the damn time, so what's special about ARs?
I drove home, got my passport, and went back and gave it to them. I was delayed. (Always delayed, of course, since people with very high security clearances are obviously criminals, right?) Anyway, got the approval after dinner, and shot a few hundred rounds of .223, and went about the rest of my night cleaning and reassembling this terrific little gun.
Tell, me, was this gun-shop paranoia, or is this a real rule now?
Steve.
 
Most likely just gun-shop paranoia, I think you just have to be a US permanent resident to be able to buy firearms.
 
Actually Steve I have gotten delayed several times. There are many factors that play in theyre decision: i.e. If you have changed addresses recently or frequently they will delay you. Open Traffic tickets or warrants, believe it or not will also delay you. Sometimes though they are just so booked up that it takes the rest of the day to send it through approval. It seems like a gamble to me, everytime I go to buy a gun its a different outcome. I have waited the entire 3 days before and other times I have waited 2 hours and got an approval. Sometimes I will get approved immediately. I'm sure that they're others out there that have experienced the same situations that I have. To let you know, yes this is legal and yes this is the process. Hey if they ever deny you a gun and there is no reason for it you can write them a letter and they give you some kind of license so that you don't have to fill out the yellow sheet any more. The reason that I know this is that my step-father got denied after a 3 day delay one time. He wrote them and now he has a license similar to a CHL i believe, never the less he doesn't have to fill out yellow sheets anymore. COOL, I hope I get denied. I believe this is because it was unconstitutional of the FBI to deny him. That could have been a big case.
 
LS said:
Most likely just gun-shop paranoia, I think you just have to be a US permanent resident to be able to buy firearms.
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If you have a green card you can purchase firearms in the US (assuming you are noth otherwise prohibited from buying).

I've been asked on occassion to provide proof of citizenship. I was born in Morocco, Africa while my dad was serving overseas. A few dealers have asked to see proof-of-citizenship, but most do not. I've just gotten into the habit of taking my passport along anyway.
 
It is probably just the shop's personal preference. When I was in the business I would not sell to non U.S. citizens. some did not like it but it was my right as the owner.
 
That's the first time I've heard of proof of citizenship for a gun purchase as well. You would think that if you passed the NICS and whatever local checks you needed to pass, you would be legal to purchase a firearm. Especially when backed up by a legal identification card. If the dealer could not tell the difference betwen a fake and real ID card, he definitely would not be able to see the difference between a fake and real passport. Go figure. Actually if he wouldn't take and respect an active duty ID card, I would take my business elsewhere.

I'm looking into getting into the gun business myself. Although I wouldn't make a blanket statement and say I wouldn't sell to non citizens, I'd take everything on a case by case basis, whether citizen or non citizen. It would only be fair since I went to Iraq with the 24th ID (Desert Storm) and served most of my 9 year Army stint as a non citizen. I finally got my citizenship when I returned from Desert Storm.

I should have been be able to buy a gun in the country I carried a gun for.

Good Shooting
Red
 
isn't there a block on the paperwork that asks whether you are a citizen? i'm naturalized, but i've never been asked to prove citizenship. litigation and gun laws being what they are, i can't say i'm surprised that some of the dealers are taking an overly cautious approach.
 
Recently had a gentleman come into our store and purchase a Roth-Steyr and a Steyr-Hahn. He was born in Cuba, but had emigrated to the US when he was like six years old, I think. A request for 90 days proof of residence is our policy (set by the store owner). Anyhow, he's fully "naturalised" and the like, with green card and all, but a delay was placed on his 4473 when we called it into NICS.

Next day, he got the go-ahead from NICS and he comes in with three months' worth of OG+E bills (Oklahoma Gas & Electric), of which we made copies. He said it was "no problem" and that "it happens all the time." Great guy. Hopefully, he'll be able to get one o' those new PINs that the BATFE has made available with the new 4473 and all...
 
It's not preference and it's not paranoia. It's the law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

I quote from Code of Virginia, § 18.2-308.2:2.:

In addition, no dealer shall sell, rent, trade or transfer from his inventory any assault firearm to any person who is not a citizen of the United States or who is not a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence. To establish citizenship or lawful admission for a permanent residence for purposes of purchasing an assault firearm, a dealer shall require a prospective purchaser to present a certified birth certificate or a certificate of birth abroad issued by the United States State Department, a certificate of citizenship or a certificate of naturalization issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, an unexpired U.S. passport, a United States citizen identification card, a current voter registration card, a current selective service registration card, or an immigrant visa or other documentation of status as a person lawfully admitted for permanent residence issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
...
"Assault firearm" means any semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol which expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine which will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock.
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