Individuals Shipping Firearms to FFL

[gwsut]

I have noticed lately a lot of FFLs will only except a firearm from other FFLs and not from private individuals. Although it is my understanding is practice is legal, what is the reason or logic for FFLs refusing to accept shipment of firearms from individuals. Are the FFLs afraid of receiving stolen goods or what? I don't understand, enlighten me please.

 

[Liberty1776]

Don't know. It is entirely legal, but maybe they are bending over backwards to avoid any potential problems, as you suggest...

 

[brboyer]

For transfers, some FFLs get firearms with no idea who they came from or who they are supposed to go to. Surprisingly enough some people just box 'em up and send 'em off!

Some FFLs bow to unlawful pressure from ATF regarding what documentation is required.

Some FFLs are just stupid.

Some FFLs don't know any better.

Some FFLs think it makes good business sense.



Take your pick.

 

[me26245]

FFL's

One reason is due to the fact that people will just package the firearm up and send it via the post office which is violation of federal law.
However if a person were to send it via UPS or FedEx I believe that the regulations are only self imposed by those companies.

 

[MErl]

For transfers, some FFLs get firearms with no idea who they came from or who they are supposed to go to. Surprisingly enough some people just box 'em up and send 'em off!

This is the big one. Gun shows up, probably it has contact info where it is going but does it also have full info of who it came from? FFLs get grumpy when they cannot maintain their paperwork because the seller is anonymous.

 

[dogtown tom]

gwsut I have noticed lately a lot of FFLs will only except a firearm from other FFLs and not from private individuals. Although it is my understanding is practice is legal, what is the reason or logic for FFLs refusing to accept shipment of firearms from individuals. Are the FFLs afraid of receiving stolen goods or what? I don't understand, enlighten me please.

Fear of getting a firearm with no documentation. Federal law requires that a dealer record the identity of the person who shipped the firearm. Although no law or regulation requires a copy of the senders drivers license, that will satisfy most dealers.

me26245 One reason is due to the fact that people will just package the firearm up and send it via the post office which is violation of federal law.

No it isn't.:banghead:

 

[medalguy]

And, there's a problem if the recipient fails the NICS check. What does the FFL do with the gun? He can't send it back to the shipper.

 

[K0ZZZ]

Why would he send it back to the shipper? The buyer owns the gun at this point, he just can't possess it. At this point, the buyer needs to find a new person to purchase the firearm, or "sell it back" to the original owner, and then pay for the FFL to ship it again.
Until then, the FFL is stuck with the firearm in his books until there's a new owner.

 

[writerinmo]

Handguns only. You can ship long guns and shotguns through the Postal Service

 

[newfalguy101]

While I DO currently accept shipments from non-licensees, I understand the idea behind NOT accepting them, particularly after visiting with a friend of mine who accepted one and during the PICS process the gun came up as stolen. My friends was in the clear as he had no way of knowing it was stolen, however, his customer was out a bunch of money and my friend was out time and some monies.

I had a gun show up one time, NO idea it was coming and when I attempted to contact the sender, to RETURN his gun, he refused to communicate with me.

For what its worth, its only illegal for a non-licensee to ship a HANDGUN via USPS....

 

[medalguy]

There are a number of reasons for a gun to need to be returned. If the buyer can't pass a NICS check, he does not own the gun. It is not his to sell, since he can't own it, as I understand the law. If the gun can't be transferred to him, he can't sell it.

Suppose the intended buyer doesn't do anything with the gun except ask the seller for his money back. What does the FFL do with the gun then? The FFL holding the gun is stuck with having to find a buyer for the gun and he probably doesn't want to get in the middle of a disagreement between a seller he doesn't know, and a buyer over a gun he can't transfer.

 

[dogtown tom]

medalguy If the buyer can't pass a NICS check, he does not own the gun. It is not his to sell, since he can't own it, as I understand the law. If the gun can't be transferred to him, he can't sell it.

If he bought it, he owns it. Taking legal possession is entirely different. If a person buys a gun from Bud's or Palmetto, goes to his dealer to complete the transfer and is denied by NICS.........he owns the firearm but cannot take possession.

Few dealers would accept a sale or transfer to anyone local out of fear of a straw sale.

Suppose the intended buyer doesn't do anything with the gun except ask the seller for his money back.

The seller is under no obligation to give the denied buyer his money back.

What does the FFL do with the gun then? The FFL holding the gun is stuck with having to find a buyer for the gun and he probably doesn't want to get in the middle of a disagreement between a seller he doesn't know, and a buyer over a gun he can't transfer.

The denied buyer is given the choice of sell it to dealer, sale by consignment to dealer or sale on GunBroker.
The dealer would still collect transfer fee.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

How does he collect the fee? If a person fails the background check and walks away the dealer really doesn't have any leverage on the failed buyer since he cannot legally take possession of the firearm in his possession. Transfers can be a real mess and are NOT the gold mine many of those who are NOT IN BUSINESS think they are.

 

[dogtown tom]

Steel Horse Rider How does he collect the fee?

I have his gun. He ain't getting it back, and it ain't getting shipped to a new buyer until I get my fee covered.

After 30 days storage fees begin to accrue. Eventually (with no action on the buyers part) it will be mine.

If a person fails the background check and walks away the dealer really doesn't have any leverage on the failed buyer since he cannot legally take possession of the firearm in his possession.

I have his $1000 gun.....I think that's $1000 worth of leverage.

Transfers can be a real mess and are NOT the gold mine many of those who are NOT IN BUSINESS think they are.

I do 1,800- 2,000 transfers a year...........not a gold mine, but most certainly NOT anything close to being a "real mess".

 

[NavyLCDR]

While I DO currently accept shipments from non-licensees, I understand the idea behind NOT accepting them, particularly after visiting with a friend of mine who accepted one and during the PICS process the gun came up as stolen. My friends was in the clear as he had no way of knowing it was stolen, however, his customer was out a bunch of money and my friend was out time and some monies.

I don't know how your state works, but in my state, receiving the gun from an FFL would not change anything. I sell a stolen gun on GB. I take the gun to an FFL in WA to send to the buyer's FFL. The FFL in WA needs not perform any check whether the gun is stolen or not. Just as easy for me to send a stolen gun directly to an out-of-state FFL as it is to send it through an FFL in my state.

 

[Bubbles]

How does he collect the fee? If a person fails the background check and walks away the dealer really doesn't have any leverage on the failed buyer since he cannot legally take possession of the firearm in his possession. Transfers can be a real mess and are NOT the gold mine many of those who are NOT IN BUSINESS think they are.

1) Collect the transfer fee before running the buyer through NICS.
2) Denied purchasers can work out the return with the seller - though most sellers will tell the buyer either "Too bad for you" or "Restocking fee 20%". Also, that gun doesn't go back until I get paid the shipping cost.

I've only had two transfer buyers get denied, both successfully appealed it and picked up their guns after about eight months. Since they appealed I did not charge a storage fee.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Tom: You do 2,000 transfers per year from individuals? Wow.

 

[dogtown tom]

Steel Horse Rider Tom: You do 2,000 transfers per year from individuals? Wow.

Thanks to my best salesman........Barry.