MA - Guns can only be shipped Dealer to Dealer?????

[Blain]

Ok, I just called up my local FFL dealer in order to order the paper work for a transfer.


First question he asked me is, "Is it from a gun dealer"?

I replied, "No, it's a priviate sale". He then told me.

"Can't do it, you can only transfer firearms from a dealer to a dealer."

I then asked him if that's true, how are you supposed to conduct private transactions between individuals? He said he wasn't sure, but he "knows" in MA you can't do it.....

Now.....I am fairly sure that this isn't a law and is BS, even for MA! Does anyone else happen to know for sure? Because otherwise, how the heck are you supposed to get firearms, say from a family member or if you are moving?

I mean, come on, if it's going to an FFL to be registered what difference does it make where it was sent from? I just don't understand it.

 

[atk]

Blain,

§ 178.31 Delivery by common or contract carrier. (a) No person shall knowingly deliver or cause to be delivered to any common or contract carrier for transportation or shipment in interstate or foreign commerce to any person other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector, any package or other container in which there is any firearm or ammunition without written notice to the carrier that such firearm or ammunition is being transported or shipped:
--- http://www.atf.gov/firearms/curios/intro.htm

I read that saying "In the US, firearms may only be shipped to a FFL.

I haven't been able to find anything saying that it must be shipped from an FFL, but that doesn't mean anything (and I don't remember one way or the other, off the top of my head).

 

[AJ Dual]

Anyone can ship to an FFL holder in any state. You definitely do not need to be an FFL to ship to an FFL per federal law.

MA is so screwed up, FFL to FFL may only be legal, but if so it's a state reg that does not affect the rest of us.

 

[FPrice]

Blain...

I am a little confused on exactly what you are trying to do.

Are you in MA? Is the seller also in MA?

Private sales ARE legal in MA, you just fill out the Form FA-10 with all required information and send it to the Criminal Systems History Board.

I do not believe there is any state requirement to send FFL to FFL.

 

[Tamara]

Anyone can ship to an FFL holder in any state.

For repair.

Interstate sales need to be done FFL-to-FFL. (We can't log a gun into our bound book from an out-of-state private citizen, only from an FFL or a resident of our state.)

 

[Blain]

I am buying a gun from a private party out of state.

 

[Tamara]

Interstate handgun sales can only be done FFL-to-FFL.

Regulations are confusing enough that pretty much any FFL will only log a gun shipped from out of state if it came from another FFL. If you had the ATF constantly looking over your shoulder, you'd be big on dotting I's and crossing T's, too...

 

[EOD Guy]

Interstate handgun sales can only be done FFL-to-FFL.

Regulations are confusing enough that pretty much any FFL will only log a gun shipped from out of state if it came from another FFL. If you had the ATF constantly looking over your shoulder, you'd be big on dotting I's and crossing T's, too...

This is absolutely untrue as far as Federal law is concerned. As for state law, I only know of one state (NY) that requires FFL to FFL shipment. That's not even in their law, but is a NY State Police regulation. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't other state's laws that I am unaware of.

If FFL's only want to accept shipments from other FFL's, that is their perogative and is perfectly legal.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Private sales ARE legal in MA, you just fill out the Form FA-10 with all required information and send it to the Criminal Systems History Board.

Um...yeah, that sounds private*.


Thank God I no longer live there.

MA - Guns can only be shipped Dealer to Dealer?????

Who knows? The MA law shifts every time the wind blows. Your Supreme Court just makes stuff up out of thin air for God's sake. Doing something as ordinary and normal as purchasing a firearm just makes you a target there.


* Example #1: I walk over to my neighbors house. I hand him a rifle. He hands me $100 bucks. I walk home. = PRIVATE SALE


Example #2 : ANY PAPERWORK does not = PRIVATE SALE

 

[JShirley]

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#B6



B9) May a nonlicensee ship a firearm by carrier? [Back]

A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by carrier to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm. [18 U. S. C. 922( a)( 2)( A) and 922( e), 27 CFR 178.31]

 

[Tamara]

JShirley,

Now check and see to whom a non-licensee may sell a firearm. This is why some FFL's are paranoid about from whom they log a gun in. Those that aren't haven't had a compliance inspection recently.