Registering an unregistered handgun

[friscolatchi]

Hi to all.

Does anyone know about how to register a previously unregistered handgun? For example - Uncle dies and Aunt finds a WW2 pistol and holster stashed in the attic and wants to give it to YOU! It uses current day cartridges and is in excellent condition. The trigger is magnificent. You have a CC permit. You're really itching to get it on you CCL, but patience and prudence it the rule of the day.

Now being from NY, I was told 2 different things by two different FFL's. First one said to bring it to their shop and they will contact the sheriff in that county (not the same one that I live in or the one that the gun was found in) and they will arrange the paperwork. This would mean transporting an unlicensed handgun. There will be a modest fee.

The second FFL said to take the SN and make of the gun and bring it to the sheriff in the county of the CCL holder. The sheriff will be able to run the SN and clear the gun.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm sure that there are state by state differences.

Your help is much appreciated

 

[akodo]

does Uncle reside in NYC?

remember, most of the free world requires no such silly registration.

But anyways I don't think it matters.

I'd go to the sheriff with the SN, make and model of the gun, simply state the gun is now yours due to inheritance. No reason to tell him where the gun is. As far as the sherrif knows, your uncle was from Texas or Florida or North Dakota or any other numerous state without registration.

 

[friscolatchi]

Akodo,

Thanks. this sounds agreeable and reasonable. Uncle not in NYC.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Call the sheriff's office(if this is who has jurisdiction in this matter) and ask hypothetically what would be required in such a situation. Do not say "I have this or I've inherited this,etc",always hypothetical "what ifs". I learned this while in public office in Alabama in dealing with the Alabama Ethics Commission. They warn that they could give information when asked hypothetically but if a situation was known to exist,they were bound by law to investigate.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Check the link below for more on New York State laws. Some counties have all the info online, there is a list of them on the web page.

Handguns: A license is needed to possess a handgun in one's home or place of business. Application is made to the "licensing officer" of the city or county where the applicant resides, is principally employed or where his principal place of business as a merchant or store keeper is located.

http://www.nysrpa.org/nygunlaws.htm

 

[NCsmitty]

I had a similar scenario back about 25 years ago. I had a NY pistol permit, and a friend of mine had found a pistol when demolishing a old house. I had a NY state police officer friend of mine run the numbers and it was clean.
It was a 1907 Savage in 32ACP, and I took the serial # to the local pistol licensing office and placed it on my NY permit without incident. I still have that pistol today and I shoot it occasionally.
I now live in the bit more gun friendly state of NC.


NCsmitty

 

[Jamie C.]

You have a CC permit. You're really itching to get it on you CCL, but patience and prudence it the rule of the day.

Do make sure it's not some rare, hyper-expensive WWII bring-back, before you put it on your CCL and risk possibly having it wind up in police custody at some future date.

Any chance we could see a pic of it?


J.C.

 

[ArmedBear]

The pup's asleep. Leave it alone.

 

[friscolatchi]

Armed Bear - cryptic, but wise the same. Nice pooch. You have much wisdom - I have read many of your posts.
I'll be heading to the Adirondacks here in Northern NY to do some backpacking with my 6 yr old boy. I won't be able to read the posts till Monday. Thanks to all for your help.

JamieC- Would like to .... but it's hypothetical at the moment.. BTW, great advice JimmyRay

 

[MedWheeler]

Stuff that would never occur to me. Glad to live in Florida..

 

[Wildkow]

Hmmmm, a firearm completely unknown to the outside world but for you and your Aunt? I'd venture to say that there is some value in safely sequestering that piece of property.

 

[COK]

I had this happen about 20 years ago with several guns, Called the Sheriff’s dept , they ask where they came from, the makes , SN’s and that I bring them to them , dropped them off ( got a receipt and officers name when I first called). A few days later they called and they were ready to be picked up and were added to my permit.
No big deal really, this was in one of the more rural areas of NY State.

 

[stickhauler]

It kind of sounds like his uncle had a bring-back military firearm, they would use present day ammo, and most states don't have a law that requires you to actually have a permit to own a firearm.

 

[RP88]

if it's something valuable, I'd say listen to your instincts/paranoia and see if there is some alternative route to securing the gun, such as taking it to someone outside of NY, maybe.

If not, then make sure you get a good, thorough, legible receipt, if it something truly valuable.

 

[riverdog]

I agree with Armed Bear, not cryptic at all.

 

[Prince Yamato]

He's in NY State, folks. All handguns have to be registered with the state.

Here's your options:

The 100% legal one:

Bring it to the police, say you found it (which you did) and that you'd like it transferred to your pistol permit.

The kind of legal one:

Take the pistol out of state and have it transferred from a dealer to your permit in NY.

Personally, I'd go with option 1 if it's not a super-valuable item.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I would still find out exactly what would be required by state and local law BEFORE making it known that you actually already possess the handgun. Prudence and discretion rules the day in this case. In my opinion, saying you "found" it would only lengthen the process as well as increase the likelyhood that the police would just confiscate it.

 

[akodo]

Armed Bear - cryptic, but wise the same. Nice pooch. You have much wisdom - I have read many of your posts.
I'll be heading to the Adirondacks here in Northern NY to do some backpacking with my 6 yr old boy. I won't be able to read the posts till Monday. Thanks to all for your help.

My translation is: "the Government doesn't know about your gun yet, don't help them by putting it on a list, as history has shown us in other nations putting it on a list usually leads to the government collecting them"

 

[Jim K]

Technically there is no legal way to keep that unregistered gun. You can't take it to a dealer because you would be transporting contraband. You can't take it to the police for the same reason. If you say you found it, you are in violation because you are in possession of a handgun not registered to you. The gun will be confiscated and you may be arrested. If you call the police and ask them to come and get it, they will probably do so, but you lose the gun and, if they want to be nasty, they will arrest you and seize the gun as contraband. If in doubt, talk to an attorney; maybe he will have a better answer.

Now, as a practical matter, you hypothetically talk to an NY dealer and get him to agree to handle a transfer from PA. If possible, get a copy of his FFL. Then you hypothetically wrap the gun up, put it in the trunk and take it to a dealer in PA. He can ship it to the dealer in NY, where you can pick it up the same as any other gun in his stock. Both dealers will charge a fee, and you will have to go through the NY purchase process, but you will have a legally registered gun in NY. Hypothetically, of course.

Jim