The details are currently sketchy; I don’t fully understand what happened yet… so read this as a warning, not a request for advice.
I found a used handgun on the gunbroker website. Ended up bidding and winning it. It was being sold by a large gun shop, no issues there. Of course, I then needed to have it shipped into my state and transferred to me.
I decided that I would use the gunbroker “FFL search” feature to see if there were any local FFL’s that were a little more convenient to my location. This feature:
http://www.gunbroker.com/FFL/DealerNetwork.aspx
Entered my zip, a list came back, 2nd call seemed like a good guy and he confirmed that he could do the transfer so I went ahead and used him.
The gun shipped, and I filled out the required paperwork at my county clerks office (I’m in a state that the serial number is registered against my permit, so it’s a long process).
Anyway, a day or 2 later I get a phone call from the clerks office letting me know that the FFL listed on the transfer papers is not authorized to perform handgun transfers. They also let me know that the state police were on their way to his location. Again, I don’t know exactly why, they didn't tell me that part. Could have something to do with him personally, I don’t know.
Obviously, he had some form of an FFL license or else the selling shop presumably wouldn’t have shipped the gun in the first place, right?
Long story short, the police apparently confiscated my "future" gun along with others (because apparently I'm not the only one he was performing "transfers" for). So now, I have to go through an alternate process, re-prove purchase and ownership, and have the gun transferred to me via the local sheriff’s department directly.
Again, not really looking for advice on my situation, I think I’ve got it under control. The local folks here have been very friendly and helpful so far and I don’t think I know enough of the details to really understand what specifically happened here yet.
But I wanted to share because I guess the moral of the story is: Be careful getting FFL references on gunbroker
I found a used handgun on the gunbroker website. Ended up bidding and winning it. It was being sold by a large gun shop, no issues there. Of course, I then needed to have it shipped into my state and transferred to me.
I decided that I would use the gunbroker “FFL search” feature to see if there were any local FFL’s that were a little more convenient to my location. This feature:
http://www.gunbroker.com/FFL/DealerNetwork.aspx
Entered my zip, a list came back, 2nd call seemed like a good guy and he confirmed that he could do the transfer so I went ahead and used him.
The gun shipped, and I filled out the required paperwork at my county clerks office (I’m in a state that the serial number is registered against my permit, so it’s a long process).
Anyway, a day or 2 later I get a phone call from the clerks office letting me know that the FFL listed on the transfer papers is not authorized to perform handgun transfers. They also let me know that the state police were on their way to his location. Again, I don’t know exactly why, they didn't tell me that part. Could have something to do with him personally, I don’t know.
Obviously, he had some form of an FFL license or else the selling shop presumably wouldn’t have shipped the gun in the first place, right?
Long story short, the police apparently confiscated my "future" gun along with others (because apparently I'm not the only one he was performing "transfers" for). So now, I have to go through an alternate process, re-prove purchase and ownership, and have the gun transferred to me via the local sheriff’s department directly.
Again, not really looking for advice on my situation, I think I’ve got it under control. The local folks here have been very friendly and helpful so far and I don’t think I know enough of the details to really understand what specifically happened here yet.
But I wanted to share because I guess the moral of the story is: Be careful getting FFL references on gunbroker