Buying c&r firearms

[SonofWWIIDI]

Hi, I've done some searching and still can't find what I want to know.

I am considering buying a mosin and a garand from local people/dealers.

1) What do I look for to make sure that I get a gun in good working condition that will last a long time of shooting. Is there a guide I can buy or a website I can read to help me make a good choice?

2) From what I have read, I can cash and carry any C&R rifle (50+ yrs old) in a FTF transaction without me having an FFL 03. Is that correct?

I am not new to firearms, but would be new to buying C&R, and want to make sure I get a good one for my $.

Thanks for your help, and if this has been asked before, sorry my google-fu is only so-so.

[OceanDreamer]

The best you can do to make sure you get a good one is to check it before you buy. This is easier of course if you are meeting the seller at their house or a range or somewhere where people wont freak out while you are handling a gun (IE: meeting in a parking lot, gas station etc). As far as what to look for, check the barrel for pitting, check the action to make sure it is smooth, check that the firearm looks to have been decently cared for. Sort of meeting the seller at a range and actually firing it before buying that is the best you can do.

Yes you can (at least until 1/1/14) cash and carry a C&R long gun (as long as it is not an "assault" weapon, and yes there are a few on the C&R list that CA considers AW''s). For handguns you have to go through an 01FFL (unless the handgun was manufactured prior to 1899 I think).

The cash & carry only applies from a private party though. If you buy from a dealer you will have to so the standard 10 day wait w/DROS.

Once last thing to remember is that you are buying a 50+ year old weapon that may have been through hell and back during Military use or just stuck in someones attic.... SO they are what they are.

Welcome to the fun (and addicting) world of C&R collecting

[Timm24]

Are you saying you dont need a ffl03 to cash and carry c&r rifles when doing a private sale?

[OceanDreamer]

Are you saying you dont need a ffl03 to cash and carry c&r rifles?

Correct. You do not need to have an 03FFL to cash & carry C&R long guns. The law changes on Jan 1st though so even with an 03FFL you will have to go through a dealer unless you also have a COE. The biggest benefits of an 03FFL is that you can buy online & have them sipped to your door, and you can buy any C&R on the list (with the exception of "AW's") out of state and bring them back (even handguns as long as the state you are buying from allows you to cash & carry C&R handguns). Handguns you have to send in the form (forget the form #) to CA DOJ & pay the $19.00 though.

[Timm24]

Oh ok thanks

[SonofWWIIDI]

The best you can do to make sure you get a good one is to check it before you buy. This is easier of course if you are meeting the seller at their house or a range or somewhere where people wont freak out while you are handling a gun (IE: meeting in a parking lot, gas station etc). As far as what to look for, check the barrel for pitting, check the action to make sure it is smooth, check that the firearm looks to have been decently cared for. Sort of meeting the seller at a range and actually firing it before buying that is the best you can do.

Yes you can (at least until 1/1/14) cash and carry a C&R long gun (as long as it is not an "assault" weapon, and yes there are a few on the C&R list that CA considers AW''s). For handguns you have to go through an 01FFL (unless the handgun was manufactured prior to 1899 I think).

The cash & carry only applies from a private party though. If you buy from a dealer you will have to so the standard 10 day wait w/DROS.

Once last thing to remember is that you are buying a 50+ year old weapon that may have been through hell and back during Military use or just stuck in someones attic.... SO they are what they are.

Welcome to the fun (and addicting) world of C&R collecting

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it! Hopefully I can scrape up the cash in the next few days.

[wolfy]

you can order from this place without a ffl.

http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/m1garand.htm

[SonofWWIIDI]

you can order from this place without a ffl.
http://www.odcmp.com/Sales/m1garand.htm

Yeah, I've been prowling their sight for some time now trying to decide. But I thought I would need an 03 to have them ship it to my door. I also say a thread here on CG that advertised garands for $675. (Edit) dupage trading co. And must have an 03 to have it sent to your door.

[Timm24]

Don't you have to be part of certain type of club to buy off odcmp?

[Quiet]

Keep in mind that for cash & carry of a C&R long gun, the C&R long gun needs to be 50 or more years old.

There are some C&R long guns that are not 50 or more years old, which does not allow them to be legally transferred via cash & carry.
Example... Zastava Model 59/66 (Yugo "SKS") are not 50 or more years old and can not be legally transferred via cash & carry, even though they are C&R.

[ke6guj]

Don't you have to be part of certain type of club to buy off odcmp?

yah, but you can get online memberships to qualifying clubs for around $25. and the shooting requirement is easy to satisfy as well.

[Paltik]

There are many reasons people are put off from ordering from the CMP, but in most cases the requirements are not as onerous as one may assume. What is a PITA is you can expect a delay of about 100 days before receiving your rifle.

Notarized order form - Your bank will probably notarize this for you for free. Here in California they'll give you a separate form instead of using CMP's form, but that's OK with CMP.

Membership in a CMP-affiliated organization - This can be as simple as joining the Garand Collectors Association for $25, which also gets you a subscription to their journal. Other clubs can be even cheaper. I killed two birds with one stone and joined the California Rifle & Pistol Association. (The GCA shares their membership database with the CMP directly, but if you sign up with the CRPA make a copy of the e-mail they send to confirm you signed up online and send that with your CMP app in lieu of waiting for the actual membership card.)

Marksmanship or other firearms-related activity - The CMP will accept California's Handgun Safety Certificate (which we all need when purchasing handguns) for this.

[eighteenninetytwo]

One thing that needs to be mentioned though is that Cash and carry is OK with a long gun C&R in a face to face deal, UNLESS it comes from a) out of state or b) instate from a Firearms dealer who has it registered into his book (as opposed to as his private property). In that case the FFL has to either DROS it to you or ship it to another FFL.

[DennisCA]

Amen to the above advise!
My two cents:
1-Make out a bill-of sale (CYA) - one copy for you and one for the other person.
2-Buy from a reputial dealer (If buying on-line). Talk to other people or do a search on calguns. Most of the major dealers have been discussed here at one time or another.
3-If buying FTF, (on calguns for exmaple) check out the person's itrader, not the number of trades (more the better) but the comments.
4- Approach it like buying a car - don't fall in love with it until you have it!
5-Walk away if doesn't feel right, better to walk away then to get stuck with a piece of junk!

[SonofWWIIDI]

Thanks all! Excellent comments!

And I was looking at some of the stuff here on CG, keep it in the family right!