Gun purchase question

[long408]

Hi all. I have a question and I hope that I am posting in the correct spot. If not please forgive me haha. Here is my question...

About a year ago I was visiting my father in Colorado. His old buddy had a S&W pistol for sale and I impolsively bought it. I didnt get any paper work or sign anything off in my name, just the box and the gun and the gun booklet and paper with the serial numbers on it and what not. Now I have the gun here with me at home and I would like to have it registered under my name. I am assuming that would be the best thing to do. How can i go about doing this? Do i need something from the guy back in Colorado? Any info would help. I appreciate it. Thanks

[g_conway]

Have FATHER do a family transfer to you.

[Librarian]

Oops.

Common, but serious error. See the wiki link -- Interstate transfer - http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/in...rms_Interstate

In short, the handgun should have run through a CA FFL, because the seller (Father's friend) and the buyer (you) are residents of different states.

Even an intrafamilial transfer needs the FFL when it is interstate. Your father can't cure this one by that route (although CA-DOJ frequently gives that incorrect advice).

Even YOU cannot take it to an FFL and get into your own name - it's illegal for you to have it, Federally, before the transaction runs through the FFL.

So, what to do now?

If this were just a California issue, the voluntary registration form might cure most of it, at least as far as CA DOJ seems to want to deal with these isolated incidents.

It's also the case that Feds do not seem too awfully concerned about this mistake, despite statutory punishments listed, but there is no Federal equivalent to the CA volreg process.

No good advice, unfortunately; Not Supposed To Do That.

[Flintlock Tom]

The only thing you can do to make this legal is to take it back to the original owner (yes, in Colorado) and ask him to ship it to your transfer FFL here in CA. Then go through the DROS process. Which is how the deal should have been done in the first place.
Also, the gun has to be on the "Not Unsafe Gun" roster.

[djleisure]

The only thing you can do to make this legal is to take it back to the original owner (yes, in Colorado) and ask him to ship it to your transfer FFL here in CA. Then go through the DROS process. Which is how the deal should have been done in the first place.
Also, the gun has to be on the "Not Unsafe Gun" roster.

The bolded part is only true if he doesn't have his father send it as an intrafamilial transfer. He will just need to make sure the receiving FFL knows that it's an intrafamilial transfer, then fill out the proper paperwork.

To the OP. Maybe the actual fact is that the gun still belongs to your father and he left it at your place last time he came to visit? Because then it would be legal for you to send it back to him via UPS. Then, if he was in a giving mood, he could send the gun to your local FFL and you could go through the intrafamilial process.

I dunno, just throwing around some hypotheticals - sometimes people get confused.

[Flintlock Tom]

The bolded part is only true if he doesn't have his father send it as an intrafamilial transfer. He will just need to make sure the receiving FFL knows that it's an intrafamilial transfer, then fill out the proper paperwork.

To the OP. Maybe the actual fact is that the gun still belongs to your father and he left it at your place last time he came to visit? Because then it would be legal for you to send it back to him via UPS. Then, if he was in a giving mood, he could send the gun to your local FFL and you could go through the intrafamilial process.

I dunno, just throwing around some hypotheticals - sometimes people get confused.

The OP was looking for a "Legal" way to resolve the issue without lying, cheating or further breaking the law.
And if you're going to lie why not just claim you had the gun since 1998 and send in the VolReg form?
I don't think that's what we're about here.

[djleisure]

The OP was looking for a "Legal" way to resolve the issue without lying, cheating or further breaking the law.
And if you're going to lie why not just claim you had the gun since 1998 and send in the VolReg form?
I don't think that's what we're about here.

Understood. It's already been determined that isn't possible... and I *do* think we are about creative solutions. You've just listed another one. Thanks!