Question on taking temporary custody of some firearms

[kastel35]

My sister and brother-in-law are in the armed forces. They will be getting stationed overseas for about 3-4 years. Unfortunately for them, they will not be able to take their personal firearms with them (2-3 hand guns and 2-3 rifles).

My question: What needs to be done (if anything) for me to be able to take temporary custody of their firearms for those 3-4 years.

My concerns: I would like to be able to take them to the range from time to time without any issues arising from them not being in my name. I dont want to have them transferred into my name due to the possibility of changing gun laws (id hate to not be able to transfer them back).

Just as a note, I am legally able to own firearms and do own several of my own. Also, i called LA County sheriffs and they recommended I transfer them all into my name.

Any advice is appreciated!

[alfred1222]

Put them in your gun safe, and if asked questions, you're borrowing the firearms from your sister. Only the handguns are registered to them, and I've borrowed my families guns for awhile and not had any issues. Hell, I had a cop stop me when I was 16 with 5 handguns in my car and he didn't even blink twice

[Doheny]

As far as the borrowing part goes, can't you only loan guns for up to 30 days?

[tonyxcom]

Put them in your safe and stop asking questions.

[NytWolf]

As far as the borrowing part goes, can't you only loan guns for up to 30 days?

Handguns.

[Dvrjon]

Not an attorney, and this isn't legal advice. As relocating military personnel, your friends have access to legal counseling at their installation. That's their best resource.
A couple of options, all of which your friends should discuss with their base legal counselors could be:

- As a minimum, you should get a notarized statement from them that they are entrusting you with specific weapons during their military assignments, and the weapons will revert to their control upon reassignment to CONUS (Continental US).

- A specific, limited power of attorney to manage these particular assets could also be drawn up by the base legal staff. This should include all legal rights they wish to convey, including selling the guns, if so directed. Since they may or may not know their follow-on duty station, and may not return to your area, it should also include authority for you to legally transport or ship the weapons to a future duty station. Otherwise, they need to return locally just to get the guns.

- Finally, transferring registration would ensure that, should a weapon be stolen or lost and then recovered, you would be notified and it would return to your control under Cal law. However, this also gives you title to the weapons, which, if laws change during their absence might be more difficult to unravel.

I'd lean towards the LPOA, as it gives you a legal reason for possession, but retains ownership rights for your friends, and if filed/recorded at all, it would remain on base.

JR

[Doheny]

Put them in your safe and stop asking questions.

Yeah, that was my initial thought. Just put them in there, don't use them and be done with it.

[Librarian]

Best advice so far was to have the servicemembers contact their lawyers.

The 'just take them and put them in your safe' comments are unwise, especially since the OP wants to be able to use them.

Transfer from one person to another is a legal process - California requires using an FFL, and Feds require using an FFL if the current owners are not CA residents.

There is no external way to distinguish 'here, hold these for me while I am overseas' and 'here, take my guns in an illegal transfer'.

There might be a way to do it, but that's where the legal advice comes in.