A widow needs help (questions on deceased husbands firearms)

[Helpinghand]

I am from up North, and a friend of mine down your way in Ca. recently passed away. He was a gun enthusiast. He may have left guns that may not be legal in Ca, along with other guns that are.
His widow does not know how many of his guns are registered, or whether they had to be. She knows little about guns and Ca. gun laws. I know something about guns, but little about Ca. gun laws.
She is not interested in keeping them. Her late husband may have spent a great deal on his gun collection. She may want to recover what she can.
In my state, gun ownership laws are not as restrictive as yours. I don't know how\if I can assist her?
Please advise....

[Revoman]

This is something that comes up once in awhile, that really shouldn't.

If they are in CA and not on the (safety) roster, they are basically exempt from the normal new gun CA laws as long as they are a private party transfer, which means they must be transferred via an FFL (Federal Firearms License Dealer) between your widower friend and the new buyer. They can all be sold to a single buyer if they are exempt from the roster. If they are transferred to an FFL, they then become a LEO (Law Enforcement Only) firearm and are way harder to sell for the FFL. So very few FFL's are willing to do that.

They can be put on consignment at an FFL for a fee, usually about 10% of the sale price to the FFL for holding the firearm.

If they are sold to a buyer in another state, the CA laws pretty much go to the receiving state laws, but cannot reenter CA once that is done unless certain criteria is met.

If your widower friend wishes to sell them in this state, she will pretty much need to do the FFL private party transfer by advertising on the web such as this Forum, or elsewhere and get them sold that way unless you are willing to buy them in a 'free state' and sell them under your state laws to help, but that may be considered as a straw sale and is also illegal.

She can put them on a site such as GunBroker and sell them to other states as well without much ado as stated earlier, other states are not like CA and allow that sort of purchase.

[Fishslayer]

They can be put on consignment at an FFL for a fee, usually about 10% of the sale price to the FFL for holding the firearm.

Who does consignment sales in Kalifornistan for 10%?

[gigglemonkee]

Who does consignment sales in Kalifornistan for 10%?

no one. going rate is 30 percent for a sale under 1k and 25 percent for over

[SLO1911Fan]

Where is she in California? I work at a shop in Orange County and would be happy to help her through the consignment process and appraise the guns. We generally try to keep our consignment fees low, especially when selling a collection. If you're interested just let me know.

Thanks,
Ryan

[003]

http://www.lsbauctions.com/

Tell your friend to contact these folks. Honest as the day is long. They will help get her the best price, and take care of any and all issues as it relates to California law and the sale of firearms.

[Not a Cook]

http://www.lsbauctions.com/

Tell your friend to contact these folks. Honest as the day is long. They will help get her the best price, and take care of any and all issues as it relates to California law and the sale of firearms.

I second that you at least give Lock Stock & Barrel (www.lsbauctions.com) a call and see how they can help. This is the sort of thing they specialize in, and they'll give your friend options (e.g. buy the lot of firearms outright, put them all on consignment, or some combination of the two). I know the owner (Mr. Hoglund) is a stand-up guy.

[Marquand]

I'd also recommend Lock Stock & Barrel. I've auctioned firearms through them before. They are honest, professional, and (most importantly for a non-gun person) easy to deal with.

[Helpinghand]

Thank you all for the advice. I think a gun broker is a suggestion I'll make to her. Do you guys/ladies know of a reputable broker in the Bakersfield area that can be recommended?

[sigstroker]

Gunbroker.com will charge far less than any of these other suggestions. Her not being gun savvy at all means you would need to help out. Some handguns may bring more money in the California market if she's willing to go through the hassle of Private Party Transactions.

[Helpinghand]

I just read my private messages from many of you. I had overlooked that I had received them prior to this morning. Thank you all for your suggestions, opinions, and offers to help.
These guns, all being legal in my state, including the few that may be illegal in Ca., can I drive them all back up into my legal state? Of course with the widows permission to take them.
Once here, I could bring them to a trusted local FFL gun dealer to sell.