Importing Old Revolver

[45Rimless-Smokeless]

I am interested in purchasing some 1950-60 vintage (5 screw) Smith and Wesson revolvers from out of state. These were all made prior to 1960, so they are over fifty years old.

Can some one confirm that these would be C&R under the Federal rules and therefore exempt from the California roster requirement? I understand that this purchase would need to be an FFL to FFL transfer then a DROS to me, and I would be paying the sales tax as well as the transfer fees.

Your advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Yes, firearms that are over 50 years old are automatically C&R. ATF has a definition of C&R on their web site...

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/curios-relics.html#definition

Firearm curios or relics include firearms which have special value to collectors because they possess some qualities not ordinarily associated with firearms intended for sporting use or as offensive or defensive weapons. To be recognized as curios or relics, firearms must fall within one of the following categories:

1. Have been manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas thereof; or

2. Be certified by the curator of a municipal, State, or Federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; or

3. Derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or from the fact of their association with some historical figure, period, or event.

Here's another quote from ATF's web site...

https://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/curios-relics/index.html

Firearms automatically attain C&R status when they are 50 years old. Any firearm that is at least 50 years old, and in its original configuration, would qualify as a C&R firearm. It is not necessary for such firearms to be listed in ATF’s C&R list.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div8&node=27:3.0.1.2.3.2.1.1

Your FFL will probably want some way to verify that the revolvers are over 50 years old. You might need to take in some kind of authoritative text with serial number ranges and dates.

[45Rimless-Smokeless]

Thanks very much.