Converting a Gun Loan Into a Purchase

[Keith B]

Q: To whom may an unlicensed person transfer firearms under the GCA?
A person may sell a firearm to an unlicensed resident of his State, if he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under Federal law. A person may loan or rent a firearm to a resident of any State for temporary use for lawful sporting purposes, if he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under Federal law. A person may sell or transfer a firearm to a licensee in any State. However, a firearm other than a curio or relic may not be transferred interstate to a licensed collector.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(3) and (5), 922(d), 27 CFR 478.29 and 478.30]

Keith, I get where you're coming from, but that section was specifically written so that hunters from out of state could rent a long gun and go hunting, or rent a target pistol for a match. The key issue here is frame of reference - if you came from Montana and wanted to borrow my Glock for an IDPA match, you can do that. If you brought your favorite Glock from Montana to "loan" to me, then returned back to Montana without it, you _can't_ do that.

Honestly, the best advice I can give to the OP is to tell their friend to never discuss the matter again

Read this one on him selling or transferring to a licensee in any state. I know it is not illegal as I had a transfer done in Missouri for a gun I took there and sold to a friend of mine. What's the difference of me shipping it to an FFL in another state or handing it to them in person?

[SigM4]

Agree with Keith on this one. I've had sellers in other states ship directly to my FFL before, no FFL on their end.

[03Lightningrocks]

Agree with Keith on this one. I've had sellers in other states ship directly to my FFL before, no FFL on their end.

Yep... And I have shipped handguns directly to FFL's in other states on many occasions. I quit doing it that way for one reason and one reason only. My FFL in Texas can ship a gun via United States postal service for a heck of a lot less money than I can ship FEDEX. my FFL on this end did ZERO paperwork. He sent a copy of my DL with the handgun to the FFL on the other end.

[OldCannon]

Agree with Keith on this one. I've had sellers in other states ship directly to my FFL before, no FFL on their end.

Yep... And I have shipped handguns directly to FFL's in other states on many occasions. I quit doing it that way for one reason and one reason only. My FFL in Texas can ship a gun via United States postal service for a heck of a lot less money than I can ship FEDEX. my FFL on this end did ZERO paperwork. He sent a copy of my DL with the handgun to the FFL on the other end.

This is very true, and is what almost every FFL does -- ship handguns using USPS and Rifles/Shotguns via UPS or FedEx. The cost to ship a handgun via USPS, insured and tracked, is about $20-$25. Me, I charge a $20 service fee plus actual ship cost, rounded up to the nearest $5. That means I charge about $40 to ship something that it would cost you about $80 to ship.

[03Lightningrocks]

Agree with Keith on this one. I've had sellers in other states ship directly to my FFL before, no FFL on their end.

Yep... And I have shipped handguns directly to FFL's in other states on many occasions. I quit doing it that way for one reason and one reason only. My FFL in Texas can ship a gun via United States postal service for a heck of a lot less money than I can ship FEDEX. my FFL on this end did ZERO paperwork. He sent a copy of my DL with the handgun to the FFL on the other end.

This is very true, and is what almost every FFL does -- ship handguns using USPS and Rifles/Shotguns via UPS or FedEx. The cost to ship a handgun via USPS, insured and tracked, is about $20-$25. Me, I charge a $20 service fee plus actual ship cost, rounded up to the nearest $5. That means I charge about $40 to ship something that it would cost you about $80 to ship.

Yep... that is pretty much what my experience was as well. It was stupid for me to spend 75-80 bucks shipping a handgun when I could just pay my FFL half that much to do the same. Another benefit is that some FFL's will not give their info to a non FFL for shipping. They prefer to have a FFL ship to them. Many of the states along the Northeast are of this mind set.

[baldeagle]

The obvious solution here is to remove the "F" from the BATF

Well, no, the obvious answer is to remove the BATF.

[C-dub]

Was that the third agency Perry wanted to do away with?

[jmra]

Agree with Keith on this one. I've had sellers in other states ship directly to my FFL before, no FFL on their end.

Yep... And I have shipped handguns directly to FFL's in other states on many occasions. I quit doing it that way for one reason and one reason only. My FFL in Texas can ship a gun via United States postal service for a heck of a lot less money than I can ship FEDEX. my FFL on this end did ZERO paperwork. He sent a copy of my DL with the handgun to the FFL on the other end.

This is very true, and is what almost every FFL does -- ship handguns using USPS and Rifles/Shotguns via UPS or FedEx. The cost to ship a handgun via USPS, insured and tracked, is about $20-$25. Me, I charge a $20 service fee plus actual ship cost, rounded up to the nearest $5. That means I charge about $40 to ship something that it would cost you about $80 to ship.

Yep... that is pretty much what my experience was as well. It was stupid for me to spend 75-80 bucks shipping a handgun when I could just pay my FFL half that much to do the same. Another benefit is that some FFL's will not give their info to a non FFL for shipping. They prefer to have a FFL ship to them. Many of the states along the Northeast are of this mind set.

I tried to use my LGS for that once. They refused to do it. Said they don't do that. I've bought a lot of guns since then, some for the same price my LGS wanted but I drove 10 to 15 miles further just so I didn't give them my business.
The only time I visit the store now is when I or a buddy want to handle a new gun we are interested in. We go in, check out the gun, take up a lot of their time and then if we like the gun we go to a gun show and save $50 plus we get to check out all the gunk (and the people) at the show. What's funny is the guys at the LGS think they have us hooked every time.