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Just wanted to run this situation on the forum for any input that might be available.
My brother-in-law had 2 pistols stolen about 3 months ago. One of which was recovered by our local small town PD when they pulled someone over they had it in the car with them. The investigator at the PD has made appointments with my brother n law to return the firearm to him but when he goes down to the PD to get it back, they have told him that the ATF has placed a federal hold on the firearm, but they will not explain exactly what that means. Obviously it means he is not getting it back until they release the federal hold, but what is the purpose for the federal hold. Does anyone know or has had any similar experience? The federal hold doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything on my brother n laws end, but we still dont know exactly what is going on and the PD isn't very informative. The person that was caught with it has also been released from jail nearly a month in a half ago.

And yes he has the original box with the serial number, bill of sale, etc.

Thanks for any info.

Just a guess, but it could be the individual that was caught with the weapon is wanted on federal firearms charges and they have skin in the game now.

Generally when a firearm is relinquished to law enforcement they run a background check etc before returning it to the rightful owner. It may mean they called it in and are awaiting results from a Fed BG check or are awaiting results of a NICS check.

KaiserB wrote:Generally when a firearm is relinquished to law enforcement they run a background check etc before returning it to the rightful owner. It may mean they called it in and are awaiting results from a Fed BG check or are awaiting results of a NICS check.

Seems like the NICS check should be a matter of minutes unless he got a delay... Unless the federal hold is code for "black hole", in which case, best of luck...

If I ever have a gun stolen from me, recovered and I get it back I will sell it. Same if I have to defend myself. I want no part of a gun LE has had. It is nothing to do with the vast majority of LE that are good but the tiny minority that are not. I can replace it and take the loss of money for my own peace of mind.

I even think of fingerprints on ammo being a problem if the criminal or a bad LEO uses it in their crime. Paranoid but not beyond possible. I don't know what BATFE would do other than run it thru their database but that alone is enough to make me not want it. Record the sell and move on.

a friend of my dad had a bunch of guns stole. he just got a shotgun of his back. it looks like its been through heck and back. he kept it in perfect condition. now its a pile of rust.

The New Orleans PD illegally confiscated many GG's firearms during the troubles.

The GG's had to file a lawsuit to get their guns back.

They won the case and the NOPD then gave them back their weapons.
The weapons had been stored in deplorable places and most of the guns
were rusty pieces of junk.

I'd have been glad to buy a couple of these. Austin PD would give me enough
money at the next gun buyback on 2/26/11 to buy a real gun.
(See another thread on this forum about this APD program).

SIA

I have no idea