Milsurps 4 Me said:
There was a rumor going around that many years back here in New Bedford, all registration records of firearms were kept in a building downtown. I can't remember which, fire or flood, but all the records were destroyed resulting in guns registered before date X now being unknown. Hence there is probably a good number of guns here in the city that are in the possesion of licensed gun owners who are ignorant to the laws and info on records being wiped out, and guns that are sitting in closets of widows and old folks who just left them be.
Now a dream of mine is to find an elderly person that knows I collect war era firearms and have them say "Here... take this Luger (or whatever) that I bought back from the war. Its yours, I want you to have it"
Like I said, this is a dream, but dreams come true because I know folks who have had this happen to them.
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
What would be the correct way to handle this aquisition? Bring the firearm to an 01 FFL dealer and have him transfer it to me?
If so, then does having a dealer transfer a firearm to me make records of that gun start over at the time of the transfer? I remember Richie telling me one time that it didn't matter where a gun came from if it was turned in to him from a previous owner and he sold it to a customer because he was a dealer.
Here's the real story (searchable here on the forum, it's been posted a few times before):
- 1998 in preparation for the Ch. 180 to become law, a handful of folks in the know about what was coming contracted with BATFE to do data-entry on the old gun transaction records.
- Old records were kept in cartons all over the place in 1010 Comm Ave, Boston (MSP HQ) and had never been put in a database. Wherever they stored the "blue cards" (private transactions), the boxes were covered in pigeon and mouse shit and declared to be a health hazard. Thus, ALL these records were destroyed. NO RECORD IN MA gov't operations knows who/what/where/when guns were privately transfered prior to 1998.
- For some of the same reasons, and perhaps to cut costs, ALL DEALER transfers prior to 1986 were also destroyed. NO RECORD IN MA gov't operations knows who/what/where/when guns were transfered by MA Licensed Dealers prior to 1986.
- ALL RECORDS since 1998 are scanned into the database on a regular basis, so those records can be assumed to be reasonably good and complete.
Before 1998 and Ch. 180, your dream might have come true!
After Ch. 180, ALL HANDGUNS MUST BE ON THE EOPS LIST AND AG COMPLIANT IN ORDER FOR A MA DEALER (FFL) TO TRANSFER THEM TO ANY CITIZEN OF MA!!! Old guns will never be on the EOPS List or AG COMPLIANT! The ONLY EXCEPTIONS (for your dream) ARE:
- Private transfer between two MA Residents with LTCs! Limit is 4/year.
- Inheritance where transfer is between Executor and MA Resident with LTC.
- Proof that the gun was in MA on 10/21/1998!
- AG Regs have an exemption for any gun MADE BEFORE 10/21/98, no matter where in the world it was.
Almost nobody kept their old receipts and/or old FA-10s as proof that they bought the gun before 10/21/98. Therefore, legally no dealer can sell/transfer your dream gun to you unless they are willing to risk a stiff fine and jail term. Dealers are the only ones directly effected by Ch. 180 in this regard. There is NO prohibition on private transactions, but it must be done in-state between licensees (LTC holders).
