Sales to PA

[CooperS7777]

I may be picking up an AR for a good friend in Pennsylvania. The gun is here in NH and he is coming out at some point in December to visit.

What will need to be done when he's out here to transfer the gun to him? Can we do it through a FFL in NH, or will the gun need to be shipped to an FFL in PA for him to pick up?

TIA,

Coop

 

[jdubois]

Yes, a NH FFL can transfer a rifle to a PA resident, as long as he's physically present. He can then theoretically transport that rifle back to PA, but he may find it safer to ship it to himself.

BTW, what do you mean "picking up an AR for a good friend"? Do you mean you're buying a gun for him and he will repay you later?

 

[CooperS7777]

BTW, what do you mean "picking up an AR for a good friend"? Do you mean you're buying a gun for him and he will repay you later?

I guess the answer depends - is there a legal issue one way or the other?

 

[jdubois]

I guess the answer depends - is there a legal issue one way or the other?

You cannot legally purchase a gun for somebody else. It's called a straw purchase, and it gets the feds very, very grumpy. My suggestion would be to put a deposit (or the whole amount) down on the gun to hold it, but not actually transfer it from whoever owns it until your friend gets there, then he can pay and transfer it from the original owner and there should be no legal issues.

 

[CooperS7777]

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess that answers my question, Im going to check it out tomorrow (its at an FFL), so if its what he wants and what Ive been told it is over the phone, I guess Ill just make the deposit on it and leave it there for him to pick up next month.

 

[jdubois]

The only thing to be wary of by doing it that way, is the FFL may suspect it's actually a straw purchase going the other way (your friend buying it for you, with you fronting the money in advance) and get scared out of selling it. I'd just be honest with the FFL right from the start about your friend not coming up until next month and you're wanting to secure it for him, and see what you can work out. Maybe they'd take a credit card deposit from him over the phone?

 

[KMaurer]

The likelihood that anyone would interpret your purchasing a gun now and several months later transferring through an FFL to another person as a straw purchase are roughly the same as the chances of Obama picking Pat Buchanan as Secretary of State. When you do it through an FFL, you aren't legally the party selling it to your friend; the FFL is. Whichever you're more comfortable with.

Ken

 

[jdubois]

Agreed, Ken. But I just give the most cautious advice here, so people know what's going on, and let people make their own decisions. What if, not knowing any better, this guy filled out the 4473 and then casually mentioned to the FFL that he was buying the gun for his friend? A paranoid FFL, who thought they might be getting stung, could refuse the sale and/or immediately contact ATF about it.