Long distance firearm collection acquisition - ship or drive and pick up?

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  • CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    Hypothetically, if I were going to acquire a collection of 20-30 firearms, mostly bolt action rifles, from someone 1500 miles away, would it be cheaper to ship the firearms to my LGS or to drive the 3,000 mile round trip and pick them up?


    My wife thinks it will be cheaper to ship them, I'm betting that after paying the shipping and transfer fees on each rifle it will be cheaper to drive 2 days there and 2 days back. I've made drives of this distance many times before, sleeping in my vehicle at a highway rest area is no problem.
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,312
    If you were transporting them through the states (under FOPA) how would you secure them? FOPA says you have to have them in a locked container if not in a separate compartment:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_Owners_Protection_Act

    One of the law's provisions was that persons traveling from one place to another has a defense for any State firearms offense in a state that has strict gun control laws if the traveler is just passing through (short stops for food and gasoline), provided that the firearms and ammunition are not immediately accessible, that the firearms are unloaded and, in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment, the firearms are located in a locked container other than the glove compartment.

    I just post the above since I'm curious... in the coming months... many may elect to move their collections out of state.



    .
     

    CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    If you were transporting them through the states (under FOPA) how would you secure them? FOPA says you have to have them in a locked container if not in a separate compartment:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm_Owners_Protection_Act

    One of the law's provisions was that persons traveling from one place to another has a defense for any State firearms offense in a state that has strict gun control laws if the traveler is just passing through (short stops for food and gasoline), provided that the firearms and ammunition are not immediately accessible, that the firearms are unloaded and, in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment, the firearms are located in a locked container other than the glove compartment.

    I just post the above since I'm curious... in the coming months... many may elect to move their collections out of state.



    .
    A large duffel bag or a navy seabag with a padlock on it is a locked container.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    Are they C&R and do you have a C&R? If the answer to both is yes, you can have them sent USPS to your door. If you aren't an FFL03 then it might pay to put it off a little while if you can to get licensed.
     

    danb

    dont be a dumbass
    Feb 24, 2013
    22,704
    google is your friend, I am not.
    If you are aquiring the collection and its crossing state lines, dont the firearms need to go through an FFL anyways?

    this.

    Even setting this aside, I would depend which states I was traveling through. NJ, NY, MD, hell the **** no. Also, don't think I'd sleep at a rest stop with 20 guns in the trunk. I would at the very least do something more secure and get a motel.
     

    JohnnyE

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 18, 2013
    9,459
    MoCo
    I wouldn't sleep at a rest area on the leg of the trip with the rifles in the vehicle. Get a motel room, park right outside your room, hump the generic luggage inside and get decent sleep.
     

    CrazySanMan

    2013'er
    Mar 4, 2013
    11,390
    Colorful Colorado
    Not if they are an inheritance.

    This is the case. My grandfather's firearms. He passed away 11 years ago, my grandmother held them. She recently passed and my aunt is the executor of the will. My aunt now has them and wants me to come get them. My wife says ship them, I think it would be too expensive to do so for this many rifles. There are a few handguns and I know those will need to be sent to an FFL, but there is no FFL requirement that I am aware of for inheriting long guns.
     

    MacGuns

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 14, 2013
    1,899
    Damascus
    movieposter.jpg
     

    RedTide

    The Water's Fine
    Jul 30, 2013
    177
    Frederick, MD
    IANAL. But Federally, 18 U.S. Code § 922 - Unlawful acts (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922) states:


    It is unlawful:
    (3) for any person, other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to transport into or receive in the State where he resides (or if the person is a corporation or other business entity, the State where it maintains a place of business) any firearm purchased or otherwise obtained by such person outside that State, except that this paragraph (A) shall not preclude any person who lawfully acquires a firearm by bequest or intestate succession in a State other than his State of residence from transporting the firearm into or receiving it in that State, if it is lawful for such person to purchase or possess such firearm in that State, (B) shall not apply to the transportation or receipt of a firearm obtained in conformity with subsection (b)(3) of this section, and (C) shall not apply to the transportation of any firearm acquired in any State prior to the effective date of this chapter

    So if it's legal in your state, and legal in the states where the firearms are located, it should be good to go for pickup in my non-professional opinion. Fire up the jalopy.
     

    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,230
    Montgomery County
    Personally, I'd go for the road trip. Just remember that every mile along the way is another opportunity for: Shit Happens. Breakdowns, accidents, etc. Assume the possibility of some sort of unfortunate turn of events, and be prepared for it. Be sure to have paperwork from the estate's executor, perhaps even notarized, explaining the provenance of each weapon and your rights to possession thereof. 3000 miles is 3000 chances for stupid crap to happen.

    When we most recently moved, I had to do a slightly complicated dance with help from friends moving my large safe and everything that normally lives in it. A good friend is a county detective, and insisted on escort duty as my vehicle with dozens of firearms made the relatively short trip. His reasoning: doesn't matter what might happen, certain circumstances along the road could get the entire collection scooped up and possibly mis-handled while things after (for example) a wreck get sorted out. He did the escort on the clock and said he didn't know a cop that wouldn't do the same for any decent gun owner in MD. Not the same as a cross-country road trip, obviously. But at the very least, make sure you're driving a vehicle in good repair, and that you have your paperwork ass covered on that payload of long gun goodness. Hope there are some gems in grandpa's collection!
     

    TylerFirearms

    , , Class-7 FFL, MRFD
    Industry Partner
    Dec 27, 2013
    1,952
    Halethorpe, MD
    I would go get them. Even with a freight company, you’d still be looking at probably a few hundred dollars with freight and packing costs. They would all have to packaged in non-descriptive packaging and shipped with a TON of insurance. You can go there and ship the handguns back to a dealer here. We’ll take care of the transfer of the handguns at no cost.
     

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