Do you decrease potential firearms purchases because of Form 4473 & FFL interaction?

[orpington]

I do!

What I mean by this is my FFL does a limited number of transact yearly and I feel like if I do too many, it might seem odd. Plus the handgun form for the State Police too often might seem odd.

Because I’m having a transaction for a revolver that is pre 1899 but still has to go through an FFL, plus another revolver transaction in March and a shotgun transaction in February, it makes me not want to purchase a vintage Smith & Wesson revolver I’m interested in.

It makes the pre 1899 stuff more attractive. No one else knows my affairs other than the seller.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

This concern has a strong regional factor. Here in CA, because the political regime has been interfering for so long with personal freedoms at almost every level (criminals excepted, obviously), the FFL paperwork has become background noise. I'm daunted by the related taxes and surcharges more than the bureaucracy these days.

Still, if I have the $$$ and something I want becomes available, I don't back down from the regulatory hurdles. At age 64, I only have so many more years to enjoy this hobby.

But as you say, I've also been finding myself leaning more toward late 19th-century firearms.

 

[Starter52]

Nope. Doesn't matter to me.

 

[earlthegoat2]

You live in MI by any chance? I only ask because of the extra State Police hurdle for handgun sales.

I don’t let it bother me. So a federal document has my name and info on it. There are untold millions of them to sift through.

 

[unclenunzie]

When I lived in NJ where purchase permits are issued for every handgun via an application, people would list the number of permits they wanted and would receive them after the equivalent of a full criminal background check done by the state (similar to carry license in other states). Not only that, but the process required at least 2 references from within the state who where contacted by police and asked to fill out a form essentially asking if you were a bad risk for gun ownership. That particular requirement always incensed me because it is absolutely no one's else's business to know about your gun purchases. Local gun enthusiasts began to list each other as references, and when one-gun-a-month became law they maintained a steady flow of applications for permits among them as to always have a few on hand. This because you had to have a permit in hand when an opportunity came along for a particular gun of interest.

Do not worry about seeming odd. There's no reason to curtail or delay exercising your rights.

 

[jar]

Total non issue.

 

[jmorris]

Sure, but not as much as doing form 1's or 4's.

I like a good chicken fried steak too but rarely cook them myself because of the additional work I create for myself over just grilling a different cut.

That's one reason "hoops to jump through" are created. In my State having a CHL makes things pretty fast though.

 

[Riomouse911]

If you want it, buy it. The 4473, and whatever else your area requires, is just a step in the process.

Stay safe.

 

[orpington]

I reside in Pennsylvania. I have pre WWII stuff, find a few I like a year.

The rest of those handled by my FFL are the one or two black guns folks. I don’t even need to tell him something is coming for me as it is so far different than what anyone else is getting.

 

[CDW4ME]

No.
Every gun I own was purchased at a dealer, with two exceptions; the one my dad gave me in 1987 for my 21st birthday and the one my wife inherited from her mother.

 

[IJ1981]

I can say the same as CDW4ME. Every firearm purchase I made over the last 40 years has been through a FFL, other than the many made with my C&R License.

It's a non issue to me.

 

[tarosean]

nope

 

[Rubone]

I could care less about that sort of issue.

 

[dogtown tom]

I have customers that are here picking up a transfer every other week, regular as clockwork.

Sometimes they require I submit a Multiple Sale Report. I submit about a dozen of those every month.

 

[Insignificant bill]

Whenever I buy a gun online I have dogtown tom do my transfer. I don't like the fact we have to do paperwork but not going to deter me from buying firearms.

 

[lightman]

No, its not a factor. They probably already know everything there is to know about me.

 

[jmr40]

Only one thing. If purchasing 2 handguns at the same time it can trigger an investigation of both the seller and the buyer, at least at one time that was so. It has only come up once for me. I was planning to purchase 2 at one time but when the guy at the small gun shop pointed this out, I decided it was better to pay for both but only fill out the 4473 for one and take it home that day. Came back a week later, filled out the paperwork and brought the 2nd one home.

This was a small one-man shop who I considered the owner a friend. It may, or may not have caused any issues, but I decided it was best to do it that way to avoid any possible hassles for him. It wouldn't have been illegal, but I just didn't want to do anything to raise red flags that might have triggered an audit of his shop.

 

[jags]

If I want the gun I got to fill out the form. I don't have anything to hide that I know of.

 

[Old Dog]

Sure, let's all allow ourselves to be scared of legally purchasing firearms because of what someone in the government might think.

Does anyone here really believe we're at that point now?

 

[Howland937]

Does anyone here really believe we're at that point now?

Which part? That we should be scared or that people in the government might actually think?

To answer the OP, if something I want is available for a price I'm ok with, I'm buying.
It's been a while, but I have had up to 5 in one day and more than one in a day a few times...as well as multiple on one transaction.

I've gotten delayed on phone in BGC's a few times lately. If I'm very far from my house, that'll have more to do with whether I'm a buyer or not. It'll have to be something really worthwhile.

 

[hoardingthemanual]

Yes but only for one interaction. I do not buy more than one handgun in a five day span. All else is no holds barred.

 

[Styx]

I've transferred 3 or more firearms at a time several times over in the past. I have a couple of FFLs in my area who charge one fee for up to 3 serials and then $5 each afterward, so I will typically buy 3 or so of guns I want to save on transfer fees. The most I've done was 10 stripped ar15 lowers.

 

[Styx]

Sure, let's all allow ourselves to be scared of legally purchasing firearms because of what someone in the government might think.

Does anyone here really believe we're at that point now?

I don't care, but I've heard of people getting visits from law enforcement after purchasing multiple firearms. An ex-girlfriend of mine had law enforcement knock on her door about purchasing multiple firearms at once.

The ATF has retroactively found various firearm accessories to be prohibited. People have had visits from the ATF who were attempting to confiscate these items. I don't think it's far-fetched for them to behave the same way with firearms in the future.

Others don't want to purchase multiple handguns at one time because they don't want the ATF and local law enforcement to be notified.

All in all, it's not that some gun owners are scared about what the government thinks, but rather, they are scared about what the government will do.

 

[Old Dog]

I don't care, but I've heard of people getting visits from law enforcement after purchasing multiple firearms. An ex-girlfriend of mine had law enforcement knock on her door about purchasing multiple firearms at once.

The ATF has retroactively found various firearm accessories to be prohibited. People have had visits from the ATF who were attempting to confiscate these items. I don't think it's far-fetched for them to behave the same way with firearms in the future.

Others don't want to purchase multiple handguns at one time because they don't want the ATF and local law enforcement to be notified.

All in all, it's not that some gun owners are scared about what the government thinks, but rather, they are scared about what the government will do.

And just what can the government do if one purchases firearms legally and does not either give them away, or quickly turn around and sell them face to face in private sales with no background checks?

The bureau is welcome to come visit me; I will brew them some great coffee and offer forth good pastries as well.

 

[Creaky_Old_Cop]

I do!

What I mean by this is my FFL does a limited number of transact yearly and I feel like if I do too many, it might seem odd. Plus the handgun form for the State Police too often might seem odd.

Because I’m having a transaction for a revolver that is pre 1899 but still has to go through an FFL, plus another revolver transaction in March and a shotgun transaction in February, it makes me not want to purchase a vintage Smith & Wesson revolver I’m interested in.

It makes the pre 1899 stuff more attractive. No one else knows my affairs other than the seller.

You buy one gun through an FFL post Brady, and you're already "in the system" so to speak if you have ever gone through the NICS check. In Arizona, your CCW is a de facto instant background check and you don't have to get Uncle Sugar's permission to exercise your right....oh but wait...yes you do because you go through a background check when you get your CCW, just not subsequent checks to buy unless you buy more than two in five days (I think it's still five) and BATF-E wants to know what the kiddies are up to.

Hell, I am a retired cop, and my fingerprints, DNA, hair follicles, and probably a record of my 20 year old subscription to Playboy is in a database somewhere. My LEOSA permit doesn't work around the instant background check, but my AZ CCW does....so I pay for the privilege to exercise my rights that way. I don't worry about what the fedgods admit to knowing. I am too damned old, and too damned crusty to play nice nice with them anymore.

What I am saying is don't stress over it. If any agency comes to your door wanting to have a "friendly" (they are fishing) chat...absent a warrant....tell them to pound sand, you don't answer questions, and they are trespassing on your property. Buy whatever makes you happy. For too long the Second Amendment has been treated like a second class right, and made to ride in the back of the bus. OR...you don't even have to open the door, and talk to them at all. They can see you sitting fat and happy in your recliner, reading GUNS & STUFF, and you can ignore them all day, or flip the bird, or stick your tongue out at them. Exercise your freedom, maybe it will spread.