Red flag laws versus universal background checks

[cjwils]

According to the attached link, this situation is about a 91 year old man who owned a few very normal guns in Washington State (Side note, those of us who live in Washington State sometimes include the word State to distinguish ourselves from the other Washington.) If the legal situation in this state was better, the relatives could have gone to to him and said, "Grampa, we are worried about your condition, please give use you guns so we can take care of them. We can sell them and give you the money, if that is your choice." I think it is unlikely that he would have made a big fuss, because the article says he voluntarily complied when the cops came. But because of universal background checks in this state, they could not do that without going to an FFl for a transfer of every gun. The cheapest dealer that I know in the Seattle area charges $40 for each transfer. That would be several hundred dollars for the transfer of 18 guns, unless the FFL gave them a break on the price. They could have done that regardless of the cost, but maybe they didn't care. Maybe that is the point, younger people who are not gun owners don't care.

It is a bit ironic that the cops chose to feature an antique single shot target pistol in the front of the photo.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/police-confiscate-18-guns-from-west-seattle-home/ar-AAI4AJL

 

[MEHavey]

You can put multiple guns on the same background check.

 

[Middletown]

My family knows my wishes for my firearms and other related stuff. But I will not criticize any family for the end of life decisions for a loved family member.

 

[OrangeCat]

I have a grandfather who suffers from Alzheimer's and he is equally likely to remember my name and carry on a conversation, call me into his office for my EPR, or quote some deep cuts from Psalms and take a swing at me to cast out Satan. And there is no way of knowing "WHO" he's been talking to any given day.

It's hard to tell from the story just how bad their situation was. But I'm not inclined to judge them too hard.

 

[1911 guy]

I'm not here to fault the family for making the decision to remove arms from their elderly loved one.
I'd just like to remind everyone that arms seized by the authorities will probably never see daylight again. Have a plan in place for your own collection. Make sure your family knows the plan.

 

[kmw1954]

I am in the process of doing this myself with an older brother that now has Early Onset symptoms. We live in neighboring states and he has 14 pistols, all of which are going to have to be shipped for transfer. That in and of itself is going to get costly.

 

[Steve S.]

I have seen many older folks give up the freedom of driving a vehicle; their ability to operate a vehicle at a comfortably safe level has waned - general faculties are just not there anymore. Some of those surrendered that past freedom calmly, some emotionally and some with a push.
I see no difference between the item of a car or a firearm if the presence of mind or physical ability (or both) decay - each situation will demand a different approach. On this forum, firearms get increased scrutiny because this is a gun forum. I would think that on a classic car forum, loosing the ability to drive due to age or disease would also be noted as unfortunate; loosing a gun for the same reasons is quite simply no different. Sometimes gun owners project a little extra “over thinking” into their attachment due to ever increasing social and legal pressures. In the end, people get old/ sick and do not function well anymore - people then sadly loose freedoms - life and aging is about loss.

 

[LiveLife]

Seattle area charges $40 for each transfer. That would be several hundred dollars for the transfer of 18 guns

Most FFLs I worked with will give discount for multiple transfers and last FFL stopped charging additional fee after the 3rd transfer for multiple transfers.

 

[beeenbag]

I am also not going to judge the family on their decisions, but it is absolutely disgusting that the laws are established in such a manner that the police had to get involved AND the media had to stick their nose in with the virtue signal flag flying.

This should never have been known by anyone, the residents around him, the media outlets, or us on this board. This should have been legally allowed to have been a simple change of possession and that be the end of it. The fact that it turned into this because of "progressive" laws, is absolutely appalling.

 

[alsaqr]

There is no substitute for greatly reducing the size of a large firearms collection while in full control of ones senses. Otherwise there is a good chance the survivor/s will be ripped off. In some states the collection could be confiscated.

One Sunday i arrived at a local flea market before the crowd got there. Met a lady with several nice shotguns on a table. The pristine Browning light 12 gauge was marked at $175.00.

1. The husband had passed away unexpectedly.

2. After our talk the lady put her guns in the trunk.

3. Put the lady in contact with a collectors/buyers who paid fair prices for her firearms.

4. Her husbands collection sold for over $15,000.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Maybe that is the point, younger people who are not gun owners don't care.

Guns mean different things to different people. To some they are nothing but a tool to do a job. To other's they are a means of investing money. Some people get very sentimentally attached to guns. For someone like me, shooting, owning, and accumulating the guns I enjoy shooting, and loading my own ammo for them are the most enjoyable hobbies I've ever engaged in. They represent a life long passion that I doubt I'll ever walk away from.

My family is not gun oriented, and while a few guns are owned, they represent very minimal numbers meant only to accomplish a task like killing a deer or protecting their home. Those guns are almost never shot, and the ages of the indifferent are very wide ranging.

I hope my niece and nephew take an interest and I can leave them my guns some day, but if I’m dying or dead, or too old to enjoy them, what do I care? If they’d rather sell them and invest in a home or a different hobby that’s fine.

My dad has a stamp collection stashed away somewhere and I couldn’t care less about it except for its value. Stamps are dull as dirt to me. Some younger folks may be really into them though. We don’t know.

I’ve told my friends and family if I ever start talking crazy or violently I expect them to call the police. If I go off my rocker, I hope someone cares enough about me to help prevent me from doing something horrible.

I know I don’t have any tendency towards violence, but when I get old and senile, who knows.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I am also not going to judge the family on their decisions, but it is absolutely disgusting that the laws are established in such a manner that the police had to get involved AND the media had to stick their nose in with the virtue signal flag flying.

This should never have been known by anyone, the residents around him, the media outlets, or us on this board. This should have been legally allowed to have been a simple change of possession and that be the end of it. The fact that it turned into this because of "progressive" laws, is absolutely appalling.

Agree. How this is "News" is beyond me, and it sounds like a total invasion of privacy for a non-issue. I'm guessing the liberal news likes to point this crap out as a "Look, our gun restrictions and laws are preventing terrible crimes." The media is so gross.

 

[22-rimfire]

I am totally against any authorities stepping in and taking possession of firearms if there are any other practical options. Guns can be sold pretty readily and can be sold in mass as well. Getting near current value of a collection/accumulation is another matter entirely and that is best left up to the individual who owns the guns or a trusted friend or family member. I will need to shed a bunch of my guns in the coming years as I have little need for them and most family members simply view them as $$.

 

[buck460XVR]

I am totally against any authorities stepping in and taking possession of firearms if there are any other practical options .

I think most of us agree with that. Still, what the family did was their choice, not ours. Kinda how it's supposed to work. We want others to give us the freedom of choice, yet we want to chastise others for theirs. They're just guns.....they still make plenty of them.

 

[Goldsmith]

I had an uncle whom passed from Alzheimer’s. He was an avid gun collector and had an impressive collection. When his condition worsened his daughter took control of his estate. She knew my father and I were interested in a few of his firearms but she refused to sell us any stating “well, I would feel bad if they went out and shot themselves with any of them”, because that’s what we do, go out camping and shoot our selves. To this day we do not speak.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I had an uncle whom passed from Alzheimer’s. He was an avid gun collector and had an impressive collection. When his condition worsened his daughter took control of his estate. She knew my father and I were interested in a few of his firearms but she refused to sell us any stating “well, I would feel bad if they went out and shot themselves with any of them”, because that’s what we do, go out camping and shoot our selves. To this day we do not speak.

That just sucks. All of it.

Sorry that's how things went down.

 

[JERRY]

why accept either of them?