Straw purchase question.

[Aguila Blanca]

Here you go, a current story!!!..... A LEO goes into a gunshop and buys a gun intended as a gift for a friend and the AFT comes down on him like a ton of bricks .....you would think they are busy enough with the real bad guys....

Worth a five minute read....it might save your butt... SCARY
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.as...20060329a.html

This is not a current story, it's a couple of years old. The only current part is that the officer is testifying before Congress.

That story was discussed here when it happened, and my recollection is that there was a lot about the way the deal went down to suggest that it WAS a straw purchase. I never saw a follow-up, so I don't have full facts, but it was not a clear-cut case of the BATFE nabbing the wrong guy.

 

[silliman89]

CraigJS -- #12
SDM,
If I were ever to do what you suggest in your first post, I would transfer it through an FFL dealer to get the guns registration out of YOUR name (friend or not). If it were stolden or ever used in a crime you wouldn't have nearly as much to explain to the LEO's!

SDM -- #20
CraigJS,

In VA we supposedly don't have registration so that shouldn't be a problem.

SDM,

You're confusing registration, where the authorities take a person's name and get a list of all their firearms (something that is illegal and supposedly not done), with tracing a gun's serial number (which is legal and done all the time). Once the authorities have a serial number, they go to the manufacturer and begin tracing the paperwork trail of purchases. Every FFL is required by law to retain their paperwork forever. I think they are supposed to send it in to the national archives or something when they die.

If you break the paper trail on a gun by selling it without going through an FFL, then the official history of that gun always ends with you. 10, 20, even 50 years from now, no matter how many people have actually owned that gun since then, if it's ever found at a crime scene the authorities will come to you for answers.

 

[SDM]

You're confusing registration, where the authorities take a person's name and get a list of all their firearms (something that is illegal and supposedly not done)...

I wasn't confused. He said "registration". We don't have to register guns in Virginia.

I am fully aware of the serial number trace. That is why I have always thought that when selling a gun privately it is a good idea to write up a bill of sale and have the buyer sign it. It's not a legal document but short of having a FFL do the transfer it is about the best you can do.

However, even that is not required. In 50 years if they come knocking on my door asking about gun X, I'll tell them it was sold and if I have one I'll present the bill of sale. If not and they don't believe me, then I have a problem but that is a different discussion.