WA state gun guys- question on transfer- Higgy u there?

[RANDY P]

Hola-

My buddy who passed away last year had a bunch of firearms - pistols that the family has decided to give me one - I'm licensed in WA State with a CWP and another one to his buddy who isn't a CWP holder-

Question is, how do we or is it necessary to do anything to change ownership of these guns? Both are registered to the PO at the moment.

They were all purchased from the local pawn shop- gone through the BATF checks, etc. etc.-

So, does anyone need to call anyone in the State and report a change of ownership?

rjp

[HardDrive]

Very curious about this one as well. I gave my dad a Sig 220 last year as a gift.

Errrrr.....I hope I didn't do something on the south side of the law.

[Joeaksa]

Its a sad state in this world when you cannot give a family member a weapon as a gift without worrying about its being legal or not.

The "gun Nazi's" want you to register every primer and bullet. Hope that it does not ever get to this, or hope that I am long gone by that time.

[tabs]

Lets see now Randy, if you run amok and go kill everybody in sight with those guns and the John Law goes to see who they belonged to they will find that they belonged to a dead man? Hmmm I would like to see them proscute him.

[alf]

I do not believe there is a need to do anything for a private transfer in WA.

Happens every several weekends locally at gun shows, buyer hand over cash seller hands over gun. Of course all members of the club are background checked or CCW holders before they could join.

[competentone]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Question is, how do we or is it necessary to do anything to change ownership of these guns? Both are registered to the PO at the moment.

They were all purchased from the local pawn shop- gone through the BATF checks, etc. etc.-

So, does anyone need to call anyone in the State and report a change of ownership?

http://search.leg.wa.gov/wslrcw/RCW%20%20%209%20%20TITLE/RCW%20%20%209%20.%2041%20%20CHAPTER/RCW%20%20%209%20.%2041%20%20chapter.htm

I don't see anything indicating "registration" of firearms is required in WA -- so I would not expect that the firearms are currently "registered" to your now deceased friend. He would be in the FFL's (the local pawn shop's) records as the purchaser, but I see no restrictions, nor any "reporting" requirements for "private transfers" of firearms so long as the parties receiving the firearms are residents of WA and have no felony convictions, or pending charges, that would prohibit them from owning/possessing a firearm.

That said, I just glanced over the state laws. I'd suggest asking local FFL's if there are any restrictions on "private transfers" of firearms in your state, or ask an attorney, who would be familiar with your state's laws.

You could ask local law enforcement officials too, but from my experience, law enforcement officials are sometimes one of the worst places to get accurate information about the law. (I think it's the "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" situation.)

And of course I have to ask, just out of curiosity (being a bit of a gun nut), exactly what are you getting?

[RANDY P]

Nothing too special. My buddy used a Ruger P345 as a carry and the other one was a Taurus Milennium .45

Plastic, but free. The Ruger I like to shoot..

I wasn't sure if the BATF registered that gun to me or not.

Tabby - I would but at the moment my Mom won't give me any more ammo..

rjp

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by competentone

You could ask local law enforcement officials too, but from my experience, law enforcement officials are sometimes one of the worst places to get accurate information about the law. (I think it's the "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" situation.

That sure is a correct statement!

[jriera]

Check http://www.handgunlaw.us and/or http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/firearms/index.html for some quick references.

WA does not seems to have a gun registration program but that my change by County or City

[competentone]

Originally Posted by jriera

Check http://www.handgunlaw.us and/or http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/firearms/index.html for some quick references.

WA does not seems to have a gun registration program but that my change by County or City

I haven't looked at the links you provided, but from what I was reading about WA, it has the "preemptive" clauses in its state laws -- meaning there is uniformity of the laws relating to firearms across the state; local County or City governments cannot create their own laws counter to the state laws.

[LakeCleElum]

I've been in WA state all my life - No need to register your guns. The forms you fill out when you buy from a gun dealer or pawn shop are only used to LE "Record checks" to make sure the weapon is not being sold to a convicted felon or someone convicted of misd. domestic violence.

[competentone]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

Nothing too special. My buddy used a Ruger P345 as a carry and the other one was a Taurus Milennium .45

Plastic, but free. The Ruger I like to shoot..

I wasn't sure if the BATF registered that gun to me or not.

Both are decent guns.

The Federal Government (BATF) has no "registration" system for firearms (aside from National Firearm Act items -- i.e. machineguns, surpressors, etc.). The normal "recording keeping" for regular handguns, rifles and shotguns just relates to Federal Firearm Licensees. The "registration" only takes place if state or local government laws require it.

See what other responses you get here -- and I'd still suggest checking with local firearm dealers -- but it is looking like a "private party transfer" would be legal in the situation you describe. No government "paperwork" would be required in that case.

A lot of people are "reluctant" to create any sort of "paper trail" when transferring ownership of firearms privately, but I always create good receipts for any private sales/purchases I make. If things get really bad (politically) in this country, I will certainly "lose" any records I had no obligation to make or keep, but in the meantime, any time I buy or sell personal property, I want a receipt -- particularly if I'm the buyer (a receipt "protects" a buyer more than it does the seller.)

In your case, I would suggest getting a basic receipt from the family of the deceased giving you the gun just so that things are clear in case some other family member started making "trouble" at some later date and made some wild claim that you "stole" your former friend's gun.

[RANDY P]

everyone - thanks for the advice....

I'll pass it along. Both guns were well maintained and few rounds fired through 'em.

I'll be getting an old 1970 GMC pU truck next!

rjp

[Jeff Higgins]

You simply could not "register" any sort of a firearm in Washington even if you wanted to. There is no agency with which to do so. You cannot register one with the state itself, and state pre-emption law precludes any smaller (than the state) jurisdiction from enacting more restrictive gun laws than the state itself.

It is legal here to transfer any legally held firearm to anyone else who can legally hold it. There is no mechanism with which to report such private transfers even if you wanted to; much like registration. Just no way to do either.

The only required records of sales and transfers are those conducted by licensed dealers holding FFL's.