doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Is an FFL required?

Let's say you do not have an FFL and you send your post 1898 gun to a gunsmith for repair or you send your gun to a stocker for restocking. To return the gun, can the gunsmith or stocker legally send the gun directly back to you or does he have to send it to an FFL holder?

directly to you.

1898 and before is an antique. No FFL required on either end, in between or otherwise. Not for repair, sale, or any other reason.

Sorry, I misread the POST 1898 as meaning made before 1898. However the answer is still mostly correct. If no transfer of ownership is being made, no FFL is required on your end for the return. The gunsmith or stockmaker will have an FFL allowing him to to receive and keep YOUR gun overnight.
Your friend is incorrect, not surprisingly.

In the above scenerio I stated "your post 1898 gun" which means the gun was built after 1898.

A friend of mine, whom is an FFL holder, tells me it is his understanding that a gun sent to a gunsmith for repair or a stocker for restocking cannot legally be returned via USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc. to a non-FFL person, but rather must be sent to an FFL holder. Is he correct correct in his understanding?

I have had several (12 or more) post 1898 shotguns shipped back to me from several different gunsmiths - directly to my house. I am not a FFL or a Curio and Relic license holder. They have come both by USPS and UPS. In every case I shipped the gun to them to be worked on.

The law is different for handguns. These were all shotguns. And I suppose the law in your State could have additional restrictions.

Federal law allows gunsmiths to ship longguns back directly to the owner - no FFL required.

Best,

Mike

I've done the same with handguns. I have shipped to Magnaport,Meprolite, Checkmate and Wilson each time the handgun was ups delivered back to me(not USPS)but its been ten years.

It can be legally returned direct to you without an FFL


Best,

John Boyd
Quality Arms

Directly to you as there is no transfer of ownership taking place. This is not the case with consignment guns as it is considered a transfer when you leave them with the dealer.

If you have any questions call your local ATF office. Ask for an inspector not an Agent. The inspector's are the one's who deal with regualtions the most. I've never had a problem getting a clear answer.