Why some will NOT send a 50 year or older gun to a FFL C&R

I don't know if this is the correct place to be asking this question but if the moderators think it belongs in another place please change it.

I collect Curio and Relic rifles and shotguns for a hobby. I do a fair amount of buying at online auctions. Over the years I have learned to ask each auction house IF they will accept my FFL C&R license on long guns OLDER than 50 years. Most will, but just today I found two auctions I wanted to place bids at, but before bidding I sent a note asking them if they would accept my C&R. BOTH places said it was their policy to send to FFL Dealers only.

Can someone who has more knowledge than me on C&Rs tell me why they would not send a perfectly legal gun (older than 50 years) to an C&R holder ?

I have even had one place ask me "WHAT IS AN FFL C&R" after I told them it was for the 50 year and older guns that are considered Curio and Relics.

There are plenty of places that do accept my C&R and those I stick with most of the time, but when I find a gun I would like to bid on at another auction house, I do check ahead.

Any FFL dealers out there have an answer ?

Thanks, Dave

 

First answer is, "50 years" ago would be 1970 ...... So, many firearms "50 years old" would not be on the "C&R" list .....

Next is, most current "FFL holders" do not want to keep up on what is on that list .....

I have a "FFL", and not long ago spent over 4 hours with a Big Brother visit going over current "regulations" .....

Bottom line is, most people just want their own version of KISS .....

 

I had my regular FFL for only 20 years, from 1989 to 2009, but I believe that in the ATF's mind any firearm manufactured 50 years ago and before is eligible for the C&R list. Even one made in 1970 or before. Serial number, or in the case of Remington, barrel codes can tell you when it was made.

From the ATF website,
"Firearms automatically attain C&R status when they are 50 years old. Any firearm that is at least 50 years old, and in its original configuration, would qualify as a C&R firearm. It is not necessary for such firearms to be listed in ATF's C&R list. Therefore, ATF does not generally list firearms in the C&R publication by virtue of their age"

Friday I mailed the 65th firearm of the 400+ that I'm selling. Out of those 65 sales already completed about six buyers had to find another FFL on their end because their "local" place would not accept from a non licensee. The Federal regs state very clearly that only the receiving party needs to use a FFL but some stores make up their own rules. Four of those were big chain stores so you know they had a "law department".

SEE LAWYERS!

Heck, if I sell a long gun to someone in my own state we don't even have to use one on his/her end. I mail it straight to there home address. But if I lived 5 minutes from the PA border and the buyer lived 5 minutes from the WV border we have to use a FFL. It is what it is and since it isn't any more work on my part I really don't care.

A good friend of mine passed away three weeks ago, he was 92, and his widow asked me to sell off his collection so on top of those 400 I will have to dispose of another 100-200. I now have in my possession more ammo than some stores.
(not shipping ammo, too much of a hassle driving to the UPS HUB. I will sell it all FTF locally)

Just a PSA for anyone that is selling a long gun. There is a TON of misinformation out there about selling to someone in CA. If you ARE a FFL in another state you have to jump through some hoops and get the OK from CA first. Since I don't have a FFL I've never had to deal with that.

If you are NOT a FFL you can ship to a FFL in CA so they can do the transfer to your buyer. IF the FFL follows the Federal regs and doesn't make up his own BS rules that is. I actually sent a copy of the CA rules taken from the attorney generals website to show the store that one, I didn't need the "special number" that CA assigns to a sale and two, I didn't have to use a FFL on my end. The buyer found a different FFL, one that knew the regs, and it was all good.

Dig deep enough into any rule and you will find a lawyer at the bottom of the pile.

To save someone the trouble of looking it up here is the printed statement from the Kalifornia AG 's office Q & A page.

I am not an FFL but I want to ship a firearm to a California FFL. Do I have to obtain a Firearms Shipment Approval number before shipping a firearm to California?

• No. Only shipments from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL) require a Firearms Shipment Approval number.

 

Thanks Flyer ~~~

That is the way "Most" of us (including many auction houses) have read the C&R law, but like what was said, I believe others are just covering their kissers.

I had one Agent named Mike (From the Columbia office) come right to our home in South Carolina on an inspection that he admitted his boss had him come in error, and he explained the C&R rule just as it is stated. Any firearm over 50 years old does not have to be on their list.

Quite honestly I don't know why they even publish that list. If the gun is 50 years old it qualifies.

 

Good grief! My 1969 Perazzi TM1 is a relic?? Shoot it at least 2 times a week since i bought it new. about 1,500,000 rounds through it and still going strong.

 

Is some cases it's not the gun that is the relic.

Not going to name names but since Black powder guns are exempt there are probably a couple of guys on here that wouldn't need ANY type of FFL if they sent there FIRST shotgun.

 

Ha ha ha, Flyer

That was a good one...LOL

I look over a nation wide auction site every day, and before I bid, I write and ask if they will send to a FFL C&R (Curios and Relics), if it isn't mentioned on the site.

I won't mention the auction house, but I got a reply a couple months ago that asked "What is a C&R Curios and Relics FFL license" ?

A place that auctions guns, and they didn't know ? I wrote a full explanation back to this person, and the reply was: " I guess since you aren't a dealer we can't ship ANY gun to you"

I wrote these guys off from my list.