That is easy to work around. Just break the gun down into a few major assemblies and sell it to them as "parts". I have done this with a few rifles coming from out of state, send the barrel in one package and the stock/bolt in another and there you go. No need to go through all the fuss.(yes this may not be strictly legit but it is what it is)
Just as follow up... Totally and completely illegal for whatever portion of the firearm that bears the serial number on it. Totally and completely legal for the parts that don't.
The quintessential example being the lower of an AR. That's the "gun". Everything else is legally, just replacement parts.
Of course you're probably correct that people disassemble things and do this all the time, but if you're going for legal and above-board, there's only a few items that must go through an FFL to cross State lines of ownership.
Of course the irony there is if the firearm isn't being sold, you can just take it yourself in one piece across State lines.
And then there's the "self manufacture" rules...
It's all pretty silly thinking criminals care about any of it. It's at best an annoyance to those attempting to do things legally, and has no effect at all on them. Zero. They give it no thought.
I suppose the one benefit of this system is that if the guy I sell it to decides to use it in a crime, the cops won't be knocking on my door to ask about the gun.
In New Mexico, that was always a concern.
It's still a concern. The FFL usually won't release that they did a transfer between parties to local LE. They're required to keep the record for ATF but local LE will follow leads wherever they go. And most FFLs will tell them to pound sand and get a warrant to see their legal records.
Only ATF has the ability to walk in and inspect those at any time. Most local LE won't bother getting the warrant, they'll just come ask you.
Best/easiest if you have a receipt for the transfer or any other documentation from doing so, available to hand them.
They're not going to bother getting the paperwork from the FFL unless there's some undue political pressure to solve a case immediately. Much easier to pester you.
Whether CBI keeps a record is debatable. Not supposed to, but what IT department can resist cramming everything into a database with on and off site backups?
Remember these laws aren't about common sense or making anyone's job easier. And different bureaucracies in our government don't play well together, although that's probably more of a blessing than a curse.
That thing gets used in a crime and they figure out you owned it once, they'll stop by. They really won't know, though, without asking ATF and waiting a while for the answer.
Well, it is sold. Took about 45 minutes sitting in a gun shop making awkward conversation about how much we hate Obama and the Government, but it worked.
Ended the conversation with "Oh, you have a case lock? Cool, can you present that to the buyer so that he can pretend to actually care about locking it. Saves us the trouble of having to do it instead."
My case lock was a prop lock that I put on the case to make people think its locked, so I didn't mind. Gun laws are dumb.
LOL where did you go? That's a crack up. Both because it happened and also because you found it awkward. Haha. You should have regaled him with FAA stories.
Maybe you don't want to say.
Case and pistol locks: Hilariously useless. I took a weak set of bolt cutters to one from a manufacturer once just to see how useless. Pretty sure I could stomp most pistol cases out there open with a boot in about ten seconds if I wanted inside, too. Haha.
As you know from PM, I'm a little bummed I didn't jump on that thing. Haha. Oh well. Snoozed and lost. A shooter-grade Smith model 15 would have been on that short list of stuff I would have considered. They're excellent little revolvers. One of the best triggers Smith ever put on a revolver IMHO.
Oh well. Back to watching classifieds for my other Smith obsession... third gen semi-autos in stainless steel... I like those. Keeping an eyeball out for a 4506...
