Purchased a gun for a friend

[striker55]

I purchased a gun for a friend on GunBroker, we both have LTC. When the gun arrives at FFL dealer should I receive the gun then give it to my friend or have my friend fill out the paperwork?

[SQLGeek]

Did you buy it for him as a gift?

[rotor]

I purchased a gun for a friend on GunBroker, we both have LTC. When the gun arrives at FFL dealer should I receive the gun then give it to my friend or have my friend fill out the paperwork?

Be very careful about how you answer questions here.

[striker55]

I purchased it because I had an account and he didn't and the auction was counting down.

[Beiruty]

I purchased it because I had an account and he didn't and the auction was counting down.

Delete this thread. And consult a FFL Friend.

[Beiruty]

First, do not pay for it under your name.
Second, Contact the seller and provide the name of the real buyer. Explain what happened.
Seller will send the pistol to FFL of the real buyer
Let your friend do the paper work and pick the pistol from his FFL.

In Short do not do the transaction yourself.
You are the bidder agent of the real buyer no more no less.

[TexasSully]

I purchased it because I had an account and he didn't and the auction was counting down.

Delete this thread. And consult a FFL Friend.

[big454]

Wow.

[ScottDLS]

First, do not pay for it under your name.
Second, Contact the seller and provide the name of the real buyer. Explain what happened.
Seller will send the pistol to FFL of the real buyer
Let your friend do the paper work and pick the pistol from his FFL.

In Short do not do the transaction yourself.
You are the bidder agent of the real buyer no more no less.

That is the correct way to handle it. The ATF can consider you buying a gun for someone else, even though they are qualified, as a "straw purchase". Realistically, they probably won't, but you should not risk it. When you fill out the 4473 you are signing that you are buying the gun for yourself. ATF considers that lying on the form.

[Scott B.]

First, do not pay for it under your name.
Second, Contact the seller and provide the name of the real buyer. Explain what happened.
Seller will send the pistol to FFL of the real buyer
Let your friend do the paper work and pick the pistol from his FFL.

In Short do not do the transaction yourself.
You are the bidder agent of the real buyer no more no less.

Do not do this.

You paid for it, you do the transfer. After that, you may gift it to anybody you like in the state of Texas as long as you know they are legally able to own a firearm.

I have an 07/02 FFL/SOT and I do transfers 6 days a week.

[SigM4]

First, do not pay for it under your name.
Second, Contact the seller and provide the name of the real buyer. Explain what happened.
Seller will send the pistol to FFL of the real buyer
Let your friend do the paper work and pick the pistol from his FFL.

In Short do not do the transaction yourself.
You are the bidder agent of the real buyer no more no less.

Do not do this.

You paid for it, you do the transfer. After that, you may gift it to anybody you like in the state of Texas as long as you know they are legally able to own a firearm.

I have an 07/02 FFL/SOT and I do transfers 6 days a week.

Does the ATF care who paid for it, so long as the person that truly is taking possession of it fills out the paperwork (not talking straw purchase here)? I'm asking seriously because I don't know. Seems like we like to attribute a lot of intent and action by the ATF to possible interpretations that we've made up. Would love to hear from an actual rep of the department on situations like this, so that we could all learn.

The reason I ask is it seems that in a case like this logic would dictate that you'd be better off with him filling out the paperwork since he's taking possession of it. Now, that said I know the our benevolent government very rarely operates based on logic and reason, but it seems like all the hand wringing and gnashing of teeth are unnecessary, whether by manufactured caution or by virtue of past interpretation of the law by the ATF.

It'd be no different that me loaning a friend who forgot his wallet the $ to buy a gun. Is that a straw purchase? No, but the way we tell it on the internet an ATF agent is waiting behind every gun counter ready to bust some law abiding citizen.

Sorry, I'm off my soapbox now.

I'd do just as Scott says. For all the worry about buying and transferring for a friend, a gift is still a very simple thing. Convoluted, but that's our government at work.

[SigM4]

That is the correct way to handle it. The ATF can consider you buying a gun for someone else, even though they are qualified, as a "straw purchase". Realistically, they probably won't, but you should not risk it. When you fill out the 4473 you are signing that you are buying the gun for yourself. ATF considers that lying on the form.

Another question on my part (to go along with my post above). Does the ATF consider the payment for the gun and the transfer paperwork all as part and parcel of a single transaction? Or they viewed as separate events?

Reason I ask is because question 11a of the 4473 states "Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form? Waring: You are not the actual transferee/buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person...

This is the important part to me ...if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person...

The reason I quote this is because in this situation, if the friend filled out the paperwork, he would check "Yes" in my mind, because he is the actual transferee regardless who paid for it. And at that point no straw sale would (or could) have existed.

Again, using logic it would seem to me that no matter who pays for the gun, so long as the person actually taking possession of it fills out the form, there's no foul. But, I'm sure it's not that simple.

[ScottDLS]

First, do not pay for it under your name.
Second, Contact the seller and provide the name of the real buyer. Explain what happened.
Seller will send the pistol to FFL of the real buyer
Let your friend do the paper work and pick the pistol from his FFL.

In Short do not do the transaction yourself.
You are the bidder agent of the real buyer no more no less.

Do not do this.

You paid for it, you do the transfer. After that, you may gift it to anybody you like in the state of Texas as long as you know they are legally able to own a firearm.

I have an 07/02 FFL/SOT and I do transfers 6 days a week.

And then ATF can (theoretically) go after him like they did the guy in the SCOTUS case in Virginia where he bought it for his father to get a discount and then transferred it to his father who actually paid for it. Went all the way to SCOTUS and the straw buyer lost. The father was eligible to receive the gun, but because he reimbursed the son, ATF said son lied in the 4473. If you are not actually buying it as a gift, you shouldn't lie on the 4473, even though you'll likely get away with it. It didn't help that the buyer was suspected by the FBI of being a bank robber but they could never prove it....

[striker55]

I won the auction and paid for the gun. I'll accept it, take possession and next week give my friend and neighbor a nice gift.

[ScottDLS]

That is the correct way to handle it. The ATF can consider you buying a gun for someone else, even though they are qualified, as a "straw purchase". Realistically, they probably won't, but you should not risk it. When you fill out the 4473 you are signing that you are buying the gun for yourself. ATF considers that lying on the form.

Another question on my part (to go along with my post above). Does the ATF consider the payment for the gun and the transfer paperwork all as part and parcel of a single transaction? Or they viewed as separate events?

Reason I ask is because question 11a of the 4473 states "Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form? Waring: You are not the actual transferee/buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person...

This is the important part to me ...if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person...

The reason I quote this is because in this situation, if the friend filled out the paperwork, he would check "Yes" in my mind, because he is the actual transferee regardless who paid for it. And at that point no straw sale would (or could) have existed.

Again, using logic it would seem to me that no matter who pays for the gun, so long as the person actually taking possession of it fills out the form, there's no foul. But, I'm sure it's not that simple.

You are correct in the case that the actual recipient fills out the 4473. In the case of an online auction described, the seller really doesn't care who the end buyer is, only his FFL. If you buy a gun at auction and the seller sends it to the FFL, then why would they care who fills out the 4473. The FFL just transfers it to the actual buyer, even if it has a not inside that says for John Doe, instead of Sam Smith. The FFL is legal recipient of the first transfer (from seller) and the actual buyer goes and is the (final) transferee. Nobody cares where he got the money.