«-- Letter Re: Garage and Yard Sales as a Retreat Logistics Source | Main | Jim's Quote of the Day: --»
Letter Re: Purchasing Modern Firearms Without a Paper Trail
My Rawles,
I am recently new to your SurvivalBlog web site. I have thoroughly enjoyed
trying to catch up and read the thousands of posts. While I have always felt
the
need to be prepared for any eventuality, I have recently began more intensive
preparations up on food, ammo, water and learning every thing
(like making soap) that I can.
I have grown up around guns and hunting my entire life. Of the four guns that
I have, 12 gauge, 16 gauge, .22 [rimfire] rifle and 9 mm pistol, I have only
purchased one myself: the 9mm pistol. The other three were given to me as
gifts by
grand
parents (generally
ones they had and no longer use). The reason I am emailing you is that, while
I do not want to go to jail for doing anything illegal, I am interested if
there are ways to purchase firearms, especially kinds like AR-15 etc, without
having a paper trail that the government could use to confiscate them in times
of crisis? Obviously it would be nice to have ones that were not used in previously
committed crimes that I could be blamed for.
For example, if the government were to ban firearms, I would be able to say, "all
I have is this 9mm pistol" and therefore be left with my other three guns
hidden away. (And of course whatever [more] I may purchase in the near future.)
Any suggestions? Respectfully, - LowProfileGuy
JWR Replies: Here in these United States, acquiring firearms
without a paper trail depends a lot on your state laws, which vary widely.
This might seem odd to our readers in England, who are accustomed to a uniform
"Country
Code."
But
here in the States there is an odd patchwork of laws. Some states now require
registration of modern (post-1898
manufactured) guns. Most states, thankfully, still do not. In those states
you can still make an intrastate "private
party" purchase of a used gun. This sort of transaction is strictly between
two adult private citizens that both live in the same state, and the
transfer is not processed through a
Federally licensed dealer. Typically, you can find local private party sellers
in through newspaper ads, at gun shows, or through GunsAmerica.com.
(For the latter, you can use their Advanced Search feature to find only guns
offered in your own state, and that are being
sold only by non-licensees.) Proviso: Research your state
and local laws before making a purchase, since laws vary widely!
The chances of a gun being stolen or previously used in a a crime are very
small. But if that worries you, then you can have a friend in law enforcement
run a check on it. (You will need to supply the make, model, caliber, and
serial number.)
Another great opportunity to buy guns without a paper trail is to buy pre-1899
manufactured Federally exempt antique cartridge guns. These can even be sold
across state lines without a paper trail, because they are entirely
outside of Federal jurisdiction . They will also presumably be "below the radar" in
the event of nationwide (Federal) gun registration. I have written a
detailed FAQ on this subject. There are a few pre-1899 dealers that
I recommend,
including
The Pre-1899
Specialist (one of our advertisers) and Empire
Arms.
OBTW, 16 gauge is now an uncommon chambering and shells
for it might be scarce WTSHTF.
So unless
it has sentimental or family history value I recommend that you trade your
16 gauge for another 12 gauge (preferably with a 3 inch or 3-1/2 inch
chamber), or perhaps
use
it in trade toward
the
purchase of a .308 Winchester rifle.
