Dead mans guns...

[Dirtman]

Are you legally supposed to do anything if you inherit guns? No paperwork, no info, literally just handed a box of a dead guys guns.

I'd like to do things by the book here and make sure they are legally in my name or whatever. I don't think I need to do anything for the long guns but not so sure on the hand guns. I mean how do even make sure they aren't stolen or murder weapons lol. Every other gun I've owned was purchased from a licensed dealer with all the accompanying background checks, permits, and paperwork...

 

[Curious Hound]

Those laws probably vary by state. Check NJ gun laws. Last time I inherited firearms, I did nothing. If Uncle Sam doesn't know I have them, he can't take them away from me.

 

[Roert42]

Not sure about NJ. In Pa you only technically need a background check to transfer a handgun from one person to another, nothing for long guns. Unless the gun is being sold from somewhere out of state, then you need to do a background check regardless.

Legally the state is not allowed to maintain a registry or list of that type, it is against the state constitution. However the state police do it anyway.

It’s also the person who is selling the guns responsibility to make sure there is a proper background checks done before you take possession.

This is all from the point of view of a PA resident.

 

[RonD]

If a short gun or hand gun was never registered then it is illegal to possess, can't register it, must turn it in or............up to you

If it is registered then dead or alive its the same process as selling it, but at $0, have to do the paper work and the Executor of the "dead guys" estate signs for him
The executor can give the guns to a licensed firearm dealer(FFL) and have him do the paper work to transfer ownership to you, dealer would/should charge a fee for that

If you already own registered firearms then it should be no problem transferring ownership

Just FYI, US law does allow Gun Trusts
So the Trust owns the guns and you can name or remove members of that Trust, so there is no transfers needed if someone dies, so guns can be passed down thru generations
Definitly need a Lawyer familiar with this as the people named in the trust must meet same regulations as an individual gun owner

 

[Dirtman]

I have no way of knowing if any of them were ever registered. Like I said, absolutely no info or paperwork, I was just handed a box lol. The executor (who handed me said box) knows nothing about them either except that they were found in the dead guys house. Some are just neat collectors pieces so I likely won't bother doing anything with them as they will just sit in the safe or in a display case. But the nicer stuff I want to use, shoot, take to the range etc which means I'll be transporting them and have them on me at times so they need to be all nice and legal. Having an unregistered quasi legal gun in the house is one thing, but no way I'd actually take an unregistered, random gun with no history out of my home to shoot at the range.

 

[snoranger]

https://www.njsp.org/firearms/firearms-faqs.shtml

 

[Dirtman]

Well after calling the state police and basically being told "I dunno" and given a link to this site...

https://www.njsp.org/firearms/firearms-faqs.shtml

So aparently I don't have to do squat since I inherited the guns, they are legal to possess in NJ, and I'm not prohibited from owning a gun. But I did fill out the form to "Voluntarily register" the two I plan to take to the range. The rest... Meh... They appear legal by that website (at least how I'm reading it) so I'm cool with it.

 

[19Walt93]

What happened to " the rights of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed"? I can see running a pistol through the process just to make sure it wasn't used in a crime in the past.

 

[Dirtman]

What happened to " the rights of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed"?

That has nothing to do with owning guns...

 

[RonD]

Right to "bear arms" is nothing new, was around before the US was formed

Good read here on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_keep_and_bear_arms

And farther down, why the US is really doing something WRONG, Gun related deaths in high income countries

 

[Dirtman]

I really don't think suicides should be listed in the gun deaths category because suicide is still the cause of death. If you're suicidal, the deciding factor on whether or not you kill yourself does not boil down to whether or not you own a gun. Suicidal people without guns are still going to kill themselves. That's a mental health crisis, not a gun crisis, the matter in which you do it is irrelevant.

 

[97RangerXLT]

What happened to " the rights of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed"? I can see running a pistol through the process just to make sure it wasn't used in a crime in the past.

AJ

 

[Curious Hound]

the matter in which you do it is irrelevant.

I agree. Same with murder. It's wrong whether you use a gun, knife, poison or cantaloupe. Robbery? Same thing. Who cares how you do it? Stealing is wrong.

Why do people get so worked up over the tools used and forget to focus on the crime?

 

[Dirtman]

I agree. Same with murder. It's wrong whether you use a gun, knife, poison or cantaloupe. Robbery? Same thing. Who cares how you do it? Stealing is wrong.

Why do people get so worked up over the tools used and forget to focus on the crime?

Well not that I'm some liberal wack job, I love guns. BUT... if you wanna go on a killing spree it's a heck of alot easier to do so with a gun than a 2x4.

Where I take issue is the fact that most gun related homicides are done with illegally obtained guns anyway. So the insane gun laws don't stop gun crimes, they just make it harder for honest people to own guns. Places like Chicago an NJ have some of the toughest batshit crazy gun laws in the country and also the highest rates of gun crimes. So it's plain for anyone to see, strict gun laws do NOTHING.

Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns...

I'm all for basic background checks. But it should be a nationwide process that's fast and simple. Scan their license, make sure the person isn't a wanted felon or been convicted of a violent crime, if not hand them their gun and that's that. No need for anything else. You can run a background check in about 10 seconds these days, there's no need for insane amounts of paperwork or complex laws and wait times. If your a good boy you get all the guns you want. If your a murderer, child beater, rapist etc no gun for you.

 

[RonD]

Read a stat that 9 out of 10 people who have a failed suicide attempt, will no longer attempt suicide, 10% will succeed
Gun pretty much takes that away that 90% with seconds thoughts

Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem for most people who attempt it

I am pretty sure most of the illegal guns were stolen or otherwise came into the illegal gun market through legal channels
As far as I know criminals are not making their own guns in vast numbers

Guns don't kill people bullets kill people, its not a good argument to say guns are not the issue when they clearly are
Securing guns is more the issue in my opinion, so criminals slowly run out of them, they lose guns because they get caught with them, get rid of them because it can link them to a crime

I think if legal gun owners actually did what they are suppose to do, secure their guns, we would see fewer and fewer guns in the illegal market