Washington How to ship a friend his own weapons???

[sobo]

Here's the sitmo:
1) I have a friend whose permanent residence is in Georgia.
2) He was out here (in WA) working with me in a long-term, inter-company staff augmentation/loan.
3) He had to leave in a big hurry last week to go back to Georgia.
4) Turns out he needs to have a major heart operation, and likely will not be returning to WA again.
5) He did not have any time to clean out his apartment and make an "orderly retreat."
6) He was only able to take two of his guns home with him when he left hurriedly last week.
7) He left his Daniel Defense AR-15 and his Glock handgun in the apartment.
8) He will have to move out of the apartment, but won't be here to do so, so his friends will do it.
9) I have access to a key to his apartment, and could rescue the guns, and I have offered to do so.

Here's the conundrum:
How do I send his guns back to him, given the constraints of federal firearms transfer laws, WA State's ludicrous I-594 proscriptions, and any other Draconian rules and regulations of which I may not be aware, and keep myself out of jail or have my gun ownership rights stripped from me, just for helping a brother out of a tight spot?

Please, as much as I enjoy a good laugh as the next guy and am not opposed to razor-sharp humor, and the fact that this situation could be the set-up for several good jokes, only serious replies to this thread, as time has now become of essence.

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[IronMonster]

Well... If it was me I would gather them up, get them well boxed and take the pistol down to FedEx and tell them you want to overnight ship the pistol to yourself and put your buddies name on the sender and receiver lines. Do the same with the rifle at USPS. They are his guns, you can ship your own guns to yourself. Is that legal to do in Washington? Probably not, it's still what I would be inclined to do. Neither of you are crooks, neither is trying to get one over on the law. All you are trying to do is return what is rightfully your friends to him. Should you do that? Well, I sure as hell am not a lawyer and I have no idea what might happen if things went sideways. I'm just saying its what I would likely do.

It would be legal for me to do here in Idaho as I could just say my friend was shipping his guns to himself and ask me to drop them off at the ship point.

 

[sobo]

...and I have no idea what might happen if things went sideways...

Given my "luck" in the past, that's precisely what I'm worried about, which is why I want to do this on the up-and-up.
I want my buddy to get his guns back, and I want to stay out of jail and keep my own guns.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Balls. Oh pardon me.
didn't read

 

[Certaindeaf]

Just choke on a lemon and get back to us. or not

 

[CHLChris]

There's only one legal answer, and that's to pay a local FFL to send them to an FFL in GA. They have access to use USPS, which is a less expensive shipping method than Fedex. He'd then have to pay for any transfer fees and BGC in GA.

On the other hand, you could go to an actual Fedex location (not Kinko's) with a wrapped and sealed boxes with the firearms in them, sent by standard ground with a declared value as insurance (if asked, call them "machine parts"). Send them right to his door, signature required. I sent a pistol to a gunsmith through Fedex directly (no FFL involved...totally legal) and they didn't ask a single question about the contents.

Technically, the method I describe probably isn't legal, but in my non-legal non-expert opinion, you are NOT transferring them, but returning them to the rightful owner. Doing it this way wouldn't bother my fragile conscience one little bit.

 

[CHLChris]

Just choke on a lemon and get back to us. or not

Oh, and Certaindeaf brings up a good point. Do NOT return to this thread and tell us what you did.

 

[IronMonster]

There's only one legal answer, and that's to pay a local FFL to send them to an FFL in GA. They have access to use USPS, which is a less expensive shipping method than Fedex. He'd then have to pay for any transfer fees and BGC in GA.

On the other hand, you could go to an actual Fedex location (not Kinko's) with a wrapped and sealed boxes with the firearms in them, sent by standard ground with a declared value as insurance (if asked, call them "machine parts"). Send them right to his door, signature required. I sent a pistol to a gunsmith through Fedex directly (no FFL involved...totally legal) and they didn't ask a single question about the contents.

Technically, the method I describe probably isn't legal, but in my non-legal non-expert opinion, you are NOT transferring them, but returning them to the rightful owner. Doing it this way wouldn't bother my fragile conscience one little bit.

You might could do that, I might could do that... In Washington its probably a crime to do that.

 

[sobo]

I thought about the FFL route first off, but in Washington, that ludicrous little thing called I-594 might make for a stumbling block. If I pick up my friend's guns anywhere other than an established shooting range, I am in violation of that law, as I have consummated an illegal "transfer" of the guns. At least, that's how I understand the silliness that is I-594...

 

[Certaindeaf]

Oh, and Certaindeaf brings up a good point. Do NOT return to this thread and tell us what you did.

blathertimes woot!

right

 

[CHLChris]

Yep, that's the conundrum. But it is only a financial conundrum. Like I said, there's only one purely legal answer, it will just cost him $50 and his buddy another $50.

 

[sobo]

As I understand I-594, if I go into my friend's apartment and remove the firearms in order to return them to him, then I have just completed an illegal transfer, as defined by I-594, and am now a felon. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a felon. I seek to avoid becoming one...

I placed a call to my local Class 3 FFL dealer, but I have yet to hear his advice.

 

[Certaindeaf]

As I understand I-594, if I go into my friend's apartment and remove the firearms in order to return them to him, then I have just completed an illegal transfer, as defined by I-594, and am now a felon. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a felon. I seek to avoid becoming one...

"ship" or go into his domicile and "take"?

 

[sobo]

"remove"... so I can "ship"...
Trying to keep "take" out of the discussion...

 

[CHLChris]

I thought about the FFL route first off, but in Washington, that ludicrous little thing called I-594 might make for a stumbling block. If I pick up my friend's guns anywhere other than an established shooting range, I am in violation of that law, as I have consummated an illegal "transfer" of the guns. At least, that's how I understand the silliness that is I-594...

Oh, I get it. You're saying that they are in his apartment, or whatever and not directly in your possession right now. Well, I don't think a single poor soul has been prosecuted under 594. Just pick them up and send them, either through an FFL or directly. There's no registration in Washington. How in the world would any LEO know (if you happen to be pulled over during that one single trip...and get searched) that they aren't yours?

I think you're over-thinking this, dude. Just find an FFL in your area that would ship for you, make an appointment, go pick them up, drive over to the FFL, and be done with it.

 

[sobo]

Oh, I get it. You're saying that they are in his apartment, or whatever and not directly in your possession right now. Well, I don't think a single poor soul has been prosecuted under 594. Just pick them up and send them, either through an FFL or directly. There's no registration in Washington. How in the world would any LEO know (if you happen to be pulled over during that one single trip...and get searched) that they aren't yours?

I think you're over-thinking this, dude. Just find an FFL in your area that would ship for you, make an appointment, go pick them up, drive over to the FFL, and be done with it.

Correct, they are currently locked in his apartment. He is now out of state and back home in Georgia. He very likely won't be coming back here to WA. I'd like to get his possessions back to him, without ending up in jail for inadvertently violating some stoo-pid law.

 

[CHLChris]

Getting involved at all will up the chances of getting in trouble, but I think the risk is negligible. Depending on your level of friendship, maybe you do nothing...

It's all a choice you have to make, but at least now you know your two main options.

 

[mkwerx]

Seal the lowers in secure containers, with the other items being freighted back to him. Let the movers move them. The slides/uppets and mags can thusly be shipped by you by whatever means you like. No headaches to deal with. Tell your buddy what container they are in and how they are packaged. Maybe use an odd color tape to seal the boxes containing the lowers up, to easily ID tampering.

Or seal them up and fedex them, addressed to him from him and forget it ever happened. And forget this thread was started.

 

[CHLChris]

addressed to him from him

That's golden advice, right there!!

 

[IronMonster]

That's golden advice, right there!!

I said that all the way back in post two... And it's not a good idea till he says it in post 18?