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

[Certaindeaf]

Didn't really read the whole @sobo "sitmo" action but are you a felon? that might be a thing
just put it on black 52

 

[JohnFay]

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.

OK. Go to AVIS rent a Dodge Challenger with a Hemi V8. Put the guns in the trunk and install a laser difuser front and back.
Hit the Interstate and keep it in triple digits all the way to Georgia. When you get here give your Bro his guns and go get some really good BBQ! Drop the Hemi off at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and take a first class flight home on Delta. Problem solved!

 

[KKG]

I'd suggest you tell your friend to hire a local (WA) lawyer to handle this matter. I'd guess he'll have to give him a power-of-attorney to handle the transfers of his property, not just the guns.

 

[jbett98]

He could marry the guys sister then he would be a close family relative.

 

[Denwhit]

Of course you (non FFL) can ship rifles and shotguns to a FFL with USPS. Handguns must be shipped with a FFL to another FFL using USPS, the cheapest way.

 

[jbett98]

Found this on the interweb.

"A non licensee may mail a shotgun or rifle to a resident of his or her own state or to a licensee in any state. Handguns are not mailable. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. A non licensee may not transfer any firearm to a non licensed resident of another state."

 

[CHLChris]

The problem wasn't the issue of the actual shipping. In the end it had as much to do with his process of even taking possession of someone else's guns to even send them in the first place. At first, many people (including me) thought this thread was about the shipping process, but it becomes clear that the legal issues were a little deeper than simply whether to use UPS or USPS or whatever.

I'd sure like to hear an update from @sobo, though. This is a fascinating case!

 

[sobo]

The problem wasn't the issue of the actual shipping. In the end it had as much to do with his process of even taking possession of someone else's guns to even send them in the first place. At first, many people (including me) thought this thread was about the shipping process, but it becomes clear that the legal issues were a little deeper than simply whether to use UPS or USPS or whatever.

I'd sure like to hear an update from @sobo, though. This is a fascinating case!

Yes, CHLChris gets it right. This wasn't about the shipping aspect at all. It was all about how to (legally) get the smokepole and the hogleg out of the abandoned apartment before the housecleaning staff showed up and get them to a FFL for shipment to Georgia. This was all about getting to the shipping process, and not about the shipping process at all.

You see, in WA State, there's this stooooo-pid little thing called I-594 from a few years back which resulted in a law that makes it illegal for anyone other than immediate family members or an FFL to "take possession" of a firearm. Say I'm out hunting with you, and we come upon a fence, and I hand my rifle to you to hold for a minute while I climb over the fence. When I hand my rifle to you, and you hand it back to me, we have consummated an "illegal transfer" as defined under this law, and because that's an illegal transfer, we've both just committed a felony. Galactically stupid law, yes, I know, but that's our Librul, gun-hating, 2A-slaughtering, legislature here...

However, I'm happy to report that "a small miracle" occurred, and somehow the guns found their way to the local FFL and have been shipped, received, and are back in the hands of their rightful owner back in Georgia. Case closed.

Although I must admit, some of these suggestions were downright funny...

 

[CHLChris]

Cool!! This "small miracle" sort of sounds like the exact opposite of: "Oh, I'm sorry, all of my guns were in the boat when I capsized. So sorry, federal officer."

 

[sobo]

Maaaaaaaybe...

 

[wired]

Say I'm out hunting with you, and we come upon a fence, and I hand my rifle to you to hold for a minute while I climb over the fence. When I hand my rifle to you, and you hand it back to me, we have consummated an "illegal transfer" as defined under this law, and because that's an illegal transfer, we've both just committed a felony.

That is not a transfer. Never was. Still isnt. A transfer is a change of ownership.

 

[sobo]

Not how I understood the initiative, nor how it was explained to me, so sorry. YMMV...

 

[wired]

A lot of people had problems with that one. "Transfer" is a poorly understood firearm specific term that encompasses sales, gifts , loans, purchases etc. It has never included simply letting someone fondle your hardware while in your presence.

 

[sobo]

True. However, recall I was not in the presence of the owner of the firearms in question when this thread started. He was in Georgia, his firearms were in Washington. Therefore, no "fondling of hardware while in your (his) presence" could occur, and hence the concern over an illegal transfer, since the rightful and registered owner of the hardware was a few thousands of miles away. You see my point now?

 

[wired]

I see your point but there was a lot of hysteria when that law passed that was unwarranted no matter how stupid the law is. Yes, using your friends guns while he was a resident of another state would have been an unlawful transfer before the transfer law in Washington passed . Sending them to him...also not kosher. Nitpicking yes but the law is the law and if you or anyone else choose to disregard the law its always a good idea to know that so you can take the necessary precautions. Like anything else its a risk/benefit thing that needs to be weighed.
Handing someone a gun and them handing it back to you never was a "transfer".

 

[NCW_Robert]

It is simple, what wa state don't know, wa state don't know.

Some one said ship them to him from him, done.

We all want to be law abiding citizens, but enough is enough.

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