Posted: 3/18/2009 4:14:16 PM EDT
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I searched a bit in the legal section & general catagories, and even googled it a bit, but no luck.
Maybe someone here can give me some info specific to Washington. Some 14 years or so I was staying at my uncle's place and I when I moved out, I still had some thing s stored at his place. Some time went by and we kind of fell out of touch and over the last decade maybe talked to each each other 3 or 4 times. We were chatting today, and he mentioned that the Ruger 10/22 I left there was stolen some time ago & he might know who took it, but couldn't prove it. (I assume no report was filed at the time) My question and concerns are as follows. Is there a database somewhere ttying that rifle to my name? Am I going to get my door kicked in at 2AM because my gun was used in a robbery or something? If I don't know the S/N can I even report it stolen; If so who would i call? I could care less about getting it back, yeah I'd like to have it, but my concerns are mostly from a legal standpoint and keeping my ass out of trouble. am I legally in hotwater for not being in control of my firearm? thx |
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A database? Maybe, maybe not. I say that because if your FFL has gone out of business his records were turned over to the BATFE and it's safe to assume they have a database project. Beyond that a trace goes from the manufacturer to wholesaler to dealer. There isn't a big database of everything. You could file a stolen gun report without the serial number but think about how you're going to explain the story to the police. A 2am doorkick? Not likely. Legally responsible? On a theoretical level but not on a practical one. |
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No, I left it with someone I now suspect to be inelligible. long story, but I was 19 at the time & didn't know shit about gun laws. Since then (13-14 years) I've not been in contact with him other than the occasional random phone call out of the blue. none of which has anything to do with my original question, but as suspected people are going to ask & make this about whether or not I did the right thing in the first place. Yup I know... get over it.
You know the answer or you don't. |
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no, I talked to him briefly on the phone for the first time in years.
But I wouldn't put it past him I guess. At any rate I talked to a newly retired LEO last night. He said it's not worth worrying about. FLLs only keep those records for 3-5 years and they only started doing that within the last 5 years or so. I bout the rfle 15+ years ago, and I may have had to have an adult buy it for me, so tracking it down would be nearly impossible anyway. |
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Quoted:
At any rate I talked to a newly retired LEO last night... FLLs only keep those records for 3-5 years and they only started doing that within the last 5 years or so. Your "newly retired LEO" as per usual doesn't know shit. It is probably nothing to worry about but, he is wrong about the 4473s. |
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Quoted:
At any rate I talked to a newly retired LEO last night. He said it's not worth worrying about. FLLs only keep those records for 3-5 years and they only started doing that within the last 5 years or so. I bout the rfle 15+ years ago, and I may have had to have an adult buy it for me, so tracking it down would be nearly impossible anyway. He's incorrect about records retention. It's a minimum of 20 years. It's 5 years if a NICS check is made and the sale, delivery, or transfer isn't made. (b) Firearms transaction record. Licensees shall retain each Form 4473 and Form 4473(LV) for a period of not less than 20 years after the date of sale or disposition. Where a licensee has initiated a NICS check for a proposed firearms transaction, but the sale, delivery, or transfer of the firearm is not made, the licensee shall record any transaction number on the Form 4473, and retain the Form 4473 for a period of not less than 5 years after the date of the NICS inquiry. Forms 4473 shall be retained in the licensee's records as provided in § 478.124(b): Provided, That Forms 4473 with respect to which a sale, delivery or transfer did not take place shall be separately retained in alphabetical (by name of transferee) or chronological (by date of transferee's certification) order. in addition when an FFL discontinues business. § 478.127 Discontinuance of business. Where a licensed business is discontinued and succeeded by a new licensee, the records prescribed by this subpart shall appropriately reflect such facts and shall be delivered to the successor. Where discontinuance of the business is absolute, the records shall be delivered within 30 days following the business discontinuance to the ATF Out-of-Business Records Center, Spring Mills Office Park, 2029 Stonewall Jackson Drive, Falling Waters, West Virginia 25419, or to any ATF office in the division in which the business was located: Provided, however, Where State law or local ordinance requires the delivery of records to other responsible authority, the Chief, National Licensing Center may arrange for the delivery of the records required by this subpart to such authority: Provided further, That where a licensed business is discontinued and succeeded by a new licensee, the records may be delivered within 30 days following the business discontinuance to the ATF Outof- Business Records Center or to any ATF office in the division in which the business was located. |
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Quoted:
Where discontinuance of the business is absolute, the records shall be delivered within 30 days following the business discontinuance to the ATF Out-of-Business Records Center, Spring Mills Office Park, 2029 Stonewall Jackson Drive, Falling Waters, West Virginia 25419, or to any ATF office in the division in which the business was located It is in the 90-120 day range they will begin to threaten you with arrest. 
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WA DOL keeps a database of Handguns purchased from FFL's. That is what the exra form that you fill out for pistols is for.
It's isn't registration per se as it is more a record of sale. But that isn't relevant to this situation as the same isn't done for rifles. As others have said it should at least be in the FFL's record book. |