I am in the process of transferring a hand gun to someone in West Virginia as part of a trade for optics.  The FFL I am suposed to transfer to sent me his signed copy and a request for a signed copy of the transferring FFL.  Is it a requirement, either federal of state to transfer from an FFL, or just to one.  I can't get ahold of the guy getting the pistol or his FFL. Advice please.

Can't help you out on state laws, since I don't live in WV, but it is not a federal law that it must come from an FFL. However, it [b]must[/b] go to an FFL.

My best advice is to get in touch with the receiving FFL and see how he wants to do it. If he will only accept from another FFL then talk to the buyer and either have him find another receiving dealer or have him pony up the cash for what it's going to cost you on your end to have a dealer send it off for you, since his FFL has imposed extra restrictions on the transfer that are not required by law (federal at least).

Beekeeper is correct, i transferred a handgun to Maryland by using a Md. FFL as the receiver, who then transferred it to the receiving party.  State law may be different, although I dont see how.

I've fought this fight - "shipment TO an FFL only FROM an FFL" - so many times I've just given up.
Plainly there is no Federal requirement - I don't know about other states state-laws but there are none in Oklahoma.

The BATFolk have the dealers so concerned about making mistakes the dealers most often add what they consider this "added level of compliance" all by themselves, or they heard from another FFL or......

I do business with only one FFL and receive and ship everything through him right down to using his Fed Ex account.  That way even the shipping label has "gun store" or something like that printed on it.

At this point of my life I choose my battles with more care as my "Lance" is broken from tilting at wind mills and my head "Flat" from butting brick walls.
[soapbox]