Asking for a friend? acquaintance? Seems his wife has decided he's a threat to her and called the cops on him. He doesn't want the guns seized, so wants to leave them at someone else's house. To avoid an illegal "transfer" I recommended either leaving them elsewhere in a locked container only he had a key to, as in NFA weapons.
Thoughts?

I’ve kept weapons for friends who were out of state/country.  I have them lock them in a pistol case and take the key/combo, than stick it in my safe.  For long guns I have them lock them in pelican rifle cases than cable lock them together and to the house.  This way everything is secure but I don’t have access to anything. -sure would be nice if we could still keep and bare arms and I could put the long guns in the safe too like we used to.

Contact local district attorney for the “legal” answer.
Under Oregon law it sounds like an illegal transfer.  Unintended consequences of poor policy.

Does he have a cousin, uncle, other closer family member he could ask to store them? Possession is possession locked in a case or not.

Not that they won’t screw over a law abiding citizen in any way imaginable, but if that where the case the airline agent would be in possession as soon as you check your firearm at the airport… and they don’t have an FFL.  It’s pretty common for “Possession” to mean ownership OR access and control over an item.  If you neither own nor can access and control the item it’s hard to claim possession. Do you possess your friends locked, unoccupied car if it is parked in your driveway and he has the keys?

Of course, I’m not a lawyer and I don’t think it would matter if I was because actual law and right/wrong don’t appear to play a part in the legal system anymore.

Reading the applicable statute, or asking an attorney would probably be the best ways to go.  I think if he put them in a storage unit, he would still be considered to have possession of them...perhaps storing them at a FFL's locked storage might suffice..  

Would contacting the Oregon gun owners group be able to provide any answers?   What to people do who terminate their Oregon housing (such as a rental apartment or house)  temporarily and go to work in another state, but don't want to take their firearms with them?