NFA Gun Trust Lawyer Blog

Many of you have asked your estate-planning lawyer about Gun Trusts and have not been able to find anyone who knows about them. This is not hard to believe because other than some materials I have produced or talked to others about there is no text book on gun trusts.

We work with lawyers in every state to help them prepare gun trusts for clients in their state while providing them a resource for the knowledge and information necessary to understand the ownership, transfer and possession of firearms.

In 2006, I recognized the need to create a Trust for NFA and regular firearms. It was at that time, that I created the Gun Trust. A Gun Trust is based on the traditional concepts of estate planning. Traditional trusts deal with all types of assets that are primarily financially based, but a Gun Trust only deals with firearms. They are not meant to circumvent federal or state laws, as many would have you believe. Trusts were clearly contemplated as owners of firearms by the National Firearms Act. The National Firearms Act (NFA), requires a tax to be paid to own, possess or transfer guns such as machine guns, short barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers or sound suppressors, and AOWs. They are referred to as Title 2 firearms because they are regulated under Title 2 of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Normal firearms are regulated under Title I of the Gun Control Act. Many people mistakenly call them Class 3 weapons, but Class 3 refers to a license or Special Occupational Tax (SOT) that a FFL must obtain prior to buying or selling Title II Firearms.

History of the National Firearms Act

The NFA was passed in 1934 in response to the criminal activity of the time. It imposed a $200 tax on certain firearms thought to be contributing to the growing crime problem. In an effort to discourage possession of these types of firearms, individuals were required to register them with the government and pay a tax of $200. Once this tax was paid, the owner would receive a Tax Stamp for the $200 that would have to be kept with the firearm to identify the owner, who could be in possession, and in what state the firearm could be located. Later the NFA was amended to further restrict certain items called Any Other Weapons ( an "AOW"). The tax to purchase an AOW was only $5 but to build one the tax was the same $200 as with other Title II firearms.

The NFA was designed to have strict requirements and carries stiff penalties for violations. Only an individual, business entity, or trust may own a Title II firearm in the civilian community. In addition, only the owner or their representative may be in possession of that firearm. Illegal possession, transfer, or ownership of a Title II firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, loss of the firearms, and loss of the vessel (vehicle, or home) that the illegal firearms were contained. The NFA defines possession to include loaning so it is important to understand the concept of constructive possession and why individual ownership poses many risks to the average family. Many people mistakenly believe it is ok to let someone else use their Title II firearm if they are close buy, inside a closed fence, hand is on their left solder, or can see them. Even if these were permitted, imagine bringing a silencer home from a gunsmith or range. While you are on the phone your spouse grab your keys to go shopping. Surely you would not believe that this was permitted transfer or possession of a Title II firearm without pre-approval and paying the Tax. A Gun Trust can help protect and manage Title II firearms from these common issues.

ATF Requirements

Title 2 firearms must be registered with the ATF through application process. Whether you are purchasing a Firearm from a dealer with a Class 3 SOT or building your own Title II firearms, you must first go pay and obtain approval from the ATF to have it transferred or to build the firearm. For an individual the ATF requires that you fill out the appropriate form, affix a two-by-two inch photograph of yourself along with fingerprints, and have the application signed by your local chief law enforcement officer (the "CLEO") In addition you must include the tax fee which is typically $200 for each Title II firearm. Once the application is approved the person or entity who submitted the application will receive notice and the firearm may then be created or transferred. The approval time may take anywhere from three to six months.

The NFA Gun Trust

NFA gun trusts have become popular in recent years as an alternative to individual registration because of the flexibility they offer after the firearm is purchase as well as not requiring the photos, fingerprints, or CLEO signature. The Gun Trust can allow other managers or trustees of the trust to uses the firearms. State law controls the formalities of creating a trust and while in some cases lesser formalities may be required, it is recommended that you comply with the formalities other states to simplify the process and authorization in the case that you or others involved with the trust do not live in the same state where the trust was created. There are basically four types of people or entities that are involved with a Gun Trust: grantor/settlor, trustee, successor trustee and beneficiary.

The grantor or settlor is the person who creates the Gun Trust to manage who and how and when others will have access to or can use firearms within the Trust. A Trustee will submit the application to ATF but instead of registering the firearm in their name, he or she will list the Gun Trust as the owner. Trustees are also the individuals who will hold the trust property for one set of people during the grantor's life and the beneficiaries after the death of the grantor. Trustees may legally possess NFA weapons in the trust even though they are not listed on the application. In most cases a Trustee should be at least 18 years old (federal law prohibits anyone under 18 buying NFA firearms, and anyone under 21 from purchasing NFA firearms from a FFL with a Class 3 SOT) and not be otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. A well drafted Gun Trust Lawyer® can craft provisions to allow for minor children to use the firearms with adult supervision. The beneficiary is the individual who receives the trust property upon the occurrence of a defined event that is often the death of the grantor. A well-drafted gun trust will deal with the many issues that arise in the event that one of the beneficiaries is a minor child, immature, or a prohibited person at the time the grantor dies.

Advantages of a Gun Trust

Gun Trusts should be very flexible. While most are established as a revocable trusts there are many advantages to using an irrevocable trust that are not available to a Gun Trust that is revocable. While many irrevocable trust have significant disadvantages, it is possible to intentionally violate tax code and remove the disadvantages. This type of trust is called an intentionally defective irrevocable trust.

Another advantage is that a Gun Trust does not require the Fingerprints, photographs, and CLEO approval. Not only can this speed up the process, but it also is more private.

While business entities have some of the same benefits as a Trust, they often involve yearly expenses, formalities, and are not designed to deal with ownership, transfer, possession, and use of firearms like a Gun Trust.

While many Gun Trusts are not designed to protect your firearms for generations or from creditors of yourself or your family, there is a Professional version of the Gun Trust that is designed to do both. If you are concerned about giving children and future family members that ability to use firearms if it should become illegal to transfer these firearms later or what to protect your guns from creditors, you should ask about the Multi-Generational Asset Protection Gun Trust.

Top 12 signs that you may not have a real gun trust.

1) You were told to put only NFA firearms in your trust
2) Your Trust talks about real estate, stocks, your house, and guardians of children
3) Your trust instructs others to break the law if you become incapacitated or die.
4) Your trust allows You to dissolve your trust without any prior actions
5) Co-Trustees are listed right in your trust document
6) Your Trust uses a Schedule A
7) Your Trust requires the sale of your firearms to pay you income if I become incapacitated.
8) Your trust does not specifically allow for the purchase of firearms in the powers
9) You trust does not mention guns, the NFA, Title II, Prohibited Persons, or uses incorrect terms like Class 3 firearms.
10) Your trust did not come with an extensive manual and how to section describing almost everything you could possibly think of.
11) You were told the Gun Trust was designed to circumvent laws.
12) Your trust does not contain a Copyright by Gun Trust Lawyer® David M. Goldman

For more information on whether a NFA Gun Trust or Gun Trust makes sense for your circumstances, use the contact form on this page to receive more information on Gun Trusts.

How can a Gun Trust protect my guns for my children and other family members?

Recently we have had many inquires as to how a Gun Trust can be used to protect firearms from future or currently pending legislation. First let me say that while no previous gun law has taken away the current owners rights, there is no guarantee that a future law would not attempt to do so. In other words, no one can guarantee you what will happen in the future. If we look at the firearms restrictions that have been imposed on US citizens over the last 200 years we see that all legislation has been designed to restrict future purchases and transfers of firearms and even attempts to totally ban firearms have allowed those who already possess them to keep their guns.

All of our Gun Trusts are designed to own regular and NFA firearms including the so-called "Assault Weapons". Our lower end trusts are based on revocable trusts that will end at sometime after the death of the person who creates it. We do have a Professional gun trust which is designed to offer both asset protection and multi generational ownership of the firearms.

Historically a trust can only have a limited lifetime which is controlled by state law. The Rule Against perpetuity is a limiting factor that dates back to England and attempts to restrict the ability to control from the grave. The modern trend in the United State has been to increase the length of time you can control and in some states the restrictions have been abolished.

For example in Texas a trust can last 90 years after the death of the last person named in the trust dies, in Florida a trust can last 360 years, Arizona 500 years, Colorado 1000 years. In some states like Alaska, Idaho, New Jersey, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and South Dakota trusts can last forever.

The good news is that even if you do not live in one of the states that has expanded or abolished the Rule Against perpetuity, our Professional Gun Trust allows for you to elect to change the rules of your trust to follow another state at the time you create it or a later time. This means your Professional Gun Trust will be the owner of all of your firearms forever and children, grandchildren and beyond will be the authorized users of the firearms.

The Asset Protection Gun Trust is designed for the firearms owner or collector that is concerned about liability from their profession or personal life that may cause the loss of the firearms. In addition this Gun Trust can be structured for multi-generational use so that your kids, grandchildren, and future generations can use the same trust and have the same protections. The Multi-Generational Asset Protection Gun Trust uses Asset Protection techniques that can protect the firearms and other assets in the trust from your creditors as well as the creditors of your beneficiaries. Because of the complexity and cost involved with this trust, it has historically only made sense for those with $20K in firearms or where the individual desires for the trust to exist for future generations.

This Gun Trust is not designed for everyone. If you have a larger gun collection or keeping them in an asset protection vehicle so that future family members can use them is important than this Professional Version of our Gun Trust may be right for you and your family.

For those of you just looking for a good Gun Trust for NFA firearms and regular firearms without legal support you may check out the online form version. This Gun Trust comes with great instructions and a users copyrighted users guide. It is also designed for all of your firearms but at a lower price because it does not come with legal support. It can be found at GunTrust.com

While the prices and protections vary by state, here are some of the more significant differences in the trusts we offer with legal support that would be customized by a Gun Trust Lawyer® who is licensed in your state:

Feature	Advanced	Professional
Price	$600-$750	$2500-3000
Created by Gun Trust Lawyer®	Yes	Yes
Customized for you by Lawyers	Yes	Yes
Ability to act without others	Yes	Yes
Special Veto Powers	Yes	Yes
Protect Guns For Children Grandchildren and beyond	No	Yes
Asset Protection - Protects guns from:
- Your creditors	No	Yes
- Your beneficiaries creditors	Some	Yes
- Lawsuits Against You	No	Yes
- Bankruptcy	No	Yes
- Divorce	No	Yes (if spouse signs waiver)
- Disqualifying you from GovernmentBenefits	No	Yes
Ability to change beneficiaries	Yes	Yes
Authorized Users (included)	15	Unlimited
No EIN or Separate Taxes	Yes	Yes
Multiple Beneficiaries	Yes	Yes
Charitable Gifts to NRA	Yes	Yes
Multi State Users	Yes	Yes
Multi State Use	Yes	Yes
Multiple Owners	Yes
Multiple Trustee Levels	No	Yes
Good for all Firearms	Yes	Yes
Form to Add Trustees	No	Included
Form to Remove Trustees	No	Included
Form to change States	No	Included
Form to allow for self expiring Trustee	No	Included

Asset Protection does not protect from fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfers. Divorce and Bankruptcy protections vary by state. All protections are not available in all cases and how a trust is structured will determine the protections available. The Professional version of the Gun Trust does not permit you to change the beneficiary to yourself.

If you are interested in a Professional Gun Trust to own and protect your firearms for generations as well as protecting them from your creditors and those of your beneficiaries, Contact Us to create one before the laws change and you may not be able to transfer your firearms into a Gun Trust.

If you already have a Gun Trust, it can be upgraded to the Professional Gun Trust your previous investment will not be lost. We are currently reducing the price by what you previously paid to any Gun Trust Lawyer®.

Recently we have begun to see many "Gun Trusts" that are nothing more than a traditional revocable trust with a few provisions that mention firearms or NFA firearms. As the creator of the NFA Gun Trust, we feel that we are entitled to define what is and what is not a Gun Trust. Here are a few of the more common issues we see with regular or other so-called "Gun Trusts":

• A gun trust should be a document which deals with regular as well as NFA firearms.


• It should not contain language that instructs people to violate the law if they follow the instructions contained in the trust and should not allow for someone who is a prohibited person to become or remain an authorized user of the firearms.


• It should deal with incapacity and death in a manner designed for firearms.


• A real Gun Trust or NFA Gun Trust should be designed to protect individuals, their families and their friends from issues of constructive possession and guide them on the legal ways to purchase, use, transfer, and distribute all firearms.


• In addition, a Gun Trust should not require the sale of firearms to pay income should you become incapacitated - unless necessary.

Perhaps the best way to see if you have a real "Gun Trust" or not is to look for the "Gun Trust Lawyer®" registered trademark or that it was copyrighted by David Goldman. If you have a gun trust that does not contain these markings, and you would like it reviewed free of charge for compliance with federal issues, Contact Us and we would be happy to review the document with you.

We often get asked if one should put all of their firearms in a Gun Trust or not? Like most legal questions the answer is usually "it depends". All of our Gun Trusts are designed to hold all of your firearms and any real gun trust should be designed for all of your firearms.

With that being said we have seen many documents marketed as gun trusts or NFA gun trusts that are not really designed for NFA much less any firearm. Some which appear to be designed for firearms strictly limit the property or assets that they can hold to NFA firearms.

This is a mistake and any trust you use to hold firearms should be designed to hold all types of firearms, ammunition, and other firearms related items like scopes or optics.

If you think about it, the same decision-making process goes into the determination of whether a beneficiary ( example spouse, child, parent, friend) is appropriate for the gift of a Glock as a Machine gun or silencer.

It is not enough to vaguely mention firearms, guns or the NFA in the trust but every provision should be re-written to deal with firearms and not other types of property like a home, stock account, or car. You will not cause someone to break the law if you give them a bank account, but might do so with a gun.

Things to look for in a Gun Trust Lawyer®:

1) do they own guns and support 2A activities and rights?
2) Do they use the right terms and language? Someone who talks about Class 3 firearms or whose documents refer to them does not understand enough about the NFA to know the difference between the licences required to sell Title II firearms and the items that can be sold.
3) Are they primarily interested in selling you other legal services and using the concept of a gun trust to create a contact or sell other services?
4) Do they have support behind them?
5) Will your trust be valid if you move to another state?
6) Does you trust support authorized users in other states?
7) Can you Gun Trust be upgraded to provide multi generational and or asset protect without loss of your initial investment?
8) How much experience with Gun Trusts do they have?
9) Do they have both Criminal Law lawyers and estate planning lawyers who are familiar with the NFA and ATF?
10) Do they include unlimited support for the life of your involvement with the Gun Trust at no additional charge?
11) Do they have a comprehensive manual that covers all aspects of NFA firearms ownership, transfer, possession at no additional charge?
12) Do they write regularly on the NFA, changes with the ATF, and common issues that arise with the use, transfer, purchase, and possession of TItle II firearms?

Our network of Gun Trust Lawyers® does all of the above and you can tell if you are purchasing a Gun Trust from a lawyer we work with or whom has licensed our trusts by checking for our copyright on the trust you receive.

If you would like to know more about what a real Gun Trust Is? or What are the Benefits of a Gun Trust? Contact Us by using the form on this page, or by calling us.

We have over 200 lawyers in 43 states that we have worked with to create over 5000 Gun Trusts since we created the first trust gun trust. If you would like help contacting a Gun Trust Lawyer in your state, call or email us. Please note that the process is generally stated in our office as the federal issues are more complex than the minor state specific issues. Our support comes with both help on the state specific issues relating to trusts and firearms and the federal issues relating to the NFA and other firearms ownership transfer and possession.

We often get requests for referrals and while we keep the information on our clients confidential we recently had a client send us and email which they gave us permission to publish. Andrew originally purchase a trust from a local attorney because of a recommendation based upon price and it was not until months later that he found out about gun trusts and how a gun trust is very different from a regular trust.

Often times people will ask me, "How much money should I spend on a gun for self-defense?". I usually respond by asking, "How much is your life worth?". The implication is that one would typically want a good insurance policy if they are insuring something of great value & should not cut corners in an effort to save a few bucks. I should have applied the same principle to setting up my NFA Gun Trust.

I initially went with another law firm to draft my Trust because the price was very cheap & because the lawyer represented a known SOT/Class 3 dealer. The first Trust that was drafted for me was nothing more than a standard Trust. It was 3 pages long including the cover sheet & did not mention the NFA, ATF, Form 1, Form 4, Form 5, Form 20 or even that the items to be held by the Trust should not be accessible to "prohibited persons" or minors. I e-mailed Mr. Goldman of Apple Law Firm PLLC to inquire about having a true NFA Gun Trust drafted.

I received an e-mail that explained the differences between the Trust they offer & most other standard Trusts. The main thing that convinced me I should have gone with Apple Law Firm PLLC first was the following: "Most trusts name a "Successor Trustee" but provide no guidance on how to handle NFA firearms. In fact, most trusts instruct others to violate the law and place themselves, your family, and your beneficiaries in jeopardy of criminal prosecution and confiscation of the firearms.". This is because even with a Trust, the beneficiary must submit an ATF Form 5320.20.

After speaking with Mr. Goldman via telephone to provide him with some information, I received my NFA Trust within 4 days. I received an e-mail from a local attorney which included my NFA Trust in a PDF file. I quickly used the search feature in Adobe to search for the term "NFA". I was so relieved that not only was the NFA mentioned, it was mentioned 24 times in the 19 pages of the Trust itself. After I began reading the things it covered & explained, I felt a huge relief. It is so well written that I know I do not have to worry about my beneficiaries understanding what to do in the event of my passing. I simply had to print, sign & notarize it to execute it.

I could not be happier. Apple Law Firm PLLC has been very easy to speak with about the few things I needed answers to & the included instructions cover most of the things one needs to know to stay within the confines of the law. If you are reading this, stop thinking about which law firm to use. It is of the utmost importance to have a properly drafted NFA Gun Trust for the purpose of acquiring & manufacturing NFA items. After reading how my NFA Trust deals with the complexity of NFA laws, I quickly realized how many people have done themselves a disservice by using a computer program or uneducated law firm to draft their Trust for Title II items.

I even mentioned this to the local attorney who sent my Trust to me & he had this to say: "I know what you mean. I used to sell exactly the kind of trust you are talking about. I am so happy to be able to provide a higher quality of service nowadays."

Thank you Apple Law Firm. I now know who to recommend to anyone with a serious interest in NFA firearms.

Sincerely, Andrew C.

If you are looking to create a Gun Trust and want a Gun Trust Lawyer® to help create a customized Gun Trust or Multi-Generational Asset Protection Gun Trust Contact Us.

Many Lawyers are asking about Gun Trust CLE, I have been working with the Texas Bar on their Firearms Law Seminar. We will be providing some information on Gun Trusts which will be available soon. Attached is the seminar brochure. If you are in Texas they will be covering many topics related to dealing with firearms in the practice of law.

Course Highlights:

• Firearms Trusts / Gun Trusts - David M. Goldman


• The Right to Bear Arms in the Post Heller/McDonald World - Stephen Halbrook


• Self-Defense: Recent Changes to the "Stand Your Ground" Legislation - Massad Ayoob


• Prohibited Persons and Restoration of Firearms Rights - Stefan Tahmassebi


• Every Bullet Downrange Has a Lawyer Attached - Ed McConnell


• Class III SOT - Obtaining and Keeping a Federal Firearms License


• Concealed Handgun Licenses: How to Get Them and What They Mean


• Avoiding Malpractice and Ethics Violations in Firearms Matters


• Self Defense - Recent Changes to "Stand Your Ground" Legislation"


• Criminal Defense as It Relates to Gun Cases

live
San Antonio
September 28, 2012
La Quinta Convention Center
303 Blum
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 222-9181
Register by September 14, 2012 and save $50!

If you want to find out about offering Gun Trusts to your clients Contact Us for more information on how to provide your clients the original Gun Trust created by the Gun Trust Lawyer®

By Evan F. Nappen

Washington, D.C. Senator Lousenburg (D. NJ) has filed the "Turn Tail and Run" (TTR) bill in the U.S. Senate which, if passed, would preempt ALL State "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) laws. The new bill would impose a national duty to retreat at all times when one encounters a criminal threat or is about to become a victim of violent crime. New York City Mayor Bloomingidiot has made passage of the "TTR" a centerpiece of his national "Second Chance at Shoot First" campaign. The mayor heartily approved of TTR, especially since bodyguards of celebrities, VIP's, and political figures were exempted.

When the President was asked about TTR at a recent press conference he expressed his eager support. He said "Great Britain has long banned self-defense" and "Americans need to be brave, like Sir Robin." The President then quoted a passage from the classic British tale of Sir Robin:

"Brave Sir Robin ran away. Bravely ran away, away. When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about. And gallantly he chickened out. Bravely taking to his feet. He beat a very brave retreat. Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!"

He further pointed out four simple rules of how TTR would apply:

1. You are criminally attacked, run away!
2. You see others being criminally attacked, run away!
3. You are threatened with violent crime, run away!
4. You see others being threatened with violent crime, run away!

The President illustrated these simple rules as follows, "So for example, if you are mugged in the street, attacked by a rapist, threatened with a deadly weapon, or confronted by a burglar in your home, be brave and run away! If you see others facing such threats, be brave and run away!

He further commented that TTR is a proud American tradition that helped us win our independence, "We, as Americans, need to remember the example set by Captain Parker at Lexington Green in 1775 when he bravely said to his fellow Minutemen, "Turn tail and run. Don't fire even if fired upon. If they mean to have a war, let it begin somewhere else."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attorney Evan Nappen, Esq. is a Gun Trust Lawyer®, the General Counsel and one of the five corporate Directors of Pro-Gun New Hampshire, Inc. (www.PGNH.org). He is President of E.F. Nappen Attorney at Law PC in Concord, New Hampshire, and is the author of the book New Hampshire Gun, Knife, and Weapon Law.

Jessica B. Jackson has written a Law Review article in the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal titled "GET YOUR GUNS UP!... OR AT LEAST GET THEM IN A GUN TRUST!"

The article discusses the Second Amendment and what the right to possess a firearm really means. She then goes on to define general trust principles, the functions of a trust, and the rule against perpetuity. The history and evolution of gun legislation and the Gun Trust, its method and purpose. Problems of using generic trusts with the NFA and concludes with a call to arms to Put your Title II weapons in a Trust.

While we have been saying this for years and it is the reason we created the original Gun Trust it is nice to see others in the legal community begin to recognize the difference and purpose in firearms trusts. Our trust are now designed for all firearms and not just NFA firearms.

Some of our clients in North Carolina regularly ask about pistol permits and trusts. In response to this, we asked a North Carolina Gun Trust Lawyer ® to explain how the North Carolina Pistol Permit (Click for a Sample Permit) works and what is prohibited. Here is his response:

North Carolina G.S. Section 14-402 requires that any person obtaining a pistol by purchase or other transfer must first get a permit from the sheriff in his county of residence. The sheriff conducts a criminal background check to make sure the receipt of the pistol would not violate state or federal law. Trustees of NFA trusts are not exempt from this requirement, so for any handguns transferred to or purchased by a gun trust a permit must first be obtained. Section 14-403 states that a permit shall be issued to "any person, firm or corporation," which is broad enough to cover trustees. Thus, if the trustee passes the background check, there shouldn't be a problem in getting the permit.

§ 14‑402. Sale of certain weapons without permit forbidden. (a) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation in this State to sell, give away, or transfer, or to purchase or receive, at any place within this State from any other place within or without the State any pistol unless: (i) a license or permit is first obtained under this Article by the purchaser or receiver from the sheriff of the county in which the purchaser or receiver resides; or (ii) a valid North Carolina concealed handgun permit is held under Article 54B of this Chapter by the purchaser or receiver who must be a resident of the State at the time of the purchase.

Once of the benefits of working with a Gun Trust Lawyer® is that should you move from one state to another, you can make any changes to your Gun Trust that are necessary to keep you in compliance with both state and federal laws. Similar situations occur if an authorized user is located in another state or relocates after the trust is created or funded.

NO. While a FFL with a Class III SOT is licensed to purchase and sell TItle II firearms, you as an individual, through a Gun Trust - Available at Gun Trust Lawyers®, or as a business entity do not have to have a FFL(in most states). In the past some states like Missouri required a FFL or C&R license to purchase Title II firearms. Late last year Missouri changed the law and a FFL is not required. We are not aware of any other states that current have this requirement.

The Gun Trust is a specific trust created by David Goldman in 2008 and is only available through Gun Trust Lawyers®. While others may use the words Gun Trust, unless it contains out copyright, it is not our trust. To make sure your documents cover all of the NFA issues, check to see if they are copyrighted by David Goldman. If you would like to find out about becoming a Gun Trust Lawyer® please Contact Us.
Ot

This historic Tommy Gun is believed to have been owned and used by the outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. The seller's great-grandfather, who was in law enforcement at the time, was given the gun by another peace officer who had seized the weapon after a raid on the pair in Joplin, Missouri in April of 1933.

Just months previous to the raid, Bonnie & Clyde kidnapped a police officer by the name of Thomas Persell. Persell recounted the events of the abduction for the Springfield Daily News and the Joplin Globe, mentioning each time the "Tommy Gun" Mrs. Parker proudly held.

The raid occurred at the height of the duo's crime rampage that cut a wide swath across middle American during the Great Depression. The raid did not produce any arrests. The two had a knack for being one step ahead of law enforcement, but it did yield a cache of weapons, plus a camera. The guns have been in the family of Mark Lairmore and his sisters, the sellers, from Springfield, MO., ever since the unknown Depression-era police officer gave them to their great-grandfather.

Mr. Melton Lairmore, Mark Lairmore's father, registered the Thompson Sub-machine Gun under the name of Lairmore Armored Car Inc. in 1968 inaccordance with the Gun Control Act of 1968.

In a photo available on our website, Melton Lairmore, operator of an armored car service in Springfield, presents two guns taken from the car of famed 1930's gangsters Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow to Springfield Police Chief Gordon Loveland.

Lairmore loaned the .45 Thompson sub-machine gun and the 12-guage Winchester shotgun to police for use in displays during Crime Prevention Month and in the future police museum in the old city jail.

The weapons were displayed in the Springfield Missouri Police Museum, also known as The Calaboose, from 1973 until 2011

To see the current price or try to buy it, Here is the link to the auction.

Today the ATF announced that a Laredo man was sentenced to 10 years for the illegal possession of a firearm. It is important to understand who can and who cannot own, possess, or use firearms whether they are Title I or Title II firearms. Just because you might not consider a silencer a firearm, its possession is limited in the same way a regular pistol is. While there is not official duty to ask if someone is prohibited, its wise to do so because not only is the possession of an item subject to the NFA regulated, but the transfer (handing it to them or allowing them to have access to it) is also regulated and could subject each of you to 10 years in jail and up to a $250,000 penalty per occurrence.

Our NFA Gun Trusts ( the basic and the new asset protection firearms trust) both allow the people involved with your trust to understand who is prohibited and who is not. Often people do not even know that they have lost their firearms rights and it is important to have them understand when they are a prohibited person as well as allow you to know whether a family member or friend is prohibited now and in the future.

If you would like to discuss asset protection for your firearms or creating a gun trust to own your firearms including Title II firearms, we would be happy to help you find a local Gun Trust Lawyer to create a trust for you.

12 Laws of Christmas - Day 4 Gun Trust $100 off

Interested in a Gun Trust or one of our new Asset Protection Gun Trusts? This special is for today only. If you Contact Us by email or telephone today, we will knock $100 off the price of your Gun Trust. To learn more about what a Gun Trust is visit the Gun Trust Lawyer® Blog If you Contact Us after hours on Dec

The Apple Law Firm has decided to do 12 great specials for our new and existing clients.

If you want to be the first to find out about the special offers by the Apple Law Firm for the remaining 12 Laws of Christmas, be sure to check this blog daily or subscribe to our blog updates.

New Gun Trust Provides Asset Protection for Firearms Collectors and his or her Family.

Until now, the answer has been that a gun trust does not provide any asset protection for firearms. Today we are announcing a new form of Gun Trust for the Gun Collector that does provide asset protection from creditors of the creator as well as the beneficiaries. This trust has many of the same benefits of our normal Gun Trust and we can even convert your previous gun trust to a new asset protection gun trust.

This trust is not designed for everyone but should be considered if you have a substantial firearms collection.

American Hunter Magazine, received by more than a million subscribers, recently had an article on the benefits of suppressors in relation to hearing. The NRAILA has posted an online version of the has an article on their website. The article discusses the unfair portrayals by Hollywood to show silencers as tools of criminals and assassins. In reality thousands of law-abiding citizens use silencers to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sound produced by guns. Not only do silencers not make guns silent but they rarely are used by criminals. In Europe suppressors are actively encouraged. They are called "moderators" and are just another accessory for firearms that are widely available and encouraged. Today only 11 states prohibit the possession of silencers while purchasing them in many of the states where they are permitted can be difficult or impossible unless one chooses to use a Gun Trust Lawyer® to form a NFA Trust or a business entity. Even in areas where local sheriffs routinely approve the purchase of silencers there may be significant unforeseen benefits in the use of a Gun Trust. These can include:

1. Additional co-owners;
2. Additional authorized users;
3. Protection from constructive possession;
4. Protection of the firearms from loss of firearms rights;
5. Estate Planning and transfer upon death issues related to guns; and
6. Privacy.

There are many other benefits that can apply depending on your particular circumstances. If you would like to know how a Gun Trust could benefit you, you should discuss your situation and desires with a Gun Trust Lawyer®.