NFA Gun Trust Lawyer Blog

We are often asked about traveling to another state with NFA firearms. If you own property in multiple states like Texas and Colorado or regularly travel between Texas and Colorado with NFA Firearms, you can do so, but should and in some cases must obtain prior authorization from the ATF to take these firearms over state lines.

Note:Texas and Colorado are just used as an example of two places that you may regularly travel to and from. A Texas Gun Trust prepared by a Texas Gun Trust Lawyer® would be valid in Colorado and a Colorado Gun Trust prepared by a Colorado Gun Trust Lawyer® would be valid in Texas

There is no charge to obtain the authorization for interstate travel from the ATF. Your Gun Trust should have specific instructions on how to do this and if it does not you may want to have your gun trust reviewed by an attorney to see if it is a gun trust or just a generic revocable trust. Many so-called "Gun Trusts" and those provided by gun stores, found in the internet, created by software, or even some from lawyers, actually provide instructions to break the law. If you gun trust mentions stocks, property, homes, or other non-firearms related items, it may be a clue that you have a generic trust.

It is possible to amend and restate a generic trust with a Gun Trust from a Gun Trust Lawyer® so that your family and friends can understand what their duties and responsibilities are in the event of your death or incapacity. If you would like your trust reviewed under the NFA for these types of issues, please Contact Us.

Funding a trust is a basic concept that is necessary for a trust to be valid. The legal concept is that the trust does not exist if there is nothing in the trust. A Gun Trust can be funded with a firearm, money, or any other asset. Typically a Gun Trust will be used to acquire firearms and is often used for Title II Firearms. When you put money in or assign money to the trust, you have funded it and it is now valid. If you never assign property to a trust, it can create problems.

For example, if your trust is unfunded, and you purchase a Title II Firearm from a dealer personally you will own it personally. An Assignment sheet may fund the trust, but if the AFT has not approved the assignment or an additional fee is not paid, you may have created a legal problem.

Funding a NFA trust, purchasing NFA Firearms, and proper use of a Gun Trust are very important to understand and something you should ask your Gun Trust Lawyer® about.

Prince Law Offices, P.C. will be hosting a machine gun shoot at Eastern Lancaster County Rod and Gun Club, which is located at 966 Smyrna Road, Kinzers, PA 17535 on October 22, 2011 starting at 11am. Everyone is welcome to attend. The only requirement is that you bring a driver's license and hearing and eye protection. All attendees will be required to sign a waiver.

There will be several dealers and manufacturers in attendance and which will have some unique firearms that you might not otherwise have an opportunity to shoot. One dealer will be bringing his KRISS .45 SMG, a Glock 18c, and some other fun toys. While you are welcome to bring your own firearms and ammunition, it will be up to the owner of the firearm as to whether he/she will permit you to use your ammunition in his/her firearm. The FFLs will be bringing ammunition for purchase, if you need additional or if they require certain types of ammunition to be used in their weapon systems.

While this event is free to all attendees, I am asking that you consider giving a donation to the Eastern Lancaster County Rod and Gun Club for their generous permission to use their range. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. To RSVP,

Joshua Prince, Esq.
Prince Law Offices, P.C.
646 Lenape Rd
Bechtelsville, PA 19505
610-845-3803 ext 81114
610-845-3903 (fax)
Joshua@PrinceLaw.com

We are often asked about the advantages of a Gun Trust by one of our Gun Trust Lawyers® over a LLC. I have compile a quick list of the most common advantages.

1. no federal or state tax or reporting requirements with a trust


2. no annual fees with a trust


3. with a trust you can easy, quick, and inexpensive to change who can use or have access to the firearms


4. privacy with a trust is not available with a LLC in most states


5. if the LLC is administratively dissolved, the items become illegal and fixing the LLC does not make them legal again under the NFA


6. a trust deals with incapacity and death for succession planning


7. a trust can be changed quickly (the same day) to fix problem with prohibited persons


8. your zoning may not allow for a business to be operated at your home.


9. easy to modify if you move or change states, LLC's often require to be registered in each state and additional yearly fees may be due.


10. some people want to use existing business to purchase NFA firearms, this can cause your business and livelihood to be at risk if someone uses the firearms incorrectly or allows others to have possession or use them.

If you would like to discuss the creation of a NFA trust for the purchase of silencer, SBR, SBS, AOW, or a machine gun Contact Us to begin the process. We work with over 150 Gun Trust Lawyers® in more than 43 states.

With the growing list of states that have some type of legalized marijuana use, it is important not to transfer a firearm to anyone who is a user of marijuana or medical marijuana (which are both illegal under federal laws). Chris Chiafullo at FFLGuard has an interesting article on how transferring a firearm to someone you believe is an unlawful user of marijuana (even if it is legal in your state) is an improper transfer and could subject you and the person who receives the firearm to criminal penalties.

If you have a Gun Trust, you should also be cautious about having a co-trustee that uses medical marijuana as it could create liability for you and the other people involved with your trust. If you have a trustee in one of the following states, you may want to check on their medical marijuana usage: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oregon,Vermont, Rhode Island, and Washington have legalized the medical use of marijuana in some form or fashion.

Gun Trust Lawyer®, David Goldman is a counsel of FFLGuard and provides information and legal advise regarding Class III issues. For more information on FFLGuard or to join FFLGuard call 1-888-FFL-GRD1 or visit FFLGuard.com

Today, Attorney General of the State of Michigan, Bill Schuette wrote an opinion on the legality of Silencers in Michigan under MCL 750.224(1)(b) and other state laws in which he states:

The possession, manufacture, or sale of a firearm silencer is permitted in Michigan under MCL 750.224(1)(b) if the person is licensed or approved to possess, manufacture, or sell such a device by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as required by MCL 750.224(3)(c). Possession, manufacture, or sale of a firearm silencer by an unlicensed or unapproved person is a felony, punishable by up to five years imprisonment under MCL 750.224(2).

If you want to make or purchase a silencer in Michigan you should read the
Michigan Attorney Generals' Option 7260

Because of the many requests we have found a dealer in MI who will be stocking silencers. If you find others please let us know.

Continue reading for growing list of dealers.

Continue reading "Silencers Now Legal in Michigan" »

THe BATFE defines a fiscal year as October 1 - September 30 of the following year. The NSSF has compiled a chart showing the number of silencers sold in the past few years. Over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of silencers transferred in most states. In 2008 there were slightly more than 15,000 silencers and by the end of fiscal year 2010 there were more than 22,000 silencers transferred.

While in most states, it is illegal to hunt with a Silencer, in the following states it is legal to hunt with a silencer. Remember these laws change frequently, so please verify this with your state prior to hunting with a silencer.

Alaska
Arkansas
Colorado
Kansas
Kentucky
Mississippi
Nebraska
Oregon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Many state restricted the use of suppressors in regards to anti poaching regulations. Some other states like Florida, Texas and Montana allow the use of Silencers for Varmint but not hunting. If you know of other states where it is legal to hunt with a silencer please let us know.

Starting October 1st, any public official who passes or enforces gun regulations below the state level. State officials who enact or enforce local gun laws in violation face a $5,000 personal fine and could even be removed from office by the governor.

The new law is called the Penalties for Violating Firearms Preemption Law, the new statute forces the repeal of any and all regulations, policies, and ordinances that violate the firearms preemption law of 1987. We are already hearing that the passage is having an impact on town and county officials who are scrambling to come into compliance by the October 1 deadline.

The Orlando Sentinel reported on the changes now underway that:

"Orange County employees have started removing 'no firearms' signs at county parks, and soon they'll probably black out the same words on brochures. In Groveland, leaders recently erased from the books an ordinance that banned firing a gun into the air....in Boca Raton, the "no guns allowed" sign has come down at City Hall. In Lake County, commissioners recently deleted a provision in an ordinance that would have banned firearms on public lands, including its parks."

Pistols Configured from Rifles; Rifles Configured from Pistols
ATF has issued a new Ruling regarding Pistols Configured from Rifles; Rifles Configured from Pistols

ATF Rule 2011-4

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has received requests from individuals to classify pistols that are reconfigured into rifles, for personal use, through the addition of barrels, stocks, and other parts and then returned to a pistol configuration by removal of those components. Specifically, ATF has been asked to determine whether such a pistol, once returned to a pistol configuration from a rifle, becomes a "weapon made from a rifle" as defined under the National Firearms Act (NFA).

After a bunch of analysis, the ATF found the following

Held, a firearm, as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3), is made when un-assembled parts are placed in close proximity in such a way that they:

(a) Serve no useful purpose other than to make a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length (e.g., a receiver, an attachable shoulder stock, and barrel of less than 16 inches in length); or
(b) Convert a complete weapon into such an NFA firearm, including -

1. A pistol and attachable shoulder stock; and


2. A rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more in length, and an attachable barrel of less than 16 inches in length.

Continue reading "ATF Ruling:Rifles Configured From Pistols, and Offers Q&A's Related to Multiple Long Gun Reporting" »

I recent read a very well written article by a Washington Lawyer regarding liability for the gun store and potential ethical violations for an attorney who works with a gun store in regards to providing Trust Forms. Many state bars have gone after Trust Mills in the past for very similar issues and there is case law all over the country concerning these issues. If you know a gun store that is providing Trusts to their clients, you may want to send them a copy of this article and suggest that they check out the liability and legality of their actions.

As a potential purchaser of a NFA firearm with a Trust, you might read the article from the viewpoint of the potential liability to the gun store. This will give you an independent perspective on what could go wrong if you use a generic trust to purchase NFA firearms.

Download the article UPL by Gun Shops.pdf

If you want to create your own Gun Trust without a lawyer, there is a real online Gun Trust that can be created in less than 10 minutes.

If you want to create a gun trust with the help of a Gun Trust Lawyer® Contact Us to begin the process.

With the increased response and questions regarding Trusts for firearms and other NFA firearms, Gun Trust Lawyer® David Goldman will be working with FFLGuard and their Firearms Dealers and Manufactures to help educate Class III dealers of Title II firearms around the country and provide their employees and clients with NFA trusts specifically designed to deal with the unique issues of firearms ownership, possession, use, and transfer in more than 43 states.
A full press release on Mr. Goldman's participation in FFLGuard can be found at our website by clicking this hyperlink.

Over the past several years the Apple Law Firm has expanded into several additional practice areas. As these practice areas grown we have been adding staff and creating more informational blogs to help consumers and our clients understand some of the common legal issues. May of our current readers do not realize that we cover these additional practice areas so I wanted to take a moment to update you with them:

For those of you who use an iPhone, we are trying to make some of the information and resources available through our new Apple Law Firm PLLC iPhone Application.

Our main Website is for the Apple Law Firm PLLC

The Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog covers a variety of topics focusing on Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Guardianship, and Probate

The NFA Gun Trust Lawyer® Blog covers unique issues involved with estate planning, the purchase, possession, use, and transfer of firearms including those regulated by the National Firearms Act. Helps provide guidance on a National level through a network of over 150 lawyers in 43 states.

The Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyers Blog covers issues related to criminal defense, case-law updates, and legislative changes as they relate to protecting your rights from restrictions by the State of Florida dealing with your freedom.

The Florida Foreclosure Defense Lawyers Blog covers issues in Florida and around the country that help homeowners protect their home which is often their single biggest purchase. While we write on topics that have relevance to the entire state, our practice area focuses on the counties surrounding Duval or the City of Jacksonville and its surrounding area.

The Jacksonville DIvorce Attorney Blog covers topics relating to your family life, marriage, divorce, child custody, support and guardianship. Many of the articles help our clients to understand what can happen in these very emotional times and how slight differences in the circumstances can make a significant difference.

The Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer Blog covers issues relating to injury and compensation for the negligence of others. This is our newest blog and will be launching in the next few weeks.

The Jacksonville Bankruptcy Lawyers Blog covers topics related to bankruptcy and specific circumstances that may allow one to qualify for certain exemptions and benefits afforded under the Federal bankruptcy Code.

We hope you enjoy our postings and take the time to visit some of out other blogs that cover different Florida legal issues as over 50,000 people a month do. If you have a question regarding one of these area or something involving a legal issues in Florida, please Contact Us and one of the lawyers in that practice area will respond.

There are several type of Class 3 items that are restricted by the National Firearms Act.

Each state can impose additional restrictions on the sale, purchase, and transfer of class 3 firearms in addition to the compliance that is required with the national Firearms Act.

In Missouri you can own the following items that are regulated the the National Firearms Act

Machine Guns
Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS)
Short Barreled Rifles (SBR)
Any Other Weapon (AOW)
Silencers

In Missouri you cannot own the following NFA restricted items.

Destructive Devices (DD)

Follow this link to find out more about Missouri and NFA restrictions on Class 3 Firearms

<strong>NOTE:</strong> Starting 8/28/2011 you will be able to use a NFA trust to purchase NFA firearms in Missouri without the need of a C & R, FFL, or use of a Corporation or LLC.