Some noob questions for purchasing a gun.

[matt0]

Bear with me people...

I am fairly new to firearms. Nobody in my family has ever been into guns or hunting. My sister got married a few years back and her husband (my bro-in-law) got myself and my father interested in firearms. I've gone to the shooting range dozens of times now over the last year or so and have been anxiously awaiting my 21st birthday (Nov12) so that I can buy my own finally.

I am planning on buying a Beretta 92FS from a guy I work with as well as buying an XD or XDM from a local store. I prefer shooting the XDs but the 92FS is such a great deal I cannot pass it up.

The Beretta will be a private transaction and as I understand it, there is no need for any paperwork. Regardless of necessity, I plan on doing some sort of bill of sale/receipt to show that I do actually own the gun.

As far as buying a new gun at a store (I'm in TX) what exactly is the process? I know they do a background check but what else? I know the gun shop will take care of everything when I go in to purchase it but I'm just curious.

I was talking to a friend about buying a gun online and having it shipped to an FFL holder and having it transferred. He said that some people who have an FFL operate out of their homes and just do the transfers as a side job to make a little extra income. However, he told me to avoid the smaller dealers and go to a larger, reputable gun store but if it all gets sent in to the ATF or wherever, what does it matter who or where you buy from?

Anybody care to explain the gun purchasing process to a noob? TIA

[Frenchy]

Quite simple really. He will have you fill out ATF form 4473, and with that information and your drivers license, he calls in the NICS background check. Once NICS gives him the go ahead, you're out the door.

[1lowlife]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

Quite simple really. He will have you fill out ATF form 4473, and with that information and your drivers license, he calls in the NICS background check. Once NICS gives him the go ahead, you're out the door.

Frenchy is right on..

Now if you had your CHL (concealed handgun license) you could walk out the door without a background check on a new purchase.
Also a bill of sale is a good idea on a used pistol from a private seller.
Now back when I was your age, there was a 14 day (I think) waiting period.
You would buy the pistol and have to wait for you BG check to be completed, then go back to the seller and pick up the gun.

[1852legend]

I wish Mo was instant out the door if you had a CCW permit. Sometimes your approved instantly and sometimes you have to wait. It sucks but its better than having to wait X number of days no matter what.

[rrent]

I'm in Texas, have a CHL and buy/sell/kept a few guns (I am not an FFL)--
when I sell FTF (face to face) I have a line on the bill of sale to protect me:

By signing this I state I am eligible to purchase, own, and possess firearms under all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

along with this I have my name and address and blank lines for the buyers info.
If I meet some one I get the above plus, usually, a license plate number.

I've never had a problem, but have retracted the offer to sell if the deal sounded shaky

----"I'm old enough, but lost my ID can you bring the gun to me...."

good luck and welcome to the world of guns and stuff ---I have a 17 year old son, who will be getting his CHL and buying his own firearms as soon as he is old enough

Ronnie

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by 1852legend

I wish Mo was instant out the door if you had a CCW permit. Sometimes your approved instantly and sometimes you have to wait. It sucks but its better than having to wait X number of days no matter what.

Yup...Concealed carry permit does us no good in this regard.

[scooter123]

FYI, the Federal form 4473 is held by the FFL holder, not forwarded to the ATF. In fact, single gun sales are not reported to the ATF at all, however multiple gun sales within a specific time window are reported. I am not privy to the exact number that requires that the purchaser be reported to the ATF, but if you were to purchase 10 or 15 hanguns on the same day I would expect that you would be soon talking to the ATF.

As for the NCIS check, all of your identification information is entered into the system so that you can be checked out, including your social security ID number if you choose to put that on your 4473. This record of the inquiry is supposed to be purged from the system after a specific time period, I believe it's 10 days, however since it is the government I wouldn't be a bit surprized if the system doesn't store that data somewhere. However, because keeping that data is against the Law, they have never done anything to act on whatever personal records the NCIS system may be retaining.

Also, many states allow the posession of a concealed carry permit to bypass NCIS checks for individual purchases by a permit holder. The reasoning for this is that obtaining a concealed weapons permit requires a much deeper background check for each permit holder in most of these states.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by scooter123

FYI, the Federal form 4473 is held by the FFL holder, not forwarded to the ATF. In fact, single gun sales are not reported to the ATF at all, however multiple gun sales within a specific time window are reported. I am not privy to the exact number that requires that the purchaser be reported to the ATF, but if you were to purchase 10 or 15 hanguns on the same day I would expect that you would be soon talking to the ATF.

As for the NCIS check, all of your identification information is entered into the system so that you can be checked out, including your social security ID number if you choose to put that on your 4473. This record of the inquiry is supposed to be purged from the system after a specific time period, I believe it's 10 days, however since it is the government I wouldn't be a bit surprized if the system doesn't store that data somewhere. However, because keeping that data is against the Law, they have never done anything to act on whatever personal records the NCIS system may be retaining.

Also, many states allow the posession of a concealed carry permit to bypass NCIS checks for individual purchases by a permit holder. The reasoning for this is that obtaining a concealed weapons permit requires a much deeper background check for each permit holder in most of these states.

Correct.

[matt0]

Originally Posted by scooter123

FYI, the Federal form 4473 is held by the FFL holder, not forwarded to the ATF. In fact, single gun sales are not reported to the ATF at all, however multiple gun sales within a specific time window are reported. I am not privy to the exact number that requires that the purchaser be reported to the ATF, but if you were to purchase 10 or 15 hanguns on the same day I would expect that you would be soon talking to the ATF.

As for the NCIS check, all of your identification information is entered into the system so that you can be checked out, including your social security ID number if you choose to put that on your 4473. This record of the inquiry is supposed to be purged from the system after a specific time period, I believe it's 10 days, however since it is the government I wouldn't be a bit surprized if the system doesn't store that data somewhere. However, because keeping that data is against the Law, they have never done anything to act on whatever personal records the NCIS system may be retaining.

Also, many states allow the posession of a concealed carry permit to bypass NCIS checks for individual purchases by a permit holder. The reasoning for this is that obtaining a concealed weapons permit requires a much deeper background check for each permit holder in most of these states.

Thank you for that explanation. My dad bought his first gun (P226) a few weeks ago and said he had to fill out all sorts of questions for the background check. I was wondering what they did with all that information and if it went into some database somewhere.

[CMfromIL]

Originally Posted by matt0

Thank you for that explanation. My dad bought his first gun (P226) a few weeks ago and said he had to fill out all sorts of questions for the background check. I was wondering what they did with all that information and if it went into some database somewhere.

Depending upon how may layers thick your tinfoil hat is, the info can be used for various purposes.

More than 3 layers, there is a good chance it will be used for some sort of probe.