Help with unregistered handgun...

L

Lex325

Inactive
Hey guys...

Here's the situation: I live in NJ and just recently received my firearms purchaser ID card and permit to buy a handgun.

When talking to my cousin about purchasing a handgun, he said that he had one that he wanted to get rid of being that his kids are getting older and he did not want them snooping around, finding the gun one day and doing god knows what. The gun is a stainless 9mm in mint condition with less than 100 rounds of firing time that he is willing to give to me for free.

Now here is the problem: The gun has been handed down through a couple of family members over a period of 3-4 years and no one knows the last time it was registered. It should also be mentioned that the current owner does not have a firearms license.

I want to legitimately register the gun with good intentions of legally following all the laws of the state so that I do not get caught with an unregistered weapon and face any jail time.

So... my question is... How do I register a weapon that is currently unregistered without getting myself and my cousin into any trouble?

I looked at the registration form for a handgun in NJ and it requires providing information on how, where and from whom the gun was obtained/purchased.

Hopefully someone has had previous experience with this kind of situation in NJ and can shed some light on this issue for me.

Thanks for your all your help.
 
Tell them you went scuba diving and found a bunch of sunken boats loaded full of guns,its pretty common i hear.

Sorry i cant really answer your question tho,but im sure oneone can and will soon.
 
You may wish to look a bit more in depth before you act...

I did a quick review of New Jersey gun laws, looking for firearms registration language on this site:
http://www.gunlaws.com/links/linksnj.htm

I searched using keywords "firearms registration".

The only immediate returns identifying a requirement to register firearms involve dealers and licensed manufacturers (2C:58-1); and assault weapons (2C:58-12).

There certainly may be a need to register handguns in New Jersey, I am not an authority. But I'm not finding it in the statues.

(You CAN, obviously, the question is whether you MUST...)

Registration is forever. If you don't absolutely need to register your new handgun in order to legally possess it in New Jersey, think twice about registration as a low-consequence event.

You certainly may need to register it, but I'd know for sure what the law states first. Just one guy's opinion. YMMV.

Regards,

Doc
 
Thanks guys... but I believe (told by a friend) that the law in NJ states that if caught with posession of an unregistered handgun is a class felony that you can face jail time for.

Can anyone shed some definitive light on this issue? Maybe someone with prior experience or has had to go through this kind of situation in NJ?
 
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unregistered

I certainly wouldn't carry it unregistered but would be sorely tempted to stick it in the safe, unregistered, and keep it that way for a "rainy day".
 
I seem to have found your answer on the notorious anti-gun Brady campaign website. Their rhetoric is a bit inflammatory, but in any case, in their words,

State law only requires registration of assault weapons. No state requirement that gun owners register other firearms though it is illegal to obtain a firearm without a state license. Police do not known how many guns are in the state or where they are. The lack of registration makes it difficult for police to trace guns used in crime, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for the illegal use of their weapons. Although the state does keep a record on handgun transfers, there is no state system to automatically identify and disarm felons and other prohibited people who bought guns legally in the past, but later committed a crime or otherwise became ineligible to keep possession of their firearms.
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http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.php?st=nj#registrati

If there is an NJ-based pro-gun rights group, you may wanna contact them as they're likely be very well-versed in your guys' state laws.
 
Ok... this is the info that I found out so far.

Thanks for everyone's input and knowledge... please keep it comin'

So here's the deal in my sucky state of NJ with my situation as I understand it so far after researching some state govt. websites at length...

Raftman is right... it is a "voluntary registration" for handguns in my state but here's is the catch. - From what I've read so far, I believe the permit to purchase a handgun is required to be sent to the proper authorities after the sale/transfer of the weapon has been completed. I'm sure this documentation will require you or the seller to specify what type of weapon it is and where you got it from.

Being that my seller has no firearms license though, I do see a loophole. If someone acquires a weapon through a will or inheritance, they do not have to have a firearms license or go apply for one. Hmmmmm....... :cool:

Now if I could only get my cousin to just write down that it was given to him by our late uncle that passed a few years ago ( I know... I know... shame on me taking advantage of the dead to fulfill my deception... spare me the comments people ;) ) but he's already nervous about owning the gun at all without a license in the first place.

Don’t even think he wants to be associated with the transfer in any way. Now that I'm a little more informed, I'll try to explain the gun laws to him and see if he goes along with it.

Keep the comments coming... correct me if I am wrong about the permit to purchase.

Thanks!
 
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I guess now the question is: "Can a seller (someone without a firearms license), transfer me a gun legally in the state of NJ without having to reveal where they, themselves, got it from?"
 
Dude...

(If you're already going to take advantage of the dead anyway....)

Tell whomever that your deceased uncle left YOU the firearm, and leave your cousin out of it altogether.

Sheesh....

;)
 
Something that nobody has asked but I will. What kind of gun is it exactly?

If it's a Jennings, Bryco, or other low-end gun, I'd personally use my permit to buy something of a bit higher quality. Also, since you have no real history on the true origins of this gun (and live in a state with strict laws), it may be better to avoid the unknown...
 
I guess now the question is: "Can a seller (someone without a firearms license), transfer me a gun legally in the state of NJ without having to reveal where they, themselves, got it from?"
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Yes.

I've sold a couple of guns to a friend in NJ. All we did was go to his local dealer and do the transfer. They just wanted to have my info (I'm from out of state). No question what so ever where the gun came from.
 
In a gun-friendly state, there's no registration. How's that a hassle?
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Heh, I said "relatively gun-friendly"... meaning relative to NJ, so there can still be a hassle, just not as much.
 
Easy way out

Lex, take advantage of the gun show loophole: go to the next gun show, and sell it to the guy standing in your shoes.

Viola! No paper work, no background checks, no problem!


Or maybe take it to Mexico next time you go, and sell it for really big bucks. I hear a lot of people doing that these days.
 
Dave P said:
Lex, take advantage of the gun show loophole: go to the next gun show, and sell it to the guy standing in your shoes.

Viola! No paper work, no background checks, no problem!


Or maybe take it to Mexico next time you go, and sell it for really big bucks. I hear a lot of people doing that these days.
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Who let the gxxdxxx Brady campaign in here!
 
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