Need ideas for little old widow w/ husband's guns

S

svaz

New member
Little old lady (lol) is in New Olreans, I'm in AZ so I can't help out directly. Lol is a family friend so she's counting on me to steer her right. Her husband died and she wants his guns out of the house. She doesn't know (or care) if they are real, BB, plastic, or what. She won't touch them, period.

I've tried contacting some 'gun friends' from back in the day (I've been away from the Big Easy for a decade), but I got no answers. Anyone have any idea how to help her out using a 'trusted agent', e.g. a reputable gun or pawn shop?

Naturally, I'm not going to introduce her to a stranger, sorry guys.
 
if shes not going to take any initiative at all, sounds like you're not going to be able to help one bit without flying in...

If she would take them to a gun store, get quotes, give you a call, and you tell her if its reasonably fair that would be one thing.

If she isnt going to try shes gonna get ripped off unless youre standing right next to her.
  • maybe:
Get a list of what she has, list them on gunbroker, have a local FFL pick them up and ship them, and give him an above average cut for his trouble???
 
Szav:

Try to locate and auctiion house that handles guns. What is their quality and quantity?

Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
Or, if she trusts you to sell them for her, have her ship them FFL to FFL in AZ so you can handle the sales. (Downside is the shipping/FFL transfer fees may be worth more than the guns, depending on what she has.)
 
You could also have her send you pictures of the guns w/make, model and serial number information. That should be enough for you to get a general idea of how much each gun is worth. Then you can provide her with the worth, as well as how much she can reasonably expect from a dealer or a private sale.

If you include a list of local (to her) gun shops, she should be well on her way to selling them for a fair price.
 
Another thing to consider: If she's unfamiliar with guns, you may not want to have her handling a whole collection unsupervised. Her late husband may have left one or two of them loaded.
 
Find a good auction house in LA and have them sell them for her. BBB should have any complaints if you want to check.
 
Interesting. My first thought was maybe someone on the board near NO might go check them out or help...for a small fee or choice. but then, few of us really know each other do we? Not to hijack the thread, but how many would trust anyone who responds not to make off with the unfired Python?
 
Check LA and AZ law. If possible, take a weekend and get them out of her hair. Sell or dispose of them to her advantage. Just make sure she gives you a signed "Bill of Sale" to CYA.
 
Contact these folks, maybe they can help. I know that they deal in antique guns, but they also might be able to point you in the right direction.

James H. Cohen & Sons
437 Royal St.
NOLA
504-522-3305
 
Take a road trip over a long weekend or week and deal with her problem. Either act as her agent, in writing, to consign them locally, or make a blanket purchase offer yourself, a fair one, get a bill of sale, and take them home. Either way, she doesn't want to deal with it herself.

You can advise her of their worth all you want, but as soon as she walks into a shop, those numbers are going to be different, and since she just wants them out, it could just complicate matters.
 
motorhead0922 said:
The return trip on I-10 would be interesting in west Texas, right along the Mexican border with a trunk full of guns.
Click to expand...
And it would also be a federal felony.

kilimanjaro said:
...make a blanket purchase offer yourself, a fair one, get a bill of sale, and take them home...
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And both the OP and the widow would be committing multiple counts of multiple federal felonies.

Under federal law, since the OP is a resident of Arizona and the widow is a resident of Louisiana, the OP (unless, perhaps, he has an FFL) may not take possession of the guns from the widow directly. The guns would have to be transferred to the OP through an FFL, and any handguns would have to be transferred to the OP through an FFL in Arizona.

The law is found at 18 USC 922(a)(3) and 922(a)(5):
(a) It shall be unlawful—
...

(3) for any person, other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector to transport into or receive in the State where he resides (or if the person is a corporation or other business entity, the State where it maintains a place of business) any firearm purchased or otherwise obtained by such person outside that State, except that this paragraph (A) shall not preclude any person who lawfully acquires a firearm by bequest or intestate succession in a State other than his State of residence from transporting the firearm into or receiving it in that State, if it is lawful for such person to purchase or possess such firearm in that State, (B) shall not apply to the transportation or receipt of a firearm obtained in conformity with subsection (b)(3) of this section, and (C) shall not apply to the transportation of any firearm acquired in any State prior to the effective date of this chapter;...

...

(5) for any person (other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector) to transfer, sell, trade, give, transport, or deliver any firearm to any person (other than a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, licensed dealer, or licensed collector) who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not reside in (or if the person is a corporation or other business entity, does not maintain a place of business in) the State in which the transferor resides; except that this paragraph shall not apply to

(A) the transfer, transportation, or delivery of a firearm made to carry out a bequest of a firearm to, or an acquisition by intestate succession of a firearm by, a person who is permitted to acquire or possess a firearm under the laws of the State of his residence, and

(B) the loan or rental of a firearm to any person for temporary use for lawful sporting purposes;...
Click to expand...

The OP could go to Louisiana, inspect the guns, determine their value and then either arrange for a lawful transfer of the guns to himself or help find a local dealer who would sell the guns on consignment.
 
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