It is that time of the year again. We have made it past Thanksgiving and now heading into the final stretch of the holiday season. Now, we are sure most of you have completed Holiday shopping long ago! Wink-wink…we all know that one friend that waits until the last minute. You have researched and saved your money! Which makes you think about giving a gun as a gift this year! You have come up with the perfect gift! A firearm! Now, the obstacle is, you are unsure of how to go about buying it. Purchasing a firearm for someone else is not as easy as buying a tie, or a sweater. The following will inform you of tips you should know and consider before purchasing a gun for anyone but yourself.
Buying Guns as a Gift
Before purchasing a gun for someone there are multiple factors you must be aware of. To start, you must know if they are eligible to possess a firearm under their residential State and Federal law. In addition, you will need to check local restrictions such as magazine size, and if that firearm you are attempting to buy is legal in the State where it is going to be sent. Check out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) website for an overview of local laws.
How will you be giving them the firearm? In-Person? Will you ship it to them? Many, many laws prohibit you from shipping, transferring, and receiving firearms through the mail and even in person. The old excuse of “I didn’t know” won’t save you from Federal and State charges. This could potentially cost you fines, incarceration, or loss of your gun rights. We are not attempting to talk you out of buying a firearm as a gift for anyone. Our goal is to let you know there are many legal pitfalls for purchasing a firearm for someone else that could put you in legal jeopardy.
Give a Gift Card
Don’t be discouraged! For instance, purchasing a gift card is another way to get that perfect gift, without potentially putting yourself into legal peril. Tell them you want them to go buy that one firearm that you think will be perfect for them. Plus, this will avoid embarrassing questions to the receiver. Such as, are you allowed to possess firearms, do you have a criminal record that could prevent you from purchasing a gun, or are you currently charged with a crime that would not allow you to have guns?
A gift card allows the recipient to go into a gun store and use the card as they want. In this case, they will be responsible for filling out their own paperwork with any State or Federal regulation. Sadly, you may not get to see that surprised look from that special someone when they open a gift card, instead of a firearm during the holidays. Meanwhile, you are still protecting them and yourself by not putting either of you in potential legal harm. This way he’ll get exactly the gun he wants, and there are no uncomfortable questions passed along. For example, the question of who is “the actual buyer of the firearm,” which must be certified on the Federal Form 4473 at the time of purchase. Giving a gift card to purchase a firearm, just might make that person just as excited as if you were handing them an actual firearm.
Giving a Gun as a Gift
To keep that special someone even more protected, consider gifting them a Firearm Legal Protection membership. If they ever need to legally exercise their Second Amendment rights to protect themselves or others. You would want to make sure that they are ready for the Fight after the Fight. Sharing this gift of legal protection with your loved ones will be easier than ever this holiday season.
