Michigan Gun Sitter

[dukalmighty]

I'm traveling to Canada in January 2008,and i wonder if anybody knows an ffl or gunsmith that can babysit my carry gun in michigan while i'm in canada until i pick it up on return trip,i talked to an ffl in alton but he said as far as he knows he would have to do an intake but due to no out of state sales he would have to ship it to an ffl in texas for me to retrieve it which makes federal government sense , but leaves me unarmed on return trip which is common senseless.I really do not want to get caught with a handgun crossing into canada either. wonder if i could rent a secure box in a store and lock it up til i return,maybe a safe deposit box in a bank for a month.I may of answered my own dilemma i would just have to make sure i arrive while they are open up and back.This requires more research ,stay tuned

[Kalrog]

No info for you... I would just use family in that situation but not everyone has family in the UP.

[seamusTX]

Go to http://www.auctionarms.com/help/fflnetwork.cfm. Enter the ZIP code of Detroit (48201-43) or Port Huron (48060-1). Call the FFLs that you find and see if they will baby-sit for you. It seems to me a gunsmith could accept a handgun from a out-of-state resident, clean it, and return it to the out-of-state resident, but federal law is weird.

You may have to search further west. I have no idea what the political situation is like in Michigan these days. It used to be halfway sane except for Detroit.

Have a safe trip.

- Jim

[Mike1951]

I believe a licensed gunsmith would be faced with the same problem of having to record the transactions and not being aable to return it directly to him.

I liked the idea of a storage locker or safe deposit box, as that involves no one but you.

[KBCraig]

I believe a licensed gunsmith would be faced with the same problem of having to record the transactions and not being aable to return it directly to him.

I liked the idea of a storage locker or safe deposit box, as that involves no one but you.

Gunsmiths keep a record of guns that come in and leave, but they don't engage in "transfers". They don't use 4473s, and don't even have access to NICS. Pawn shops and dealers do; they can receive a handgun from an out-of-state resident, but can't transfer it back to them.

I also agree with the strategy of "no one but you" knowing what's in the box. The problem (obviously) is finding a place to do that before setting out on the journey. If you're staying at a hotel before crossing, they might allow you to use the safe while you're in Canada. There's no such thing as a strange request, to hotel professionals; they've heard much crazier things. I wouldn't say anything about a gun, just say that you have some valuables that you don't want to take into Canada, and ask they how much they would charge to use a safe box for n days.

Oh, and it is technically possible to take a handgun to Canada. The process is rather like pulling your own teeth, though.
http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/factsheets/visitin_e.asp

For starters, all handguns are "restricted", and any handgun with a barrel less than 4.1" is "prohibited".

[frankie_the_yankee]

1) A safe deposit box would work.

2) So would a storage locker.

3) I'm not an expert on the law, but it would seem you could leave it with a gunsmith to be cleaned or serviced in some way and pick it up on the way back. I've had gunsmith work done (on a handgun) in MA when I lived in RI and I never had to fill out any forms to get the gun back.

They might have to handle it as a transfer if you drop it off at a gun store (that doesn't do gunsmith work), but I think dropping it off with a 'smith is different.

[WildBill]

I might be missing something, but it doesn't seem like a gun dealer or gunsmith would need any official paperwork to "gun sit." The ownership of the gun isn't changing hands so why would a person need an FFL? It seems a receipt would be the only thing needed just so the owner has a record that it was dropped off. I can see using an FFL or gunsmith, just because they are used to handling guns and would have a secure place to store them.

[Mike1951]

I might be missing something, but it doesn't seem like a gun dealer or gunsmith would need any official paperwork to "gun sit."

Gunsmiths keep a record of guns that come in and leave, but they don't engage in "transfers". They don't use 4473s, and don't even have access to NICS.

I stand corrected about gunsmiths having to do NICS.

From the BATFE FAQ:

If the gunsmith has possession of the firearm from one business day to another or longer, the firearm must be recorded as an "acquisition" and a "disposition" in the permanent "bound book" record.

Further answers qualify that a 4473 and NICS check are not required as long as the firearm is returned to the same person.

[dukalmighty]

I found a place in Port Huron Michigan that will hold my firearm until i return from Canada.Port Huron is just across the border and "The Hock Shop"on 1504 military St. phone #810-985-4082, said they would be willing to hold it in their safe until i came back.So for anybody planning on entering Canada by way of Michigan we now have a place that will babysit our weapons and return them for the return trip home.

[KC5AV]

Any sitting fee associated with the service?

[dukalmighty]

Any sitting fee associated with the service?

I forgot to ask and he didn't say so monday i will find out,i'd hate to go pick it up and get tow truck charges that amount to more than the firearms worth.

[KC5AV]

Might be worth checking out in advance.

[dukalmighty]

I talked to John at the "Hock Shop" today he advised me they charge $20.00 to store a firearm,but they are getting a new owner in the near future and prices may change.I would call and check prices prior to the trip, if you are heading that way,the #810-985-4082 and I spoke to "John" located in Port Huron MI. just before you cross into Canada.