I recently bought a firearm from a gentleman in Alaska; on the way over here I decided I didn't want it after all for various reasons. I've been lucky enough to find a buyer for it before I even DROS'ed the weapon and entered the 10-day waiting period. Is it possible to just have FedEx pick it up and remail it from my FFL to the new buyers FFL without having to pay DROS fees? They charge $100 out here in CA and I want to avoid losing all that money only to send it out again.

As long as your FFL has not yet transferred it to you, I don't see why he could not just transfer it to your buyer's FFL via common carrier? He will need a copy of your buyer's FFL holder's license, same as he had to provide to the AK FFL holder. If your FFL charges a transfer fee, you will still be out that, but any registration or permit nonsense will be avoided.

Thanks, now I can ask my FFL without looking dumb.

I'm not sure if it's local or what, but around here they really charge an arm and a leg just for a transfer. Is $75-100 the norm for most of you guys?

In Maine it's anywhere from $15 to $25 tops! You guys really get soaked.

Yeah, I bought a Colt SAA for a cool grand, but ended up paying 1100 total just to take it home.

Still, I should be glad they didn't completely take our right to own handguns away. Paying a premium price is better than not being able to pay at all, I guess.

They have a cool law that you can own a fully functional M16 in CA if you are on active duty, though:).

Hazcat, I see you lurking around here. I just replied to your email!

Crap, I just found out they can't send it to the buyer's FFL. It has to go back to the PREVIOUS buyer and then from there to the new buyer.

WTF is wrong with CA?

That just ruined my whole effing day.

That's odd. A gun store has to take posession of inventory that they will subsequently transfer to buyers or to another FFL via common carrier if asked to. Why he can't treat it as receiving stock from the AK FFL, I don't know? You could call the ATF office in your jurisdiction and ask? It might be a CA law. It might also be an insurance issue. It might also be that your local FFL guy is just wrong about having to do it that way. Regulations are not always crystal clear to everybody.

Yeah the CA store doesn't seem real on top of things.

I am the one buying and he told me I would have to come to the store! I said as I live in FL that would be an expensive gun.

I then asked if no one in CA could privately sell guns to people outside of CA. He said yes they can. So I said good then why don't we do it that way. (He was still confused).

I agree that they are just trying to get some fees here and do not understand the process completely.

That's odd. A gun store has to take posession of inventory that they will subsequently transfer to buyers or to another FFL via common carrier if asked to. Why he can't treat it as receiving stock from the AK FFL, I don't know? You could call the ATF office in your jurisdiction and ask? It might be a CA law. It might also be an insurance issue. It might also be that your local FFL guy is just wrong about having to do it that way. Regulations are not always crystal clear to everybody.

Yeah, I'll try contacting the ATF office to get this sorted out. Their policy seems very shady.

Haha, I just went and called the DOJ, completely forgetting it was a federal holiday:p

Hazcat, I'll call them first thing tomorrow morning and let you know what's up.

I left Cali (thank God) in 2000, but as of that time IIRC, you will have to complete the transfer, or cancel it.
California is VERY strict in it's interpretation of state gun laws, so they do things the hard way.
The firearm in question HAS to be received by the dealer in order to be transferred out to the person to whom you sold it. The dealer HAS to record this acquisition in his ATF A&D ( acquisition & disposition ) log. Then, he has to record to whom it was transferred ( disposed). California has a similar process- DROS- which means even more paperwork.
A DROS should not be involved, I believe, because a sale was not made to a Cali resident if the firearm goes to an individual in another state.
All of this record-keeping takes time, and most stores do not do it for free- I charge $25-35.00- unless you are a friend or volume buyer.
Furthermore, when audit time comes around by either ATF or California DOJ, this looks a bit odd... a sale from one state shipped to another state, transferred in and then out of stock, and then shipped to a third state for receipt by a buyer.
These are the things that cause FFLs headaches, and it's even more stress for FFLs in Cali. Your dealer might be wrong when he says he can't do it, he just doesn't want the hassle.
Do everyone a good turn- send the gun back to the seller and let him make his own arrangements with the perspective buyer.

Todd

Well, thanks for that. That's about a straight an answer as I've seen. So just send the gun back to Alaska and give them his contact info so they can send it to his FFL in Florida instead?

That's right- easiest, no-hassle way.
All of these are but a small few of the reasons I left L.A.
I don't go back but once a year to see my brother and his family in Fullerton, my parents in San Luis Obispo, and eat Double-Doubles 'til I burst!
And my parents are moving up here this spring, as soon as escrow closes on the house they're selling.
My dad is a Navy vet ( Korean War plus several more years), upper level with a U.S.-based multi-national company that did military contract work for Uncle Sam and still has a national security clearance higher than most people have ever heard of. And the Communist State of California says he cannot be trusted with 25 round mags for his 10/22.
He's moving to rejoin the Republic, boys!

I'll get off my soapbox now...

mmmmm, Double-Doubles :D

mmmmm, Double-Doubles :D

Oh, you speak the lingo too?

I was in Cali once, San Diego, and that was enough to get me hooked. I wonder if In-n-out burger would sell me a franchise in PA?