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sharktooth

Inheriting gun collection from PA?

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In the past few months, I have had two elderly relatives pass away, both were gun owners. One was my father, the other my uncle. In my father's case, I also took over his house, along with several shot guns, rifles, and two handguns. In the case of my uncle, who passed away in PA, left me his house, car, and rather large gun collection. His guns are mostly antique but many are military weapons, a few banned here in NJ.

I do not have a firearms ID card and was under the impression I didn't need one till I found I can't buy ammo here without it?

I get conflicting stories on what I need to do. The local PD tells me I can legally inherit guns without a Firearms Purchaser ID card.

How about inheriting guns from a PA resident? Can I just go get them? I realize its probably not a good idea to just toss a few dozen shot guns and rifles in the trunk and head home, but is it legal? I basically have no documentation on any of these guns, most were likely bought used in PA.

What do I do about those that are banned here in NJ? Can they stay in PA at the house I inherited there which is in my name? I asked a local gun dealer there and was told that none of the guns in question are banned in PA, just NJ. Basically I just want to bring a few of the shot guns and smaller rifles here, maybe one or two of the handguns too. The rest are of no use to me here, unless I need to do repairs or cleaning, in which case I'd need to bring them here to my house in NJ. (I realize that some can never come here).

I own the house there, but my DL, and main residence is in NJ and I pay income tax in NJ. I only go there as a get away. That house is alarmed, has a very secure safe room for storage, and I have a neighbor there i trust to keep an eye on things when I'm not around. I do however want to bring a few guns home here though, both to use here and for some repairs and maintenance.

The handguns in PA are all old, none are registered there, never were, as its not required. How can I bring a few of those to NJ?

There are also a few dozen 'replica' rifles there, these are non firing, very realistic replicas of vintage rifles, they are identical in every way to the real thing but they cannot fire a round. Most are black powder muzzleload rifles that use either flint or a brass cap to fire the round. They will fire the pan or cap but the barrel has no opening or path to ignite the powder if you did manage to load a round in it. The ram rods are also pinned in place so they cannot be removed and used. A few are replicas of WW1 and WWII rifles, including an M1 Garrand and an M3 machine gun. They look and feel identical to a real gun from what I'm told, but cannot be made to fire. Are these legal to bring to NJ?

I am told that while these are non firing replicas, the do contain various real, or very realistic looking parts for authenticity, such as the hammers and trigger assemblies. There are replicas representing all the major American wars starting with the American Revolution, up to WWII. Can I own these in NJ? I contacted the manufacturer of a few of these replicas and was told that they do not sell to private parties, only to theaters and government agencies using these for training. I'm not sure where they originally came from but likely they were bought at local gun shows or through private parties. They are serial numbered, but I noticed that in the case of duplicates, some have duplicate serial numbers. Some have no markings other than the 'replica' marking on the barrel. There are many duplicates in this lot, I suppose they were bought together, possibly from a movie set or such?.

My concern here is that if I were to be pulled over with a box of vintage 'replica' guns, an officer would have no real way of knowing they were non firing unless he was familiar with replica guns like these. (Even I thought they were likely functioning modern remakes until i did some research and found out they are non firing fakes. They look, feel, and weigh the same as the originals.

 

 

 

 

 

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 1.  The firearms are yours.  Nothing more needs to be done from that perspective; they are now your property that happens to be in Pennsylvania, currently.  Your local PD is correct.

2.  Apply for/get a FID card.  It makes your life easier in NJ, and you need it, as you've found out, for pistol ammo purchase.  

3.  Do not, under any circumstances, bring the 'banned' firearms into NJ.  That's a can of worms you don't ever want to open

4.  I don't know a thing about replica firearms

5. for more info see    http://www.njsp.org/firearms/firearms-faqs.shtml

 

 

 

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Also, gun ownership in NJ means you are embarking on a new way of life, to a certain extent.  Always remember that in NJ, possession of a firearm is illegal except within certain exceptions.  You've a bit of learning to do.  here's a few to start you off

https://www.newjerseygunlawyers.com/inheriting-firearms-in-new-jersey/

http://www.defendmeinnj.com/how-to-safely-transport-firearm-or-gun-into-new-jersey.html

http://www.njsp.org/firearms/transport-firearm.shtml

https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/new-jersey/

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1.  As long as you were specifically mentioned in the will as the heir and are not a prohibited person you legally own the guns under Federal and NJ law. Long guns and handguns.  There is no requirement to register any NJ legal guns you lawfully acquired out of the state.  I would hazard a guess this applies to several hundred thousand firearms legally owned in NJ.  I wouldn't worry about having a paper trail for your inherited guns.  None is required.

2.  NJ gun laws do not extend past the borders.  If the guns and magazines are legal in PA and you don't bring them to NJ you can't be charged with anything by anyone.  You must abide by NJ transport laws once you enter NJ.  One important point is NJ law permits you to transport any firearm from one residence to another.  That's what you would be doing bringing the guns from PA to NJ.

3.  If you feel the guns are secure in PA that's your call.  If someone steals it I can't see how you can be liable for anything if you report the guns stolen if and when you fund out they're stolen.

4.  Replica guns are just that replicas.  They are replicas not guns.  If they can't shoot they aren't guns.  Yes many function cock, etc like the real thing but they are not guns.  Many use parts from the real thing to achieve this functioning but that doesn't make them guns. The receiver or frame that is serialized by the real gun manufacturer is the firearm.  Many replicas have "serial numbers"  that's only for authentic looks.  If the manufacturer made 1000 M3 "Greasegun" replicas all of them most likely will have the same "serial number".

There is no law in NJ about possessing a replica gun .  Use one in a crime (pull a holdup, threaten someone with it, point it at someone) anywhere and you will charged the same as using the real thing.  If you do something stupid like drive around with it on the front seat of your car you will be st the least "scrutinized" by police if caught.  If you decide to sling it over your shoulder and walk down the street with it you will probably be arrested and charged with some public nuisance charge but not a firearms charge.

The one issue that needs consideration is if that replica has a genuine magazine that holds over 15 rds.  If it has been permanently blocked to 15 rds or rendered inoperable, say by welding the follower to the magazine lips, there is no violation.

5.  There is nothing unusual or illegal about filling your trunk with guns and driving them to NJ as long as the guns and magazines are legal in NJ.  How do you think people move to NJ do it?  Transport the guns IAW FOPA.  Yes if a LEO anywhere sees the M3 replica you will have to explain what it is and will be delayed.  This is a case where if you "don't say anything to police" might wind up with you sitting in a cell for a few hours.  If you explain it the same "might" happen but probably not. But you can't be charged with anything.

If you're worried about the M3 replica so much how much do you want for it?  If it is a replica I'd be interested if the price is right.

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The guns are not specifically mentioned in the will, but the will reads that all personal possessions and property hereby transfer to my nephew. In PA I don't think the guns would be considered different from possessions or personal property. The will gives my aunt remainder rights, which is fine with me, as long as she lives there I have a reliable set of eyes on the place. She does want the guns out of the house though, but there's a second house nearby which is also mine. It was a case of there being no other next of kin, they had no children, and neither had no surviving siblings. I believe that even without a will, there would be no other to take possession of things at hand. The property was changed into my name years ago, with a remainder right clause.

Many of the guns are on display in glass cases all about the house, but many are stored in wooden boxes, foot lockers, and in a 'gun room' he had built. The replicas are mixed in with the real guns, in many cases they are very hard to tell apart.

The newer model replicas will load and chamber a round, but the barrel is blocked or not machined through. The cartridge models are loaded with fake bullets, but from what I can tell, the bullets are shorter than a real bullet, meaning that a real bullet won't chamber in the gun, nor fit in the modified magazine or clip. The muzzleloaders will take a round and powder but the ram rod is too large on the end to fit down the barrel, plus the barrel has no touch hole where as to ignite the powder. The same with the cap stud, there is no through hole where the cap could fire off the charge. It will take a real cap and fire the cap though.

I found a few replicas which have the barrel plugged near the tip, as if the barrel wasn't machined through at all. There seems to be three or four brands of replica guns, many are from Denix, others are marked "Replica Arms Co" Those marked with the latter carry all the normal markings elsewhere as the real thing. The replica stamp is below the serial number but very faintly marked.

It actually took me a while to realize they were non firing guns, I was going through them and making sure none were loaded and couldn't figure out what was blocking the barrel, I had thought maybe a round was jammed in there somehow or maybe it had been loaded and left to rust with a charge in it for years. I finally noticed the faint replica marking and did some online research and found that they don't make real guns.

Many of the antiques are likely just wall hangers anyhow, even the real ones due to wear. A few are worn too badly to ever consider trying to fire them. A few look brand new though. The newest is a Henry .45 rifle which was in a rack paired with an older Henry 30/30. The rest are pre-1980's, most are pre-1950's.

At this point I'd like to keep everything together as much as possible, at least till I really take a proper inventory of it all. It'll take a few more weeks to go through everything, I want a record of what is there and what is to be brought home here and what will stay in PA. I don't think he ever did that, he just kept buying.

I found I can buy ammo online or just buy it in PA if needed. Since many of the guns didn't have ammo, (or at least I didn't find it yet), I wanted to get a rough idea on the condition of a few of them). I also want to know what I am carrying in my car. I also suppose I need to make 100% certain that those marked replica are indeed non firing replicas. The M3's will chamber a round and take real ammo, but can't fire. It appears that on them, the firing pin either stops short or misses the round, and the barrel is blocked. They are not 'plugged', the barrel itself is not milled through all the way. Those have a plastic plug in the end as well but the plug is black not brightly colored. There are real and replical Browning M1918 rifles, those will also chamber a real round but the replica guns have fake mags that will only hold the fake rounds, but a real mag will clip in and chamber a round, but the hammer never contacts the round. (I took a spent shell and put a piece of foil tape over the primer to see if the hammer would make a mark and it never touches the round at all).

The fake rounds are brass with what appears to be plastic bullets and no powder charge and a non active primer. I pulled one apart to make sure they were fake. However, if it were laying in front of you, you would have a hard time telling it was fake without comparing its length to a real round. I suppose these may have been meant for movie use, where a close up would require more accurate detail than say just using a snap cap.

How about buying guns in PA? Since I'm there a few times every month, I like to hit a few local auctions and flea markets, guns are often sold there. Guns are sold at such venues with no papers, not even a question. I was at one auction where several shot guns were sold and passed directly to the buyer through the crowd to be paid for later, no different than if he bought a rake or shovel.  I've been to auctions in NJ and they won't sell to anyone who hasn't been pre-approved prior to the auction and you have to have a valid DL and Purchaser's ID card in hand.

I did start the process of getting a purchaser id card about a year ago but was told that the process had halted since there was no response to questionnaire or letter sent out to one of my references. (He passed away suddenly about a month after I applied.  I was told I have to start over. Its mostly just a matter of getting the time to go back down there and re-apply with new references. I'm told the turn around time is about four months, at least that's how long it took a neighbor here to get his after he inherited his dad's guns.

 

 

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Very interesting read. 

For your question of buying.....you are a NJ resident, not a PA resident.  You can purchase "long guns" (rifles/shotguns) in PA - with the proviso that the transaction has to be legal in BOTH states (PA and NJ) and has to be thru a dealer (FFL).  Since you are a NJ resident and do not have a FID card......you can't buy in NJ, so you can't buy in PA, either.  Also, pistol purchases are a no-go for you in Pennsylvania...it has to go from a PA FFL to a NJ FFL, and you will need a NJ pistol purchase permit in order for the NJ FFL to transfer it to you.  You also have to pay attention to your time limits with pistol purchases, as the permit is only good for a short amount of time - 90 days, tho they can be extended (IF your police chief wants to) - and you can only buy one within a 30 day period.  

 

http://www.nj2as.org/how_to_obtain_a_firearms_id_card_in_nj

 

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OP, do what GRIZ says.  He's a retired federal LEO.  W2MC posted all the links you need 'cept for one:  

http://www.cnjfo.com   Please consider joining the fight to keep your gun rights AND that nice collection!

If I can be of any help, just call or write.  Or friend me on Facebook.

Dave "Rosey" Rosenthal, VP

Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners

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@Smokin .50 being a retired Federal LEO doesn't make me an expert.  Being a retired Federal LEO that researched firearms laws makes me more knowledgeable than the average person or even the average attorney when it comes to firearms laws.

Many will say the guns have to be specifically mentioned in the will.  This is necessary IMO when you have multiple heirs.  IANAL but if your uncle said in the will "I leave everything to sharktooth" that means his guns too.  At least under Federal, NJ, and PA law as I know it.  Everything or all means...everything or all.  This might have some impact in states that have mandatory registration of handguns or all guns but not in NJ or PA.  Keep in mind buying a firearm, even a handgun,  from a private party in most states is like buying a hammer.

I've seen Denix replica firearms.  Those I've seen are very high quality.  They're made in Spain I believe.  They're sold by Collector's Armory.  But they are not firearms and can't easily be converted to firearms so don't worry about replicas.

Blackpowder firearms are not considered firearms under any state or Federal law...except NJ.  There was one other state but I believe they changed their law.  A NJ resident can go to any state and legally buy a black powder gun, even a blackpowder handgun.

You have been informed correctly by a previous post you need a NJFID to buy long guns in PA.  You may at some point decide to be a dual state residence.  Then you can buy handguns in both states.  Under Federal law, you are a dual state resident if you establish a home in two states.  No specified period of time you have to stay at each residence.  Federal law says you have to "establish a home".

I think your major concern with leaving firearms in an unoccupied home is someone stealing them and using them for something bad.  We all share that concern.  However, if someone commits a crime and uses the proceeds of that crime to commit another crime I can't see how you can be held liable for anything.  There are some states and jurisdictions that have requirements for firearms storage but NJ and PA are not among them.  If anyone knows different, please enlighten me.

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The part I am not clear on is why I need a NJFID to buy a gun at a flea market in PA? They don't even know what that is over here. I was just at a local market and there were more than a dozen guys selling used rifles and shotguns. Most had more than 50 pieces on hand. Basically, you look at it, haggle over the price, pay the man and leave with it. No paperwork at all. Like mentioned above, just like buying a hammer.

The guns shops vary, some want your DL, others are leery to sell to anyone with a NJ address or DL. Most will sell once you give them a PA address, but not all. The further from NJ you go the less of this I see.

My concern isn't so much as the guns being stolen and used in a crime, but simply loosing them or having the guns alone attract a break in. With my aunt having remainder rights, one of the issues with any guns being in that house is that there is a constant flow of health workers and home aids coming in and out of the house all day long, nearly every day of the year. Most of the guns, (not the hand guns though), were stored either out in the open or hanging on racks on the wall. The living room alone had more than a hundred rifles hanging on hooks. Many others were just stood in closets and stashed in wood boxes in a spare room. There was a gun safe but it was full of papers not guns, and to be honest, probably not much of a gun safe at that since I was able to roll it out of there myself on a cheap hand truck. I doubt if it weighed more than 150 lbs. The handguns were stored in an cedar foot locker, They were each wrapped in an oily rag and just piled into the box. That box had two huge padlocks but like I said, the box was made from wood. More than half of the hand guns are black powder, The majority of these are Remington New Army Revolvers or later remakes of the same model. About a dozen of them appear to be originals.

As I go through all of this I'm finding quite a few pieces that are probably just wall hangers. So far it looks like about twenty percent of the lot is non firing replicas, and about half the rest are either missing parts or have been intentionally made inoperable by either removing the firing pin or by blocking the barrel. Several of the black powder pistols have the cylinders drilled out to render them useless. So far, I don't think I've got one really nice, clean working gun, even those that appear new have parts removed. I found nine 1911 pistols, but only two magazines, and the guns that had mags with them are in really bad shape, with obvious barrel wear and worn slides. The others are either appart or missing important pieces. One that looks like new is missing the trigger, another has no firing pin inside. One has the slide removed and all small parts have been removed. One has a round jammed in the barrel so bad the only option I see to remove it is to drill it out. Most of these have tags on them with numbers, so my guess they were cheap auction finds.

There are a few dozen shotguns, only one is decent, the rest have barrels worn so bad they are worn thin near the end of the barrel. Most everything has some sort of cosmetic issue, whether its surface rust, water damage to the wood, or just abuse. As it stands now, about a third of the collection is on the NJ banned list, so they can't go there. Another third is either junk or parts, or just wall decoration, and the rest I'd consider decent enough to repair or spend some time on to make them decent. This is not counting the replicas which I'm not even counting now if they are truly a non issue as firearms. The only thing that bothers me is that some of those look like you could load and round and at least fire the cap, what would happen from there I have no idea. I'm not familiar enough with those to know how the are ported and how the fire gets to the charge in the barrel.
There are Spanish and French made muzzleloaders which all look basically the same, other than the fine print on these there is little difference between those from Spain and those from France. I did find another lot of guns marked Replica on the barrel that were made in New Bedford, MA. These are not all stamped Replica, and I can't really see any obvious differences other than the oval replica stamp on the barrel near the address and serial number. They look old, but don't look like they've ever been used. I'm sure that's by design if they are meant to represent a vintage rifle. These are all .50 and .54 cal. There are four marked JAPAN too, those are works of art, one if marked Replica, with the same oval stamp, the others are not. These are in matching sewn leather gun cases lined with wool, each has been personalized. These are also more than a foot longer than the others, standing more than 6' tall with the butt on the floor.

I found two more of the muzzleloading shot guns, but like the first one, these are in bad shape, lots of mismatched parts, worn barrels, and one has a trigger worn so bad its got a sharp edge on one side.

I'm finding more than I first thought was there but most of it is rough. I haven't gotten to the basement of attic yet though. There isn't a single piece so far that I'd feel comfortable either taking hunting or target shooting with, its all either too worn out or too old. If I was younger I'd look at this as a lifelong project to work on piecing some of these back together but I'm having my doubts as to whether or not a lot of these are worth the trouble. I tore down one M1 Garand and the thing is just plain worn out, the barrel is worn badly, I can drop a 30-06 bullet right through it, the rifling is almost completely worn away, the stock is loose, as if it shrank with age, and the trigger mech is worn so bad pins are worn almost through their respective parts and the hammer barely makes contact with a round, and not hard enough to fire the primer.  Its been rode hard and put away wet too many times for too long. It,like many others has an auction tag on it and an auction receipt where he paid $12 for it 25 years ago. Its one of many in this condition. There's a Henry 45 rifle that's in similar shape, the lever is detached, with one of the hinge holes obviously worn and pulled through. The trigger on this same rifle is pushed up into the action and jammed.

I'm pretty much just separating stuff like these into a pile, I'm still recording the serial numbers but I'm not too concerned about giving them space in the lock up room.

 

 

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@sharktooth, yes you can buy a rifle or shotgun at a flea market in PA from a private party without any kind of paperwork.  It's done all the time.  The problem is Federal law says you can only buy a long gun out of state from a FFL.  Yeah, a lot of people from NJ and other places buy long guns (also handguns) from private parties in other states and get away with it.  But if the gun doesn't go through a FFL it's a 5 year felony.  You don't see people getting prosecuted for this often but some do.

 You can buy a handgun from a FFL out of state but can't take possession of it in the other state.  It must be sent to a FFL in your home state to take possession.  That's Federal law.

Gun shops (FFLs) will require you to show proof of residence to sell to you.  I would be leery of any gun shop that will sell you any gun without ID.

If you establish a residence in PA you can buy and sell guns with private parties all you want.  If you do so you should get some ID with your PA address.  Establishing a dual residence for the purpose of buying and selling guns has nothing to do with where your drivers license is from, where your car is registered or which state you pay state taxes to.  I know people who have a residence in NJ and another in FL, PA, NC, SC, and other states.  They buy and sell guns under the laws of whichever states they have established a residence.

There is no requirement for replica guns to say "replica" on it AFAIK. 

Sounds lIke you have some job ahead of you sorting out those guns.  Just remember if you bring guns from PA to your NJ residence just be sure they're NJ legal.

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10 hours ago, siderman said:

I think at the NJ Gun buy backs inoperable weapons were getting $50 each. Just sayin....

They're probably worth a lot more to a re-enactor or collector. The thing that I need to be sure of first is if REPLICA means non firing or not on these.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have an address in PA, have had it for 7 years, but the only thing I have showing I own it is the deed, my electric bill, and my property tax bills. I ave no ID card saying PA on it. I stay there when I'm up in PA, but that place is empty most of the time. Even when I worked and lived there, I still had all NJ paperwork. The company I worked for there was based in NJ, all the vehicles were registered in NJ, and they recommended that I keep my NJ license, so I did.

Believe it or not, NJ is cheaper to own a truck in, the insurance isn't that far apart, with PA being about a hundred or so cheaper per year, the registration is cheaper in PA but their private inspection system is a mess. No matter which shop you go to, they seemed to find at least $400 worth of work or more it 'needs' to pass inspection. Even on a year old truck with only 4500 miles on it. The last time was the last straw and I registered all my vehicles in NJ. The simple fact I don't have to deal with that every year was worth it.

I suppose I could get a library card or Sam's club card with my PA address but I wouldn't think that would serve as ID.

Up until a few months ago I owned property in FL, they didn't consider just owning a house there residence. You had to show proof of residence via a minimum of two forms of proof, one being a 6 month or older car registration. I owned that place for 9 years and still had to pay for a non resident fishing license there since none of my credentials said FL on them.

The reality of buying a used gun at a flea market in PA is that they really can't prove where you got it.
There's at least one used gun dealer near me there and I've never been asked for anything more than a DL, and that was a few years ago when buying ammo. They looked at it only for proof of age, they didn't write anything down or scan it.

Since then they've sold to me without any questions.

One thing that concerns me is that NJ sort of leaves the 'banned' list pretty open ended with that 'substantially similar' clause.
With some of the guns on the list not having any of the banned features forbidden by NJ, yet still are banned, how can I be sure a used gun won't fall under the substantially similar clause?

The M1 Carbine is a good example, a fairly low power rifle with a small capacity magazine that on the banned list. Does this mean any semi auto carbine type rifle is banned here too?

What are the rules on shotguns? There are several pump action shot guns with 8 or more round capacity mags, (extended mag tubes).

 

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Just about any non-functioning firearm that can be repaired has a lot more value than what a gun buy back will pay.  A good 1911 frame by itself is worth at least $100 all day long.

I don't know if anyone ever made a genuine firearm with the word "replica" on it.  It doesn't make any difference what it says on the gun.  It's either a firearm or a non-firing replica.  If you can't tell the difference you need to find someone who can tell.

Having a PA address and having a PA residence are two different things.  Under Federal law the only guidance is you establish a home in amother state.  States may have requirements to consider you a resident.  A state may have different requirements for residency for voting, getting a driver's license, getting a resident fishing license and other things none of which are required to establish a residence under Federal law when it comes to buying guns.  If you want to establish a PA residence (you already have a place)  you need to sort this out.

Owning property in a state and being a part time resident are two different things.  If I own 10 houses and 1000 acres of property in FL I don't qualify as a resident unless I established a residence.

A FFL is exercising caution when they ask for multiple IDs.  They are also within their rights to deny a sale solely on the basis they don't feel comfortable with it no matter how many IDs you have.  You can go to one FFL who denies you with the ID you have and go to another that sells you the gun with the same ID.  Both of them are within their rights.

I'm well aware of how easily one can purchase a firearm from a private party at a flea market in most states.  If you're not a resident of that state it's a Federal felony.  Yes, your chances of being caught are low and you may do it 100 times and never get in trobule.  That's a criminal mentality.  There are a lot of things you can get away with numerous times and not get caught.  Many of them are victimless crimes but crimes none the less.

You say if you buy a gun at a flea market they can't really prove where you got it.  Well it may be hard but not impossible.  Criminals dont commit crimes with thoughts of getting caught.   How many felonies do you feel comfortable committing?

You say a dealer in PA asked you for ID once and that was for ammo.  Recording ammo sales is only a requirement by a few states.  Has he ever sold you a gun?  If he did without getting ID and filling out a 4473 he's committed a crime.  If he's an unlicensed dealer he's committing a crime.

I know plenty of places I can go in NJ and buy a handgun without "anyone knowing where it came from".  Never did it because I don't want to go to jail.

I'll start off by saying a assault weapons ban in any state is stupid and doesp nothing to deter crime.  If you're in that state you need to abide by those stupid laws to stay out of jail.  Simple fact.

You assure a gun is NJ legal by doing two things:

1.  Check to see if it's banned by name.  An otherwise compliant AR is banned if it says AR15 on the receiver.

2.  A semi auto rifle with the ability to accept a magazine over 15 rds and more than one evil feature.  Most legal ARS in NJ are sold with the evil feature of a pistol grip.  Add another evil feature and it's an assault weapon.  For example if you have a SKS with a fixed magazine 15 rds or less you can have a folding stock, pistol grip, bayonet stud and whatever you want.  The AWB doesn't apply.

There are stickies on this forum to help you determine whats legal in NJ.

The list in NJ bans certain guns by name OR as substantially identical.  A firearm doesn't have to have evil features to be banned by name.

M1 carbines are banned by name.  It's pretty clear all semiautomatics are not banned in NJ.

AWB does not apply to pump action guns.  You can have anything on a pump, bolt,  or even a semiautomatic as long as the magazine is 15 rds or less.

You have homework to do.

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From what I've seen, there are different types of gun shops around, those that are full service shops, stocked with an array of new items are one type, then I see specialty shops, those that deal only in hunting rifles and shotguns, and often archery and other sporting goods, and then there's the few that have only used guns or old military surplus and ammo. The latter best describes the place I went into. I was told that so long as I can give him a PA address that I can receive mail at I'm a PA resident in his eyes. They card as a formality. I doubt if they are an actual FFL or not, it more or less seems like a display of someone's personal collection with some used guns for sale. They don't have a sign, they don't advertise but they do have used guns with prices on them on display behind glass.

Back when I worked in PA full time, in the mid 1990's, I bought several long guns from Dick's with nothing more than the guy behind the counter checking my DL for age. I then took the boxed rifle to the front register to pay. No different than buying a fishing rod at the time. I went in there with the intent to buy a pellet gun to chase critters off my boat dock in the morning and got talked into a .22 rifle that was on sale for cheap. A week later I bought a .410 shotgun the same way. The house I lived in then was company supplied, I lived there for 13 years full time having my mail forwarded from my NJ address the whole time. If I was doing anything illegal, I didn't know it. I considered myself a PA resident at that time and voted in PA. This was in an area about an hour from the NJ line. My place now is 2.5 hours into PA.

I stay at either location as I see fit, if I have work to do in PA, I can be there more than in NJ some years. I get mail at both locations. I would most definitely consider my place in PA a residence, its a far nicer place than what I have in NJ.

I was originally intending to move full time to PA but decided I don't want to be that far away from the ocean with no place to stay. I keep my boat here too.

After spending a few hours today tagging and writing down serial numbers, I'm finding a lot of shotguns and older rifles with no numbers at all, not even a manufacturer's mark. They're obviously antique, but identifying them is going to be tough.

Determining whether those marked replica are firing or non firing rifles may be tough, a few are identical copies to a few early US Springfield rifles I found, other than being obviously newer, all functions are the same, the drillings are the same, and all parts seemt of function as intended. A powder load and bullet can be loaded, a cap can be inserted. Other than setting off the charge there would be no other way of knowing if its indeed capable of firing. I have found 5 that have the ram rods pinned in place, but other than that they appear to be identical to known originals. Yet they are marked Replica next to the serial number. My guess is that the percussion cap passage is not drilled through into the barrel but I've not had the time to explore that yet. For now, I'm just sorting the black powder guns into two categories, those marked Replica, and those that are not.

I have no intention of bringing them here to NJ to use, if they are display pieces only, then they can be hung on the wall as such rather than hanging a valuable antique there instead.

 

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I took a trunk full of the black powder rifles marked "Replica" today to a local gun shop who's tag I found on one of the rifles.
Out of 28 cap and ball rifles, all marked 'Replica' above their serial numbers, three were not able to fire a round.  One of those three was simply disabled by pinning the ramrod in place, another had a non drilled cap holder, and the third had a barrel that was not drilled through to the cap so the charge couldn't be ignited by the cap.
All the rest were completely functional. I was told that they are marked replica to distinguish them from a more valuable original cap and ball rifle from that period. Since they carry the same markings as the original, without the "Replica" stamping, they would be identical. The rifle made in Japan apparently is pretty desirable but not very valuable. Its by far the most detailed with the best fit and finish but it looks too good to be a good copy.
They all have hex shaped barrels with round rifled bores.

Out of the black powder handguns, all but one is in firing condition, with the one needing some work to fix barrel alignment. Its likely just well worn or worn out.

It figures that the guns that mean the least to me turn out to be in the best shape. The later rifles and handguns are all in rough shape, either due to rust, wear or missing parts. A few appear to have been disabled intentionally.

One Winchester 30/30 has the name of some High School branded into the stock, its barrel is plugged preventing it from taking a loaded round. Otherwise its a complete gun. One .22 Remington has the barrel cut off, and they brazed the sights back on the end. Most everything has had parts replaced, work done to it, or modifications made. Nearly every shotgun has a replacement barrel, some are OEM branded, others are not. Some appear to be a mix of years, such as a 1985 magnum barrel on a 1971 2-3/4" shotgun action. In some cases, parts can be swapped around to make them right again. I don't think they were switched around, I think its just a matter of chance and that they were acquired that way over many years. I don't think he had any real idea how many he bought over the years, they just accumulated. At some point he was sorting them into separate boxes and lockers but I think towards the end they just got stacked in the corners and behind furniture in the house. I think it was a matter of him just liking guns, and he probably bought anything that was cheap when he had the chance. What i'm finding is a lot of well worn pieces with worn out barrels and worn down firing pins. Many appear to have been used till they just quit working or couldn't be cobbled back together again.
Its starting to look like this whole mess may be a giant waste of time, so far I've only found seven or eight decent pieces that I'll keep and bring home. The banned rifles are a different story, most are in decent shape, although many have been halfheartedly disabled by either removing the firing pin, plugging the breach with a wood plug, or filling the magazines with non-firing shells which are glued together. One Browning BAR has a red wooden plug tapped into the breach and another into the end of the barrel. The clip is filled with bright orange fake plastic rounds and the firing pin is gone. They were likely either disabled for display or stage use.  On models with they're firing pins removed or disabled, the firing pin is in most cases with the gun or nearby so most can be converted back to a working firearm again.

So far its looking like the replica black powder guns are the best of the lot.

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