Lost FA 10s

Laura

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I've got a slew of guns but over the years, I've lost my records of gun purchases. Nearly all were purchased in local shops, a few privately. What can I or should I do to remedy this? I've looked but we moved several years back and not sure if my records got discarded. Appreciate any info. Thank you.
 
OP: You've reached Government-level efficiency.

Back in the day, transfers were recorded by filling out a "Blue Card" that was, in fact, blue, and sending it in to the State. Apparently, they were filed by putting them into cardboard boxes, and leaving the boxes in a place (IIRC a stairwell), where they were destroyed by a leaky roof. Oops.

If you have the correct license....follow Jack's advice.
 
OP: You've reached Government-level efficiency.

Back in the day, transfers were recorded by filling out a "Blue Card" that was, in fact, blue, and sending it in to the State. Apparently, they were filed by putting them into cardboard boxes, and leaving the boxes in a place (IIRC a stairwell), where they were destroyed by a leaky roof. Oops.

If you have the correct license....follow Jack's advice.
Only ~30K were destroyed by water. All the rest were computerized.

I agree do nothing and enjoy.
 
You could always pay the $25 to the FRB and get the list. But it’s only a list of serial numbers for every gun that was recorded in a transaction involving you. It doesn’t give you the date of the transfer, any information about the gun other than the s/n, who was the transferer/transferee, etc.
 
Easy fix I will buy all of your guns for $1 a piece and you will have a folder with all the FA-10s you need
 
Only ~30K were destroyed by water. All the rest were computerized.

I agree do nothing and enjoy.

But does it matter if it was 30K or 1k? Doesn't really matter since they can't say a specific one was destroyed or never filed. [smile]
 
Honest, naive question. Is there any state or federal requirement to keep your copies of FA-10s? I didn't think there was.

Not that I have ever been aware of. They require you do the paperwork (Now online) and file it, not hold onto your copies. It's good to have these things, just for piece of mind but I also don't have all of mine.
 
I have all but 1 copy of my FA10's going back to 2009...I just assumed it was a good idea to hold onto them but the stack of paper is getting rather thick and taking up space in my safe....hmmm.
 
Honest, naive question. Is there any state or federal requirement to keep your copies of FA-10s? I didn't think there was.

Can't be federal because it isn't a federal form.
I'm saying this because I was a CT resident, I am a Georgia resident - and the only form I've filled out in both states is the 4473 when transferring a gun through an FFL, (where transfer includes sale/purchase).

CT has a DPS-3-C which is a STATE form; I imagine that your FA-10 is similar?

Hanging onto your bills of sale isn't a bad idea, it proves, (well - sort of), that you sold a firearm - it's no longer in your possession.
 
Honest, naive question. Is there any state or federal requirement to keep your copies of FA-10s? I didn't think there was.

There's no legal requirement, at least not in MA, but someone could argue it was "massprudent" to do so in the event of some issue, EG, in case you somehow or another got in trouble with the kopsch and they went full douche and wanted you to "explain" where all your guns went, but frankly if I reach that point I'm not talking to them about any of that shit, they can talk to whoever my attorney is (who is politely going to tell them to f*** off, or is going to ask me for that information in whatever way I can supply it to him etc. ).

I am a fan of the "keep records, but treat them like a poker hand - nobody gets to see that shit unless your lawyer tells you to play that
hand". This means doing stuff like storing them offsite, etc. Maybe scan and encrypt the docs and store the device somewhere offsite.

I've seen more than one case where "gun records lying around invited police fishing expedition, news at 11" stuff to make me not want to leave that shit
lying around in the same places the guns are. Some bad/shitty cops see gun records and they instantly get a prosecutorial boner and start getting delusions of grandeur in their head reading names and so on. Don't give them any free ideas. (like ole drippy says in ATHF, "Idle hands spend time at the genitals. " ) The only exception to this I would make is a photocopy of an NFA tax stamp paperwork for SBR, MG, etc, in states where someone is legally compelled to show this stuff to law enforcement and/or states that have a "illegal but not if NFA registered" clause in their laws.

ETA: Obviously if someone is an FFL there are a whole other set of record-keeping requirements etc laid forth by BATFE but that's not the kind of stuff I'm talking
about.

-Mike
 
There's no legal requirement, at least not in MA, but someone could argue it was "massprudent" to do so in the event of some issue, EG, in case you somehow or another got in trouble with the kopsch and they went full douche and wanted you to "explain" where all your guns went, but frankly if I reach that point I'm not talking to them about any of that shit, they can talk to whoever my attorney is (who is politely going to tell them to f*** off, or is going to ask me for that information in whatever way I can supply it to him etc. ).

I am a fan of the "keep records, but treat them like a poker hand - nobody gets to see that shit unless your lawyer tells you to play that
hand". This means doing stuff like storing them offsite, etc. Maybe scan and encrypt the docs and store the device somewhere offsite.

I've seen more than one case where "gun records lying around invited police fishing expedition, news at 11" stuff to make me not want to leave that shit
lying around in the same places the guns are. Some bad/shitty cops see gun records and they instantly get a prosecutorial boner and start getting delusions of grandeur in their head reading names and so on. Don't give them any free ideas. (like ole drippy says in ATHF, "Idle hands spend time at the genitals. " ) The only exception to this I would make is a photocopy of an NFA tax stamp paperwork for SBR, MG, etc, in states where someone is legally compelled to show this stuff to law enforcement and/or states that have a "illegal but not if NFA registered" clause in their laws.

ETA: Obviously if someone is an FFL there are a whole other set of record-keeping requirements etc laid forth by BATFE but that's not the kind of stuff I'm talking
about.

-Mike

Agree totally. I'm not in MA so the only records I keep are NFA ( original form 4s, with cancelled checks and bank statements) in the safe. Copies of all NFA paperwork in two other places, one of them off site, and the one C&R entry in my logbook.
 
Feds can't trace private sales, since FA10 is a state form only.

Lol, of course they can.... because 99 out of 100 people will tell the fed at their doorstep who they sold a gun to, hoping the guy won't come back.... a lot of ATF trace requests are done "by hand" in that way...
 
Lol, of course they can.... because 99 out of 100 people will tell the fed at their doorstep who they sold a gun to, hoping the guy won't come back.... a lot of ATF trace requests are done "by hand" in that way...
In the case of the "Banana peel bandit" ATF traced from the NH dealer to a NH resident and then to a Mass resident. You can run, but you can't hide. Jack.
 
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