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New Mexico transfer to Florida

MOONED
There is a fellow at my place of business which was born & raised in new Mexico. He moved away several years ago and left an assortment of firearms there at his mother's house. The majority were his grandfathers, which were passed down to him. I do not know if he was a resident of New Mexico or Florida at the time of his grandfathers death. That would be the only possible "snag" with transferring them. Anyway, the collection is quite extensive (close to 70), and he would now like to move them to his house in Florida.

What is the best way to handle this transfer? I do not really know what the law in Florida states, nor do I know what New Mexico law states in this scenario. Obviously,he does not want to have to transfer through an FFL all (70 or so) of the firearms. As I mentioned earlier, the only hitch may be whether or not he was a resident of New Mexico when the firearms were passed down. There could have been an agreement prior to his grandfathers passing such as, "these will be your's one day"....

All suggestions are appreciated, especially those who know the legalities of outbound firearms in New Mexico and inbound firearms in Florida.

Aaron
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • mark christian
    Firearms which are inherited through interstate bequest can be taken directly from New Mexico to Florida by the beneficiary. If the guns are going to be shipped from New Mexico to Florida there are two options: Have them shipped through an FFL dealer in Florida or he goes to New Mexico, claims his inheritance and then, since the guns are now his own property, ships them to himself. To manage the latter he is going to have to appear in person to claim his property, otherwise they remain property of the estate and will have to go through a Florida FFL dealer on the receiving end.
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  • rufe-snow
    I would have make sure that all the legal documents pertaining to the inheritance are in proper order prior to transferring the firearms from New Mexico to Florida. 65+ guns unless they are junkers, are going to be worth a lot of money. Any time a lot of money is involved the various relatives involved are going to start getting envious and greedy. If he doesn't have a valid will from his Grandfather specifically noting which guns he will inherit, the relatives could cause him severe legal problems.

    There is also the question if any of the firearms are of the Class 3 type. I don't believe he could freely transfer them between States until the Federal paper work/Tax Stamps/regulations? etc. Were completed.
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  • MOONED
    None are class 3 weapons. His grandfather had good shooters and some collectables. He has already taken possession of a few, some of which are an 1860 Colt revolver, a Whitney .22 and a few others which I do not recall.

    Also, he inherited the "lot" several years back, but has never brought them back to Florida. His grandfather may have passed away while he was underage to accept them legally. This fellow is only 27, and has been in Florida for at least six years. I guess what I'm getting at is that there should be no disputing from other relatives regarding ownership. He is simply trying to get them to Florida at the least cost, but still in a legal manner. I have already told him that when he takes his family "back home" in September, he could possibly ship them to himself. To me, that would be a legal method, since he is the owner, and he is merely shipping them to himself. If he was driving, problem solved, because he could transport them himself. But since he will be flying, that opens a new "can o'worms". Yes he can ship them in lockable gun cases, but that would be costly, as each case is more "baggage" to the airline.

    What about several firearms packed in boxes? Yes, they have to go UPS next day (expensive). But this is a viable option. Does anyone else have any ideas regarding the shipping of these items?

    Aaron
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  • zink
    He could fly back, get the guns, rent a van, then drive to Fl. It's onlt a two day trip, no biggie, done it several times.

    Lance
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  • mark christian
    Unless we know the actual make up of the 70 guns involved it is nearly impossible to cover all of the options. If we are talking about mostly long guns then he can just ship them by (say) UPS ground to himself and carry the pistols along with him as checked baggage. He will get home long before the brown truck delivers his rifles and shotguns. If we are talking about 70 modern handguns it would be cheaper to buy the pistols a first class seat on an airliner than to ship them UPS/FedEx air...That is going to cost an arm and two legs. The firearms which are antiques can simply be mailed, including any antique handguns which can go into a large USPS flat rate box at $15 for up to 70 pounds.
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  • gunnut505
    What Zink said.
    Get here, pack them all carefully, and DRIVE them back to Florida.

    OR-he could just leave them at my place, and I'd enjoy them until he decides how he wants to do this.
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  • Alan Rushing
    MOONED

    I agree with what zink and others have said here. If he has them "shipped" the costs and the probability of some being lost or damaged goes up tremendously.

    Whether the gentleman flies back or drives back to pick the pieces up and transport would perhaps make a difference of a day or two at most.

    If it were me, I'd look for a buddy or two that would be game for a short trip ... see and do things going out. Pkg, load and go non-stop, straight trip back home. Done quick, clean, simple, safe and secure ... and a little vacation going West.

    The round trip by truck would probably be a wash with the flight out, and one-way truck rental.
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  • MOONED
    Thanks all for the replies. I don't think he wants to make the drive. I would agree that a road trip is the best way to go, but I doubt he wants to do that.

    His father-in-law is a long-haul trucker, but thinks the DOT will hastle him. I have now idea, but since the father-in-law passes through there every couple of months, that would be the best viable solution. To bad he doesn't want to be involved because of possible problems. I think the DOT problems are fictitious, but with the problems they have that way with arms being transported to Mexico, he may be correct.
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  • Shansei45
    I think along the same lines as Alan Rushing's reply. But I would get one buddy to fly out with me to help pack, load, etc., and share the drive back. After flying out there pick up a rental van or SUV. No need for any larger vehicle which might draw attention from weigh station, potential hijackers/thieves.

    Once loaded-up and, rolling drive straight through with no overnight stops, taking turns driving/sleeping. When stopped for a meal, park so you can keep an eye on the vehicle at all times. No consumption of alcohol or use of any illegal substance during entire trip.

    Drive VERY carefully to avoid any unnecessary contact with ANY law officer, and have SOME kind of documentation along to prove ownership of the guns - just in case...

    Best regards ~ ~ ~ Shansei45
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  • gunnut505
    Back when I drove trucks, a driver had no possibility of traveling with a firearm; much less 50-70 of them. The Feds would LOVE to pull the Dad over for a "random" check only to discover a rolling arsenal cruising through the Southland.
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  • Shansei45
    gunnut505 has a valid point. One unanswered question is, do you have a license from your home state to carry a weapon? In FL we have a concealed carry license which is honored in a huge majority of our states. When we travel interstate, which is SELDOM, I check to make sure the states we will travel through or to have a reciprocity agreement with FL.

    Best regards ~ ~ ~ Shansei45
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  • He Dog
    They will just rust away in Florida, he should leave them here with me.
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