Post by hammer on Aug 25, 2010 17:21:11 GMT -5
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Back in the days of yore when dinosaurs roamed the earth...
It was common for fathers to give their young sons a rifle or shotgun on their birthday or for Christmas. Some got it as young as ten or twelve.
Back before 1910, my Father worked a whole summer in corn fields to earn a single-shot shotgun from his uncle. My Father was thirteen at the time. Child labor laws were not known in his isolated rural community. I still have that shotgun.
Technically, these gift guns might still be the legal possession of the parent, but by custom it was understood that the gun belonged to the youngster.
When the youngster became eighteen or twenty-one and left home, they commonly took the gun with them.
Sometimes, before reaching that age, unfortunately the father died. Perhaps many during World War II and Korea. The gun still belonged to the youngster in the eyes of the family.
Let's say someone wants to give their son or daughter a gift gun nowadays. The parent fills out the proper form at the gun dealer. There is a question concerning "Are you buying the gun for yourself or someone else?" which is intended to catch the strawman purchase. But that is not the intention of the gift gun. No criminality is intended.
Let's say the son or daughter is over 21.
Or let's say you're buying the gift gun as a retirement present for a grandfather.
Many years ago some employees of a company came to me wanting help in purchasing a gift gun for their retiring plant manager. It had to be something special. Since I knew the plant manager personally, knew that there was a gun he had as a teenager that he had lost along the way. Took two months to find a suitable gun to match that gift need -- my memory is bad but think it was an octagon-barrel Savage 99 in 30-30.
What is the legal and moral way to handle gift guns ?
.
Back in the days of yore when dinosaurs roamed the earth...
It was common for fathers to give their young sons a rifle or shotgun on their birthday or for Christmas. Some got it as young as ten or twelve.
Back before 1910, my Father worked a whole summer in corn fields to earn a single-shot shotgun from his uncle. My Father was thirteen at the time. Child labor laws were not known in his isolated rural community. I still have that shotgun.
Technically, these gift guns might still be the legal possession of the parent, but by custom it was understood that the gun belonged to the youngster.
When the youngster became eighteen or twenty-one and left home, they commonly took the gun with them.
Sometimes, before reaching that age, unfortunately the father died. Perhaps many during World War II and Korea. The gun still belonged to the youngster in the eyes of the family.
Let's say someone wants to give their son or daughter a gift gun nowadays. The parent fills out the proper form at the gun dealer. There is a question concerning "Are you buying the gun for yourself or someone else?" which is intended to catch the strawman purchase. But that is not the intention of the gift gun. No criminality is intended.
Let's say the son or daughter is over 21.
Or let's say you're buying the gift gun as a retirement present for a grandfather.
Many years ago some employees of a company came to me wanting help in purchasing a gift gun for their retiring plant manager. It had to be something special. Since I knew the plant manager personally, knew that there was a gun he had as a teenager that he had lost along the way. Took two months to find a suitable gun to match that gift need -- my memory is bad but think it was an octagon-barrel Savage 99 in 30-30.
What is the legal and moral way to handle gift guns ?
.
