Current black powder laws

gearheaddad

Refresh my memory as to where we are with BP laws.

Can a Colt 1860 Army or 1851 Navy Reproduction Pistol be shipped to a private party? Or do they need to go through an FFL?

Thanks on advance fellas,

Ed

mark christian

Without knowing where the person receiving the pistol lives the question cannot be answered with certainty. New Jersey is a definite no-no, but there are other states and localities. 

gearheaddad

Thanks Mark, so is it legal as far as the Feds go? I just have to be careful of State and Local Laws?

mark christian

As far as the feds are concerned it isn't even a firearm. It's just an ornament. 

gearheaddad

That's what I thought. But I know the laws are always changing, so I thought I'd check on here first!

Thanks again, Mark

Ed

chme

Disclaimer- IANAL-  Under FEDERAL law, it is an antique firearm, not a firearm IF it is a matchlock, caplock, flintlock that uses loose ball and powder.  The Colt reproductions you listed are not firearms, and can be shipped directly to buyer EXCEPT NJ.

And while everyone says "black powder pistol" or something like that, the law does not care what powder it uses.  Some of the new in-line rifles may not qualify, if they are not "matchlock, caplock or flintlock".   

mac10

I had to produce a ffl to get a civil war era cap and ball out of new jersey for a customer

Butchdog2

Good to go except for some of the newer BP rifles like the Remington ML-700 that uses a center fire case with primer for ignition.

mrmike08075

https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11185196#Comment_11185196

Used to be that gun shows right across the bridges in Philadelphia and bucks county and Bristol PA all had tables with dealers who simply had piles of reproduction black powder pistols...

Traditions 1851 colt navy cap and ball revolvers stacked 40 deep and copious amounts of centerfire conversion cylinders and shoulder stocks...

They would sell out to buyers from NJ who were taking the guns home avoiding a nics check and pistol permit and firearms id card and the accompanying fees and wait times...

The conversion cylinders allowed use of modern center fire ammo essentially making them up to date modern pistols...

The shoulder stocks which are proscribed and prohibited in NJ made for very efficient home defense or self defense short barrel carbines that fired .38 special ammo - and you could swap cylinders pretty quickly with practice...

Felons and those who were prohibited from buying firearms could use this route to acquire such a gun...

At one point catalogs like the guide to sportsman and others which would not ship these pistols to NJ - along with high cap magazines and folding stocks and tannerite and many other products were shipping orders to post office boxes or mail box stores right across the river in PA...

Then the big cabelas went up in Pennsylvania not to far from Jersey - and NJ residents were bringing home models that were not Jersey legal - and magazines that were not Jersey legal - cabelas staff either not caring or not understanding the difference...

Thousands of these transactions took place - still take place - possibly ten's of thousands...

There were for quite awhile individuals at every gun show selling such pistols out of the trunk of their cars with no paperwork - cash and carry...

No exaggeration - true tale.

Heck one of our towns local police officers ended up being fired for selling NJ prohibited or banned firearms and magazines out of the trunk of his squad car in uniform on duty...

That got hushed up PDQ.

Mike

allen griggs

New Jersey is a world of its own.   A few years back, an antiques dealer bought a flintlock pistol made in 1720 in England.  Probably had not been fired in 2 centuries.  Probably would not fire.  He got caught during a traffic stop and he was facing years in jail.