So... I'm offering this story as a PSA to anyone who gets an unexpected "Disapproved" evaluation on a handgun application... stay calm, it just might not be you.
I found a nice single-action .45 Colt in PA and had it transferred to my favorite MD FFL (It was a little too new to be picked up directly on my FFL03). Everything went fine... did my 77R on my phone in the shop and prepared for my waiting period and figured that I could pick it up in time to shoot it for Father's day.
Last night at 7:30, I get an email from MSP... your application has been disapproved. If you want to appeal, submit a request in writing within 30 days. No explanation... no details... just "no soup for you". I'm in shock. I've bought over 100 regulated firearms (some recently), have an FFL03, an HQL, a WCP, am a designated collector, have a security clearance, am a police reserve officer, etc., etc. Other than a couple of traffic tickets, there is nothing in my background that could flag me. I don't even have a late library book.
I start thinking and worrying about this all night. In my attempt to fill out the form on my phone, could I have inadvertently have checked the wrong box? I go to the web portal dashboard and there is the disapproval (disapproval-other)... what does that mean? Search for it on the web... nothing. Make a late night call to a friend of mine who is an FFL-01... he doesn't know but checks his book... nothing. I double check my paperwork... nope it all looks right.
There is nothing I can do until the MSP opens in the morning, so I sit in bed with my brain working overtime and my BGOS kicking into full steam (I'm embarrassed to tell you some of the wild a$$ things I was fretting last night). I don't even want to think about the volume of stomach acid I generated last night. There weren't enough TUMS in the world to help.
8:00 am finally rolls around and I make a call to MSP expecting to get an administrative run-around (the lady on the other end was actually pretty helpful). I gave her my application number and 3 mins later she came back and said, it has nothing to do with you, the used gun that you were attempting to transfer came back as stolen.
So after a couple of short calls to my FFL and the one in PA (who was astonished and thinks it has to be a mistake), I think the sale will be voided and I should get my money back... and I'll have to buy myself another Father's day gift. It was a nice gun at a great price, but all things said and done, I hope that it gets back to its rightful owner. The PA FFL said that the gun came from the estate of a 93 year old collector and he bought 42 guns in that lot... he is going to check back with the estate, but said that he doubted very much that the last owner was involved in gun theft. I guess it is possible that he unknowingly bought a stolen gun himself. He also added that in 17 years as an FFL, this is the first time he's had to deal with something like this.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this in case anyone out there gets surprised by a disapproval. It may not be you, so take some TUMS and try and get some sleep.
P.S. No dogs were killed in the events described here.
I found a nice single-action .45 Colt in PA and had it transferred to my favorite MD FFL (It was a little too new to be picked up directly on my FFL03). Everything went fine... did my 77R on my phone in the shop and prepared for my waiting period and figured that I could pick it up in time to shoot it for Father's day.
Last night at 7:30, I get an email from MSP... your application has been disapproved. If you want to appeal, submit a request in writing within 30 days. No explanation... no details... just "no soup for you". I'm in shock. I've bought over 100 regulated firearms (some recently), have an FFL03, an HQL, a WCP, am a designated collector, have a security clearance, am a police reserve officer, etc., etc. Other than a couple of traffic tickets, there is nothing in my background that could flag me. I don't even have a late library book.
I start thinking and worrying about this all night. In my attempt to fill out the form on my phone, could I have inadvertently have checked the wrong box? I go to the web portal dashboard and there is the disapproval (disapproval-other)... what does that mean? Search for it on the web... nothing. Make a late night call to a friend of mine who is an FFL-01... he doesn't know but checks his book... nothing. I double check my paperwork... nope it all looks right.
There is nothing I can do until the MSP opens in the morning, so I sit in bed with my brain working overtime and my BGOS kicking into full steam (I'm embarrassed to tell you some of the wild a$$ things I was fretting last night). I don't even want to think about the volume of stomach acid I generated last night. There weren't enough TUMS in the world to help.
8:00 am finally rolls around and I make a call to MSP expecting to get an administrative run-around (the lady on the other end was actually pretty helpful). I gave her my application number and 3 mins later she came back and said, it has nothing to do with you, the used gun that you were attempting to transfer came back as stolen.
So after a couple of short calls to my FFL and the one in PA (who was astonished and thinks it has to be a mistake), I think the sale will be voided and I should get my money back... and I'll have to buy myself another Father's day gift. It was a nice gun at a great price, but all things said and done, I hope that it gets back to its rightful owner. The PA FFL said that the gun came from the estate of a 93 year old collector and he bought 42 guns in that lot... he is going to check back with the estate, but said that he doubted very much that the last owner was involved in gun theft. I guess it is possible that he unknowingly bought a stolen gun himself. He also added that in 17 years as an FFL, this is the first time he's had to deal with something like this.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this in case anyone out there gets surprised by a disapproval. It may not be you, so take some TUMS and try and get some sleep.
P.S. No dogs were killed in the events described here.