To most, curio and relic are fancy words meaning collectible and old. To gun collectors and hobbyists such as myself it means an excuse to spend more money. The term Curios and relics is a designation of a firearm by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) Code of Federal Regulations (Title 27, Part 478.11) that are at least one of the following:
“1.) Firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas thereof;
2.) Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, State, or Federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and
3.) Any other firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or because of their association with some historical figure, period, or event. Proof of qualification of a particular firearm under this category may be established by evidence of present value and evidence that like firearms are not available except as collector’s items, or that the value of like firearms available in ordinary commercial channels is substantially less.”
C&R firearms may include the infamous M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Arisaka Type 99, Mosin Nagant M91/30, and MANY more!
Images above are from and property of www.bayonetstrength.150m.com.
For many collectors, coming across a rare and substantial part of history can be a once in a life time opportunity. Going through traditional methods of a firearms purchase can be time consuming and expensive after applicable processes and fees. For others, it’s the discounts one may receive from a variety of online/mail vendors. Fortunately, acquiring C&R firearms and qualifying for substantial savings are made easier with a license to collect said firearms.
A C&R License (Class 03 FFL) is actually a Federal Firearms License (FFL) that is similar to a firearm dealer’s license – minus other regulated firearms and business aspects. This license allows one to participate in interstate commerce. A C&R License is only meant to collect firearms for personal collection and it is not meant to conduct business. Of course, one may sell occasionally to clear up the safe, but don’t make it a habit where one is creating a profit.
Getting a C&R license may enhance your collection and simply provide you with discounts. However, one must keep a perfect record of all of the C&R firearms that come and go inside a record book called a bound-book. Having poor record keeping will get one into legal trouble. Nevertheless, if you’re interested, visit www.surplusrifle.com. The link provide almost everything you need to know to get started. The process was relatively painless and took only seven weeks for my license to arrive in the mail. Along with the license is a C&R kit that contains several books on Federal Code and local laws related to firearms, ATF forms for address changes, and other misc. paper.
The folks at www.empirearms.com provide a great write up on C&R firearm laws in California.
Once you apply and receive your license, send your COPIES (please do not send your original license or sign it! Only sign the copy!) to vendors that you’ll potentially do business with. A fantastic list was created by members of the www.ar15.com community.
I hope the resources above provide an idea on how to apply and use it to enjoy firearms at another level.
