If you buy a handgun from out of state, Federal Law requires that it be shipped across state lines to a local FFL dealer who does the background checks and actually handles the final transaction to you. Without a local FFL willing and able to handle the transaction, it is illegal for someone to purchase a handgun out of their state and transport it across state lines to get it home.

(P.S. I don't own any long guns, and know that the rules are different for them, so don't know if the above applies)

So you're saying my handgun was purchased illegally?

I don't know the dates of various portions of the code but the section is USC title 18, part I.

So if you, as a resident of one state, went to another state, bought a handgun and transported it yourself back to your home state, yes, that is illegal. In fact, it would have been illegal for the dealer in the out of state shop to have sold it to you in the first place (he/she is supposed to check state residency of all purchasers). Federal Law mandates that the way such sales are supposed to be done is you pay for the handgun at the out of state dealer, but he/she must ship it directly to another FFL dealer in your state of residence, where you will then go, have your NICS background check done (and meet all local and state requirements) and then finally receive your handgun. The local FFL dealer will of course charge some nominal fee (it's usually not very much) for handling the transaction for you.

I don't know the dates of various portions of the code but the section is USC title 18, part I.

So if you, as a resident of one state, went to another state, bought a handgun and transported it yourself back to your home state, yes, that is illegal. In fact, it would have been illegal for the dealer in the out of state shop to have sold it to you in the first place (he/she is supposed to check state residency of all purchasers).

But, 10 years ago I wasn't even living in the US, so maybe it was different then?

Thank you. Apparently i did not purchase my handgun illegally:

I bought mine in the mid 1990s.

Quite the contrary. The M-16 has millions in use - not even thousands - millions! And i bet there are are least 100K in civi hands out there - fully automatic!

And if you read the 2nd A, you will see that it specifically calls out what guns are in military use, which means we should have access to M-16's if we want.

Anyway on another subject, I figured you Brits would get a kick out of this:

-S

PS. i find this interesting too:

I hope you're right. But J. Scalia's opinion pointed out the M-16 in particular as something that might be banned under the standard he articulared.