Need Some Advie On Our Club Gun Raffle

[THO Game Calls]

We had our Board of Dirctors meeting this afternoon at my Fish and Game Club.  Seems we have now saved about 1500 buck this year on heating and snow removal cost.  Basically, we have had no snow and it's not been cold enough to heat the place so we have some extra money.

We have an annual New Years Shoot for members only and this year we want to use some of the money to either give away or raffle off a new gun.  They are thinking a Coach Gun, double barrel from Stoeger because the club is big into Cowboy Action Shooting. 

Anyway, and arugument started, which is always the way things go, about the legailites of transfering a firearm to someone. 

My thoghts are that everyoine who joins the club had a background check done, and has to have a valid hunting license or they can't join, and if they loose their hunting liecense, they get kicked out.  But some people are afraid that we could end up giving a gun to someone who is not able to buy a gun without knowing we did so, and that would leave the club liable.   (all they would get is some swamp land and an old frig full of beer)

So, does anyone have any clue how we might go about this?  Is it legal even?   Do we have to do a background check?

Thanks for any advice you might have

Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

[yucca]

When our predator club gives guns away we just go to sportsman's and pick out the firearm we need. After we get the price worked out we get a GIFT CARD for the ammount of the firearm. The store gets the gift card once they have passed the required background checks. You have to put a disclaimer in the rules of the raffle or contest that the gun goes back to the club if the winner cannot pass background.



Here are a few firearms we gave out last week:

[FinsnFur]

There's a couple taverns here in the boondocks that each give away a brand new scoped rifle every month. Been doing it for years.

The rifle is paid for by the public buying tickets.
Penny Raffle, and how that works is they right down all the money increments of to ....I think $25 bucks, not sure about that one but the biggest one isn't much. For example they right "1 cent" on one and throw it in the bucket. Then "2 cents" on one and throw it in the bucket.
They do this all the way up to, Like I said, I think $25 bucks. If you want to buy some tickets, you stick your hand in the bucket and pull out as many pieces of paper you want, and you pay what they say. Then your name goes on each one for the drawing and they get put into a different bucket.

The tavern owners go to Cabela's which is just a few miles away, ahead of time, pick out the rifle and scope, pay for it, and leave the bolt there.
The owner will call and say so n so won and is coming down to get the bolt and fill out papers. They do all the legal jive right there.
That way the rifle is also safe to display to the participating patrons, which usually hangs from the ceiling at the bar.

Guns in bars...only Wisconsin, right?

[THO Game Calls]

Thanks Jim and Yucca.  THis is a first for the club.  We have never had the money to do anything like this.  Should be fun. 


Al
THO Game Calls
www.thogamecalls.com

[Hawks Feather]

Al,

We have had some gun raffles at the Fish and Game, and I also handle the Duck's Unlimited, Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever dinners.  They were all run through background checks.  At the dinners some of the guns were bought at the gun shop where I helped and others were bought elsewhere.  I would usually get a free meal and then did the calls for the background checks BEFORE anyone got one of the guns.  For the Fish and Game raffles the firearms were held at the shop for the winner to come in and complete the background check. 

Unless you get used guns at a show, the guns will need a background check to be initially purchased.  It is just easier to not have a straw purchase on your record.

Jerry

[KySongDog]

Interesting thread.

The club I belong to is doing the same thing....raffling a handgun.  One of the members bought the gun in his name in order to show the public what was being raffled.  Who ever wins must go to the FFL dealer with the member and the gun will be transfered out of the member's name to the winner after background checks, etc.  Does this procedure sound OK or is there a legal trap somewhere?

Semp

[FinsnFur]

Sound ok to me.
The person that bought it has their name on, but if it's legally transferred and documented.....then I would think that takes care of it.

[Hawks Feather]

Semp,

That will take care of it.  If the winner and owner can not go to the gun shop at the same time, the owner (man who bought the gun) can take it to the FFL dealer and have the store reenter it in the FFL records book.  Then whenever the winner of the drawing shows up to get the gun he/she will have to do the background check.  It might depend on the wishes of the dealer.  The only thing that the purchaser does not want to do is  have the gun go to someone without the background check.  If there is no FFL transfer and someone misuses the firearm, it could be traced back to the original buyer.  Who then gets to explain that he gave the gun away.  The background check is a pain, but sometimes it will cover your backside.

Jerry

[KySongDog]

Thanks for the responses, guys.  This is the first time my chapter has done a raffle like this and we sure don't want to get crossways with the BATF.   

Semp