Inheriting Class III firearms?

[PartsMan]

My wife's father has some Class III fire arms. (full auto)
He intends to leave them to her and or my son when he dies.
Is there anything we need to do before hand so that she can own or sell these fire arms?

[Graybeard]

Almost assuredly so. Since he is into collecting them he really should be familiar with the rules/laws on transferring them. For sure at a minimum a $200 transfer fee each will have to be paid and you'll have to process them with BATFE and that might require a class III dealer be involved. I'd be discussing it with BATFE and a class III dealer long before the need arises.

[phalanx]

Gray Beard is right , it may be better to start with a Class III , Hire them ,and let them talk to BATFE.
ATF lately will give you one story ,then if you call them again you get another.
The Class III will know what paperwork needs to be filed ,and how to go about it.
Be careful ,if he were to pass away the guns are not in his wife's name but in his.
It may be best to have something on file where in that event they are transferred to the Class III ASAP.
This way the guns are still under the deceased mans name ,but not in possession of someone else.
Then they are logged in and accounted for and set up for consignment sale.
If you get some young ATF agent wanting to make a name for himself , he can come in and collect all of those guns ,and arrest everyone there.
You will beat it in court ,but you will not have the guns and the Lawyers will kill you on Legal fees.
This is what my ClassIII and my Lawyer told me.

[PartsMan]

I have had a bad feeling that things could get messy if not handled proper.
I met the guy on my wedding day when he showed me his Tommy Gun.
He covered my pool table with guns.
Know of any class III dealers in northern Oklahoma?

P.S. He is not married and has never been.

[phalanx]

He needs to contact a Lawyer that works in this sort of thing ,they are out there ,and set up some sort of will.
The Class III cant do anything until the guns are transferred to him  ,if the paper work is already in place at the time your friend passes  ,it would help.
Either way a Class III or better has got to be involved ,if not then ATF will be there before they even put your friend in the ground.
If those guns are transferable ,then they are worth a lot of money , the Thompson alone could bring 20k.
If they are not transferable then your friend is an SOT or he has some other license and it means he was paying the yearly tax on the guns as only inventory .for sale to LE. only.
You need to find out if he has a license ,or if all he has is the stamp required on weapons produced before 1986.
Before 1986 the guns are transferable ,after that date they are not ,and they require a great deal to be in his possession.