Texas-Book-Gun Law Armed And Educated - Flipbook - Page 135
Texas law does not require a lost or stolen gun be reported to law
enforcement, but in most instances it is the prudent course of action.
With that said, if a firearm goes missing, it is important to speak
with an attorney before reporting the loss to law enforcement. This
may avoid inadvertently creating criminal liability (e.g., disclosing
the loss leads police to discover another crime).
Reporting the gun lost or stolen breaks what is commonly referred
to as the “chain of custody.” It clearly delineates when you had
the gun and when it left your possession. If you decide to report
your firearm as lost or stolen, law enforcement will enter the gun’s
information into the National Crime Information Center database
maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
H. What happens to my firearms when I die?
Depending on the manner in which a person leaves his or her estate
behind, firearms may be bequeathed in a customary manner like
other personal property because federal law provides an exception
to the interstate transfer restrictions for firearms acquired by bequest
or intestate succession. See 27 CFR 478.30. Does this mean you
can leave your firearms to your nephew who is a convicted felon?
Or that you can leave firearms with “high-capacity magazines”
to your daughter in California? No. Careful consideration needs
to be given in estate planning with consideration for firearms law
of both the jurisdiction in which the estate is located as well as
consideration of who is to receive the firearms.
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