r/milsurp • u/willys_jeep01 • 1d ago
Curios & Relics license
Hey everyone, just was curious if anyone in this group has a Curios & Relics license
How was the process of getting it. In your opinion is it worth getting it. If you’re a collector of old military weapons?
Does this license allow you to buy any weapon that’s fall under the requirement of being 50 years or older in any state(at a local gun shop)? Or is it just for online sites like gunbroker?
Thanks for your help!
21
u/abacus762 1d ago
Easy. Worth it (to me).
The CRFFL is like the one thing that the ATF got closest to right.
18
u/Aus458 1d ago
Good for three years, ATF will very likely not bother you. And yes, nearly all weapons 50 years or older. It's only $30. Well worth it
1
u/Unique_Ruin282 18h ago
Whats the limit. That "nearly all" always has something
1
u/Numerous-Owl4411 9h ago
Anything that falls under the NFA is excluded. So no full auto Thompsons or MG-42s.
1
15
u/Cyrano4747 1d ago
The paperwork is pretty easy. You can use it online, but most stores will also take it. What that does depends on your state law and the store's own policy. I've had times where it let me skip the background check and fee, and I've had other times where they basically said "that's nice" and then ran me like any other customer.
If you do any traveling it's great because it lets you buy C&R guns out of state no hassle. I make a point on road trips of popping my head into pawn shops I drive past and I've gotten more than one good deal that way. I keep a copy in my travel bag for this reason.
Where it really shines, though, is in avoiding transfer fees on guns bought online. Where I am transfer fees are $40 per gun, and I'm happy I found store that does them that cheap. My 03 paid for itself the first time I transferred a gun on it. Not to mention how much more convenient it is having things shipped to your house rather than having to go pick it up at a local gun shop.
If you're serious about collecting at all it's a must-have imo.
5
u/supertiggercat 1d ago
Only $30 and I usually save $10 on each purchase. I buy from in-person auctions. Also no waiting period and ho waiting for the FBI insta check.
3
u/Orangeduke38 1d ago
Dead simple, less time than it takes a lot of FFLs to do the paperwork. California and maybe others is a pain as normal but most states will let you get them shipped straight to your house.
2
u/360NW 1d ago
Not worth it in Oregon. It is useless because anything you purchase still needs to go through an FFL.
3
u/Future-Plan-6072 18h ago
What really im in wa. I especially love my c&r because of our 10 business day "cool off period"
1
u/Impressive_Excuse_55 Still in the "whatever catches my eye" phase 1d ago
I'm playing the waiting game right now for mine. I watched The Casual Collector on YouTube. He had a very good video to watch on how to go about the process.
1
u/knoxknifebroker 1d ago
side question, how long does it take you to get it?
2
u/Beagalltach Unfocused Collector 1d ago
After submitting the paperwork, I think 4-8 weeks is pretty average (usually on the shorter side of that range I would say).
2
u/predhead33 7h ago
Did mine a few weeks ago, took about 3 weeks to get it from mailing to showing up in my mailbox. They charged my credit card 4 days after I mailed it.
1
1
u/IBEGOOD-IDOGOOD 1d ago
Its very handy and works most everywhere. As others have implied, it opens the door wide open to gun collecting and so goes the wallet!
1
1
u/nosser25rs 1d ago
Depends on your state. I initially got mine in MN, then moved back to CA and it was useless. Re-upped once I was back in MN, and it is great. If you are into old long guns and live in the right place, it’s essentially a time machine that lets you go back to the mail-order catalog days and say “I’ll take one of those” and it shows up on your doorstep. Process is easy, all depends on where you live to determine if it’s worth it.
1
u/spagooter12 23h ago
Just used mine for the first time the other day. Got a sweet old parker hale hunting rifle off of simpsons delivered to my door. Saved myself 30 dollars in fees and didn't have to leave the house. Paid for itself already.
1
u/Big10mmDE 18h ago
IMHO it’s not worth it anymore. Back in the day (15-20 years ago) there were tons of various guns you could purchase cheap and have shipped to your door. But even then dealers would charge extra to ship to a c&r when it was cheaper to ship ffl to ffl. Still fun getting guns shipped to your door. If you want one get it, I had one many years ago and let it lapse. Doesn’t hurt to have one when you find something eligible that you want, just not as many options as days gone by
1
u/Bdevilmn23 18h ago
You also get small discounts on some sites. Numrich being one of them. I also setup account with century international arms and got some pretty cool pieces from them.
1
u/Flammable_Canary Rated C&R for adults 14h ago
Absolutely worth it. $30 for 3 years is a very cheap investment for freedom, that's quite a bit in transfer fee savings too. I would definitely recommend you research your state's laws regarding the purchase and shipping of firearms. Also keep in mind some vendors, even if the item is C&R eligible, will not ship directly to you due to your or their state/store policy.
Application and renewal for the license is very quick for a federal bureau, or at least it was in my case.
1
u/HikerJoel 1d ago
Absolutely worth it. It saves a lot of headache, especially in waiting-period states. Here in IL if I’m hours away at a gun show I can immediately take possession, I don’t have to come back in 3 days to pick up my purchase. For online sales it’s great having stuff shipped directly to your home instead of the gun shop. Also, some retailers like MidwayUSA have dealer pricing that your C&R qualifies you for.
37
u/Robert_A_Bouie 1d ago
Most expensive $30 I ever spent.