once again i thank the membership for forcing me to stick to my guns which in turn showed what i perceived as an ethical issue is in fact a legal issue: per your request Commander, et al:
source: ATF P-5300.4, dtd 2005:
923 Licensing.
(b) Any person desiring to be licensed as a collector shall file an application for such license with the Attorney General. The application shall be in such form and contain only that information necessary to determine eligibility as the Attorney General shall by regulation prescribe. The fee for such license shall be $10 per year. Any license granted under this subsection shall only apply to transactions in curios and relics. (IPSE’s emphasis)
§ 478.93 Authorized operations by a licensed collector.
The license issued to a collector of curios or relics under the provisions of this part shall cover only transactions by the licensed collector in curios and relics. The collector's license is of no force or effect and a licensed collector is of the same status under the Act and this part as a nonlicensee with respect to (a) any acquisition or disposition of firearms other than curios or relics, or any transportation, shipment, or receipt of firearms other than curios or relics in interstate or foreign commerce, and (b) any transaction with a nonlicensee involving any firearm other than a curio or relic. (See also § 478.50.) remainder snip as it refers to C/R and dealing with ammo.
478.94 Sales or deliveries between licensees.
A licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer selling or otherwise disposing of firearms, and a licensed collector selling or otherwise disposing of curios or relics, to another licensee shall verify the identity and licensed status of the transferee prior to making the transaction. Verification shall be established by the transferee furnishing to the transferor a certified copy of the transferee's license and by such other means as the transferor deems necessary.
to address what some quantified as illegal searc:
§ 478.23 Right of entry and examination.
c) Any ATF officer, without having reasonable cause to believe a violation of the Act has occurred or that evidence of the violation may be found and without demonstrating such cause before a Federal magistrate or obtaining from the magistrate a warrant authorizing entry, may enter during hours of operation the premises, including places of storage, of any licensed collector for the purpose of inspecting examining the records, documents, firearms, and ammunition referred to in paragraph (a) of this section (1) for ensuring compliance with the recordkeeping requirements of this part not more than once during any 12-month period or (2) when such inspection or examination may be required for determining the disposition of one or more particular firearms in the course of a bona fide criminal investigation. At the election of the licensed collector, the annual inspection permitted by this paragraph shall be performed at the ATF office responsible for conducting such inspection in closest proximity to the collector’s premises.
therefore, if you present your C/R license to xportation agents to ship a modern firearm you are in obvious violation of the terms of your license IAW 478.93 and subject to judicial punishment. Additionally, as pointed out in 478.23, ATF agents DO NOT need reasonable cause nor Federal judicial permission to enter or inspect! which means the xportation channels are fair game if they 'feel' a violation of the act has or is about to occur.
again thanks fun exercise and memory refresher...I hope Commander that settles the question regarding the responsibilities of a C/R licensee under the law which has clearly been demonstrated by the cites provided?
ipse