Frequently Asked Questions

Check the will first. If it has specific instructions for distribution of firearms to heirs or beneficiaries, you should follow that. Consult legal advice if needed. If there are no instructions in the will, or there are remaining guns that no heirs wish to take, contact us!

You have a fiduciary responsibility as executor, which means that the court expects you to act in the best interests of the estate. Many times, the court wants to see that you are using an expert to help you maximize value for the estate – that can mean liquidating (selling) firearms owned by the estate. That’s where we come in.

First and foremost, follow the rules of gun safety at all times. Most importantly, you should behave as if each gun is loaded, regardless of its condition. Secure all firearms to the best of your ability. Ideally, gather them all in one secure place. If you feel comfortable doing so, make them safe by checking that they are all unloaded. Then contact us!

It’s likely that most of the guns in the estate are perfectly legal and are not encumbered (no third party claims). However, every estate is different. Contact us. We can help advise you how to inspect each gun for serial numbers, barrel lengths, etc. to determine their legal status.

Federally, and in most states, there is no such thing as a firearm registry. As a rule, guns are not registered upon purchase and therefore there is no need to unregister them upon your relative’s death.

If any guns in the estate are NFA items (machine guns, short-barreled guns, silencers, etc), there may be additional requirements. We can advise you further.

Probate court generally does not require any specific forms to register, assess, or liquidate estate firearms.

Our purchase agreements list the make, model, and serial number for all of the guns being bought, along with a no-nonsense, bottom-line purchase price. This will satisfy probate requirements.

Contact us! We will advise you by email what the best course is. Oftentimes, this can be selling the whole collection to us for a fair value. We generally recommend a straight buyout of all the estate’s guns, as this greatly simplifies and speeds up the estate settlement process and gives the executor maximum value for the estate’s firearms, along with a lump sum of cash to the estate.

There is no specific license that you need to liquidate estate guns when you are the executor.

In order to verify your authority to dispose of estate property, we will ask to see your “letters testamentary” (for estates with wills) or “letters of administration” (for those without), along with your government-issued ID.

We are fully licensed and insured as a gun dealer. We hold a Type 1 Federal Firearms License (FFL) issued by the ATF, which explicitly permits us to deal in guns. We have over 20 years of firearms experience and are proud to serve you with all your estate firearms needs.

When you sell to us, no. We are a fully-licensed Type 1 FFL by the ATF, and are specifically vetted to deal in firearms.

We inventory them, perform any needed reconditioning, and then photograph them for sale. We use our extensive, nationwide network of collectors and enthusiasts who will cherish these guns as your relative did.

Oftentimes, with your permission, we seek to preserve the legacy of your relative by creating video content with these firearms, explaining a little about each one, its production history, and a short story from your relative, if available. We will never share your or your family’s personal information in this content.

We use a range of professional valuation sources, including the Blue Book of Gun Values, recently completed GunBroker listings, and realized prices from major auction houses such as Rock Island and Morphy’s. We also weigh current market trends and buyer demand, since some firearms sell quickly while others take more time to move.

In addition to market value, we factor in the risk and operating costs required to handle and resell estate firearms. These include compliance and recordkeeping, secure storage, insurance, inspection and handling, transportation, and any necessary cleaning or reconditioning.

These considerations ensure that we maximize immediate, guaranteed payment to your estate while handling the firearms safely, legally, and efficiently — with no additional fees, delays, or uncertainty.

We’ve seen too many stories where some local dealers might try to take advantage of your estate during a time of intense stress, potentially undervaluing your estate’s firearms. This can cause problems for the court if estate assets are disposed of inappropriately.

Many other local dealers or gunsmiths may have little interest in handling large volumes of estate guns. They almost never come to you, either. On the other hand, LAM specializes in estates – it’s what we do! We come to you, and treat you and your estate with the respect that you and your family deserve.

We guarantee liquidation for the entire collection, not just one or two preferred pieces.

Yes, you can, but it gets tricky very quickly. You are responsible for complying with all federal, state, and local laws regarding the sale of these guns, including inventory, background checks to out-of-state heirs or buyers, and secure storage.

Distributing guns to heirs or selling to the general public can be very risky, as the chance of a flawed or illegal transfer increases sharply with out-of-state or potentially prohibited heirs/buyers. For example, many estates unknowingly violate federal law by transferring firearms across state lines to heirs (18 USC § 922(a)(5)), or heirs who are prohibited from owning guns (18 USC § 922(g)).

Furthermore, selling firearms privately can expose an executor to civil liability if a gun is unsafe, misrepresented, or defective. When you sell to us, we as a dealer assume all resale and condition-related responsibility, removing that risk from the estate entirely.

We offer a much simpler, faster, and stress-free proposition: we pay you a fair price for the entire collection and then take them off your hands, offering a one-stop solution maximizes value for your estate. We handle all paperwork, liability, transport, storage, background checks, and compliance.

This is a very good question, and the most basic answer comes down to time, risk, and convenience. Selling consigned guns can take a very long time, depending on the market for that particular model. Oftentimes estate executors want to settle the estate as quickly as possible, with as little risk as possible, so instead of waiting possibly months or longer for an estate’s consigned guns to sell, we recommend one-time buyouts. The estate gets a fair-value lump sum of cash, instantly reducing the headache of settling the rest of the estate.

Yes! We are proud to offer liquidation services for non-firearm paraphernalia, like holsters, cases, ammunition, reloading equipment, gun parts, etc. Please let us know what you have when contacting us.

Stolen guns: LAM runs each gun through stolen gun databases. Any guns reported stolen need to be reported to the ATF and local law enforcement, and we will help you with this process, however we cannot take possession of them.

Illegal/contraband weapons: whether illegal due to federal, state, or local law, LAM cannot purchase these items. These might include guns with defaced serial numbers, unregistered machine guns, or simply guns outlawed by your state or locality.

Registered machine guns, silencers, short-barreled guns, etc (NFA items): sadly, LAM cannot buy these items. The ATF requires special licensing that LAM does not possess. We can however advise you on how best to liquidate these items.

Firearms with disputed ownership or inheritance: LAM cannot buy guns or other items whose ownership or inheritance is disputed. This could involve a dispute among heirs or third parties as to who has the right to take possession of the firearm. The estate must certify that the guns being sold are not disputed in order for LAM to purchase them.

Gun safes, strongboxes, gun cabinets, etc: LAM cannot purchase or liquidate gun safes or vaults due to weight, liability, and transportation concerns.

We will be very happy to assist you! Whatever your situation, if you find yourself in need of downsizing, we can help you. Please contact us and we can discuss further.

LAM is based in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are proud to offer in-person service to clients in East and Middle Tennessee, and in the greater Mid-South area: eastern NC, southern KY, southwestern VA, northwest SC, northern GA, northeastern AL.

If you are located outside of this service area, we may still be able to help. Please contact us.

LAM’s business premises are not open to the public. Our business model works by providing the very best personalized service at the estate’s location and removing estate guns from the premises.